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'After all, I'm the one who has to drive it'
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Reported by the Technical Editor
IN RECENT YEA RS the arrival of the Scandinavian trucks started a chain reaction in the field of cab comfort. When Scania and Volvo began exporting to this country around 1967, British cabs still verged on the vintage with regard to appreciation of drivers' : requirements. This situation is now long gone and the latest UK cab designs are a match for any competition. To investigate driver reaction to the new cab designs, I accompanied four drivers from the Southern Region of British Road Services around Earls Court and recorded their comments on the various designs. Some comments were complimentary, some critical and some unprintable, but all were valid statements from the men who, in the long run, actually use the vehicle as a place of work.
The first vehicle we visited — which, by coincidence happened to be nearest to the CM show stand — was the new "environmentally conscious" 1626S from Mercedes-Benz. This, it will be remembered, features a cab which was designed to present a less aggressive external appearance without sacrificing anything in the way of interior space. Bob Somerset, from the Grays depot, did not like the restriction to his nearside view caused by the position of the door pillar and he also criticized the position of the parking brake control. The other three drivers in turn also gave a black mark to the German company on the parking brake position. As it turned out during the rest of the tour, every single truck manufacturer was criticized on the location of the parking brake control by nearly all the drivers. Good points on the Mercedes-Benz were the gear lever position and the provision for height adjustment of the steering wheel.
Seddon-Atkinson interest The MkIH prototype cab from Seddon-Atkinson caused great interest. Most of the reaction was favourable, although all criticized the throttle pedal as being close to the engine bulkhead — a serious criticism but one which would be avoided on a right-hand-drive version. Sid Mersh of the Brentford branch thought that S-A had gone out of their way to provide the driver with information from an extremely comprehensive instrument display but felt that they might be confusing to read on the move. The forward mounting of the parking brake was again severely criticized especially as, in this case, the gear lever for the Fuller box got in the way. Sid Mersh thought the clutch pedal was unusually high but "I prefer them like that anyway." Bob Somerset, who throughout the afternoon carried out a one-man crusade to find the perfect seating position, did riot find it in the Seddon although he liked the major control layout and the triple wiper spread.
The large DAF 2800 cab and its height from the ground brought forth the comment from Bill Hunt: "Is a parachute standard equipment?". Harry Foster thought the cab was on the high side but not high enough to present a problem — although he recommended extreme care in getting out. Much to my satisfaction all the drivers felt that the large-diameter steering wheel put the dash mounted indicator and headlight flasher switches out of reach a point! made when I road-tested the 2800. All liked the leg room available, especially Harry Foster, who being on the tall side, had problems in some cabs. The perennial parking brake position was on this truck too far back.
Praise for Bedford TM
The Bedford TM cab in its standard width 'ID' form was praised by everyone although Harry Foster nearly broke his kneecap on the steering column cowl as, even with the seat right back, there was insufficient room for a long-legged driver, The drivers were unanimous in their praise of the roof ventilation, which is now becoming an accepted part of British truck design.
Although most of the comments on the TM were favourable, everyone, including myself, thought the interior trim was rather black and stark and not really in keeping with a maximumcapacity vehicle from the giant GM combine. And the parking brake? Too far back!
As an example of a really practical parking brake position, Harry Foster pointed out the layout on the Bedford KGA Urban tractive unit which he felt met all their previous criticisms. I feel that this location was good purely because it was on the offside of the cab and as such did not have to contend with the prior claim of the gear lever for optimum position. Most of the drivers felt that, price for price, the smaller Bedford was far better than the TM. On the control layout side, the fiddly light switch arrangement did not call for any compliments.
On the Leyland stand, the comments made about the Marathon Special were unprintable, or so my editor says, so we will hurriedly pass over to the "ordinary" top-weight Leyland. All the drivers preferred a left-foot-operated exhaust brake rather than the Leyland arrangement but, rather surprisingly in my opinion, three of the four drivers rather liked the dash-mounted parking brake control.
Sid Mersh was rather scathing about the crude step arrangement and opined that Leyland "have a long way to go to catch up on the Bedford". The smalldiameter steering did not bring forth any particular praise or criticism but nobody liked the three-spoke layout which obscured the instrument panel. Bob Somerset made the point that the nearside dash panel, used for the instruments on the left-hand-drive version, obscured his vision of the kerbside.
Amusing . . .
The Volvo stand caused us the greatest amusement. Bob Somerset, who was a self-confessed admirer of the Volvo cab and who admitted to being rather anti-British when it came to cab design, found a surprising number of things to criticize on the F88. In fact when all his comments were added up he criticized the Volvo cab more than any other! Although Volvo was one of the original leaders in cab comfort most of the drivers felt that the Gothenburg company is now being left behind in this respect by the new generation of British trucks. All commented upon the intrusion into the cab of the engine cowl — a feature which has gradually been eradicated by most other manufacturers. The high side screens on the doors brought forward a great deal of unfavourable comment, as did the narrow cab. This point of the cab width is rather an interesting one as, although the cab looks spacious enough from the outside, everyone, myself included, found it internally far too narrow, with the side pillars rubbing against the right shoulder. Although Bob Somerset said "I'd have one tomorrow" most of the others felt that the F88 cab is in serious need of a facelift.
Next stand on our tour was the Saviem stand and, as the Saviem and the MAN cabs are almost identical, the comments are applicable to both vehicles. Harry Foster thought the instrument panel far too fussy but Bill Hunt from the Tufnell Park depc thought that the instrument panel wa well laid out. You can please som people all of the time . etc. Th French-build Saviem came in for a grea deal of praise from the point of view c driver visibility, both fore and aft, wit two of the group saying that it was th best on display in this context. Nobod was particularly enamoured with th oteering-column gearchange but, as pointed out, this was a persona preference rather than a severe criticise of the control layout.
Because of the time factor and th crowds it was impossible to sample al the heavy trucks properly. This is th reason why the new ERF has not beei included in this survey as there were s■ many people on the stand that we coulc not get in the vehicle, although the pre liminary driver reaction was favour able. Several liked the light tan interio trim and compared it to the Saviem bu Bill Hunt didn't fancy anyone's chance of keeping it as clean as it deserved. Thi other independent, Foden, wa dismissed for having an interior trin that was far too drab but this wa. counterbalanced by an attractive anc distinctive exterior.
The driver comments on control an instrument layout throughout the da! were pungent and sensible. One of tht most interesting points raised was thi: total inability of the manufacturers tc provide a sensible parking bralcl location.
Although everybody appreciated tha. the gear lever had to have priority in Um race for the best position, it was sug. gested that the park brake contro should at least get some attention.