The Large Car Mystique
While aerodynamics might be easier on the wallet, many still prefer the look of a large car.
Tom Berg
Senior Editor
Sure, all those aerodynamic tractors save lots of fuel money. But let's face it, many truckers prefer a truck that really looks like a truck.
Who says so? "Ask the man who owns one," as the old Packard motorcar ads used to suggest. Or ask the driver who'll own it next. Both will say that they like how the truck looks and they feel good being in one.
Fuel mileage numbers aren't everything, and you can get good fuel economy if you drive sensibly. That's why many traditionally styled tractors are easy to sell to a second owner and bring a higher percentage of their initial purchase prices than more common aero models.
What constitutes a large car? Antique truck nuts, who sometimes call it a "classic," would define it as a western-style conventional-cab tractor with a big, square nose; exposed air cleaners, steps, battery boxes and tanks; prominent exhaust stacks; and a big sleeper box. Strictly speaking, a large car would have no fairings on the roof or cab sides, and certainly no skirts covering the fuel tanks or anything else below the cab. But since fuel quit being cheap, most tractors that pull box-type trailers have at least a big roof fairing to ease the flow of air over the trailer's top to reduce drag.
Many truck builders, primarily those based in the West or with plants there, have offered such vehicles over the years. Examples were Kenworth in Washington state and International, Mack and Peterbilt in California. Their western-style conventionals became popular in the Midwest and East with the easing of length laws in the early to mid-80s. Into the 1970s and '80s, some long-nose models from GMC and Ford fit the large-car description, but escalating fuel prices resulted in a shift to aero-style tractors.
Eventually General Motors and Ford got out of heavy trucks, and French ownership of Mack caused it to back away from this portion of the market. Volvo stayed away from large cars when it came into the States because they did not fit the Swedish idea of efficiency. Now Volvo has one and Mack might later.
Freightliner, which pioneered lightweight COEs just before World War II, introduced its first conventional in 1973. In its hard-driving expansion of the '80s and '90s it focused on aero-style fleet-type vehicles. But it looked at the profits inherent in large cars and brought out a classically styled tractor in the mid-90s. It sold well to both owner-operators and fleet customers who used the model as a "reward truck" to loyal and high-producing drivers. Kenworth and Peterbilt, who understood this market all along, have always been in it.
So today, in spite of the trend to aero tractors, there are many large cars still available. Like other tractors, they are comfortable and quiet, and are almost as nice to live in as motorhomes. They have smooth riding air suspensions and clean-burning diesels. Since January, when the next round of federal exhaust-emissions regulations took effect, diesels exhale through aftertreatment devices that strip out what pollutants the engines themselves can't handle.
The EPA '07 diesels, with their aftertreatment devices, the enhanced cooling systems needed to support them, and all the research and development that went into everything, have cost manufacturers hundreds of millions of dollars. These expenses are being passed on to buyers in price increases and surcharges. That's why an '07- and '08-model heavy truck with a new diesel costs $7,000 to $10,000 more than '06 models. And by law, the aftertreatment devices must stay on trucks and in working condition, so forget about yanking them off in favor of loud straight pipes.
But the new trucks come with a major upside: The exhaust is not only cleaner, but also emits absolutely no odor. The characteristic diesel smell is gone because oxides of nitrogen – or NOx – are so low. That and the elimination of most particulates, or soot, will allow everyone to breathe easier.
Most truckers consider engines the single most important component, and some will pick a truck based on engine availability. But consolidation among manufacturers and the continuing trend toward vertical integration has cut engine options. If you're nuts about a certain engine make, you have to go to a truck maker that offers it. Here's a rundown on large-car availability:
Mystique continued...
