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Inside the box...
Page 3
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It may seem strange that on cage 12 we should be waxing lyincaL over a truck that's not for sale in this country. But we make no apologies for our enthusiasm for Volvo's Globetrotter XXL cab even if it does represent yet another Lost opportunity to give El..J drivers the kind of overnight steeper cab accommodation they deserve.
And you don't need to go to 'great lengths' to achieve it either... just 245mm. Unfortunately, whenever the conversation turns to Longer, Heavier Vehicles (LHVsl, the one group of stakeholders that always seems to get left behind is the drivers.
While some operators may see an economic case for Longer antics, it shouldn't just be about increased volumes. Stretching the antic could also boost the available space in a sleeper cab for overnight drivers. Scania's sadly departed Longline cab showed what could be done to improve the lot of drivers. And in the best tradition of 'never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity', the technocrats at Brussels refused to budge on antic lengths and consigned it to the history books.
But now there is fresh pressure to look again at antic lengths not just in terms of increased volumes, but also to offer more room at the front for aerodynamic improvements. And we come back again to the driver If, due to a lack of proper facilities, drivers are having to spend more time in their cabs, they deserve more than just a 2.5x2.0x1.8m box.
If the DfT is serious about permitting longer semi-trailers, and thus antics, vvhatever final figure it settles on should include a fixed element for providing more space for the driver. And the
0,!5e',•, increases needn't be that radical.
Whatever the justification for increasing overall antic oso lengths, drivers can't be left out. Its time to think inside the box. Brian Weathertey '