Hi guys/girls,
Id firstly like to say thank you to all those who have given me help and tips so far!
Just been thinking in more detail about the driving position in a truck. How do you feel about it?
Do you think a more car like driving position would improve the comfort ie more relaxed seating position/smaller steering wheel.
Obviously visibility would not be able to be effected!
thanks for the info,
Jon.
Concept36:
Do you think a more car like driving position would improve the comfort ie more relaxed seating position/smaller steering wheel.Obviously visibility would not be able to be effected.
Have you ever been in a truck before? 
Even with the current upright seat position in all artics now, you’re still not far enough forward to see what’s immediately in front of you and what’s hiding on your f/n/s corner, without leaning forward and having a look.
You also need to factor in the pedal layout in trucks. The pedals come up from the floor (mainly) and you press them downwards to activate them, whereas in cars the pedals are usually suspended from the top and you push them away from you to activate them. Therefore, to introduce a new laid back car type position, you would have to change the pedal layout.
The laid back seating idea for trucks is a VERY BAD IDEA[/b]. Scrap it.
I voted “no.”
I have to agree with Paul on this one, and for the N/S/F observation reason he gave-- Spot-on IMHO.
Having said that, I can’t think of any trucks that have the pedals coming UP through the cab floor.
The only one I’ve driven that was like that was a 1979 FIAT (Before the turbostar 
)
I’m fairly sure that most trucks have pendant pedals these days, but it’s raised an interesting question…what say you guys??
dieseldave:
I can’t think of any trucks that have the pedals coming UP through the cab floor. I’m fairly sure that most trucks have pendant pedals these days, but it’s raised an interesting question…what say you guys??
The DAF 95 is one (brake pedal), and I’m sure there are others.
i drive a volvo fm9 26 tonner, ( with pedastal pedals )
and mr hoggard is smack on with the f/n/s observational point… you would need an array of mirrors to see it from a laid even slightly back position…
i have my seat just a couple of notches back from bolt upright, superb all round vision but even from this point i still need to lean forward to see directly beneath my nose…
but… laid back you could chat away like mad on yer phone and no one can see ya…
what about a remote so ya can lay on yer bunk and steer with a wii type controller? ah ah… just having a bit of fun m8…
but defo no for the laid back effect, more to the point, would make you fall asleep faster when tired…
As for driving position as everyone has mentioned before, leave it as it is.
However as for the steering wheel size. Don’t go down the road of putting one out of a mini in there, that would never do. In my opinion there are some wheels that I think are way to big, for example the MAN’s spring to mind. For me the new Scanias seem to have the perfect size wheel, but for the life of me i can`t think of a rough size for it at the minute 
I voted no.
I have no problems with the normal driving position. I can usually drive all day in a wagon and not feel to tired yet get in the car and after two hours, I feel uncomfortable. Thats not just one particular car - just cars in general.
The normal position (i.e more upright) is more natural and, i feel, keeps you more alert.
Leave it as it is on environmental grounds.
Eating a bacon buttie in my car results in grease dripping down on both my top and my trousers. Eating the same in a truck means that only my trousers suffer.
Hence only one item to go ‘in the wash’ instead of two. 
Simple really.
Krankee:
Leave it as it is on environmental grounds.Eating a bacon buttie in my car results in grease dripping down on both my top and my trousers. Eating the same in a truck means that only my trousers suffer.
Hence only one item to go ‘in the wash’ instead of two.
Simple really.
Ain’t that the truth!!
Limestone Cowboy:
As for driving position as everyone has mentioned before, leave it as it is.However as for the steering wheel size. Don’t go down the road of putting one out of a mini in there, that would never do. In my opinion there are some wheels that I think are way to big, for example the MAN’s spring to mind. For me the new Scanias seem to have the perfect size wheel, but for the life of me i can`t think of a rough size for it at the minute
The mark 1 Volvo FHs had the perfect size steering wheel, imho. Also had the perfect ratio steering rack too - they’re not that far behind a Terberg shunter which makes them fantastic when reversing on bays. You can get the lock off to straighten up within a quarter of a turn and a couple of seconds, whereas other trucks take 13 full turns of the wheel before you’re even close .
Please leave it as it is for all the above reasons. I think it’s more comfortable than your average car. I don’t like the driving position in cars, but there a again I don’t drive them very often.
i think drive position in my aston is spot on
Modern seats can be adjusted for for/aft position, height, recline, base tilt, base position, lumbar support x2 and bounce. Also, the steering wheel can be adjusted for height and rake.
Only problem I have is getting in a strange unit and fiddling with all that lot to get it how I like it - almost upright, feet able to rest flat on the floor.
On a motorway I’ll often recline the seat a notch but put it back up in town or on minor roads where I need better close range visibility.
I voted no, overall I think the driving positions in cabs these days is quite good.
The one thing I would like to see though is some sort of easy and quick adjustment on the pedals to move them backward or forward, obviously safety would be a factor but I wouldn’t have thought it would be impossible these days.
Concept36:
Do you think a more car like driving position would improve the comfort ie more relaxed seating position/smaller steering wheel.Jon.
The driving position adopted by many car drivers is simply not ergonomically suitable. The excessively reclined seat back causes lower back, neck and shoulder problems and cannot be maintained for 9 hours per day. The spine is designed to operate more or less upright. The reclined seat position prevents the abdominal muscles, including the daiphragm from working efficiently, leading to a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream and fatigue. The increased distance from the steering wheel reduces the effective movement of the steering.
Thr reason for the larger size steering wheel goes back to the days when it was a requirement to be able to steer even though the power assistance had failed. Some of us might remember the huge wheels on the DAF 2800s, or even earlier motors. One problem with too small a wheel is that it will become very tiring having to provide very small precise inputs. A larger wheel can make the fine tuning easier.
In summary, we do not need to change the driving position significantly. Modern designs have very well designed seats and in many cases are easier to drive than cars. An area where there could be a improvement would be to lower the entry height for distribution cabs, almost to a walk-in level. However, it is difficult to do that without eating into valuable cargo space. If you want to sit further back, just try a normal control (bonneted) Scania. Just beware of the huge blind sports.
No.
In fact, apart from the other comforts of modern trucks, I preferred the high up position of old trucks with the steering wheels horizontal sitting comfortably in the lap. I do realise though that this gave far more purchase in those non-power steering days.