Gulf Construction Online - Driver-focused

Trucks

The Volvo FH features adaptive high beam headlights for enhanced safety.

Driver-focused

Four new trucks from Volvo Trucks demonstrate the European manufacturer’s focus on making life easier for the person behind the steering wheel.

01 May 2020

Volvo Trucks has launched four new heavy-duty trucks – the Volvo FH, FH16, FM and FMX – with a strong focus on the driver environment, safety and productivity.

“We are really proud of this big forward-looking investment. Our aim is to be our customers’ best business partner by making them even more competitive and help them attract the best drivers in an increasingly tough market,” says Roger Alm, President, Volvo Trucks.

In developing the new trucks, Volvo Trucks has focused strongly on making them safer, more efficient and more attractive working tools for qualified drivers.

“Drivers who handle their truck safely and efficiently are an invaluable asset to any transport company. Responsible driving behaviour can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions and fuel costs, as well as the risk of accidents, injury and unplanned downtime. Our new trucks will help drivers work even more safely and productively and give our customers stronger arguments when competing to attract the best drivers,” continues Alm.

The line-up of Volvo’s new heavy-duty trucks.

The various truck models in Volvo Trucks’ range are available with many different cab models and can be optimised for a wide range of applications. In long-haul trucks, the cab is often the driver’s second home. In regional transport trucks, it often serves as a mobile office, while in construction the trucks are robust, practical work tools. Therefore, visibility, comfort, ergonomics, noise level, manoeuvrability and safety were key focal points when developing all the new truck models. The truck exterior has also been upgraded to reflect the new trucks’ properties and create an attractive overall design.

The new Volvo FM and Volvo FMX have a brand new cab, as well as many of the same instrument display functions as their larger Volvo counterparts. Their interior volume has been increased by up to one cubic metre, providing better comfort and more working room, says a spokesman for Volvo. The visibility is now even better due to larger windows, a lowered door line and new mirrors, he adds.

The steering wheel is equipped with a neck tilt function, allowing the driving position to be individually adjusted to a greater extent. The lower bed in the sleeper cab is positioned higher up than previously, affording higher comfort and creating additional storage space underneath. The day cab has a new 40-litre storage compartment with interior lighting on the back wall. Cab comfort is further enhanced through reinforced insulation that helps shut out cold, heat and noise disturbance, while a sensor-controlled climate unit with a carbon filter promotes good air quality in all conditions.

The driver’s area now has a completely new interface for information and communication, aimed at making it easier to overview and manage different functions, creating less stress and distraction. The instrument display is fully digital, with a 12-inch screen that makes it easy for the driver to choose the information needed at any time.

Safety has been further improved with functions such as adaptive high beam headlights in the Volvo FH and Volvo FH16, a solution that Volvo Trucks claims to be the first truck manufacturer to launch. The system improves safety for all road users by automatically disabling selected segments of the LED high beam when the truck approaches oncoming traffic or another vehicle from behind.

Driving is also facilitated by an improved Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) for speeds down to 0 km/h and downhill cruise control that automatically activates the wheel brakes when extra brake force is needed to maintain constant downhill speed. The Electronically-Controlled Brake System (EBS), which is a prerequisite for safety features such as Collision Warning with Emergency Brake and Electronic Stability Control, now comes as standard on the new truck. A road sign recognition system detects road traffic signs, such as overtaking restrictions, road type and speed limits, and displays them in the instrument display.

With this range, Volvo Trucks is setting a new level for uptime by increasing the engine oil drain interval by up to 50 per cent and introducing an advanced real time monitoring system. This system continuously monitors selected uptime critical components to help predict potential unplanned stops and turn them into planned workshop visits.

“Real time monitoring is available as an option for the Volvo Gold Contract, which has been extended with yet another offer: the Volvo Flexi-Gold Contract. The new contract allows a more flexible payment structure, as it adapts to fluctuating business due to changes in workload,” the spokesman explains.

“Volvo Trucks has also introduced the Volvo Uptime Care Contract, which uses connectivity to follow up selected components and real usage of the truck in order to detect wear-and-tear and based on that continuously adapt the service plan,” he concludes.