Cabin (truck)
enclosed space in a truck where the driver is seated
The cabin or cab of a truck is the inside space in a truck where the driver is seated. Modern long-haul (long distance) trucks cabs usually feature air conditioning, a good sound system, and ergonomic seats (often air-suspended). Pickup truck cabs have options that can make them as comfortable to drive as a car (coachwork types: coupe, shooting-brake, convertible, fastback, retractable hardtop, leisure activity vehicle, crossover SUV, hatchback, liftback, SUV, limousine, sedan car, station wagon, minivan, and van).[1]
Pickup trucks
changeThere are usually three types of cabs in pickup trucks:
Larger trucks
changeThere are a few possible cab configurations:
- A sleeper (or sleeper berth or bunk) is a compartment attached to the cab where the driver can rest while not driving. It is frequently on long-haul semi-trailer trucks. They can range from a simple 2 to 4 foot (0.6 to 1.2 m) bunk to a 12-foot (3.7 m) apartment-on-wheels. It allows drivers to spend weeks on the road moving cargo.[4]
- Cab over engine (COE) or flat nose, where the driver is seated on top of the front axle and the engine like in a body style of a truck, bus or van. They came into use just before World War II.[5] Cabovers have a shorter wheelbase and good visibility.[5] COE's are still popular among medium and light duty trucks in the United States. To access the engine, the whole cab tilts forward, This contrasts with a conventional truck where the engine is mounted in front of the driver.
- Conventional cabs are the most common in North America and Australia. The driver is seated behind the engine, as in most passenger cars (coachwork types: coupe, convertible, fastback, hatchback, limousine, sedan car, SUV, station wagon, minivan, and van) or pickup trucks.[6] Conventionals are further divided into "large car" and "aerodynamic" designs, as opposed to underneath with no nose like in a cab over. A "large car" or "long nose" is a conventional truck with a long (6 to 8 foot (1.8 to 2.4 m) or more) hood. With their very square shapes, these trucks experience a lot of wind resistance. They typically consume more fuel. They also provide somewhat poorer visibility than their aerodynamic or COE counterparts. By contrast, Aerodynamic cabs are very streamlined. They have a sloped hood and other features to lower drag. The front doors are behind (and mostly above) the front tires. Access to a conventional cabin is commonly by steps at or near the fuel tank(s) behind the front tires.
References
changeWikimedia Commons has media related to Front cabins of trucks.
- ↑ Craig Cheetham, American Cars of the 1990s and Today (Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2007), p. 17
- ↑ "Pickup Truck Cab Styles Guide". autoaccessoriesgarage.com. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Pickup Truck Cab Styles Guide". RealTruck.com. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
- ↑ Chris Oxlade, Trucks Inside and Out (New York: Rosen Publishing Group's PowerKids Press, 2009), p. 24
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Mike Byrnes and Associates, Bumper to Bumper: The Complete Guide to Tractor-trailer Operations (Corpus Christi, TX: Mike Byrnes and Associates, 2003), p. 139
- ↑ Mike Byrnes and Associates, Bumper to Bumper: The Complete Guide to Tractor-trailer Operations (Corpus Christi, TX: Mike Byrnes and Associates, 2003), p. 138