On Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 6:17:26 PM UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:

BTW, regulation created some of the greatest of (former) American companies like Portland-based Freighliner. Those snub-nosed cab-over tractors were invented to maximize cargo space under the ICC/DOT regulations limiting tractor/trailer LOA. Every regulation creates a business opportunity. Regulations are job creators!

-- Jay Beattie.

I can see that. Use a longer trailer, haul more stuff, if you use a short cabover truck/engine. Only problem is you would then have different length trailers for cabover and engine in front trucks. Trailer manufacturers would not like that. They want uniformity. And all the shippers loading material into the trailers would have to adjust to loading a different volume in each trailer.