# What kind of truck is this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 3, 2018, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-truck-is-this/825527 "2018-12-03T21:28:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-truck-is-this/825527/1 "2018-12-03T21:28:45Z")
What’s that behind the cab? [[Album] imgur.com ![](https://i.imgur.com/qiGBSRm.jpeg?fb "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/a/Epa0I9I) ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-truck-is-this/825527/2 "2018-12-03T21:33:55Z")
It is a large bunk sleeper ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-truck-is-this/825527/3 "2018-12-03T21:35:48Z")
Maybe some kind of rolling office space? I used to work for a custom harvesting crew that harvested wheat from Texas to Canada. They had such a truck as part of their convoy. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-truck-is-this/825527/4 "2018-12-03T21:52:53Z")
[Large bunk sleeper](https://www.google.com/search?safe=off&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=580&ei=X6UFXJSELYXc8AO8qqXwCQ&q=large+bunk+sleeper+trucks+for+sale&oq=large+bunk+sleeper+&gs_l=img.1.0.0i24.1575.9008..12669...0.0..0.79.1294.19......1....1..gws-wiz-img.....0..0j0i8i30j0i8i10i30.NryjlN2YIJ8), as **rat** noted. Just the thing for long-haul truckers and their partners. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-truck-is-this/825527/5 "2018-12-03T22:18:47Z")
AFAIK the US doesn’t have any rules about the permitted maximum length of a truck, so an individual who wants to turn his prime mover into a mobile home that can haul trailers can legally do so and there are many examples of quite luxurious living spaces on trucks. The downside is that they are not very maneuverable and turning in a tight space must be a nightmare. European trucks are strictly limited as to length and width, so, to get the maximum load on a trailer, prime movers are made as short as practicable; consequently, none of them even approach the luxury of the truck in the picture. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-truck-is-this/825527/6 "2018-12-03T22:23:58Z")
Yes, but Europe doesn’t come close to the USA in the definition of “long-haul.” A trip that spans 4 countries in Europe would still leave you in Texas over here. ---
**Author:** ![Dobbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Dobbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dobbs)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-truck-is-this/825527/7 "2018-12-04T00:44:29Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Yes, but Europe doesn’t come close to the USA in the definition of “long-haul.” A trip that spans 4 countries in Europe would still leave you in Texas over here. Too true. The great circle distance from Washington DC to San Francisco airports (DCA - SFO) is 2448 miles. From Lisbon to Moscow (LIS - MOW) is 2428 miles, and flies over 7 countries (maybe 8, it’s real close to the German/Czech border). ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-truck-is-this/825527/8 "2018-12-04T01:56:02Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > [Large bunk sleeper](https://www.google.com/search?safe=off&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=580&ei=X6UFXJSELYXc8AO8qqXwCQ&q=large+bunk+sleeper+trucks+for+sale&oq=large+bunk+sleeper+&gs_l=img.1.0.0i24.1575.9008..12669...0.0..0.79.1294.19......1....1..gws-wiz-img.....0..0j0i8i30j0i8i10i30.NryjlN2YIJ8), as **rat** noted. Just the thing for long-haul truckers and their partners. In those pictures, the sleeper unit starts immediately behind the cab. In the OP’s picture, the space immediately behind the cab seems to have a traditional small sleeper unit, similar to [this](http://jingletruck.com/img/2000-freightliner-century-semi-sleeper-manual-detroit-diesel-60-low-reserve-152169019333-0.jpg), and then an additional box. I think it’s more likely an office as suggested by **Alpha Twit**. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-truck-is-this/825527/9 "2018-12-04T02:33:34Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > In those pictures, the sleeper unit starts immediately behind the cab. In the OP’s picture, the space immediately behind the cab seems to have a traditional small sleeper unit, similar to [this](http://jingletruck.com/img/2000-freightliner-century-semi-sleeper-manual-detroit-diesel-60-low-reserve-152169019333-0.jpg), and then an additional box. I think it’s more likely an office as suggested by **Alpha Twit**. That is because it was a cab-over, which had a tiny sleeper built into it. If it was a cargo hold it would be called a _dromedary_, which is the word for a one humped camel. There isn’t much use for an “_office_” on a typical Semi, you can just use the front seats for that. Here is entire thread that will show how people did this from the American Truck Historical Society. [http://forum.aths.org/Topic143178.aspx](http://forum.aths.org/Topic143178.aspx) I found that page looking for Barbara Mandrell’s semi that I remember from back in the day. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-truck-is-this/825527/10 "2018-12-04T02:35:42Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > AFAIK the US doesn’t have any rules about the permitted maximum length of a truck, so an individual who wants to turn his prime mover into a mobile home that can haul trailers can legally do so and there are many examples of quite luxurious living spaces on trucks. The downside is that they are not very maneuverable and turning in a tight space must be a nightmare. > > European trucks are strictly limited as to length and width, so, to get the maximum load on a trailer, prime movers are made as short as practicable; consequently, none of them even approach the luxury of the truck in the picture. Well you can make them as long as you want, but actually driving them on public roads is another story. Wikipedia claims all states allow at least 2 trailers, some allow 3. Our semis are bigger than Europe, but Australia even has the US beat. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Road_Train_Australia.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Road_Train_Australia.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-truck-is-this/825527/11 "2018-12-04T02:41:11Z")
Also note, if you look up the image you can find enough information to look up the permit and you will see it is registered as carrying “BAND EQUIPMENT”.