If you have never seen photos or video of one of these cab-under trucks that were out in the 1970s, you are missing out and will love this video. The idea behind them was simple, put the rig under the trailer so that you could use all the legal length to haul cargo, instead of wasting space with all that truck cab out front. It makes total sense, but there were some challenges. First off, it was hard for drivers to see well since they were so low to the ground. Safety concerns were high as well because hitting a low object meant the driver was going to be face to face with the objects. Driving them in the rain was apparently challenging as well because of water spray. But that’s not all.
I love the way these things look, can imagine that they could be really good for mileage, and they would clearly turn heads. Can you imagine one of these for your race car hauler? You’d have so much room at the track. I wonder if you could haul doubles with it? One for living quarters and one for hauling cars. Hmmmm.
Watch the video below and let us know what you think.
Video Description:
Did you know that engineers once tried to put the truck driver UNDER the trailer? In this video, we explore the crazy history of the “Cab-Under” concept.
Meet the American Strick Cab-Under and the futuristic German Steinwinter Supercargo 20.40. These trucks were lower than a Ferrari and promised to revolutionize the shipping industry by carrying more cargo than ever before. But there was a catch: they were terrifying to drive.
We dive into:
- Why the US government hated the Strick Cab-Under.
- How the Steinwinter looked like a spaceship but failed on the road.
- The scary safety flaws that killed this idea forever.
