Cabovers were cool….literally

by Mike Murchison

Yah, cabovers were cool…literally. I drove a couple back in the ’80s. A big K100 and an International 9760.

I fell out of them more times than I can count: it’s a long way down to the ground. Once I fell out, landed on my butt, and slid across the ice about 25 feet.

The one thing I remember is that in the winter they were cold. My feet were always cold; I wore two pair of socks. I had to wear steel toed boots: damn cold. Heat cranked so high you could smell the wires in the dash getting ready to ignite.

The second thing I remember is you had to secure all the loose items in the cab before you jacked it up, or they’d end up slamming into the inside of the windshield.

The third thing I remember is how worried I’d get when I finally had the cab jacked up. I’d look at it hanging over the front bumper and wonder when the back axles and wheels were going to get airborne.

The fourth thing I recall is if something rolled off the doghouse and onto the passenger side. You weren’t getting that until you stopped the truck.

Number five was pushing one of them in head on wind…good luck.

Yah, cabovers are cool….just sayin’!