Table Of ContentCommercial Vehicle Technology
Michael Hilgers
The Driver´s Cab
Second Edition
Commercial Vehicle Technology
Series Editors
Michael Hilgers, Weinstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
More information about this series at https://link.springer.com/bookseries/16469
Michael Hilgers
The Driver’s Cab
Second Edition
Michael Hilgers
Daimler Truck
Stuttgart, Germany
ISSN 2747-4046 ISSN 2747-4054 (electronic)
Commercial Vehicle Technology
ISBN 978-3-662-65135-3 ISBN 978-3-662-65136-0 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65136-0
© Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021, 2022
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Preface to the Second Edition
For my children Paul, David and Julia,
who derive just as much pleasure from trucks as I do,
and for my wife Simone Hilgers-Bach,
who indulges us.
I have worked in the commercial vehicle industry for many years. Time and again I am
asked, “So you work on the development of trucks?” Or words to that effect. “That’s a
young boy’s dream!”
Indeed it is!
Inspired by this enthusiasm, I have tried to learn as much as I possibly could about the
technology of trucks. In the process, I have discovered that you have not really grasped
the subject matter until you can explain it convincingly. Or to put it more succinctly,
“In order to really learn, you must teach.” Accordingly, as time went on I began to write
down as many technical aspects of commercial vehicle technology as I could in my own
words.
This booklet deals with the driver’s cab. The cab is the part of the commercial vehicle
that is probably the most different from other automobiles. It is not only where the driver
does their trucking business, it is also where he or she lives and sleeps. The cab is also
the part of the truck that features the most regional variations: versions on the Indian
subcontinent look different from those in North America.
My intention with this booklet is to help the reader gain a general idea of which
aspects are important for the driver’s cab of a commercial vehicle. Readers who are
studying this subject (students and technicians) will find it to be a good entry point and
as a result may discover that commercial vehicle technology is also a fascinating field of
work for them. In addition, I am convinced that this booklet will provide added value for
technical specialists from related disciplines who would like see the bigger picture and
are looking for a compact and easy-to-understand summary of the subjects in question.
Finally, I have a personal favor to ask. It is important to me that this work should con-
tinue to be expanded and refined. Dear reader, I would greatly welcome your help in this
regard. Please send any technical comments and suggestions for improvements to the
v
vi Preface to the Second Edition
following email address: [email protected]. The more tangible your comments,
the easier it will be for me to comprehend them and, where appropriate, integrate them
into future editions. If you discover any inconsistencies or even errors in the content or
you would like to express your praise, please let me know via the same email address.
I wish you much reading pleasure.
February 2022 Michael Hilgers
Weinstadt-Beutelsbach
Beijing
Aachen
Contents
1 The Cab Concept ................................................. 1
1.1 New Length Regulation in Europe ................................ 5
1.2 Low Mounted Cabs ........................................... 7
1.3 Material Concepts in the Cab .................................... 9
2 Functions of the Cab .............................................. 11
2.1 Driving and Working .......................................... 11
2.1.1 The Reach Zone ........................................ 12
2.1.2 The Driver’s Seat ....................................... 13
2.1.3 The Steering Wheel ..................................... 15
2.1.4 Operating Elements ..................................... 16
2.1.5 Displays .............................................. 18
2.1.6 Air-Conditioning ....................................... 18
2.1.7 Comfortable Driving .................................... 19
2.1.8 Working with the Vehicle Parked ........................... 19
2.2 Living ...................................................... 19
2.2.1 Stowage Space ......................................... 20
2.2.2 Lighting .............................................. 22
2.2.3 Entertainment .......................................... 23
2.2.4 The Passenger Seat ...................................... 23
2.3 Sleeping, Resting, Recovering ................................... 23
2.3.1 Resting Comfort ........................................ 24
2.3.2 Driver Health .......................................... 25
2.3.3 Parked HVAC .......................................... 26
3 Cab Technology .................................................. 31
3.1 The Cab Structure ............................................ 31
3.2 Cab Mounting ............................................... 32
3.3 Tilting the Cab ............................................... 33
3.4 Styling ..................................................... 33
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viii Contents
3.5 Aerodynamics ............................................... 35
3.5.1 Soiling ............................................... 36
3.6 Visibility Conditions .......................................... 39
3.6.1 Mirrors ............................................... 39
3.6.2 Mirror Cam Systems .................................... 40
3.6.3 Windows .............................................. 42
3.6.4 Wipers ............................................... 43
3.6.5 The Lighting System .................................... 44
3.7 Ingress and Egress ............................................ 46
Comprehension Questions ............................................ 47
Abbreviations and Symbols ........................................... 49
References ......................................................... 53
Index .............................................................. 55
The Cab Concept 1
The most obvious conceptual question regarding the cab is the difference between the
cab-over-engine (also known as cab forward trucks in the US) and the conventional or
cab-behind-engine trucks. In the cab-over-engine truck, the driver’s cab is positioned
over the engine, and is essentially a cube. In the conventional (cab-behind-engine)
design, the engine is covered by a hood and the driver’s cab is built directly behind the
engine and its hood. Figure 1.1 illustrates the different engine positions relative to the
drivers position.
Figure 1.2 shows a classic conventional truck and a cab-over-engine truck.
The windshield of a cab-over-engine vehicle is usually very upright, to allow as much
usable space as possible inside the cuboid cab. Conventional vehicles are often designed
with a sloping windshield, in order to create a visually smooth, aerodynamically advan-
tageous transition between the hood and the cab.
The conventional (cab-behind-engine) vehicle offers a number of advantages. Since
the engine is positioned in front of the driver’s area, the cab floor can be flat and the
entry can be close to the ground. The engine is easier to access as well. The cab doesn’t
need to be tilted to gain access to the engine—Fig. 1.3.
A conventional vehicle can be aerodynamically optimized more easily, so its fuel con-
sumption is more favorable [5]. The spatial separation of the engine and driver is gener-
ally beneficial, because the driver’s exposure to engine noise is minimized.
On the other hand, the engine hood increases the entire vehicle length. In regions
where entire vehicle length is limited by law (in Europe, for example) or in operating sit-
uations in which the vehicle’s turning radius and space requirement are important (urban
distribution haulage), the cab-over-engine vehicle is more suitable than the conventional
vehicle. As a result, the conventional vehicle, which was very popular as well (into the
1960s), has now largely disappeared in Europe.
© Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2022 1
M. Hilgers, The Driver’s Cab, Commercial Vehicle Technology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65136-0_1
