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A comment on Why are semi trucks in the US and Europe so different? (2018). Parent comment

Re:Why are semi trucks in the US and Europe so different? (2... by SkyPuncher on Thursday February 03, 2022 @01:47PM (#30196783)
> I've always wondered the reasons behind the regional difference in popularity of these.

There's an interesting mis-alignment of incentives. It comes down to who owns the truck vs the trailer.

* Truck owner pays for fuel.

* Trailer owner pays for the flaps.

So, unless you own both the truck and trailer, there's little incentive for trailer owners to install them.

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Re:Why are semi trucks in the US and Europe so different? (2... by mindslight on Friday February 04, 2022 @12:00PM (#30209371)
That by itself isn't enough to explain the stark discrepancy though. Surely in the regions where tail flaps are extremely rare, there are still some operators that own both trucks and trailers.
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