GearheadGrrrl Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 The Freightliner Argosy has finally disappeared from Freightliner's US webpage.And here we thought Volvo was bastardizing Mack... Portland should put out a warrant for the arrest of DCX top management for the murder of Freightliner's trademark product and legacy, the cabover. If anything could pry me from the cab of a Mack, it'd be an Argosy with an Allison. But nooo... Instead of building a market for the Argosy, DCX has sent the Argosy into exile in the colonies.There's still a market for a high cabover here, in little niches like the western hay haulers, turnpike doubles (UPS bought a bunch of Argosy), bakeries (IBC has a good sized fleet, and just about every wholesale baker in the Northwest runs cabover tractors with big drom boxes). Here in Minnesota a truck and trailer combination or tractor with drom pulling a semitrailer can stretch out to 75 feet. With a 90'' BBC sleeper cab and a 3 feet gap between the boxes that leaves 64 feet of length for carrying the load. That's 20% more space than a 53 foot trailer and over 10% more than 28 1/2 foot doubles. Is there enough of a market here for Volvo to bring in a cabover shell and offer it on the Advantage or MR chassis with the added value of a Mack nameplate on the front? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaddeusW Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 Dont forget enclosed car haulers. I always wondered why cabovers died such a bad death. After then length laws changed people dropped the cabovers like hot potatoes. In Australia they use cabovers not only for the length sensitive B trains but also everything else including dumps and mixers. In Europe the opposite happened when Scania stopped the T series which was Europe's last conventional truck. Europes strict length laws killed conventionals and here in North America relaxed length laws killed the cabover. but Australia where they have massive road trains and B double and triples seem to be split between the use of cabovers and conventionals. I would rather a cabover for city work any day, better vision and easier turning. Quote -Thad What America needs is less bull and more Bulldog! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HK Trucking Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 I see no problem with cabovers, but the one drawback is that in the event of a crash, the driver arrives at the accident site immediately. Quote "If You Can't Shift It Smoothly, You Shouldn't Be Driving It" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Maikshilo Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 I've driven a couple cab overs, a mid 80's frieght shaker and a Mack MH. The frieghtliner was like being in a cave with those litte windows and hard to see the otherside of the truck with that dashboard. Oh yah a white single axle with a jimmie and set up to receive a "jif" to make it a ten wheeler and to transport it back to the hub. Cab overs have come a long way and I agree that there still are customers that need them,Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dclerici Posted January 22, 2007 Share Posted January 22, 2007 When running a flatbed in the west, I would rather run a late model COE truck/pull trailer combo rather than a conv. tractor and 48' flat trailer. Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaddeusW Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 I see no problem with cabovers, but the one drawback is that in the event of a crash, the driver arrives at the accident site immediately. If the truck is built to Euro standards it should be very safe. The trucks front A pillars have to take a hit from a 1000kg weight that is plowed into the windshield area of the truck at high speed. The standard was defined by Sweden I believe with the help of Volvo and Scania. Supposedly the Argosy met those standards. Quote -Thad What America needs is less bull and more Bulldog! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken1946@rcn.com Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 I think that the real reason for the demise of the COE configuration is ththat there are too many OO guys who are too lazy to haul their bulk straight up to climb up into one. A friend had a '91White/GMC non-sleeper with a 330 Cummins and a nine speed with only 180K on her and out of 20 calls he got, 19 gave him that story. I did not need another toy but at $2,500 I couldn't pass it up. I can almost get that for the diamond plate headache rack and tool boxes. That will only leave me with the drivetrain and double wet line setup.Just my $.02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GearheadGrrrl Posted January 24, 2007 Author Share Posted January 24, 2007 A lot of the dislike of cabovers in the US is the result of myths that have become "old trucker's tales". I've heard newbie truckers who have never even driven a cabover declare with bravado that they'll quit before they drive a cabover. They repeat the whole mantra of mythology they heard in the truckstops- rough ride, dangerous in an accident, etc.. The root of these myths was the experience that old timers had driving fleet cabovers with rock hard spring suspensions bouncing down the road with balloon freight versus owner operator conventionals with air ride and a heavy load if not overload. Throw in the rare fatal truck crash in a cabover they saw where the driver died because he wouldn't wear a seat belt, not because of the cabover design. In response to such narrow minded attitudes every single manufacturer in the North American market has given up and dropped their high cabovers. One would think that at least Volvo would take advantage of this opportunity to have the only high cabover in this market, educating owners on it's advantages in much the same way they sold American truckers on the integral sleeper two decades ago. But Noooo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaddeusW Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 A lot of the dislike of cabovers in the In response to such narrow minded attitudes every single manufacturer in the North American market has given up and dropped their high cabovers. One would think that at least Volvo would take advantage of this opportunity to have the only high cabover in this market, educating owners on it's advantages in much the same way they sold American truckers on the integral sleeper two decades ago. But Noooo... The last resort I can think of is the Kenworth C500K which will use the DAF XF cab. I am sure it will cost a kings randsom but it would be isteresting to see an American XF with 46 rears on Air glide. Quote -Thad What America needs is less bull and more Bulldog! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huppypuppy Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 If the truck is built to Euro standards it should be very safe. The trucks front A pillars have to take a hit from a 1000kg weight that is plowed into the windshield area of the truck at high speed. The standard was defined by Sweden I believe with the help of Volvo and Scania. Supposedly the Argosy met those standards.Thaddeus,I believe the Euro test for the cabs is the ECE 29R test!Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ducky698 Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Thaddeus,I believe the Euro test for the cabs is the ECE 29R test!JoeThe Argosy is a nice prime mover, it has loads of room, the down fall is it kicks the hell out of you and if your two up it kicks you out of the bed, we have massive lenght restrictions here, but most north west roadtrains are running bonneted trucks, east-west is mainly cab overs and mainly Kenworth for some stupid reason!I enjoyed the Argosy we had wich had done a million kms with a 550hp detroit and a spicer gearbox. the engine had never been rebuilt. if the length restrictions are capped on trailers alone I dont see cab overs lasting to long here either.Grant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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