Cab over
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cab-over is a body style of a truck that has a vertical front or "flat face," with the cab of the truck sitting on top of the engine; sometimes also referred to as COE (Cab Over Engine). The truck design is currently common among European and Japanese truck manufacturers, because the length laws are strict and the body style allows towing larger trailers/having a longer cargo area which can handle more cargo at the same time. Although popular among United States heavy truckers and trucking companies during the 1970s because of strict length laws in many states, in the U.S. most heavy trucks use other body styles. It is still very popular in the light and medium truck segment, especially as the Isuzu NPR series.
The cab-over design made the wheelbase shorter than the regular conventional model with the long horizontal hood and engine placed in front of the cab. This shorter wheel base allows the semi trucks to have an overall shorter length allowing for longer trailers to be used. Drivers have complained the truck was harder to ride in. The driver seat is above the front axle which causes the driver to experience a rougher ride than in a conventional cab and the cabin is somewhat noisier because the engine is directly below the cabin. When the engine needs service or repair the entire cab is tilted forward, causing unsecured items in the cab and sleeper (if equipped) to fall onto the windshield, though this feature does make the engine more accessible. While COE designs are smaller in general, they can be fully equipped with single or bunk beds.[1]