Will trucks with old designs be seen again in India? (Social media)
Auto News: Have you ever seen trucks with a long hood in front, like a nose sticking out? If you have traveled in the 80s and 90s, you must have seen such trucks. These are called Long-Nose trucks in technical language. Now there is news that these trucks, which have almost disappeared from the roads of India, can once again make a comeback.
At a conference called 'Urban Adda 2025' held recently in Delhi, Union Road Transport and Highways Secretary V. Umashankar indicated that the government is exploring the possibilities of adopting the old form of truck design again—the Long-Nose model. He believes that this design is not only classic but can also prove useful in terms of the safety and convenience of modern truck drivers.
Long-Nose trucks are heavy vehicles in which the engine is located inside a long hood at the front of the truck. The driver sits behind the engine, not on top of it. This arrangement gives the driver a better understanding of the traffic and increases the decision-making time by a few seconds—which can prove to be extremely valuable in situations like highways.
According to V. Umashankar, driving is not just driving but a sensory process. If the driver sits behind the engine, he gets extra time to understand the scene in front. This extra time can help in averting a potential accident. Especially in the case of heavy vehicles, where even a small mistake can cause major damage.
The trucks that are commonly seen on the roads at present are Flat-Nose trucks. In these, the engine is right below the driver. This gives more cabin space, and the length of the truck is less, which makes it easier to drive in dense traffic. But if there is a frontal collision, the driver is directly in danger.
In contrast, in a Long-Nose truck, a safe distance is maintained between the engine and the driver, which gives the driver additional protection in case of a collision.
Although the idea is attractive, it will not be easy to bring it to the ground. Truck manufacturing companies will have to make changes in their production plants. Apart from this, drivers will also have to be trained according to the new design. Various stakeholders will also be consulted at the government level. If everything goes according to plan, Long-Nose trucks can be seen running on the roads of India again in the next two to three years.
The future of safety may lie in old-school truck design. The potential return of the Long-Nose truck could be an example of when tradition and technology combine to bring a new dimension to road safety.
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