Hauling Industry News

What happened to Cabovers?

By Pulltarps Mfg | May 26, 2021

Story by: www.roadprobrands.com 

Cabover trucks, also known as COE (cab over engine) are not a style you see too frequently these days. This flat-nosed design was very popular “in it’s day, because of the regulations for length”. The regulations used to be a maximum length of 65 feet, including truck and trailer. This lasted from “1956 to 1976. In 1976, another 10 feet of length was allowed, for a maximum 75-foot allowance”, according to Smart-Trucking.

As length regulations have increased, the amount of cabovers has decreased. Now that longer units are allowed on the roads, the main advantage of these trucks, is no longer valid. Overtime, “the large carriers that purchased cabovers, switched over to the conventional style rig, and the bottom rapidly fell out of the market for them in North America”. This led to the eventual halt of all COE manufacturing in North America.

However, we are left wondering – were there advantages to the cabover verses our beloved modern rigs? Here’s what we found…

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