Truck Marques

[bigstoop]

This is pretty much my first topic, but why are UK trucks so utterly bad, do the designers not sit in them and try them out. What do you think. I drive petrol tankers and have the following thoughts.

Volvo, too heavy, cramped, why is the seatbelt so short?

Merc, utter utter garbage, cramped, uncomfortable, WTF are the pedals all about, no where for the left leg, right leg rammed up against the door pocket to reach the accelerator, and FFS what are those “progressive” brakes all about. Nothing nothing, about to hit a wall, bang, face off!

Daf, not too bad, a lot of silly warnings, and that ding, da, da, da, ding is irritating. Seatbelts are too short.

MAN, fall to bits, shut the door and trim falls off, but comfy, spacious, and a good puller. Always breaking and in the garage.

Renault, horrid, strange, french. But a good middle of the road truck to be honest.

Iveco, steering wheel too big, but comfy. Always breaking down, very unreliable.

Scania, the best looking truck on the road, but looks are deceiving! Seat horrendously uncomfortable, always breaking down, seatbelt cuts neck, fall of the seat going round corners. Couldn’t pull itself out of bed. Pedals, offset and in the wrong position, clutch is higher than the rest. Why is there no where to put your feet. Shut the door walking out and it opens again, doors lock with the keys inside, I hate, positively get chills when I have to drive one of these!

*** ALSO TRUCK MANUFACTURERS ***

Why oh why oh why do you insist on putting radio’s in the cab with buttons that a mouse could barely touch. Why have so many functions that a NASA scientist would struggle to understand it? Why have everything so small and cramped and thats not saying anything about the cabs.

WE WANT BIG CLUNKY EASY TO READ SIMPLE BUTTONS, ALL WE NEED IS CD, MP3 AND RADIO. VOLUME UP, DOWN, AND TUNE UP AND DOWN. 5 BUTTONS. AND A TRAFFIC BUTTON 6 BUTTONS NO ZBHR, CDFMS, NEWS, PTY, OR ANY OTHER CRAP!

RANT OVER!

[commonrail]

plus 1 on the radio buttons

the ones in my scania are approx 3mmx1.5 mm

[limeyphil]

UK trucks?
the ones you mention sre swedish, dutch, italian, and german.
no mention of a dennis eagle anywhere.

[madguy]

bigstoop:
This is pretty much my first topic, but why are UK trucks so utterly bad, do the designers not sit in them and try them out. What do you think. I drive petrol tankers and have the following thoughts.

Scania, the best looking truck on the road
RANT OVER!

Are you sure you got this right■■? they may have neen about 50 years ago when the current model came out but theres much better looking trucks out there now

Madguy

[kr79]

You want to try an American truck. Sleeper is good but the driving side of it is about on par with a b series ERF.

[green456]

bigstoop:
This is pretty much my first topic, but why are UK trucks so utterly bad, do the designers not sit in them and try them out. What do you think. I drive petrol tankers and have the following thoughts.

Volvo, too heavy, cramped, why is the seatbelt so short?

Merc, utter utter garbage, cramped, uncomfortable, WTF are the pedals all about, no where for the left leg, right leg rammed up against the door pocket to reach the accelerator, and FFS what are those “progressive” brakes all about. Nothing nothing, about to hit a wall, bang, face off!

Daf, not too bad, a lot of silly warnings, and that ding, da, da, da, ding is irritating. Seatbelts are too short.

MAN, fall to bits, shut the door and trim falls off, but comfy, spacious, and a good puller. Always breaking and in the garage.

Renault, horrid, strange, french. But a good middle of the road truck to be honest.

Iveco, steering wheel too big, but comfy. Always breaking down, very unreliable.

Scania, the best looking truck on the road, but looks are deceiving! Seat horrendously uncomfortable, always breaking down, seatbelt cuts neck, fall of the seat going round corners. Couldn’t pull itself out of bed. Pedals, offset and in the wrong position, clutch is higher than the rest. Why is there no where to put your feet. Shut the door walking out and it opens again, doors lock with the keys inside, I hate, positively get chills when I have to drive one of these!

*** ALSO TRUCK MANUFACTURERS ***

Why oh why oh why do you insist on putting radio’s in the cab with buttons that a mouse could barely touch. Why have so many functions that a NASA scientist would struggle to understand it? Why have everything so small and cramped and thats not saying anything about the cabs.

WE WANT BIG CLUNKY EASY TO READ SIMPLE BUTTONS, ALL WE NEED IS CD, MP3 AND RADIO. VOLUME UP, DOWN, AND TUNE UP AND DOWN. 5 BUTTONS. AND A TRAFFIC BUTTON 6 BUTTONS NO ZBHR, CDFMS, NEWS, PTY, OR ANY OTHER CRAP!

RANT OVER!

which of the ones you have listed do you think are UK trucks

[shuttlespanker]

bigstoop:
This is pretty much my first topic, but why are UK trucks so utterly bad, do the designers not sit in them and try them out. What do you think. I drive petrol tankers and have the following thoughts.

Volvo, too heavy, cramped, why is the seatbelt so short?

Merc, utter utter garbage, cramped, uncomfortable, WTF are the pedals all about, no where for the left leg, right leg rammed up against the door pocket to reach the accelerator, and FFS what are those “progressive” brakes all about. Nothing nothing, about to hit a wall, bang, face off!

Daf, not too bad, a lot of silly warnings, and that ding, da, da, da, ding is irritating. Seatbelts are too short.

MAN, fall to bits, shut the door and trim falls off, but comfy, spacious, and a good puller. Always breaking and in the garage.

Renault, horrid, strange, french. But a good middle of the road truck to be honest.

Iveco, steering wheel too big, but comfy. Always breaking down, very unreliable.

Scania, the best looking truck on the road, but looks are deceiving! Seat horrendously uncomfortable, always breaking down, seatbelt cuts neck, fall of the seat going round corners. Couldn’t pull itself out of bed. Pedals, offset and in the wrong position, clutch is higher than the rest. Why is there no where to put your feet. Shut the door walking out and it opens again, doors lock with the keys inside, I hate, positively get chills when I have to drive one of these!

*** ALSO TRUCK MANUFACTURERS ***

Why oh why oh why do you insist on putting radio’s in the cab with buttons that a mouse could barely touch. Why have so many functions that a NASA scientist would struggle to understand it? Why have everything so small and cramped and thats not saying anything about the cabs.

WE WANT BIG CLUNKY EASY TO READ SIMPLE BUTTONS, ALL WE NEED IS CD, MP3 AND RADIO. VOLUME UP, DOWN, AND TUNE UP AND DOWN. 5 BUTTONS. AND A TRAFFIC BUTTON 6 BUTTONS NO ZBHR, CDFMS, NEWS, PTY, OR ANY OTHER CRAP!

RANT OVER!

firstly, as Limeyphil said, none of these are British trucks, they are Swedish, German, French and Italian

and secondly, if you think the seatbelts are too small, you must be a real fatty

[farnboroughboy11]

He probably means European cab over trucks as apposed to our counterparts across the pond.
Scania is the best truck on the road anyway

[muckaway]

I can’t understand why the Foden Alpha I used to drive was very hard to get comfortable in, yet the 10 year old CF I drive now is very good considering it’s age. (Both the “new” Daf cab, not the old Leyland Daf version) The CF by the way, has the basic seat with just one lumbar support. The 4 over 4 in the Daf is much lighter than the 12 speed that the Foden had too.
To the O/P, if I was on your money I wouldn’t care if I had a radio at all.

[madguy]

FarnboroughBoy11:
He probably means European cab over trucks as apposed to our counterparts across the pond.
Scania is the best truck on the road anyway

I agree that it is a good truck however as a good looking truck thats another thing, park them next to the current compertition and they look very dated and very round, I agree that (so far) reliability in mine has been great things like the raised floor, very uncomfterble seat and the awefull opticruise gearbox really do let it down.

Madguy

[juddian]

They’re not designed to be driven any more, simply sat in and the steering wheel attended whilst the electronics do the rest, the inside emphasis is now on storage beds power points etc, which is ideal for drivers who stick mainly to the main roads on normal RDC type work and live in the things.

Probably the best drivers lorry now being made is the good old Daf CF but only if fitted with a manual box, comfortable, nimble, good fast changing gearbox and if its got the 460 engine a good tool to make progress in and terrific for manoeuvering control barring the poor steering lock, might well find a Hino would be every bit as good and likely more reliable/durable to boot if people could see past this badge and image rubbish.

I’d argue the point about MB’s, manual gearboxed old shape Axors especially in 430 6x2 form was a good drivers lorry, simple reliable and rugged and the ability to lug right down to 800 rpm without a murmer, wouldn’t want one of their auto boxes though, indeed wouldn’t want any of the others either apart from Volvo, or Scania at a push because its good for manual override but hopeless for close manoeuvering like all autos except Volvo, and proper torque converter autos as found in Tug.

Scania would be one of the best if it had a decent engine with some guts, daresay the V8’s are OK but the fleet stuff i agree wouldn’t pull you out of bed.

Like Scania and Daf for visibility though, they doggedly stick to seperate mirrors allowing a bit of through vision instead of the wardrobe jobbies fitted to much of the competition with the serious lack of all round vision they bring.

Good looking or not doesn’t come into it except for image posing if thats why people now buy lorries.

[the_kaiser]

I have a cure for drivers moaning about poorly designed, uncomfortable, noisy modern £70k tucks . . . . . . . . It’s sits in the corner of the yard and is called an ERF E10 320 fitted with a twin splitter. A run to the test station with a trailer for test usually puts those tiny issues into perspective !

[att]

the kaiser:
I have a cure for drivers moaning about poorly designed, uncomfortable, noisy modern £70k tucks . . . . . . . . It’s sits in the corner of the yard and is called an ERF E10 320 fitted with a twin splitter. A run to the test station with a trailer for test usually puts those tiny issues into perspective !

[saaamon]

Strange… Sounds like you need to lose weight then you mite be able to get the seat belt round you and turn the radio on.

[farnboroughboy11]

madguy:

FarnboroughBoy11:
He probably means European cab over trucks as apposed to our counterparts across the pond.
Scania is the best truck on the road anyway

I agree that it is a good truck however as a good looking truck thats another thing, park them next to the current compertition and they look very dated and very round, I agree that (so far) reliability in mine has been great things like the raised floor, very uncomfterble seat and the awefull opticruise gearbox really do let it down.

Madguy

Mmmmm, I’m not really a fan of the new stuff though, I don’t know but everything is just too triangular and zig zaggy for me, it’s like they can’t simply make a head light anymore, they have to have some weird looking thing that looks like a cheesy Dorito. But we are yet to see the new facelift scania arnt we? So I wonder if the new scania will be like its counterparts.

[shuttlespanker]

the kaiser:
I have a cure for drivers moaning about poorly designed, uncomfortable, noisy modern £70k tucks . . . . . . . . It’s sits in the corner of the yard and is called an ERF E10 320 fitted with a twin splitter. A run to the test station with a trailer for test usually puts those tiny issues into perspective !

the only problem with that idea is, some of us might actually prefer that to the modern trucks

[actrosman]

Juddian:
They’re not designed to be driven any more, simply sat in and the steering wheel attended whilst the electronics do the rest, the inside emphasis is now on storage beds power points etc, which is ideal for drivers who stick mainly to the main roads on normal RDC type work and live in the things.

Probably the best drivers lorry now being made is the good old Daf CF but only if fitted with a manual box, comfortable, nimble, good fast changing gearbox and if its got the 460 engine a good tool to make progress in and terrific for manoeuvering control barring the poor steering lock, might well find a Hino would be every bit as good and likely more reliable/durable to boot if people could see past this badge and image rubbish.

I’d argue the point about MB’s, manual gearboxed old shape Axors especially in 430 6x2 form was a good drivers lorry, simple reliable and rugged and the ability to lug right down to 800 rpm without a murmer, wouldn’t want one of their auto boxes though, indeed wouldn’t want any of the others either apart from Volvo, or Scania at a push because its good for manual override but hopeless for close manoeuvering like all autos except Volvo, and proper torque converter autos as found in Tug.

Scania would be one of the best if it had a decent engine with some guts, daresay the V8’s are OK but the fleet stuff i agree wouldn’t pull you out of bed.

Like Scania and Daf for visibility though, they doggedly stick to seperate mirrors allowing a bit of through vision instead of the wardrobe jobbies fitted to much of the competition with the serious lack of all round vision they bring.

Good looking or not doesn’t come into it except for image posing if thats why people now buy lorries.

Think that’s because the ‘newer’ ones are 5 pot…we had an 11 plate R480 and it was a ■■■■ site slower up hill than the 52 plate 124M 420 I drive because it is a 6 pot.

Try blindsiding a CF artic in the dark when it’s lashing down and the bay floodlights are shining right at you…at least with the Scania (and a few others), you can wind the window down to clear the glass…what happens in the DAF? ■■■■ all…I hate the bloody things!!

[newmercman]

Are you sure about the 5 pot

AFAIK Scania use a modular design on all their engines, this gives two litre cubic capacity to each pot, so the V8s are 16litre, the 6’s are 12litre and the 5’s would be a 10litre I do remember something about a 5pot lump from them, but never seen one myself and if there was such a beast it would be a little bit smaller than 480hp, that I am sure of

[drivingmissdaisy]

How long you been driving? Those trucks are absolute luxury compared with what I started out on…

[juddian]

Actrosman:

Juddian:

Think that’s because the ‘newer’ ones are 5 pot…we had an 11 plate R480 and it was a ■■■■ site slower up hill than the 52 plate 124M 420 I drive because it is a 6 pot.

Try blindsiding a CF artic in the dark when it’s lashing down and the bay floodlights are shining right at you…at least with the Scania (and a few others), you can wind the window down to clear the glass…what happens in the DAF? [zb] all…I hate the bloody things!!

Driven many miles in both older 420 and later 440 Scanias, without doubt the 420’s have the edge, but still snail like getting them rolling, once up to about 25 mph though 420 would pull quite well.

Blind siding in the dark?, that calls for spotlessly clean windows and mirrors, personally i never wind the windows down instead nip out and squeegee them, can’t beat clean windows though however you do it…as an aside it beats me just how some manage, too often you cannot even see if there’s someone driving so filthy is everything, must be better drivers than i’ll ever be, do they have radar sounders like bats?