Just watched a new episode of Dexter (great show BTW) and seen a clip with a Renault Magnum!
So are European truck gradually getting into USA?
Renault had to get special permission to run it over there - it did Route 66 - you can get a limited edition “Route 66” version in the rest of Europe.
Steve
The Americans dont like European trucks because it highlights the technological inadequacy of their own vehicles. Any one thats ever seen an American truck up close or driven one will know what I’m talking about. Basically an average American truck is like driving a 25 year old ERF with a big cab. The brakes, chasis, 5th wheels etc etc etc are all out of the ark. Volvo brought out a proper fully syncomesh gearbox here several years back but it proved completely unsuccessful because American and Canadians will not evolve their minds past the crash box. Even today in Canada when companies buy new Volvo’s with I-shift a lot of Canadian drivers refuse to have them and stick to the old rattling junk with a crash box with drum brakes that might slow a mini down and steering so loose you can turn the wheel 45 degrees each way and not alter direction. The only reason I like American trucks is the huge amount of room in them, everything else about them is quite frankly rubbish. There is talk of disc brakes becoming available on some models soon, against the wishes of the US DOT who want to maintain the status quo with drum brakes and slack adjusters so they can continue issuing fines for brakes out of adjustment. Not bad for 2011 if the US trucks make it in to the 90s.
In 1996 I took a magnum loaded with race cars from baltimore to north of Chicago and back that was fun
march717:
In 1996 I took a magnum loaded with race cars from baltimore to north of Chicago and back that was fun
I bet that attracted some attention!!
robinhood_1984:
The Americans dont like European trucks because it highlights the technological inadequacy of their own vehicles. Any one thats ever seen an American truck up close or driven one will know what I’m talking about. Basically an average American truck is like driving a 25 year old ERF with a big cab. The brakes, chasis, 5th wheels etc etc etc are all out of the ark. Volvo brought out a proper fully syncomesh gearbox here several years back but it proved completely unsuccessful because American and Canadians will not evolve their minds past the crash box. Even today in Canada when companies buy new Volvo’s with I-shift a lot of Canadian drivers refuse to have them and stick to the old rattling junk with a crash box with drum brakes that might slow a mini down and steering so loose you can turn the wheel 45 degrees each way and not alter direction. The only reason I like American trucks is the huge amount of room in them, everything else about them is quite frankly rubbish. There is talk of disc brakes becoming available on some models soon, against the wishes of the US DOT who want to maintain the status quo with drum brakes and slack adjusters so they can continue issuing fines for brakes out of adjustment. Not bad for 2011 if the US trucks make it in to the 90s.
Very true 
All US vehicles are second rate and way out dated, even Ford and Gm which are US firms make poor quality rubbish here and advanced vehicles ib Europe because they know the American people cab be easily fooled.
andy187:
Just watched a new episode of Dexter (great show BTW)
Seconded 
I used to work in the rail industry. I’ve worked on American EMD engines, in comparison to Brittish engines they are terrible. They literally shake them selves to pieces. They reliabaly crack in the same place every time. Many of the parts are designed to wear out and be replaced, both water pumps on an EMD710 engine only last 5 years from new, after that any replacement pump only last 3 years. I dislike American engineering, alot of what I’ve had to work with seems unfinnished, designed with and put together with a “that’ll do” attitude. I actually got a second full set of brand new valve rockers out of their packaging and had to modify most of them so they would fit onto the engine. The first set I was sent were so badly machined that they were scrap.
I’m sure not all American products can be quite this bad, and my experience is strictly in the world of railways. I hope I’m right in saying that.
I bet the cost of spares for europe manufactured trucks is quite high in the US though?
andy187:
Just watched a new episode of Dexter (great show BTW) and seen a clip with a Renault Magnum!So are European truck gradually getting into USA?
I saw that also, but I think it’s only a random arial shoot. The magnum has a eurotrailer that looks very high. I don’t know anuthing about hight limits in the usa. But In my eyes it looks like it is on a european motorway.
Screeenshoot from the episode.
210
jonas a:
andy187:
Just watched a new episode of Dexter (great show BTW) and seen a clip with a Renault Magnum!So are European truck gradually getting into USA?
I saw that also, but I think it’s only a random arial shoot. The magnum has a eurotrailer that looks very high. I don’t know anuthing about hight limits in the usa. But In my eyes it looks like it is on a european motorway.
Screeenshoot from the episode.
0
Probably just a bit of stock footage they bought for the episode. That looks like a brown European style tourist sign in the picture, do they also have those in America? Looks more like France to me given the buildings.
Yep, France, top picture, left hand side, there’s a triangular warning sign, they don’t have those in the USA, it’s even got a little “Rappel” plate beneath it.
How would you go about being approved for touring in the states with a European registered vehicle? I’ve been following Jaguar on facebook touring coast to coast in a UK registered 2.2 diesel XF, jammy gits! and looks great, wouldn’t mind taking my Mustang engined MG ZT out there for giggles (provided i don’t have to sell a kidney and lung to finance it)
robinhood_1984:
The Americans dont like European trucks because it highlights the technological inadequacy of their own vehicles. Any one thats ever seen an American truck up close or driven one will know what I’m talking about. Basically an average American truck is like driving a 25 year old ERF with a big cab. The brakes, chasis, 5th wheels etc etc etc are all out of the ark. Volvo brought out a proper fully syncomesh gearbox here several years back but it proved completely unsuccessful because American and Canadians will not evolve their minds past the crash box. Even today in Canada when companies buy new Volvo’s with I-shift a lot of Canadian drivers refuse to have them and stick to the old rattling junk with a crash box with drum brakes that might slow a mini down and steering so loose you can turn the wheel 45 degrees each way and not alter direction. The only reason I like American trucks is the huge amount of room in them, everything else about them is quite frankly rubbish. There is talk of disc brakes becoming available on some models soon, against the wishes of the US DOT who want to maintain the status quo with drum brakes and slack adjusters so they can continue issuing fines for brakes out of adjustment. Not bad for 2011 if the US trucks make it in to the 90s.
Errrr WRONG 
Technological inadequacy 
I don’t think so, the engine for the next generation of Mercs has been running in Freightliners and Western Stars since 09, the next generation MX engine for the Daf is currently available in North America, the same for the next Volvo engine 
Gearboxes, yes, they do use ‘old style’ constant mesh, but that’s for reliability, remember the million mile truck is very common here, a synchro box will not last that long 
Disc brakes are available and have been for a while, they did lag behind Europe on that score though. The steering issues you mention are clearly down to alignment, if the thrust angle between the two drive axles is wrong you’ll be fighting it all day long, but if it’s set properly it’ll run as if on rails, my truck runs nice and straight, I could get in the bunk and get a drink out of my fridge and it would stay in lane, hypothetically speaking of course 
Chassis are big lumps of metal, exactly the same as they are on a European truck and the same goes for the 5th wheel 
Yes, but they do still look like while they were being assembled in the factory, somebody climbed into the cab with a big box of gauges and just threw them at the dashboard.
Harry Monk:
Yes, but they do still look like while they were being assembled in the factory, somebody climbed into the cab with a big box of gauges and just threw them at the dashboard.
with a machine gun
Usually there is about 40 odd gauges well from the posts i see on here anyway, i reckon they’re all for show so the general public thinks driving a lorry is hard work
newmercman:
robinhood_1984:
The Americans dont like European trucks because it highlights the technological inadequacy of their own vehicles. Any one thats ever seen an American truck up close or driven one will know what I’m talking about. Basically an average American truck is like driving a 25 year old ERF with a big cab. The brakes, chasis, 5th wheels etc etc etc are all out of the ark. Volvo brought out a proper fully syncomesh gearbox here several years back but it proved completely unsuccessful because American and Canadians will not evolve their minds past the crash box. Even today in Canada when companies buy new Volvo’s with I-shift a lot of Canadian drivers refuse to have them and stick to the old rattling junk with a crash box with drum brakes that might slow a mini down and steering so loose you can turn the wheel 45 degrees each way and not alter direction. The only reason I like American trucks is the huge amount of room in them, everything else about them is quite frankly rubbish. There is talk of disc brakes becoming available on some models soon, against the wishes of the US DOT who want to maintain the status quo with drum brakes and slack adjusters so they can continue issuing fines for brakes out of adjustment. Not bad for 2011 if the US trucks make it in to the 90s.Errrr WRONG
Technological inadequacy
Gearboxes, yes, they do use ‘old style’ constant mesh, but that’s for reliability, remember the million mile truck is very common here, a synchro box will not last that long
Disc brakes are available and have been for a while, they did lag behind Europe on that score though. The steering issues you mention are clearly down to alignment, if the thrust angle between the two drive axles is wrong you’ll be fighting it all day long, but if it’s set properly it’ll run as if on rails, my truck runs nice and straight, I could get in the bunk and get a drink out of my fridge and it would stay in lane, hypothetically speaking of course
While what you say may be true, its only become true in the past few years and even now, the vast majority of new trucks are speced not with the latest technology available, but with the most basic and prehistoric equipment availabe. You obviously drive a better quality truck than most of what I’ve had here and I’ve had two trucks from brand new and while the Volvo is okay apart from the pants ■■■■■■■ engine that couldn’t pull me out of bed in the morning, let alone go up hill at full Canadian gross weight the new freightliner Cascadia was a pile of crap, steering all over the place, crash box, drum brakes that you’ve got to stand on to notice any sort of slowing down. All this is providing your actually driving a new truck made in the past three years, and not one of the older heaps of crap on the road. What is your current truck? If it runs straight enough for you to get in to the bunk while driving I gather its probably a Peterbilt? Thats the only make of truck I’ve ever driven here that ages well and even when 8 or 10 years old still feels tight. My experience of older trucks is mainly Freightliner Classics and they are just horrendous and they were built in 2006 and 07!!.
Slightly off topic but I remember seeing quite a few 4 wheelers baged as mack with the cab of the old smaller Renault trucks also used on the Volvo f7. When I first went to America about 10 years ago.
robinhood_1984:
While what you say may be true, its only become true in the past few years and even now, the vast majority of new trucks are speced not with the latest technology available, but with the most basic and prehistoric equipment availabe. You obviously drive a better quality truck than most of what I’ve had here and I’ve had two trucks from brand new and while the Volvo is okay apart from the pants ■■■■■■■ engine that couldn’t pull me out of bed in the morning, let alone go up hill at full Canadian gross weight the new freightliner Cascadia was a pile of crap, steering all over the place, crash box, drum brakes that you’ve got to stand on to notice any sort of slowing down. All this is providing your actually driving a new truck made in the past three years, and not one of the older heaps of crap on the road. What is your current truck? If it runs straight enough for you to get in to the bunk while driving I gather its probably a Peterbilt? Thats the only make of truck I’ve ever driven here that ages well and even when 8 or 10 years old still feels tight. My experience of older trucks is mainly Freightliner Classics and they are just horrendous and they were built in 2006 and 07!!.
Yes I drive a Peterbilt, so my view may be somewhat biased, now, without coming across as a know it all, I do get paid for my opinion on trucks, both in British magazines and Canadian ones, having driven pretty much every truck on the road as a road tester I have a bit of experience to back up my views too.
I would say that your experiences have been tainted, a North American Volvo is built to the same standards as a European one, in fact there are a lot of parts common to both. Freightliner are different, they are basic fleet trucks, pile em high and sell em cheap, even the new Cascadia. when you have the likes of Crete Carriers running 7000 Freightliners and JB Hunt or Schneider who have at least double that, you don’t get a lot of frills.
The steering problems you had with the Cascadia are well documented, they have a rack and pinion set up and they got it wrong, it’s been fixed now, but early ones were a disaster
So your ■■■■■■■ is a bit weedy is it? What hp is it? I’m guessing that it only started out as a 455hp and seeing that you drive for a decent size fleet I would bet that they’ve de-rated it in the pursuit of mpg, many big fleets do this, you will also find that you’re geared too high, for some strange reason Volvo love fitting 3:42 rear ends, when a 3:55 is much better and if you’re going 65mph or under most of the time, a set of 3:70s is even better still, in the hills at gross weight that gearing difference will really affect the pulling power
I suppose that’s the whole point.
In the UK, trucks used to have bonnets, because the engines needed constant attention, and access to the engine therefore needed to be quick and easy.
Peterbilt (and most other American trucks) still do have bonnets. So either the engines still require constant attention or they have not quite grasped the idea that design is holistic, and that reliable engines do not require instant access.
What is said so many times is true. American truck drivers cling to their outdated trucks simply because they are resistant to change.