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Volvo bought out two different long established brands, the oldest truck company MAC with their famous bulldog, ornament, and White another old company. They did not start building Volvo trucks, but put their name on old time truck companies.
Volvo was building long-haul tractors long before they acquired Mack.
European and Japanese manufacturers never made much headway into the North American market simply because "big rigs" have never figured heavily into the European or Asian transport networks. China and india relied on rail-centered systems (although the practice of mass production and distribution is just beginning to flower in these economies). And most of the other players are near tidewater. European trucking used to be built around twin trailers, but fairly short in length, and the Japanese never took a liking to the tractor-trailer rig, preferring longer straight trucks.
What there is of European participation often has American roots -- Volvo and Freightliner both trace their origins to the old White Motor Company, which broke up in the late Seventies after some misguided expansion plans. Mack was the oldest (1900) and strongest of the "independents"; builds its own Maxidyne engines rather than Caterpillar (discontinued highway Diesel production c.2008), Detroit (GM spinoff, sold to Daimler) or Cummins. It operated under the umbrella of the Signal Companies for many years. Volvo didn't enter the picture until around 2002; likely because those Swedes know quality when they see it. And the heaviest "horses", which are more often encountered in the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Coast states -- Kenworth, Peterbilt, Western Star, Marmon and the Mack 'R' model -- simply have no counterpart outside North America.
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 07-16-2014 at 10:15 PM..
Yeah lets give them everything. Import trucks hauling imported chinese crap makes sense. They should just call us east china instead of the USA with all the sellouts supporting imported goods for all their needs.
Yeah lets give them everything. Import trucks hauling imported chinese crap makes sense. They should just call us east china instead of the USA with all the sellouts supporting imported goods for all their needs.
Volvo still builds trucks in the former White plant near Pulaski, VA; Mack in Macungie, PA, and Cummins Diesel remains American-based. Te market for highway semitrailers is much less concentrated, but almost entirely North-American-dominated.
Where does MAN fit in this. Are they in the US at all?
I have never seen one in the US, but plenty in Germany since they are German. M*A*N stands for Maschienenfabrik Augsburg Nürnberg and they are some sweet looking trucks.
Peterbilt, Freightliner, Kenworth, Navistar. What do they all have in common? They are all American-built. What is the reason European and Japanese manufacturers have virtually no presence in the big rig market? Is it regulatory in some way? I must say American rigs are far better looking and more luxurious than their European counterparts.
My theory is that American manufacturers are better equipped to build trucks that are to be used in America.
The U.S. has specific laws regarding size and weight which dictate design, and even the hours of service laws impact the way trucks are used here in the States. The more established builders have their "finger on the pulse" and can better compete against foreign builders, who have the same specifics to consider with design.
Besides, American trucks all use universal drivetrain/suspension components which makes an even bigger impact on drivability than the brand name on the truck.
A CAT engine can be used in a Pete, an Eaton rearend can be used in a Freightliner, etc, so it's almost irrelevant.
It's a very different market than passenger vehicles.
Face it no other country can compete with the big rigs here. My brother had 5 trucks he had 2 peterbuilts , 1 international, 1 kentworth , 1 western star all had sleepers. He hauled coils of steel and most had cat motors except the kentworth it had a Cummings. Truckers in America are a different breed thy have there own language and all love there big rigs.
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