Dump truck Tatra-148 - in the USSR, this truck was considered the most reliable

The heavy trucks of the Tatra company from Czechoslovakia were well known in the USSR. The first deliveries began back in 1945, when the plant solemnly presented the Red Army with 10 Tatra 111 vehicles.


The main feature of Tatra dump trucks is the unique frame design. It is spinal, allowing the installation of split bridges with independent suspensions.

This design gives high cross-country ability, plus cars could be produced with wheel formulas in the range from 4x4 to 12x12.


Today we will talk about the Tatra-148 dump truck, which debuted in 1972. For 10 years, the manufacturer has produced more than 113 thousand cars of this model.

The story of

The first prototypes of the Tatra-148 appeared in 1968. This model has become a logical continuation of the truck with the index 138. Small-scale assembly began in 1969, in parallel with the previous generation car.

Externally, the model is similar to the Tatra-138, but has a number of differences:

✅ The cabin is not so rounded, more angular, although the lines are still smooth
✅ The radiator grill is larger - this provided better airflow
✅ The axle shaft flanges have been redesigned from hexagonal to round, their reliability of fastening to the hubs has increased due to a larger number of studs
✅ The drive to the rear axles received a center differential
✅ The gearbox and transfer case have been strengthened
✅ The engine has become more powerful

Until 1972, about 570 trucks of various modifications were assembled. Then Tatra-138 was removed from the assembly line, freeing it for a successor.

Cab features

Unlike Soviet trucks of the 70s, Tatra-148 gave drivers an unprecedented level of comfort. In addition to the driver, two passengers could be accommodated inside, and they were not cramped. The driver's seat had an anatomical back, and it itself is pneumatic. Due to this, any person, regardless of their size, could get comfortable.


The windshields and side windows are large in size, which ensures a wide viewing angle. The front pillars of the cab are thin, so there is no “blind zone” here. The side mirrors are not very large, but they provide excellent visibility even while driving a truck with a trailer.


All controls are within reach, so nothing distracts the driver while driving. The dashboard, despite its "childish" size, has all the necessary instruments, toggle switches and sensors. Even in standard versions, the Tatra-148 had a powerful cabin heater.

Engine and technical features

Under the hood of a truck from Czechoslovakia, a V8 diesel engine is installed. It has a working volume of 12,7 liters and develops 212 hp. With. The engine can accelerate the car up to 80 km / h.


The location of the power unit under the hood allows you to easily perform maintenance and minor repairs. The same oil filter or alternator can be easily reached.


An interesting feature of the T 2-928-1 power unit is air cooling. Due to the presence of a powerful fan in the system, a serviceable truck did not overheat even in the southern republics of the USSR.

Due to the use of the original spinal frame, where the cardan shaft is hidden inside the pipe, the carrying capacity of the Tatra-148 was far from being limited to the declared 16 tons. Constant overloads for these dump trucks in the USSR were commonplace. That is why they were loved.


Despite the power and carrying capacity, the fuel consumption of dump trucks from Czechoslovakia was low - an average of about 30-35 liters per 100 km.

History of the model in the USSR

According to the documentation, the Soviet Union purchased Tatra-148 in S1 and S3 tipper versions. In total, more than 26,6 thousand trucks of this model were purchased. They worked both in cities at construction sites and in the most remote corners of the USSR.


Most often, Tatra-148 was operated in the Far East and Siberia. Drivers dreamed of these trucks, but only gave them to the best workers. Cars against the background of Soviet models were trouble-free. Especially appreciated by drivers working in Siberia, air cooling. The fact is that in those years, trucks had water in the system, which had to be drained at sub-zero temperatures at the end of the shift.

Tatra-148 cars were so loved in the oil fields that it was decided to build a special overhaul workshop. It opened in Nizhnevartovsk, at a car repair plant. The equipment was purchased in Czechoslovakia, and specialists were also sent from there to help set up the work.

The car repair shop only in the period from 1981 to 1985 managed to “capitalize” more than 1,2 thousand Tatra-148 trucks. Other models were also repaired, plus the equipment made it possible to restore almost any part of the car, and spare parts were sent from Czechoslovakia.


In the 80s, Tatra-148 was the main truck in the oil and gas fields. The drivers joked that the Soviet cars could get there only after the Tatra paved the trail.

Northern executions

Despite all the advantages of Tatra cars, drivers sometimes complained that models with indices 111 and 138 had to be insulated to work in Siberia and the Far North. Of course, this was more about cabs, because air-cooled trucks were not so sensitive to sub-zero temperatures, and there was no need to fill the radiator with water.


Therefore, in Czechoslovakia, already in 1973, they began to develop special "Arctic" versions. The first two prototypes, which received the index 148C1, were immediately sent to the Soviet Union.

After the very first winter, the "Arctic" modifications were put into production, having slightly modified them. By the way, the prototypes even outwardly differed. They had windshield wipers not from below, but from above the cab and special protective nets on the windshield.

Features of the "Arctic" Tatra-148С1:

✅ Double glass
✅ Additional fog lights for working in difficult conditions at any time of the day
✅ The fuel tank received insulation
✅ The body was heated by exhaust gases
✅ The engine was equipped with a starting aid
✅ All rubber products, including tires, were made of frost-resistant material
✅ Salon was insulated along the doors and back wall

Most of the trucks in the "northern" version had bright orange cabs as regular modifications, but they had dark hoods. By the way, Tatra-148С1 became the first foreign car in the history of the USSR, specially modified for operation in cold climates.


Often, Tatra-148s in the Soviet Union worked in conjunction with trailers, despite the rear type of unloading and, as a rule, a tipper body. The truck had a high-torque engine, and extra weight did not affect its resource. Naturally, subject to the rules for operating vehicles with trailers.

Tatra-148 trucks are still remembered by experienced drivers who started their careers in the Soviet Union. Reliable and trouble-free, these machines have become a symbol of work in oil and gas developments and quarries.