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The Reason Why Are Trucks Getting Bigger

(toddofmischief.blogspot.com)
173 points yasp | 13 comments | 11 Aug 22 13:06 UTC | HN request time: 0.95s | source | bottom
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woodruffw ◴[11 Aug 22 13:50 UTC] No.32425520[source]▶
The author makes a correct observation (trucks are getting bigger to circumvent emissions guidelines, not solely out of ego), but fails to address the underlying market demand: as trucks have gotten bigger, they've also gotten "meaner"[1]. Emissions requirements don't require a truck to look like it's going to beat you up.

In other words: consumer ego (wanting to drive a big, mean looking truck) is an underlying pressure in the market, even if the sufficient mover for the current size explosion is emissions dodging.

[1]: https://jalopnik.com/we-need-to-talk-about-truck-design-righ...

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jeffbee ◴[11 Aug 22 14:01 UTC] No.32425714[source]▶
Truck design used to be such that you pretended to be a working man. Now, you just show everyone how big a jerk you are. There's an entire brand of truck rims that are just called "Hostile". Anyone who would buy such a thing should just be followed everywhere by the cops. http://www.hostilewheels.com/

I think the article would have done well to also discuss America's general lack of vehicle safety inspections. There's a reason people don't drive around in lifted pickups with ridiculous wheels in Germany.

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1. nsxwolf ◴[11 Aug 22 14:08 UTC] No.32425823[source]▶
They're just... wheels.
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2. bombcar ◴[11 Aug 22 14:12 UTC] No.32425886[source]▶
Someone somewhere is doing something I don't like! Call the cops!

It'd be hilarious if it wasn't the governing principle of America.

3. jeffbee ◴[11 Aug 22 14:13 UTC] No.32425895[source]▶
They are a reflection of the attitudes of the driver and their intentions every time they climb up behind the wheel. And in California they are unlawful if they protrude beyond the body of the truck, which they invariably do because that's the only reason people buy these.

Slogan of the company is literally "There's no place for mercy!"

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4. almost_usual ◴[11 Aug 22 14:23 UTC] No.32426100[source]▶
To be specific they can’t go beyond the fenders as tires will kick up rocks and other debris. Has nothing to do with appearance.
5. ◴[11 Aug 22 14:26 UTC] No.32426139[source]▶
6. montalbano ◴[11 Aug 22 14:31 UTC] No.32426248[source]▶
Blind spots increase with truck height.

google has many studies and articles on the dangers of this but a link to get you started

https://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/the-hidden-danger...

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7. dimensionc132 ◴[11 Aug 22 15:00 UTC] No.32426780[source]▶
thank goodness we have these tiny technological devices called cameras, that can be installed in the front and rear of these mean bad trucks, so that the driver can see inside the blind spots.

now those poor babies, children and vertically challenged adults will be safe as safe can be... yipeee

8. woodruffw ◴[11 Aug 22 15:15 UTC] No.32426998[source]▶
Of course they're just wheels. The GP is remarking on the aesthetic of aggression that's being used to sell them.
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9. vondur ◴[11 Aug 22 15:16 UTC] No.32427016[source]▶
Most of the newer trucks have front facing cameras because of that. I have a "Mid Size" truck which sits fairly high. Since it doesn't have front cameras, I often back into parking spots so I can make use of my rear view camera to assist.
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10. cjrp ◴[11 Aug 22 15:22 UTC] No.32427104{3}[source]▶
Seems kind of crazy, adding a front camera (which the driver might not even look at) rather than just scaling down the front so they can see pedestrians with their eyes.
11. aoeusnth1 ◴[11 Aug 22 17:33 UTC] No.32429157{3}[source]▶
Are the operators expected to drive by looking at cameras, or by looking out of their windows?
12. throwaway0a5e ◴[11 Aug 22 17:59 UTC] No.32429498[source]▶
What aesthetic? It seems like it's just the manufacturer's name. Having names that evoke some sort of exclamation like that is pretty common in the automotive aftermarket (Behemouth Drivetrain, Killer Bee Motorsport, etc). If you're predisposed to hate them of course you'll read meaning that isn't there into it but there's nothing "hostile" about those wheels. They're just marketing to the monster energy decal crowd.
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13. jeffbee ◴[11 Aug 22 18:13 UTC] No.32429661{3}[source]▶
The fact that violence is a pervasive theme in automotive marketing is the problem, not an excuse.