I’m about to enter my final year in the Coventry Uni design course, and I wish to focus my degree project on a new kind of truck for the European industry. I’ve received some professional guidance, and now I need to compile a design brief.
To do this, I decided to start here, and would greatly appreciate any help you can offer regarding what sorts of problems you face as truck drivers, how might changing/improving something in a truck help solve that, etc. To help you help me, here are a few things to consider:
The truck as a workplace: integrated functions How do you use the interior Sleeping, relaxing; ease of rearranging cab to accommodate this Storage, organization Personal safety and security Solo or team driving for 1 truck; single-driver work environment Basic needs; problems needing solutions Anything else you think would be useful
Again, thanks in advance and I hope we can make this an ongoing collaboration. In return for your help, I will begin to update you starting in autumn with sketches of ideas for your feedback.
For those of you who own the trucks you operate, you can also contribute in this discussion.
The main problem with our cabs is there is not enough depth . The distance from the windscreen to the back of the cab it seems is governed (in the UK at least) by the overall length of the vechicle. The cabs are now high & wide enough but any unit pulling a max length trailer can only have a standard depth sleeper cab.
Scania seem to have at least attempted to solve the problem with their Longliner cab. However we’re never going to get a proper long distance cab until the overall length issues are sorted out.
There must be better ways of making the space we currently have into a more user friendly area. The passenger seat must be the biggest waste of space in most cabs as it’s used so rarely. Also even if I’m only taking a 45 min break it would be nice if I could get out of the drivers seat & eat a meal at a table like in some of the latest Ivecos.
All manufacturers seem to follow the same design brief & one of them needs to come up with a radically different design to offer drivers a higher degree of comfort & practicality. Maybe it will be you who designs it. Good luck.
Flat surfaces, and lots of them. Preferably close to the cab CofG, for all the odds and sods (and drinks) that you need to have close to hand. The new Scania scores well on this, as does the model it replaces. ‘Robust’ seat controls, unlike the flimsy plastic type fitted to the new Scania. Happen to snap one and you spend the rest of the day with your arse on the floor viewing the road from between your knees.
A ‘designed’ recess for a mobile phone mount, rather than having it just screwed to somewhere on the dash.
Electric windows that can be operated without using the ignition key.
Smoke alarm (and gas alarm).
A third 12v battery operating a ‘leisure circuit’, for all the additional items now used. i.e. Fridge, microwave, DVD player, TV, laptop.
Washer bottle where you can actually ‘see’ the level rather than having to top it up daily only to find it needs less than a cupfull.
Probably not the type of suggestions you were expecting.
Electric windows that can be operated without using the ignition key.
Smoke alarm (and gas alarm).
A third 12v battery operating a ‘leisure circuit’, for all the additional items now used. i.e. Fridge, microwave, DVD player, TV, laptop.
I wholeheartly agree with the above that have been mentioned, especially the electirc windows. Some place’s where we have to deliver to you have to hand your keys in leaving you without the use of your windows!
Unless you throw a sneaky and hand your car keys instead
Having said that I can’t imagine a firm that would buy trucks that fully caters the drivers needs unless it fullfills all there needs first.
However what an exciting project, good luck and all the best
If you are offering us a totally blank canvass then i’d be here typing for ages!! Think of some of the really luxurious motorhomes you’ve seen and then work out how to fit the best bits in the limited cab space we are afforded!! Some running hot water wouldn’t go amiss, even if it’s delivered outside of the cab or accessed via a side-locker.
Some of the requirements should be quite easy to achieve; improved wiring looms/electrics that can easily cope with a microwave, fridge, aircon/dehumidifier, laptop, TV, kettle and sidelights (as often required for parking) and will last for at least a 24 hr weekly rest away from home. Maybe all this would be better achieved by an incorporated system something along the lines of the MOPACC that is currently available (and used by our own North Surrey Haulage).
As for safety, blind spots are an ever-present problem so perhaps an all-round CCTV ‘in-cab’ vision system (I think Renault looked at this with their concept truck that was on display at Hanover IAA a couple of years ago).
When you’ve built the prototype, can I test drive it??
A good point about the sidelights. Parked vehicles are required to display two white lights to the front, and two red lights to the rear, at night.
Transport Engineer recently featured a low current LED trailer cluster developed by Rubbolite. Using the CAN-Bus system, it is surely possible to fulfill the legal requirements using low current devices front and rear, whilst disabling side marker and upper lights. Supplying such a system from what I have coined a ‘leisure battery’ and linking it to a ‘daylight detector’ would ensure that there is always engine start power the following day.
Although, obviously, trailer manufacturers would also need to play a part in such changes.
Thanks for your help and support! Fantastic suggestions from everyone, keep 'em coming.
So, as Life’s a Gas said, would you all agree that a single-seat concept truck that caters only to the driver would be something of great interest? I could certainly put some kind of leisure environment in place of the lower bed behind the driver as well.
Thus the driver can have his bed on the upper level and a dedicated area for dining & other activities behind him and to the side, probably allowing more room for things like the fridge and eliminating the need for a passenger seat to serve as a table.
Also, what type of work would it make the most sense to cater to in place of the passenger seat? This dictates the items and accommodations that can be designed into the work area.
And another thing: How does the Scania Longline comply with overall vehicle length legislation?
With the passenger seat pushed back to make part of the “office/eating” quarters a fold away table and an excellent bunk at the top.
So what kind of stuff would you like to see added to the newly free space next to the passenger-side door?
Kiera Knightly naked and lying there waiting for me!!!, we are due some new trucks soon please tell me you can do it !!!.
Seriously whatever goes there would have to be moveable as there are times when you need access to the passenger side door such as tight access bays etc.
With the passenger seat pushed back to make part of the “office/eating” quarters a fold away table and an excellent bunk at the top.
So what kind of stuff would you like to see added to the newly free space next to the passenger-side door?
A slatted floor (or something similar), above which would be a circular curtain rail (and curtain) with an overhead shower (back to the running hot water) - in effect a similar theme to a wet room. It might sound a bit far-fetched but if you can design it I’d definately get one!! Ideally, a roll-over floor cover for once the slatted floor is finished with, along with the fold-away curtain would mean that the passenger seat area could then be re-utilised for whatever.
When OTR, of all the facilities I hate to go without, a shower is the main one!! I’d even rather have a shower than food!!
jammymutt:
Kiera Knightly naked and lying there waiting for me!
Make it Sarah Beeny for me!! Once ‘the fun’ was over she could then do a makeover of the cab - you know how she always looks to “make the best use of available space”.
I like the iveco stralis cab and if i was a tramper and given a choice of vehicle even though i do like my volvos , the stralis would get the nod .
I,ll never forget when i was at a depot in leeds and i was using a stralis , within days of them being released and put on UK roads . Another driver came upto the cab and knocked on the door , i was sat at the table eating my sandwiches and reading the paper ( it was great ) , i opened the door and he asked if i wouldn’t mind if he had a look in the cab . I let him get in the cab and i sat back down at the table , his face was a picture kin hell he says this is luxury , he was looking round it with his mouth open like he’d walked into the main room in a stately home
Turn the ignition on i said … Bloody hell a colour screen whats all this menu for etc
paul@midway:
I like the iveco stralis cab and if i was a tramper and given a choice of vehicle even though i do like my volvos , the stralis would get the nod .
Good cabs
I tramped in one… never again
Night heater and heater blower and a mind of it’s own
Lots of space and loads of lockers, but most all out of reach
Seat didn’t go back far enough to make it comfortable
Nothing around you to put anything, draw/flat area.
Lack of above is one of my top hates in new Volvos. In older Volvos it didn’t matter how bright the weather was outside the cab when you closed the curtains. It was always dark inside the cab but in new Volvo when you wan’t to sleep you never get more than different shades of grey inside the cab as light cames through the curtain itself. At summer pulling second curtains help, but at low temperatures that’s impossible to do as then night heater doesn’t warm the bed, only dashboard and seats. I don’t know how long part of year you have to use night heater over there, but here in Finland it’s quite long part of the year.
I’d also like to see some kind of insulation under the bed as it is freezing after days work at winter. At summer that same insulation could help little bit by preventing engine making the bed too hot to sleep. I think putting the only bed to upper level could be quite hot, but as I haven’t slept in Topline (or in top bunk) at summer I have nothing to support this.
Another point, allready mentioned here, are flat surfaces at dashboard, for laptop for example, and mug/bottle holders. Interior should also be made sturdy so it’ll last occasional abuse for years without rattles.
As for interior use, I like that truck doesn’t have entirely flat floor so you have separate space for driving with dirty shoes, and to prevent that dirt from drifting to your “bedroom” I also like to keep phone(s)/wallet/snacks/camera/whatever in reach of hand over the engine which wouldn’t be possible with flat floor.
Top bunks are too hot in summer by far, a decent method of ventilation which doesn’t let light in is much needed. Engine heat on the bottom bunk in summer is too much, as is cold coming upwards in winter. And a better ducting plan so that the night heater actually heats the bunk.
Also a fan of shallow footwells to keep the dirt contained. And curtains which are not only thick, but don’t need clothes pegs all over the place to keep you decent when you have a wash or strip for bed - never found a set that don’t need extra pegs yet, even the velcro on the Eurotechs/Stars was useless after the first year.
marcustandy:
A slatted floor (or something similar), above which would be a circular curtain rail (and curtain) with an overhead shower (back to the running hot water) - in effect a similar theme to a wet room.
Kyrbo:
I also like to keep phone(s)/wallet/snacks/camera/whatever in reach of hand over the engine which wouldn’t be possible with flat floor.
I’ve seen Scania Longlines with a shower installation (which sadly serves only as a shower) - but, how does it manage to comply with total vehicle length legislation? Are Longlines not allowed to carry full-length trailers?
Also, how does a flat floor get in the way of upper-dash storage like phone/wallet holders?
I also like to keep phone(s)/wallet/snacks/camera/whatever in reach of hand over the engine which wouldn’t be possible with flat floor.