MAZ 6440 - an exclusive hooded tractor made in Belarus

Not long ago, the range of tractors of the Minsk Automobile Plant was replenished with a new product. MAZ 6440 RA, designed for long-distance cargo transportation, impresses with its stylish design and excellent performance. Design, comfort, power, safety - everything in this car is at the highest level. The designers successfully completed the task and created a modern tractor, which became a new word in the history of Belarusian mechanical engineering.

At the end of 2010, the general director of the enterprise announced plans to create an exclusive hooded truck, and on August 17, 2011, a presentation of a new truck tractor took place, which pleasantly surprised those gathered with its appearance and “filling”. The hooded cab layout makes the model stand out among other MAZ tractors, because thanks to it the car receives a number of advantages.

History of creation

The car was developed as a vehicle intended for international and interregional cargo transportation over long distances.

The model was created with the expectation that it would be able to conquer a completely new market segment, and there were plenty of reasons for abandoning the traditional vehicle construction scheme for this enterprise. Firstly, the hood design provides a higher degree of driver protection. Secondly, Europe began to impose strict requirements for the safety of international cargo transportation, including the design of the trucks involved in it, and the Minsk manufacturer could not ignore these requirements.

Important

It was thanks to the hood layout that the designers were able to modify the cabin by moving it beyond the front axle and thereby significantly increase driver comfort. In addition, the maintainability of the machine has also improved due to simplified access to the main components.

The hooded MAZ 6440 was based on the MAZ-5440, in particular, it was from this truck that the developers took the cab and supplemented it with an elongated fiberglass hood.

As for the sleeping area, which is mandatory for vehicles of this class and purpose, it turned out to be quite small and in size did not exceed the size of a sleeping bag for cabover trucks.

Salon

When developing the tractor, much attention was paid not only to appearance, but also to driver comfort. So, the cabin was created almost from scratch. The MAZ-6440 received a modernized front panel with an informative instrument panel and a rounded center console. All necessary buttons are at the driver's fingertips. To press one of them, you don’t even have to look up from the back of the seat.

The column is adjustable, with a 4-spoke steering wheel. MAZ still uses a massive floor-mounted accelerator pedal. The door cards have a convenient armrest handle. There is one on the seat itself. The latter, by the way, is pneumatically driven and is adjustable in different directions. But the passenger seat can only be adjusted manually, although it also does not lack an armrest and lateral support rollers. Thanks to the rotated contour of the panel, the center console has a protrusion in the form of a small table. The driver can put all the necessary small items here. There is a small glove compartment below.

As we said earlier, a distinctive feature of the MAZ-6440 truck is its hood layout. This made it possible not only to improve the appearance of the car, but also to create a flat floor inside (by the way, it is covered with wear-resistant linoleum). Yes, the French had previously practiced a similar “trick” on their cabover Renault Magnum. But we all remember how difficult it was to climb inside on such a truck. The seating here is very comfortable – at least, that’s what reviews say.

The MAZ-6440 is lower than its European counterparts (due to the fact that the engine is located in front of the cab). The same factor allows routine maintenance to be carried out without raising the cabin. All you need to do is unfasten the side latches and throw the hood cover towards you. Access to the motor is more than sufficient.

Specifications

The curb weight of the truck was more than 11 tons, which was significantly more than that of many foreign “classmates”.

The carrying capacity also turned out to be impressive - almost 45 tons. In the basic configuration, the MAZ 6440 ets 2 semi-trailer could freely accommodate 89 cubic meters of cargo.

Engine and transmission

The tractor was equipped with a powerful 8-cylinder diesel power unit MMZ-D-283, the volume of which was 18 liters and the power was 600 horsepower. The engine fully complied with Euro-4 requirements and was an exact copy of one of the engines that rolled off the assembly line of the Tutaevsky Motor Plant.

It was assumed that the vehicle would be used as part of a road train up to 20 m long and weighing no more than 63 tons. The engine was paired with a 6-speed Allison hydromechanical transmission made in the USA, which transmitted engine power to the two rear axles. It is important to note that such gearboxes were previously used on buses of Belarusian and Russian production, where they proved to be the best.

The tractor was equipped with two spacious fuel tanks with a capacity of 500 liters each.

In parallel with this, the manufacturer was considering the possibility of equipping the car with other power plants - both domestic and European; as an option, it was proposed to test the Mercedes OM457LA engine for the car.

Chassis

There were several variants of the MAZ 6440 chassis:

• with pneumatic cylinders on the driving axles;
• with spring and spring-balancer suspension at the front and rear.

The 6X4 wheel arrangement became a special pride of the plant, because it consisted entirely of Belarusian-made parts, and in general, 75 percent of the components of this vehicle were domestic. The chassis was characterized by increased strength; it made it possible to transport heavy and oversized cargo.

Important

The manufacturer has provided excellent equipment for such an ambitious project. The tractor was equipped with the latest stabilization and cruise control systems for those times, air suspension of wheels, full power accessories, and air conditioning. “On board” it was even possible to install a refrigerator and a television tuner.

You can study the technical characteristics of the tractor in more detail in the table below:

Additional equipment

• Cruise control,
• electric lift of the cabin hatch,
• digital tachograph,
• air conditioning system with electric dampers,
• electrically controlled and electrically heated mirrors,
• protective grilles for headlights,
• directional stability system,
• luxury seats,
• air conditioner,
• DVD player (Belarusian production),
• TV tuner,
• illumination of steps for entering the cabin,
• fridge.
• two sleeping places[1][5].

Appearance of the car

From a design point of view, the MAZ 6440 truck looked very unusual; its appearance was catchy and memorable. The protruding hood gave the new product a monumental look. A wide “skirt” on the sides covered the fuel tanks, and the radiator grille was so voluminous that it immediately attracted attention.

There was a visor above the windshield to protect from the sun. A spoiler was installed on the cab, which brought some aggression to the appearance of the car and improved the aerodynamic characteristics of the tractor and contributed to fuel economy.

Design

The new product caused a huge resonance precisely with its hood layout. Previously, Belarusians only made cabover trucks. In this regard, the MAZ-6440 became a pioneer. What can I say, the design turned out to be quite good.

The car has a striking appearance. Due to the hood layout, the tractor seems very massive and oversized. The total length of the road train with the MAZ semi-trailer reaches 18.5 meters. At the front, the truck is distinguished by a wide radiator grille and equally large air intake “gills”. The hood, like the “Americans”, is made of plastic and is discarded along with the wings. The bumper resembles a restyled MAZ-5440. The same contours and crystal white optics are used here. There are small foglight lenses at the bottom. On the sides of the car there is a wide “skirt” that hides large fuel tanks (2 x 500 liters). The skirt also has a cutout for footrests. The cab in the truck is quite wide, and therefore there are as many as three windshield wipers used here. A sun visor is conveniently placed on top of the windshield. Next to it there is an antenna for a radio or walkie-talkie. Mirrors, unlike the bumper, are not painted in body color. But at the same time they provide excellent rear visibility. The top of the cabin is equipped with an aerodynamic spoiler, which not only complements the appearance of the car, but also has a positive effect on its fuel efficiency. The MAZ-6440 truck is equipped with 22.5-inch European-style wheels. On the rear axles you can see plastic decorative caps.

In general, the Belarusians did an excellent job. MAZ-6440 received a unique appearance. It won’t be difficult to spot such a car on the road. Catchy body lines and a long wheelbase are the distinctive features of the new MAZ-6440 long-haul truck.

Restyled version

In 2012, the second version of this model, MAZ-6440RA, was prepared in Minsk. It was distinguished by a slightly modified cabin shape, in particular, its front part (the bumper took on its original shape, the shape of the headlights and radiator grille changed), as well as a spacious sleeping compartment.

The wheelbase has increased by a meter, resulting in more interior space in the cabin. The restyled version of the truck was in no way inferior to its European counterparts. Unfortunately, the brainchild of Minsk residents did not receive further development - the project was closed.

Notes

1. ↑ 1 2 3
   MAZ equipment at the International Salon of Trucks and Commercial Vehicles TIR'2011
   (unspecified)
   .
   News
   . JSC Minsk Automobile Plant (2012). Access date: May 9, 2012.
2. MAZ equipment at the International Salon of Trucks and Commercial Vehicles TIR'2011
3. MAZ-6440 – Belarusian American (unspecified)
   (inaccessible link). Retrieved September 8, 2014. Archived September 8, 2014.
4. Hood tractor MAZ-6440RA: exclusive flagship
5. MAZ 6440RA (unspecified)
   .
   MAZ tractors
   . "World of Trucks" (office dealer) JSC "MAZ". Access date: May 9, 2012. Archived September 20, 2012.

Advantages and disadvantages

Speaking about the advantages of the revolutionary model for the Minsk Automobile Plant, it is necessary to note the following:

• the flat floor in the cabin and its low location made it possible to improve the ergonomics of the driver's seat;
• high passive vehicle safety;
• better maintainability due to the hood placement of the engine.

As for the disadvantages of the truck tractor, which became the topic of our conversation, the following points need improvement, according to experts:

• dimensions and weight that make the car clumsy.
• The cabin shakes noticeably even on excellent quality roads. And if the German ISRI chairs smooth out the shaking a little, then in a simpler layout the discomfort is noticeable. Sleeping with such vibration is also almost impossible.
• The speedometer is marked up to 120 km per hour, but it frankly deviates and is simply not able to tell the driver the real speed.

Price new and used

In 2011, when the MAZ 6440 was launched into mass production, its price was measured in conventional terms. It was assumed that the truck would cost 30 percent less than the cost of foreign analogues.

In this situation, it was planned that it would be possible to buy a MAZ 6440 from 3 to 3.5 million rubles, which is much more expensive than the hooded versions of trucks of this class. But since the revolutionary development has not gone on sale, it makes no sense to talk about its price (both new and used).

Reviews and opinions

1. According to people who managed to sit behind the wheel of this giant, the feeling of driving it is simply magnificent. The tractor definitely attracts with its novelty and charm; it’s pleasant to be in the cabin, but even more you want to set this colossus in motion on your own. They say you adapt to it instantly, the dimensions feel quite good. At a speed of 80 km/h, you get the feeling that you are moving slower - 60 kilometers, no more, and you just want to “sink”.

2. While writing this material, we managed to find a text describing our impressions of driving a MAZ 6440 by a person who was lucky enough to test drive this car. It was he who was behind the wheel of the truck when it went out onto the highway for the second time (we are talking about a scheduled run-in). According to him, the impressions from the car are the most positive. The build quality deserves the highest praise: no rattling, no falling out bolts, etc. The electronics, which at that time had not even been properly adjusted, never glitched, everything worked like a clock. On the road, other road users perceived the new product with great positivity, some even managed to return to look at it again.