[TusharK]

Thanks to Raja V G for sending these images in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing them with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!



In July 2017, we had reported that the Union Government had decided to make air-conditioned cabins mandatory for trucks. Although the government later backtracked on its decision to make AC cabins mandatory, the new rule which came into effect from January 1, 2018, mandated that trucks with more than 3.5 tonnes GVW must have forced ventilation. These images indicate that manufacturers including Ashok Leyland and Tata Motors have started introducing cabin air blowers in their trucks.



The images, which are from a stock yard, confirm that at least some models from Ashok Leyland's long haul range will be offered with factory-fitted air blowers. The images also reveal Tata Motors' version of cabin air blowers, which has circular vents and a rotary blower speed knob with 4 positions. Ashok Leyland's design has three rectangular vents with a rotary knob placed next to the instrument cluster, just below the OBD port. It has 3 blower speeds. Both blower modules are mounted on the engine cover next to the driver's seat. It is worth noting that these are not connected to an AC compressor.



The government had mandated all N2 and N3 category goods carriers to have air-conditioned cabins. The move was aimed at reducing the number of road accidents by improving the working environment of the truck drivers. Truck manufacturers including Tata Motors weren't in favour of this decision as according to them, fleet operators have been reluctant to buy AC trucks as they are less economical than non-AC trucks. That said, Ashok Leyland has already been offering AC cabs in its U-truck and Captain range. Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles, Mahindra, Tata Motors and BharatBenz also have similar options for quite some time now.




Link to Team-BHP News

[narayan]

Soon to follow -
Dealer level value added service to disconnect A/C and get those vents removed.

Our Indian mentality is all about flogging any form of fixed asset ( including the truck driver ) to its 200% performance rating with scant regard for overall life/productivity etc.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by TusharK

In July 2017, we had reported that the Union Government had decided to make air-conditioned cabins mandatory for trucks...

There are factual errors and some missing information in this post.

1. The current rule is that forced ventilation is mandatory in trucks with more than 3.5T GVW, while Air conditioning is an option. This is in effect from Jan 1st, 2018.

Link.

Therefore, every manufacturer has to provide at least blowers in every new truck that gets sold after 1st Jan 2018.

AL already offers AC cabs in the U-truck and Captain range. VECV, Mahindra, TML, BharatBenz also have similar options for quite some time.

2. The so-called second variant of blowers in AL's chassis, is not from an AL chassis at all.

Originally Posted by TusharK

...One of the modules has four circular vents and has a rotary blower speed knob with 4 positions.

As can be seen clearly, these are from TML chassis.

Image Credit: Hemant Bhat

Originally Posted by TusharK

That said, it is unclear whether these are connected to an AC compressor.

These blowers are just blowers, they do not have any connection with an AC compressor. The inlet vents can be seen on the sides in TML's version, and I assume they're located on the front in case of AL's blower unit

* * *

Personally, I find TML's blower option very crude. Not that the other one's extremely well-engineered, but it's better than the former.

An AC cabin though is a good to have option for trucks, there are many other factors that need to be addressed on priority to improve productivity of truck operations. The rule to bring in mandatory Airconditioning can only be seen as a populist measure to gain brownie points and create a media hype

[GeeTee TSI]

As has always been the case in India, the one who pays for the truck does not drive it. Add to it the lack of competition, the 16 to 35 tonne trucks continue to be prehistoric relics

The very intent of the Government being sidestepped by major OEMs by refusing to incorporate any degree of comfort or safety in 2018!

[giri1.8]

Originally Posted by narayan

Soon to follow -
Dealer level value added service to disconnect A/C and get those vents removed.

Our Indian mentality is all about flogging any form of fixed asset ( including the truck driver ) to its 200% performance rating with scant regard for overall life/productivity etc.

Well things are changing a bit, few of the current JCB drivers refuse one without proper accessories, I am sure youngsters will change a thing or two in the coming years.

Back to topic, I do welcome this move, but not sure how this could have negative effect on over worked drivers every single system in place is a mess, mess so big that no one could even imagine cleaning.

[prashanthyr]

If the govt is serious about safety and comfort they should make norms so strict that Jugaad solutions like this can't be attempted. In most developed countries the cab comes factory fitted because the roadside garage will never be able to build a cab that passes tests. Also if our manufacturers want to compete globally, they should really stop making these crude contraptions

[sandeepmohan]

I am not sure why there must be a Government mandated call for such things. Aren't manufacturers keen on retaining their customers, improving driver comfort and ergonomics?

HVAC should have been standard on trucks over a decade ago. We are talking about a cost increase of just 50-80k per truck, tops. Probably a lot lesser when you strike a deal with Denso, etc, for a million aircon units.

[avingodb]

I think the headline needs editing. It gives the first impression that Ashok Leyland is the only one to do this.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I am not sure why there must be a Government mandated call for such things. Aren't manufacturers keen on retaining their customers, improving driver comfort and ergonomics?

HVAC should have been standard on trucks over a decade ago. We are talking about a cost increase of just 50-80k per truck, tops. Probably a lot lesser when you strike a deal with Denso, etc, for a million aircon units.

In a hyper cost-sensitive segment in cost-sensitive country such as ours, even 50k is quite a bit in initial investment.

But let's disregard that as the main bone of contention against making HVAC compulsory and operational is the decrease in FE and hence, an increase in operating cost.

[MaxTorque]

I think it is a welcome move. But in India, the percentage of owner-operated trucks will be negligible so it may take some time to take off.

Initially, Mahindra Navistar used to offer air conditioners but there were not many takers for that variants. Not sure they are still available or not.

Like some of the members suggested, the trucking industry needs an overhaul and it is high time to explore other modes like water, rail so on.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by GeeTee TSI

the one who pays for the truck does not drive it. Add to it the lack of competition, the 16 to 35 tonne trucks continue to be prehistoric relics

The first part is somewhat right - most owners do not drive their trucks. There is decent competition in the CV segment, though this is quite unlike the passenger car segment. The market dynamics of the CV space is very different, where every paisa that gets spent on a vehicle and the time the truck stays parked affects the business. The HCVs available in the 16-35T segment are no relics and though they might look oldschool in many cases, they're as modern beneath the skin as they need to be, considering the rules they have to comply with. Just to provide an most of the CVs have upwards of 60k km interval for an oil change - now how many passenger cars have an interval half this figure?

The very intent of the Government being sidestepped by major OEMs by refusing to incorporate any degree of comfort or safety in 2018

Nobody is sidestepping anybody. Manufacturers provide what the rules say and what the market demands. Power steering is mandated by law only for heavy trucks, but getting a driver for an LCV or ICV without power steering is next to impossible these days, hence almost all CVs are offered with PS as standard, just to quote an example. There are rules and standards made for buses, and after many years of debates and fine-tuning, they're rolled out now. AFAIK, there are similar standards to follow for truck cabs too. We've moved away from common chassis for trucks and buses, to proper bus chassis and truck chassis over the course of time. Our markets are also evolving, and will keep moving for the better.

Originally Posted by prashanthyr

If the govt is serious about safety and comfort they should make norms so strict that Jugaad solutions like this can't be attempted. In most developed countries the cab comes factory fitted because the roadside garage will never be able to build a cab that passes tests. Also if our manufacturers want to compete globally, they should really stop making these crude contraptions

The watered down implementation of laws is what creates a lot of trouble. If the emission rules were strictly implemented, the pollution levels (in any category) would be lower than what they are today. Our manufacturers do compete globally - CV manufacturers offer what the market demands and what the rules say. By being global does not mean presence in the US and/or EU alone. I'm not sure about Eicher and Mahindra trucks and buses, but AL & TML have a sizeable market in the middle east, south east Asia and Africa. They also sell kits to manufacturers in Russia and Ukraine, among other countries.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I am not sure why there must be a Government mandated call for such things. Aren't manufacturers keen on retaining their customers, improving driver comfort and ergonomics?

Customers for CV manufacturers = fleet owners. Driver comfort is considered in the equation by the owner only when it starts pinching them. This is one area where the drivers' unions can and must bring a change - to demand better working conditions.

[speedguy]

Dear naysayers,
Before starting bashing please go & sit for a while in a heavy truck. What you see from outside is just a veil over absolutely fantastic technologies.
ABS, Power steering, ESP, huge engine, at least 8lakh km vehicle life, rugged chassis, powerful brakes & all this with 3 kmpl diesel consumption.
Imagine the engineering involved in all this!
Regarding AC or blower there is one simple thing all are missing. Be it Tata Motors, Mahindra, VECV, AL, Bharat Benz all are having optional AC. Tata Prima World truck even have Auto Climate control
So please gather some knowledge before writing anything on a responsible platform like Team BHP

[su1978]

There are always 2 sides of a coin. One for advantages and other for disadvantages. The advantages that i can find here is that the drivers will have a better working condition with lesser fatigue. They will be able to cover long distances in a shorter span of time. Also since the fatigue will be less, there will be fewer accidents on the road involving truck drivers. The disadvantage that i see here is that these drivers will never switch off the engine anytime and will make some excuse to their owners WRT vehicles giving lesser fuel efficiency. But all said and done, in my opinion, providing the drivers with a better work environment is a right of every individual.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by MaxTorque

Initially, Mahindra Navistar used to offer air conditioners but there were not many takers for that variants. Not sure they are still available or not.

Mahnidra Navistar is now MTBL - Mahindra Trucks & Buses Ltd, after Mahindra bought out Navistar's stakes in the JV which was called Mahindra-Navistar Automotive Ltd. They still offer fully-built trucks, with AC cabs. It's one of the most comfortable cabs to be in.

it is high time to explore other modes like water, rail so on.

Air-freight, waterways, railways and trucks should complement each other to improve transportation as a whole and not act as a replacement for one another. We have routes where road transport works faster than railways, such as Mumbai-Bangalore.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

In a hyper cost-sensitive segment in cost-sensitive country such as ours, even 50k is quite a bit in initial investment.

But let's disregard that as the main bone of contention against making HVAC compulsory and operational is the decrease in FE and hence, an increase in operating cost.

This is quite dependent on the application. You'll see very many tipper trucks with AC cabs these days, with their ACs running almost full time - the drivers are able to keep the truck working longer and maximising profits for the owner, so the slight drop in FE is taken care of.

Originally Posted by speedguy

...Imagine the engineering involved in all this!

Summed it up pretty well!

For the uninitiated, here are a few technologies that became commonplace in heavy vehicles before they were widely implemented in passenger-car space:
- Power steering (became mandated by law)
- Dual circuit brakes
- ABS (became mandated by law for Tractor-trailers & trucks carrying hazardous materials, and later extended to 16T+ GVW vehicles)
- Automatic & Automated Manual Transmissions

[2000rpm]

The trucking industry is very driver unfriendly today. For fleet owners, drivers are not humans but equipments which need to be operated with maximum ROI. Forget ACs, drivers have been sleeping below the truck for decades now, even in rainy conditions (compared to In-cabin beds abroad).

The segment will not move on its own due to the customer mentality, the government has to intervene. I think mandatory AC was the way to go. The blowers are not at all effective in reducing fatigue! But then, common sense amongst law makers is a luxury in India.