Quote:
Originally Posted by renault_megane_dci
About the towing differences between Europe and American trucks, it is not about their abilities but about the regulations of their native market.
In Europe, anything over 3.5 tons require a dedicated license.
So manufacturers optimise their vehicle based on this regulation.
Bigger US trucks should compare to actual trucks (wich speed is limited to 70 mph too)
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That's a valid point. You can hitch up your F-350 and drag away a 9-ton load on a bumper hitch, or 12 tons on a fifth wheel. No special license required if I recall rightly.
That's a lot of load, a lot of liability. I saw a gooseneck trailer carrying 17 large round bales of hay in September, trundling along the roads in Minnesota. Unless I'm mistaken, you could be a first-year driver with no extra training or testing, hauling a load that size.
Maybe not first-year. When I was a first-year driver, it was possible then. I think some of the regulations have tightened up a little bit. But still, there isn't much in the way of training required if you're just a regular Joe pulling stuff around on the back of his truck. It's not a big deal to pull around up to 3,000 lbs behind my little truck, but when you're getting up into something as big as that, risks go way up.