Article about the International Sightliner: PUBLISHED Jun 21, 2020 Why International Once Built a Semi Truck With Windshields on the Floorboard They don’t make ’em like this anymore. The rabbit hole of oddball work truck design is one I never expected to fall down, but here we are. There's a plethora of wacky-but-useful pickups and semis that'd be better discussed in a book than a blog, but let's talk about one of the lesser-known models out there, at least for us youngster: The International Harvester Sightliner. If you blocked the middle of the Sightliner out with your finger, it'd look like any other cabover. These trucks were built to seat the driver over the engine, hence the name, to be as compact as possible. Regulations back in the day required tractor-trailer combos to be much shorter, often totaling just 50 feet for the two of them. Nowadays, trailers alone are often longer than that. In the late '50s and early '60s, International was able to condense its cabs to just four feet in total. Problem is, this resulted in poor visibility for the drivers—not exactly what you want when you're hauling 20 tons. International hoped to remedy the inherent pitfalls of cabover trucks with the Sightliner. Instead of just building a taller windshield, the manufacturer kept the narrow brow at the top and added a pair of extra windows just above the floorboard. Theoretically, this would allow the driver a better view of what was directly in front of them, making for a safer experience. As you might guess, though, this backfired. Not only were drivers forced to wear pants—kidding...kinda—but their legs were now exposed to the elements. If a car or truck were to kick up a rock, it could hit one of the smaller windows and end in a goose-egg on the driver's shin. The main complaint from truckers, however, was that their legs would sunburn on a hot day with the windshields acting as magnifying glasses. The Sightliner probably caused more headaches than it saved, and many drivers were said to have covered the windows with sheet metal or simply painted over them. It's hard to find a clean example as a result, but I happen to know where you can buy one...at the hidden-gem Knuckin yard in Ponderay, Idaho. You can tell them I sent you. Or don't. Doesn't matter.
Here's a Scania COE race truck named "Chimera", built by the Swedish truck customiser Svempas (Sven-Erik Bergendahl) Scania race truck CHIMERA at truck festival Assen, the Netherlands Sven-Erik “Svempa” Bergendahl has been building custom Scania semi trucks since 1970. The truck you see here is his latest creation called the Scania Chimera. Every piece on this truck was built around the amazing power plant. The engine is a 16.4 L (1,000 ci) V8 out of a Scania 730 and attached to it is a custom stainless steel exhaust system with six Holset turbochargers. The engine produces 1,460 horsepower but they plan on increasing that to 2,190 horsepower. The transmission is a modified Allison six-speed. Laxå Special Vehicles built the body using a Scania P-cab with R-cab components.
Svempas also built this convertible Scania, but that's a Scania T-series (for Torpedo nose) which you call a conventional truck, so it's not a COE model:
Bruce Wilson bought his second Scania COE last week, and yesterday he posted a video about this Dutch Scania COE 4WD RV that was visiting him in Florida: Touring a $1 Million SCANIA RV
Yes, the entire truck is build by them. So no engines, axles or transmission from other companies are used. In North America you can put your own truck together using parts from other compagnies. Here's a video of the Scania factory in Zwolle, the Netherlands. This is the biggest Scania factory in the world:
Last week YouTuber Bruce Wilson visited the Scania factory in Sweden: Bruce is now in Finland to buy his third Scania.
I don't know that anyone actually mentioned it in this thread, but the main reason we don't see many COEs in the USA anymore is regulations changed. It used to be that overall length was regulated. Less cab=more trailer=more cargo=more money. Those regs went the way of the dinosaurs and now trailer length is regulated, not overall length. Trailers are regulated to 53' without permits. Cabovers, sleeper cabs in particular, were always a compromise. They are about as comfortable as they are aerodynamic. Not a ton of usable space in them. They were easier to make tight turns with though. Speaking as someone with some tractor trailer experience, they'd probably be fine for a day cabber, but I think they'd be very cramped and uncomfortable for OTR.
I drove both types of trucks on both continents and I will take a Scania, Volvo or DAF cabover any time over a North American conventional truck. There is plenty of space inside, the design is much smarter and they drive way better. And you can always buy a Longline edition if you need even more space:
The trailer length is restricted in North America, not the tractor length (to a certain point). So a 53' trailer is the same cargo length behind a conventional or behind a COE tractor.
I’m a Peterbilt guy, never owned or driven one, but the Scanias ARE sharp looking, they look modern, but strong/tough. The one thing I don’t care for in the pic of that particular Scania is the light bar and sign thingy on the front of the cab, but it’s probably application specific.
When I was driving in the Canadian Rocky Mountains in my 379 Peterbilt, I was often dreaming of a 770 HP V8 truck like this to pass all those slow climbing Peterbilts, Western Stars, Freightliners and Kenworths on the road. This is the ultimate truck for North America, a T-Cab Longline Scania:
Correct. It did not used to be this way. In the past the overall length of the combination was regulated, not the trailer. It was maybe 75', I'm not 100% sure. Well before my time.
Walmart Canada is running 60 foot trailers along part of Ontario's Hwy 401, and they're trying to get approval to expand this. I'm 98.47863% sure they're only pulled by day cabs. Several years ago there were plans to permit 57 foot trailers in certain ares of Texas. Don't know anything further. I believe the 75 foot length limit remains in place without additional permits required.
I heard about those 60' trailers from old colleagues, it looks like they use dromedary box tractors for those. So there could be a sleeper mounted, instead of the box:
Pretty cool coincidence to be on new posts. I was going through a box of my Dad’s (R.I.P.) NOS parts from the 1920’s forward (he would have been 101 & Mom will be 100 this Saturday 12/23!) anyhow I was looking through new carb rebuilt kits for a buddies 1940 Buick (found one but is a dual carb kit) and one of the other kits was for a 1930 Chevrolet COE!
Could be true, as I stopped running to Ontario over 10 years ago. Although it's more likely they'd run day cabs from their Mississauga distribution centres to stores within 300-400 kms one way.
