I love vintage photos of trucks, but I really love old photos of people when they’re expressive. So this one scores doubly: it’s a tall and burly Peterbilt 350 COE, from the legendary truck maker of iconic long nosed conventionals. But there was a growing demand for big COE’s, given the length restrictions in many parts of the country, and long-haul trucking was on the rise after the war. This Petebilt COE came out in 1950, but it’s pretty hard to date otherwise.
As to the grinning driver, well, let’s not forget that Elvis Presley started out as a truck driver, although it was just a 3/4 or one-ton Chevy. But he supposedly did pick up his hairstyle from truckers, who wore it on the long side and slicked back.
Here’s another one of these, next to a later Peterbilt COE model.
Another 350 straight truck with trailer, a combination that was fairly common in California.
In 1955, a more modern COE cab arrived, the Model 351, called the Pan-O-Ramic SafT Cab, in the lingo of the times.
It was replaced by the more familiar cab arrived in 1959, the model 352. That was then used for several decades. This one has single round headlights, suggesting it’s from the 60s. Some also had quad round headlights.
Later versions had the quad rectangular lights. These were Model 362.
Peterbilt’s last COE was the Model 372 Aero, built between 1988 and 1994, but did not find many buyers as the length standards were liberalized during this time, and conventional cabs became the preferred choice.
Judging by the truck drivers expression I’d say that this picture was taken at quitting time on payday.
I agree, late afternoon on a Friday. He’s going to cash that paycheck and meet friends at the local watering hole.
Was the 350 a tilt-cab, or a fixed cab COE with access to the engine through removable panels and the swing up “nose” piece?
I’m pretty sure that the 282/352 were the first tilt cab Peterbilts.
Yes, these snub-nosed older COE cabs were not tilt cabs. For tilting, cabs pretty much want a completely flat face.
A good concise history of the Peterbilt COE’s. A few additional comments:
The 350 and 351 shared designations with the contemporary conventional (aka long nose) trucks. Starting with the 352, COE’s got unique designations. By the way, for both styles, 2 axle versions were designated 280/281.
The 352 (but not, I think, the 2 axle 282) was also available for the last few years in a taller, 352H configuration to clear the big inter cooled V8’s and provide a larger frontal area radiator for the high horsepower engines as well. The H is easy to spot by looking at the triangular openings on either side of the radiator just above the bumper: the H openings are much taller. The cab step recess is bigger as well.
The 362 was actually all-new, aside from its rectangular headlights. It incorporated a wider front “subframe” to fit the big V8’s and a wider spring stance, and rear cab suspension. There was no H version needed as the new frame and cab met the space and cooling needs of the biggest Cummins KT and Cat sixes, as well as the Detroit Diesel 8V92TTA engines.
You should be writing these. 🙂
I really enjoy reading these articles on the big rigs as it’s an area in which I have little experience or knowledge. In my novice eyes it appears that the COE designs have many advantages – great visibility, ease of service, more usable length, better packaging. I’m surprise that all rigs aren’t COE. What advantages do traditional cabs have over these?
The space efficiency advantages are now moot with the deregulation of truck overall length, but of course are the reason cabovers are still ubiquitous in Europe. Service is a mixed bag. Tilting the cab is harder than opening the hood, and many major service procedures require cab removal. Finally, there is driver safety (perhaps more perceived than real) due to lack of crush space, sometimes worse driver comfort due to pitching and roll caused by the higher cab as well as engine noise.
North-America is conventionals only and there’s (still) a substantial market for them in Australia and NZ. As for the rest of the world, cabovers rule. So a heavy cabover is certainly not a European phenomenon.
Just look at shift on the South-American market. Years ago, Paccar opened a new truck plant in Brazil. For building DAF cabovers only, to compete against the other Euro-brands that dominate the heavy truck and tractor market.
Here’s a CC post on the subject:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-coe-semi-tractor/
Thanks. Looks like the deregulation of the overall length regs was a real game changer here in the US, to the detriment of COE’s. Just shows how important it was to the trucking companies to maximize the amount of cargo hauled under the old regs.
Spend a few years sitting on the front axle. Then spend a few years sitting behind the front axle. It will become clear. Not to mention if you are unfortunate enough to be in a frontal impact accident. I’ve sent 53 years behind the wheel, I’ll take a conventional every time.
Thanks for the information.
When I was a youngster back in the late fifties these Cab Overs were some times called a snub nose or stub nose tractor.
That last aero model Pete is a good looking truck, alas I can’t recall the last time I saw one. I have an up coming road trip so I’ll keep an eye out for one.
How cool to see that first picture with “Dubuque” on the trailer. I grew up in IL just across the river from Dubuque and I worked in Dubuque for many years. Most likely that truck was coming from the packing (meat) plant that was one of the largest employers in Dubuque for many years.
There is a reason that Conventionals are preferred to COEs: aerodynamics and to a lesser extent now (where air suspension is so advanced) ride quality….
Lesser extent ? The single biggest reason for the quick death of the cabover after deregulation was ride quality. It’s difficult to convey just how poorly these things ride. Imagine riding in a kid’s wagon down a staircase . . . for 12 – 14 hours a day, every day. Add to that the annoyance of climbing over the doghouse to get in the bunk, then getting dressed lying down. There’s been quite a resurgence in interest in cabovers from hobbyists lately, but I guarantee none of them ever drove one for a living.
Your right about the ride quality. Nothing quite like the beating you get from driving a cabover. The vocational trucks, garbage trucks, crane trucks etc were the worst. 18-22,000 lb axles, big floater tires carrying 120-130 psi. Throw in some poor roads, especially asphalt with collapsing seams and your kidneys are in for a real beating.
Don’t forget those vocational trucks often had walking beam / rubber block suspensions. Might as well just weld the axles solid to the frame ! It hurts just thinking about that setup.
Meanwhile, cabovers have evolved too. You can’t compare 21st century top segment cabovers to the designs that essentially date back to the fifties/sixties/seventies.
Modern, long distance cabovers don’t have a doghouse (because flat cab floor) and you can walk around in them straight up (because raised roof).
Compared to today’s comfort, ride quality and ergonomics standards, a Kenworth K100, Peterbilt 362 or Mack F-series are hobbyists vehicles indeed. Simply because things have progressed during the past 40 to 50 years.
Ride quality in American trucks be they cabovers or conventionals is poor compared with European and even modern Japanese brands, my daily is an old 8×4 Sterling conventional its quite awful but after 2,000,000kms it doesnt even rattle a spare I had again for a day an equally ancient Freightliner Century sounds like a baby’s toy at every bump, I got sent on a swap run one afternoon towing a Btrain tanker set with a recent Mercedes no noise at all even with the window down the engine is barely audible, a bit gutless coming back loaded @ 50,000kgs gross but hourly rate so it didnt matter and comfy as so cabovers from Europe are definitely the comfort kings, Volvo probably best of the lot
Look at the steps/railing to get into old cabovers. Imagine getting out after driving thru the snow with the truck iced over.
Lot of truckers fell out and hurt themselves. And you might be a good driver but a big boy, bum knee, bad back, lets face it truckers arent exactly fit/agile ir young dudes. Drivers hated them, companies hated paying workers comp for their drivers falling out of them. Especially if the driver is hurt bad enough to be taken off the road and on disability.
My wife always showed great imagination on my birthday presents, seeking to sooth my passion for buses and trucks.
In 1980, she contacted a Peterbilt dealer in a Chicago suburb and arranged a visit. The manager took my wife and me for a ride in a Peterbilt 379 with the 127″ long hood and a large sleeper. There were only two hours on the engine. The truck was huge, and I sat in the passenger seat while my wife tried to stay seated in the sleeper.
Though I had an Illinois driver’s license that allowed me to drive a Class-8 tractor, I did not ask to drive and the manager did not offer to let me. He took us for quite the ride that included an idiot in a VW Beetle who tried to prevent us from merging on an expressway. The sound of the Beetle screeching in a panic stop is indelibly in my mind.
After the awesome demonstration of the Pete’s power, my wife told the manager that I just was crazy for the 362 COE model. Eager to please my lovely and charming wife, he took us to the new-truck lot where a gorgeous 362 majestically towered over us. The manager asked me if I wanted to get in the cab to see the driver’s view of the road. Of course I did.
The ensuing problem was my 5’8″ 230-pound aspect. The manager was at least 60 pounds lighter than me. There were several recessed steps to navigate. The manager quickly realized, as I fruitlessly pawed for the steps while turning green, that I was not too agile and I was afraid of heights.
Facing a choice of an injury lawsuit or looking light in the loafers, he firmly grabbed my lower cheeks and pushed me up into the cab. Once I resumed breathing normally, I was bedazzled by the air-controller view.
I stayed in the cab for several minutes before I attempted to exit. The manager was again forced to grab my lower cheeks to prevent me from being splattered on the pavement.
My wife passed on the opportunity.
I bet that there were a lot of injuries to COE drivers.
😂 It’s 2022 now; you can say “gay”.
Life long hay hauler here. Never got messed with about length with.a COE. Now with a day cab hood I’m regularly messed with about length. And every hood I’ve ever driven is 5 times louder than a COE. All that sound comes right through the barely or uninsulated firewall instead of being blown out the back of the doghouse. I will.concede that living in a COE sucks and worse if a team. But they have their place. 36yrs 3M+ miles.
Vintage trucks are my favorite