Why is there so much room between the cab and trailer?

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Mediocre_Ice_8846@reddit

The standard length feels like you're riding in a bouncy castle. That's why they lengthen the frame for a better ride.

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danDotDev@reddit

Probably not the reason, but for overhang off a flatbed as well

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Balderdash612@reddit

I could see ride quality, but looks? This looks like a stretched piece of taffy.

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Nebraska716@reddit

You are on top of the front axle. That’s not helping ride Jack. This is just someone’s immaturity showing

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ButterflyDesperate36@reddit

"This is just someone’s immaturity showing" ironic YOU say this.

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Nebraska716@reddit

Trucks are for making money and that’s it. Immaturity is not knowing how to make money in trucking and this isn’t it

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Your opinion is still invalid and moving the goalpost and talking absolute idiotic bullshit won't save ya. If what you're saying now were true, then trucks would have no living space and only a tiny box to sleep in right behind the seats. Like they used to have decades ago. How did the companies trying to stick with such "sleepers" do? Where are they now? So now you made two idiotic and false statements, wanna make a third one?

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DanEpiCa@reddit

And yet every European cabover rides far better and smoother than anything conventional American, so, yeah...

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Lucius_Furius@reddit

Double air rides, they are great. Thank the French, Renault Magnum was the first one.

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Extension_Win1114@reddit

Most cabovers ARE over the front axle. Jus sayin’

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badmechanic12345@reddit

This, exactly

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magicmanspetmonkey@reddit

That area is were you store your cool 😎

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easymachtdas@reddit

Aka front overhang

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skeletons_asshole@reddit

Only way to make those ride decent

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Chronicxx-850@reddit

Smoother ride (big reason)

A longer wheelbase: • Spreads bumps out over a longer distance • Reduces the “bucking” you feel

That’s why guys doing long highway runs like stretched trucks—it’s just less fatiguing.

⸻

⚖️ 2. Better weight distribution

With a longer frame: • You can spread weight more evenly between steer, drives, and trailer • Helps stay legal on heavy loads • Reduces stress on any single axle group

This matters a lot for: • Heavy haul • Tankers • Spread axle setups

⸻

🔧 3. Room for more equipment

A 333” setup gives space for: • Bigger fuel tanks • APU units • Toolboxes • Headache racks

Basically, more real estate on the frame rails.

⸻

🛞 4. Stability at speed

Longer trucks: • Track straighter on the highway • Feel more planted, especially with a load

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WillLynCO@reddit

They back easy too! Whatever direction they are pointed is the direction they are going!

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RevolutionaryDebt365@reddit

Why did no one answer drom plate yet? It probably had a platform to haul freight on the back of the truck. West coast deal. People removed the droms but never shortened the frame. The look sort of stuck.

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plunger-tx@reddit

Bridge law. Correct me if I’m wrong but I think to scale 80,000 lbs I needed 51’ from the front axle to the center of the trailer tandems.

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ChaceEdison@reddit

When you absolutely hate aerodynamics

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letsalldropvitamins@reddit

The latest in aerodynamic technology that gets you -4.7mpg!

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Class8guy@reddit

Better than the 4.5mpg I average in my 2011 car hauler

https://imgur.com/a/OC7kRp5

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tractorferret@reddit

4.3 avg W900L 565/2050 lmao 🤷‍♂️ I’m out here to have fun

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KilljoyTheTrucker@reddit

The hell you running?

Im right at 5 today in a 379 at 600 running 90-95k gvw

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tractorferret@reddit

Maxi flatbed curtain van typically 100-103k lots of hills

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KilljoyTheTrucker@reddit

Ahh yeah, that makes a lot of sense lmao

I got quite a few hills, but I can keep my speed up and theyre not like Appalachian area hills or the shit show that is I80 in Iowa where they specifically picked the hilliest spot possible.

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Class8guy@reddit

Baby 14L Detroit 60 here 425/1650 behind an auto crap 13spd.

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Ornery_Ads@reddit

Fuccckkkk
I got 10.9 today with a 53' van.
At $5.30/gal, thats $0.49/mile in fuel.
At 4.5mpg, you're around $1.18/mile in fuel.

You need to average $0.69/mile more than me just to cover the higher fuel burn...never mind the higher insurance premiums.

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Class8guy@reddit

Yup I'm tacking on fuel surcharge to over 90% of my consistent customers anyone who decides to shop around can get the boot! With car hauling usually avg $0.90-1.50 a mile per car and I run only in New England states (mainly CT/MA/RI/NH)

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Ornery_Ads@reddit

What's your average per mile for all miles? (Including empty, loaded, partially loaded, everything).

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Class8guy@reddit

Truck grosses $6k-8k in 6 days with an avg of a 1000-1300miles logged a week I pay my driver on that truck 30% of the gross. Hard to give you a break down with just per mile cost when dead heading etc delivery over 3500 units a year on this truck with over 500 billable customers across 3 other trucks that run on my MC authority.

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Ornery_Ads@reddit

Shit...Amazon will have a truck grossing $8k+ over 5 days doing 1,500-2,000 miles...how does it make sense to be so specialized?

Doing water, I typically gross around $8k-$10k a week and do around 1,000 miles

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Class8guy@reddit

I mean if you do your own math with my quick averages(there are weeks under 1000 miles and over 8k not often though). We're talking $6.15 a mile vs your $5/mi example of 10k at 2k miles driven. So what are we saying here🤷🏽🤷🏽

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Ornery_Ads@reddit

I'm not saying you can't make good money at it just that the insurance premiums are higher, and I would imagine hiring is even more difficult than finding someone competent enough to run drop and hook dryvan.
On top of that, the only thing you can do is cars. If that market slows, your customers go with someone else, or your truck/trailer is down for maintenance, you can't really do anything.
Pulling dryvan, flatbed, water tanker, or Amazon, if the truck is down, I have a backup, but even if I didn't, anything from Penske or Ryder will do the job just fine.
If Amazon decides to stop working with me or stops pushing the volume that they are right now, I can just grab one of my other trailers and start running something else.
If my farmer connections don't need their product or equipment moved, I can go to my pool installers and ask for more work.
If I don't have water work available, I can go to one of two precast concrete companies that I work with and get stuff from them.
Etc.

Water is all local and very short hauls, so on a per mile basis, it pays great, but it's also very hard on the trucks on a mileage basis.
Go to a fill station, load the tanker, drive 10 miles, roll hoses, pump it off, roll up and go to the next. $350-$400/load and 3-6 loads most days.

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j0kert@reddit

I thought you were supposed to get the combined MPG of all those cars.

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otr_fat_boy@reddit

Ive been averaging 2.4.. im jealous

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Class8guy@reddit

God damn I hope that's some heavy pay rates with those fuel costs!

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CammedLS1@reddit

I would be willing to bet this photo was taken prior to 1973

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letsalldropvitamins@reddit

I had guessed it was old but thanks for the insight

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ButterflyDesperate36@reddit

Somehow EU trucks are just fine with that.

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letsalldropvitamins@reddit

I’d know nothing about that driving HGV’s in the UK would I

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Jacktheforkie@reddit

Wow, my dad got 12 today with a fully freighted Scania

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bigblackglock17@reddit

Do you use the American gallon over there?

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Jacktheforkie@reddit

We buy fuel in litres but measure economy in MPG like the US

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letsalldropvitamins@reddit

Only for that specific thing and also milk

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Rough-Method8876@reddit

I get closer to 6.5-7 (fairly maximum) mpg in mine! But I haul fairly light loads ≈60% of the time and the remainder is oversized and heavier. A lot of it is in the foot pedal. Lead foot = shitty fuel mileage. Still not the 9.5 I get in some of my newer trucks.

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Caveman23r@reddit

This is a old west coast right. These days they do it with long hoods to look good and ride comfort. Some trucks you see will be stretch out with a smaller cab to haul poles or long metal beems to deal with less overhang out back

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icy_penguins@reddit

Because its cooler than the backside of a pillow! It aint about how you drive the truck, its about how you look driving the truck.

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Nearby-Border-5899@reddit

the longer the wheel base between drives and steers the smoother the ride is, but on the downside, the turning radius is worse

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longbongsmokehouse@reddit

Covid-19. 6 ft rule

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PirateBands@reddit

Saving space for that monster sleeper add on he been saving for since the 80s

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Acrobatic-Bid-3559@reddit

Are those worth it? It looks like it would make maneuvering much more difficult

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PirateBands@reddit

I really don't know. If you have a specific haul all the time, it might make sense, but if you get random loads to random places, probably not worth it

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Acrobatic-Bid-3559@reddit

That makes sense, thank you for the reply. I'm still a gigantic noobie and I don't even have my CDL yet but sleeper cabs fascinate me.

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bigred_944@reddit

That’s still a shorter wheelbase, you could compare it to a regular sleeper truck. A few reasons for that being they could haul long steel or other products over the front. For me it’s for the look and ride. I have a 265 and a 295 inch wheelbase trucks, rides are vastly different but a lot goes into it

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ShiddyBoddemz@reddit

Zero facts were included in that post..

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Retireegeorge@reddit

Me too

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Strong-Mall-2280@reddit

Lol no they are not. They are a bitch to get around a corner the longer you are. It’s a trending style and like fake eyelashes, they don’t serve a purpose

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Agamemnon323@reddit

they don’t serve a purpose

You may not mind shitting in a bucket and using public showers but some of us prefer neither.

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Strong-Mall-2280@reddit

I was referring to the extra frame. He was asking if it made it less maneuverable. Yes, it does. You can’t add a longer bunk to it, youd need a separate one added.

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Agamemnon323@reddit

He was asking if a monster sleeper add-on was worth it.

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ShiddyBoddemz@reddit

.. Said no ever that's actually dealt with big bunk trucking.

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Acrobatic-Bid-3559@reddit

Thank you for setting me straight. It seemed almost worth it to have a bathroom on deck but that's what buckets are for

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John9250@reddit

It does, but those guys live in it like an RV and can fill and dump it like a RV. I heard one guy say it wasn’t too bad, instead of taking a lane and a half to turn, you take two lanes lol

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Acrobatic-Bid-3559@reddit

Oof lol that sounds pretty intimidating but I guess if you're some kind of super trucker why not

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John9250@reddit

lol if I had one of those and could run it without getting stuck or hitting shit, I’d definitely take the super trucker title

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kndwy@reddit

It looks like someone did a quick conversion from a dump truck or a straight truck!!! But that cab over from the 70s and although small it has a bed behind the driver. Doesn’t have the luxury of today’s condo-trucks nevertheless.

The cab overs has a better turn radius but the spaced 5th wheel with a trailer hooked will work against. They’re noisy and very uncomfortable. The newer ones like Scania, DAF, Volvo, MAN… from Europe are beautiful, comfortable and much more capable beasts. USA is falling behind of European counterparts in semi truck innovation in my opinion. I mean look at this beauty!😍

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Acrobatic-Bid-3559@reddit

I'd love to drive in Europe. Do you happen to know what's it's like for an American trucker to make the switch working for European companies?

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whubbard@reddit

Feel like this photo is from before the 80s ha

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Apprehensive_Ad_7296@reddit

is that a 1973 cabover pete with a 350 cummins and a 13 speed road-ranger?

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CammedLS1@reddit

It’s a pre-pacemaker cab, I think the pacemaker design came out around 69 or 70?

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Crazy-Stop2808@reddit

Longer wheelbase usually is a better ride, trailer reacts faster in my opinion….. and who doesn’t like the look of a stretched truck?!

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Inevitable_Meet_7374@reddit

Because this is whats KeWL nowadays dont you know?

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misc1972@reddit

They do it to look cool. There's no other reason

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cleanuponaisle4@reddit

It looks cool?

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1morepl8@reddit

[Those Curious Long Wheelbase West Coast COE Trucks - Why Did They Do This? - Curbside Classic] (https://share.google/tgOjgtkjmjg4mZroT)

For stretched trucks maybe, but ops photo is a west coast bridge law truck.

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Outlaw11091@reddit

My uncle drove one of those. Bridge laws are the "reason", but also, have you heard a 1970's reefer engine?

You didn't want to be close to one when it started up, much less have to sleep next to it with only 1" or so of metal to protect your ears.

These days cabs have sound proofing and reefers have mufflers that actually work.

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Environmental-Pear40@reddit

So they will never hear their reefer kick on and off.

My dad had an old Peterbilt stretched to 308, I believe. It's a much smoother ride. Basically glides down the interstate.

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geneticdeadender@reddit

I drove something similar in 97. It was a conventional Freightliner flat top with a long frame.

Swift had it custom made because they wanted to haul Styrofoam insulation. The extra space was so the long foam sheets could hang over the front of the trailer and they could carry more. Having it hang over the back would obstruct the marker lights.

They abandoned the project when the product kept getting destroyed in transit.

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taikendive@reddit

It looks like it’s really long, but that’s only because everything is piled up on top of the engine. If you put a normal cab on there, the sleeper will end just back or right at the back of the fuel tanks, which gives a normal looking amount of space between cab and trailer.

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Traditional_Ad_1360@reddit

Most were built for hauling long steel beams used in skyscrapers.

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Traditional_Ad_1360@reddit

Was originally built for oversized loads.

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UhOhAllWillyNilly@reddit

Yeah, I’m thinkin’ pole truck

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backbiter0723@reddit

Not an answer to your question, but I've always wondered why cabovers don't come back to give us more sleeper berth room in the same wheelbase as new conventional tractors. Sure, you probably lose a couple thousand lbs of weight cap, but seems like a no brainer to me..

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Timflr_Mc_Duck@reddit

Just off the top of my head for reasons Maintenance is harder, opening a hood is easier then tilting a cab, less protection in a crash, more drag making higher fuel consumption, worse ride quality being ontop of the steer axle instead of behind it, more room in the cab without a dog house covering the engine, hard to get in and out of the cab from less room for steps

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olenamerikkalainen@reddit

Euro cab-overs are actually cab-forward trucks, so the steps are in front of the front axle. Getting in and out is a non issue and actually easier than a conventional truck.

Ride quality is really good on modern trucks, they're a bit floaty though, so could make your co driver sick when sleeping.

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Gweedo1967@reddit

And it’s guaranteed that one of the cab jack cylinders would work or the latch wouldn’t lock back.

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Apart-Ad1652@reddit

Looks ridiculous.

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bubbs63@reddit

Actually they were like that because way back ...when....California had bridge laws concerning axles on their bridges.... that's the original California bridge law... they used to call them west coast frames. Very rarely saw them back east because the east coast has such tight places to get into, they couldn't maneuver around.

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Arthur_Digby_Sellers@reddit

Someone else knew, must be old, like me!

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PrivatePilot9@reddit

This is the way. The “looks” thing became secondary to the initial reason.

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FlappyJ1979@reddit

Longer wheelbase tends to ride a little better, and being further away from a noisy reefer makes for a better nights sleep

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W1D0WM4K3R@reddit

Each their own. I like the rumble lol

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SuperConfused@reddit

Reefers from 1968 were louder than the loudest Carrier you’ve ever heard. Also, this is pre airbags, and they beat the heel out of you

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Dogs-n-Flowers@reddit

Best sleep of my life is reefer set on continuous!

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The-1@reddit

Like fr, wanna put one on the side of my house so I can fall asleep here lmao

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Trucker_Trent@reddit

In short, the big gap is a West Coast cool thing. However, strictly economically speaking, it's awful. But, the price is cool ain't cheap.a

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Tovarich_Zaitsev@reddit

As others have said here, west coast US Bridge laws. However if you see a tractor unit like this these days it probably a swap body. So it can have a lift out sider or steel/alloy tip body deck attached by twist locks.

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SidewaysGoose57@reddit

Typical west coast truck in the 1970's.

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deeptimewaster@reddit

There was a Bridge Law in Cali, right? Was thinking that the truck had to be so long for the weight it pulled. I may be out of my head, tho

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DathBlah@reddit

Jack Knife parking

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ANiceDent@reddit

Oversized flatbed freight, and large gooseneck trailers

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Thegrandestpoo@reddit

Stretch frame. Rides great. Can’t back into shit

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The__Farmer@reddit

He likes the aero drag and high fuel consumption

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CoupeZsixhundred@reddit

I worked for a company that had an entire division of these dedicated to hauling 60ft bundles of rebar on 48' flats. 6ft overhang on both ends, with flags and lights on the rear—but making a sharp turn with that much overhang on the front could be troublesome, to say the least.

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whodat209@reddit

Because back in the day, the bridge law was measured from the steer axle not the drives

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firstblush73@reddit

So, question for anyone who actually HAS one of those type trucks ....

I pulled a trailer behind my vehicle, and was concerned about the overly long hitch and hook up. I thought it would make the trip more difficult (corners/parking ect) ... oddly enough, the trailer required less manauvering on corners, and basically followed my vehicle thru turns. Does this translate into the semi truck world, with that set up?

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dj-spetznasty1@reddit

It makes sense because it works but its crazy that so much of what is in that picture is still used today on tractors and trailers

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JOliverScott@reddit

West Coast bridge laws

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PraiseTalos66012@reddit

Those are kingpin to rear axle, this doesn't help that.

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Allie_Lane@reddit

Part of it is showing off. The implication being that because a larger truck is harder to maneuver, whoever is driving that thing knows what he is doing.

Part of it is esthetic preferences. This doesn't need much explanation. Different strokes for different folks.

And part of it is ride quality. The larger the distance from the steer axle (front) to the drive axles (back), the less bumps and potholes break your back. That being said, this benefit would be lost on a cabover. As the name implies, the cab sits over the steer axle, instead of between the steer and drive axles where the bumps are most absorbed.

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