The history of autonomous vehicles dates back to 1970s Japan and now various projects are currently underway at universities, research institutes and high-tech companies around the world. Hundreds of thousands of driverless kilometres have been clocked up and proponents of the technology believe that such vehicles will increase road capacity, reduce congestion, and most importantly improve road safety by eliminating driver error.

The ‘tech liberals’ argue that if 90 per cent of accidents are due to the human factor – as statistics indicate – why not completely take the driver out of the equation? Opponents, meanwhile, raise concerns about the fallibility of the computerised systems. And who, for example, is legally responsible if one of these unmanned vehicles causes an accident ?

Automated systems like sensors, cameras and radar for monitoring the traffic and vehicle’s situation are regarded by many as having some advantages over humans, but Carl Johan Almqvist, Traffic & Product Safety Director at Volvo Trucks believes the safest approach is to combine the automated system’s 360-degree awareness with the professional driver’s knowledge and experience.

“We believe in the driver and appreciate that the human brain can make decisions that automatic systems struggle with,” he says. “The computer never gets tired, but it can only do things for which it is programmed. As soon as you are outside of normal situations, that is where the driver’s skill comes in. Drivers are often best placed to assess a situation and to choose between slowing down, panic braking or driving round an obstacle.”

Volvo Trucks is therefore working on systems that support drivers in situations where they are under-stimulated, such as when stuck in a traffic jam. “When you are moving slowly your mind wanders, you aren’t focused on driving and if the car in front suddenly stops, you more likely to hit it,” says Almqvist. “These are situations where it’s a good idea to support the driver.”

Volvo’s vision of combining a well-trained professional driver with increased automation is being realized through the Safe Road Trains for the Environment (SARTRE) project. The idea behind the project – of which Volvo is a part through its centre for research and innovation, Volvo Technology – is to develop a technology for vehicle ‘platooning’ – that is, a convoy where a professional driver in a lead vehicle drives a line of other vehicles.

Each vehicle in the convoy measures the distance, speed and direction to the car in front and adjusts accordingly. The vehicles are not physically attached to each other and can leave the procession at any time. However, once in the platoon, the following drivers can relax and do other things while the platoon proceeds towards its destination under the expert guidance of the lead driver.

Platooning is expected to deliver a number of benefits: road safety will improve as the human factor is minimised; fuel consumption – and therefore also CO2 emissions – will be reduced by up to 20 per cent; road congestion will be reduced as vehicles will be only a few metres apart; and the drivers of the following vehicles will be able to rest, eat or even work.

The technology has been successfully tested with one car following the lead vehicle. Public acceptance and the relevant legislation may, however, be longer in coming.

Volvo Trucks participates in several technologically-driven projects such as SARTRE, since the outcome and lessons from such projects are always regarded as valuable knowledge.

“Safety is one of Volvo’s core values, so we are investing considerable effort in automation while doing it in the safest possible way,” says Almqvist. “The technology is moving quickly, but getting it to work in a safe way with a human being is our ultimate aim. You should feel as safe as you do when driving yourself, even if it is a computer that is doing the work.”

Carl Johan Almqvist points to the autopilot systems used in aviation as a more realistic way forward for the road transport industry. “Today you can push a button and fly on autopilot from when you leave the gate until your arrival at the other end,” he says. “But you still have a pilot – two, in fact !”

It was a fierce contest with ‘Mean Green’, a converted Volvo VN featuring the very latest hybrid technology from Volvo Trucks, challenging the Ferrari sports car driven by Henrik Appelholm.

The Ferrari, as you might expect, took the lead from the start, but ‘Mean Green’ quickly caught up and eventually won by a hair’s breadth.

“It was very close and I’m happy because now I know that the Volvo hybrid is as fast as a Ferrari,” says a very happy Boije Ovebrink.

Watch a film of the event on YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cVtzt_bbhM

It seems unhealthy food; long periods of sitting and stressful work environments are making people increasingly overweight with truck drivers – sitting for long periods – particularly at risk.

As a consequence, Volvo Trucks now includes diet, health (and First Aid) as part of its driver development CPC programme, emphasising that they affect both personal quality of life and the driver’s professional level of competence. “We give them tips and suggestions on how to live a healthier lifestyle,” says Lucien van Zullen, one of Volvo Trucks’ driver trainers in Holland.

“It isn’t exactly ‘rocket science’; rather, it’s all about making drivers aware of how they can eat and live more healthily. Eat breakfast, cycle to work instead of driving and try to eat more vegetables. We also offer suggestions on what type of training can be done inside the truck cab. The solution lies in the small details.”

During the CPC course, the participants also learn how different types of food affect not only their physique but also their mood and ability to concentrate. Also, the average European long-haul driver has a BMI* of 28, which is just two small points away from the official classification for obesity. A fact revealed in a survey conducted by Volvo Trucks of 2,300 drivers throughout Europe.

So why is health amongst truck drivers so poor ? In 2009, Inge Van Bogerijen from the Institute of Sports and Health at Utrecht University investigated the subject and reported her findings in a special study. She came to the conclusion that truck drivers find themselves in a very specific and unique environment, both physically and socially. “The working environment out on the roads is an obstacle to a healthier lifestyle among drivers. In my study I saw that many are willing to live a better lifestyle but that they feel they have limited practical opportunities to do so,” says Inge Van Bogerijen.

The foremost reason for poor health seems to be the high-fat food served at truck stops, combined with the sedentary nature of the work itself and the chronic lack of time due to long working days. “There is healthier food available at roadside eateries, but the problem is that this is often much more expensive. Drivers are either not willing or, in many cases, simply not able to pay very much,” says Inge Van Bogerijen. “What’s more, truck-stops don’t exactly invite training and exercise. There is often no gym on site and inside the cab there is obviously very little scope for physical exercise owing to the limited space.”

However, improving driver health is not only the responsibility of the driver and there is a lot employers can do to help too. Dutch haulage firm Nijhof-Wassink is among the growing number of companies to realise the importance of working preventively on health. The company allows its employees to take part in a programme that focuses on a healthier lifestyle and in return they get healthier drivers. “This is a win-win situation where the driver is healthier and more active.

At the same time, we reduce costs,” explains Jogé Nijhof, part owner of Nijhof-Wassink. “We gain because our employees take less time off sick. One day off for ill-health costs a lot of money, and you can get a whole lot of coaching for that money. If you have satisfied employees, everything works so much more smoothly. It’s as simple as that.”

The bottom line is that haulage companies have a vested interested in their drivers’ well-being. “Healthy employees are less tired, keener to work and more focused,” says Lucien. “Investing in one’s employees is therefore a long-term and profitable move, because just as one might invest in a safe truck, it’s important to also invest in a safe driver.”

Working in conjunction with both Volvo Truck dealer M C Truck and Bus and Wilcox Commercial Vehicles Ltd, Viridor Regional Vehicle and Plant Engineer for the south east Paul Riley was able to design a bespoke vehicle ideally suited to the conditions encountered in the Capital’s narrow streets and back alleys.

The FL 260 was specified with a six-speed Allison fully automatic gearbox enabling the driver to cope more easily with the stop-start traffic, while the overall 2.3-metre width allows access to otherwise inaccessible locations.

Single tyres are fitted to the drive axle in order to reduce the width of the tipping vehicle.

“This vehicle will operate within a radius of five to ten miles from our depot in Canning Town, East London collecting waste food materials from both shops and hotels. This is then taken to an anaerobic digester for treatment,” explained Viridor’s Paul Riley.

The transportation of food waste is subject to strict environmental conditions so the Wilcox tipping body is fitted with a water-tight rear tailgate to eliminate leakage while in transit. Similarly a spill-proof Terberg side-loading bin lift ensures that the loading process is both clean and efficient.

The Volvo FL narrow-track tipper is one of nine vehicles taken by Viridor all of which will be operated from their site in East London. Other models include FL and FE rigids fitted with an Allison automatic gearbox but equipped with mobile compacter bodywork.

Viridor operates more than 1,000 commercial vehicles throughout the UK in order to service its extensive waste recycling operations.

Rob Ireland, Sales Manager at Dennison’s commented: “We were delighted to be given the opportunity to supply a milk collection vehicle into the market as it represents a move back into the agricultural sector, with which we traditionally had a strong association. In particular, we are pleased that we have been able to work with United Dairy Farmers on this order as it further supports the longstanding business relationship that we have with the Group”.

The Volvo FM-450 6×2 tractor unit is equipped with the 12-speed, automated I-Shift gearbox and has been specified with a shorter than normal wheelbase, to allow increased manoeuvrability and to enable the operator to access restricted spaces, as is often necessary in tight farmyards.

As a company that takes staff satisfaction and well-being very seriously, the Volvo FM truck was a perfect choice for United as it is renowned in the industry for its driver comfort, safety and on-the-job enjoyment. The unit has also been specified with a sleeper cab, which offers comfortable overnight accommodation for the driver.

Dan Carey, Fleet Manager of United Dairy Farmers explained, “The milk side of our business is a 24/7 job and is often carried out in challenging environments. The Volvo FM offers the best combination of operational flexibility and driver comfort and is certainly robust enough to function even in the most demanding of conditions.”

Stephen Cameron, Group Supply Chain Director of United Dairy Farmers commented, “The benefits of the Volvo truck package have long been recognised by United in terms of the quality of the product and the aftersales care, but most importantly we have identified that the Volvo truck offers unrivalled cost efficiency over the whole vehicle life”.

Our picture shows Dan Carey (Fleet Manager, United Dairy Farmers), John Jenkins (Managing Director, Dennison), Stephen Cameron (Group Supply Chain Director, United Dairy Farmers), Philip Wylie and Rob Ireland (Sales Manager, Dennison)

The system is being demonstrated between this week at the HAVEit Final Event in Gothenburg, Sweden.

HAVEit (Highly Automated Vehicles for Intelligent Transport) is an EU project whose purpose is the development of next-generation intelligent vehicles. Since the project got under way in 2008, a total of seven intelligent and autonomous solutions have been developed. They are now being demonstrated as the project reaches its conclusion. One of the systems being shown is Volvo Trucks’ Automated Queue Assistance, AQuA, which was developed in co-operation with Volvo Technology.

“Driving in a traffic queue is a very monotonous process. The driver may be at a standstill for long periods of time and in such a situation it is easy to become distracted, leading to accidents,” says Carl Johan Almqvist, Traffic and Product Safety Director, Volvo Trucks.

The technology developed for AQuA helps minimise risks in queues. By equipping the truck with a number of technical features that can take control of the vehicle’s steering and speed, the driver gets help in driving the vehicle and maintaining a proper level of concentration.

When a traffic queue builds up, the driver can choose whether or not to activate the system, which operates at low speeds. It is possible to retake manual control at any time. The driver is always ultimately responsible for the vehicle, so to ensure proper focus on the traffic a camera registers how attentive the driver is and issues an alert if it detects a lack of concentration.

The aim of AQuA is to reduce the driver’s burden behind the wheel, improve safety and reduce environmental impact by preventing accidents which in turn may cause new traffic queues. However, it will be some time before we see AQuA on the market – the technology needs further refinement. Furthermore, end-customer acceptance of the new technology is a critical factor.

“Our experience shows that it takes time for people to build up faith and hand over control to new systems. Having said that, development of the AQuA technology is an indication of what the future might offer,” says Carl Johan Almqvist.

He continues, “Volvo Trucks is investing heavily in further development of this type of support system for our drivers. This development is an important part of the drive to reach our zero vision, whereby no Volvo trucks are to be involved in any accidents, anywhere.”

Within the framework of the HAVEit project, Volvo has also developed an additional function known as Active Green Driving (AGD), which has thus far been tested in Volvo buses, as well as Brake-by-Wire technology, an entirely electro-mechanical braking system that has the potential for improving performance and stability during braking.

Wayne Connelly and ‘The Terminator’ are out on the road transporting scrap metal all over England, five days a week. Wherever he goes, his Volvo FH truck, decorated with images from the full trilogy of Terminator films, is always the centre of attention.

“I can’t go anywhere without someone wanting to take a photo,” says Wayne. “It’s nice that the truck is appreciated and I’m quite happy for it to get all of the attention.”

Wayne Connelly has been a truck driver for eleven years and works for a scrap metal processor J Davidson in north-west England. “My father was a truck driver and I always wanted to do it as a boy. Mainly because I wanted to have my own wagon,” he says. “The best part of the job is still the wagon, and ‘The Terminator’ looks absolutely stunning out on the road.”

The video about Wayne Connelly is available on YouTube and will soon be available on Volvo Trucks’ online magazine and on the company’s tablet Magazine.

City junctions are dangerous places with traffic of all types jostling for space. In Europe, between 30 and 60 per cent of all accidents resulting in injuries occur at intersections.

Intersafe 2 – which is an EU-funded project – aims at developing and demonstrating a Cooperative Intersection Safety System (CISS) that is able to improve traffic safety at road junctions by as much as 80 per cent. As a partner in the project, Volvo has focused on the truck driver’s blind spot on the passenger side.

“Above all, it is changes on the passenger side of the truck that the driver does not see. Pedestrians and cyclists, in particular, are really in danger here. This system alerts the driver about their movements on the right of the vehicle,” says Malte Ahrholdt, Project Manager at Volvo Technology.

Together with his colleagues, he has developed a system that aims at solving the problem of the driver’s blind spot. By fitting laser scanners and ultrasonic sensors that monitor the area on the right of the vehicle, the system can detect and warn the driver when a cyclist or pedestrian gets too close.

“As long as there is a need for transporting goods in cities, there will be trucks on the streets. Volvo Trucks is working on all fronts to improve safety – with enhanced information and advanced technology such as the existing reversing cameras and Lane Change Support.” says Carl Johan Almqvist, Traffic and Product Safety Director at Volvo Trucks. “Even so, there are other things we can do to improve the situation still further, and the blind-side turn has been identified as a particularly relevant safety issue.”

As Intersafe 2 is a research and development project, the outcome will not lead directly to a solution for series production, but it does show how critical traffic situations can be tackled with intelligent technical innovations.

“The driver plays a central role in our customers’ drive to generate profitability. Creating an environment that the driver appreciates is thus one of our main tasks when we develop new trucks. This series of films is a simple and enjoyable way of putting the driver in focus,” says Tommy Kohle, Senior Vice President Corporate Communications.

First up in the new online video series is Dutch driver Dagmar Klink with her distinctive Volvo FH, known as the ‘Pink Lady’. In the short film, Dagmar Klink takes us on a tour of her truck, whose distinctive look truly stands out from the crowd out on the road.

“I used to hate the colour pink because it is always associated with women,” she says. “But when I got my own truck, I wanted everyone to know that it was a woman’s truck to make people realise that women can be truck drivers too. So I decided to choose a woman’s colour.”

“It is a big honour to be in the first ‘Welcome to my cab’ video,”  Klink says. “I hope lots of people see it so they know it’s possible for women to be truck drivers. We need more female truck drivers”

The films will be available on YouTube, via Volvo Trucks’ online magazine and on the company’s new iPad Magazine.

The vehicles, which are the first new Volvos in the Woodside fleet for a number of years, have been purchased specifically to fulfil a new three year contract with SCA Hygiene Products Ltd, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of hygiene and personal care products, including well known brand names such as ‘Velvet’ and ‘Plenty’. Woodsides will be carrying out the warehousing and distribution for SCA throughout all of Ireland.

The vehicles have been delivered with a five year Repair and Maintenance package in place, including an agreement whereby all servicing will be carried out in the evenings and the vehicles delivered back to Woodsides the same night, ready for operation first thing the following day. This highlights the flexibility of the Dennison Commercials after sales service.

Simon Woodside, Director, says: “Aside from the locality of the Dennison workshop and the convenience of having servicing carried out after our deliveries, the overall quality of the Volvo dealership and the reliability and the quality of the product have really impressed me.”

The curtainside bodies have been manufactured locally by Drumack Coachworks and have also been tailored specifically for the SCA contract (although they can be used for normal operations as well if required).

The vehicles have been specified with rear air suspension for ease of loading and have an increased internal height to accommodate the low weight, high volume product. Sleeper cabs have also been specified.

Simon continued, “The detail in the spec’ and Dennison’s knowledge of my operation’s requirements added to the overall package when considering the Volvo product.”

Woodsides keep a fresh, modern fleet and have recently carried out a rebranding exercise with new corporate colours and livery. The company is currently in the process of a fairly extensive vehicle replacement programme and has a further two Volvo 6×2 FH Globetrotter XLs ready to enter service for the Woodside Haulage arm of the business.

The Woodside Group of Companies provides a broad range of transport and logistics services throughout Ireland, the U.K. and Europe. The company was established in 1967 by the Woodside family and is still wholly family-owned and managed. The core focus has always been, and continues to be, meeting and surpassing customer expectations – something that the company has in common with its supplier, Dennison Commercials.

The new livery, which depicts the blue EMR logo in bold lower case letters on the Volvo FH’s cab doors and front panel below the windscreen, reflects the company’s move towards a more modern corporate identity and makes maximum use of the advertising space on its 300-plus vehicle fleet.In keeping with this, and for the first time, the cabs of the new trucks are white and the modern typeface of the logo is set off by a green ellipse.

“The move away from the long standing blue livery has been well received,” says EMR’s Transport Manager Craig Fisher. Although the bulk of the order for new Volvos sees fourteen Globetrotter-cabbed FH-460s entering service with EMR, there are also seven FM 8x4s equipped with Edbro Hookloader bodies and one FL 4×2 skiploader joining the fleet at depots around the UK – including Bellshill, Sharpness and Tilbury.

Also, for the first time in the EMR fleet, which contains over eighty Volvos, the FMs feature the payload friendly D11C litre engine rated at 370 HP. Chosen, says Craig Fisher, “for its reputation for reliability, fuel economy and low weight, the 11-litre develops 1750 Nm of torque between 950 and 1400 rpm. This wide spread of torque contributes to its excellent driveability.”

In another first for EMR, all of the company’s new FHs and FMs are equipped with Volvo’s I-Shift automated gearbox featuring the ‘Eco-Roll’ function – thus ensuring they are optimised for fuel efficiency.

The new Volvo FE and AEBI Schmidt spreading vehicles meet the exacting technical specifications required by the Highways Agency in terms of performance and reliability and were designed with a minimum life expectancy of seven years. For performance and accuracy in terms of an even spread of salt, the distinctive orange liveried vehicles use a pre-wet spreading system.

Following Highways Agency research into the accuracy of its new fleet, salt usage has been reduced by up to 25% and the pre-wet system – where the salt is mixed with brine in the spreader’s spinner – saves a further 25% compared to the dry system which it replaces. This reduction in salt use benefits the environment and also helps conserve supplies in the event of a major snow even

Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks’ UK subsidiaries have, together with a number of other international truck companies, become the subject of an investigation initiated by the OFT (Office of Fair Trading), the British competition authority.

Volvo Trucks’ and Renault Trucks’ British subsidiaries have received letters from the OFT as part of the investigation and will co-operate fully with the OFT during the course of the forthcoming investigative work. At present, the Volvo Group has no further comments on this matter.

Specialists in the recovery of downed light aircraft and helicopters from crash scenes, Recovair are based at Fairoaks Airport in Surrey, from where they support the emergency services, insurers, airport managers and owners of light aircraft.

The Volvo FH-480 6×2 tag-axle tractor has been in service since December last year and company boss Tim Wakeman is delighted with the truck’s performance. He said, “This is our heavy recovery truck for European operations and she works with our specialised semi-low loader King trailer.”

He continued, “It’s fitted with a 45 tonne/metre crane, the truck and trailer combination tips the scales at 27.5 tonnes before we even put an aircraft on it, so I am delighted to be getting around nine mpg from her. It’s certainly a big improvement on the truck it’s replaced.”

Supplied by the Hayes outlet of Volvo Truck and Bus Centre London, the truck was acquired through an HP deal through Volvo Financial Services and it is being maintained on a Volvo service contract.

Women truck drivers are a rarity. For example, in Great Britain there are around 309,100 drivers of heavy trucks and less than one per cent of them are women, according to figures for 2008 produced by the independent organisation Skills for Logistics. In 2006, Britain had a shortage of 46,000 drivers and Skills for Logistics, which works in parallel with the transport industry, issued a widespread appeal in order to attract more drivers, both young people and women.

The situation looks similar across large parts of Europe and in Sweden, which often beats its chest on equality issues, the proportion of women drivers is still just four per cent.

“Truck driving requires professional skills and places great demands on the driver, but there is no practical reason why women should not drive heavy trucks,” says Liam Northfield of Britain’s Freight Transport Association (FTA)

There are a number of preconceptions about the driving profession that make women reluctant to come forward. One is that the profession involves long periods of time away from the family, although the fact is that international long-distance transport services are a small part of the transport cake. Less than three per cent of all freight is transported further than 500 kms (around 300 mls) and a massive two-thirds of goods travel less than 50 kms (30 mls) on Europe’s roads.

Another argument is that women quite simply do not have the physical requirements to make it in the driving profession, an argument which to a certain extent would have held water 30 years ago, when working in haulage was usually physically stressful for the driver. Today the situation is very different, as, for example, Swedish truck manufacturer Volvo Trucks has long focused on building vehicles that suit as many people as possible.

“Our vehicles should be able to be handled by both tall men and short women,” says Rikard Orell, Design Manager at Volvo Trucks. “A few years ago it was pointed out that the manual gearboxes were difficult to handle for shorter people; they had difficulty reaching the gear lever from the high seat. So we immediately changed that,” relates Rikard Orell.

Today these aspects are completely integrated in the design department’s thinking. Driving a truck today is not a tough job, he explains saying, “Our task is to create trucks that are as comfortable and functional as possible for the specific tasks for which they will be used. The driver should benefit, irrespective of whether it is a woman or a man behind the wheel.”

Even those aspects that are not directly connected to the actual driving process have become less physically strenuous. As Rikard continues, “Previously, loading and unloading was an unbelievably hard operation as, for example, heavy sacks of potatoes were loaded by hand. Today the whole logistics industry is so standardised. All packages are on pallets which are handled using electric pallet trucks, so it requires no strength.”

Technology and design are one thing, but the focus is also on making it easier for women to enter the driving profession. In order to target women directly Volvo Trucks in Sweden has been organising all-women events since 1999. One such event was held in September last year, when over 100 women were invited to Volvo in Gothenburg in order to have the chance to try truck driving and to listen to talks on the driving profession, trucks and the freight industry.

Susanne Frödin is Market Communications and PR Manager for Volvo Trucks in the Nordic region and the initiator of Women’s Day. She says, “We have too few women in the truck industry. Volvo Trucks would like the situation to be more balanced, making it more fun, more creative and contribute to the development of the driving profession.”

Rolf Wallin, Training Manager at Swedish logistics company BDX in Luleå, believes that women drive in a more environmentally-friendly manner, are fuel-efficient and are more cautious with vehicles. In spite of this BDX only have between five and ten women drivers in its 1,700-strong staff. Therefore, in conjunction with haulage interest group ‘Sveriges Åkeriföretag Norr’ and local upper secondary schools, they started the ‘Drivers on the Road’ project, which was all about attracting more young people, mainly girls, to the driving profession.

“The best way to succeed in attracting women to the driving profession is for women who already drive trucks to talk about what it’s like. And since there are so few women, we have a problem, so we must get this process underway,” he adds.

Dutch haulage company Oegema Transport hauls freight throughout Europe and undertakes domestic distribution assignments. Of around 240 employees only ten are women, but three of them drive on international routes.

“When we recruit drivers we choose those who suit the job best irrespective of whether they are women or not,” says Sibbele Oegema, CEO of Oegema Transport. “However, I would like to have more women drivers since they drive more cautiously and are more fuel-efficient. My main challenge for the future is to have a sufficient number of drivers to meet customer demand. The problem at the moment is that there are so few women entering the driving profession.”

The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) has decided that by 2013, all member associations must take the necessary measures, both at national and at company level, to recruit substantially more women to the transport industry than is the case today.

Brigitta Paas, Vice Chairperson of ETF and active in the organisation’s equal opportunities team, says, “I would like to see the EU’s Transport Commission do something so that the number of women drivers in the different countries is surveyed. So far, however, there is no organised register. I want to have hard figures for the number of women truck drivers on a European level in order to be able to put pressure on transport companies and politicians.”

“There is no rational reason why women should not be able to drive trucks,” says Lennart Pilskog, Director of Public Affairs at Volvo Trucks. “It is mainly about attitudes. The transport sector will increase again and when it does, the lack of drivers will once more become an issue for the industry. So it is even more important to be able to attract women to the profession.”

GMA is already one of East Anglia’s best-known warehousing specialists operating throughout the UK, and is a Volvo operator of 25 years standing.

The new company, GMA Trading Ltd., will be focusing on short sea trailer work and deep sea container business. They are investing in top-spec Volvos at its new Felixstowe base and will be taking 10 of the new FHs, while two will go to work at GMA in Ipswich.

The FH 460 6×2 artics are driver-focused and have been ordered with Globetrotter XL cabs, the ‘Drive+’ trim level and the ‘1 bed+’ living package. Complete with Volvo’s celebrated I-Shift automated gearbox, they will be a driver’s dream. The D13C460 engine is ideal for long-haul operations and with 2,300Nm on tap, drivers are able to use the high torque at low revs for real hill climbing ability and make the most of every drop of fuel.

[private]The 100th Volvo, which features a special commemorative livery based on the Fowler Welch logo, is part of an order for 76 FH-460 Globetrotter-cabbed 6×2 tractor units supplied by Volvo Dealer Crossroads Truck and Bus at Rotherham.

Good experience with Volvo’s fuel economy and excellent in-service support from Crossroads and the Dealer Network were central to the decision to continue to operate Volvo’s, says Fowler Welch Commercial Director Lee Juniper: “Volvo’s fuel economy and whole life costs are unbelievably well suited to our operational profile.

All the comments we have had back from our distribution network have been positive. The service we get from every single Volvo Dealer is second to none. The whole package is positive.”

Juniper is also pleased with the high spec FH’s, saying, “It’s a cracking product, the driver’s love them and Crossroads can’t do enough for you. Volvo and Crossroads were very aggressive to get the business. Volvo Financial Services look after us well and we’ve taken their Gap insurance product as well as the lease. Overall, dealing with Volvo and Crossroads is a rewarding experience deserving of 10 out of 10.”[/private]

At Volvo’s design studio, around 60 people work with product design for different Volvo companies – Volvo Trucks, Volvo Buses, Volvo Construction Equipment and Volvo Penta.

Patrik Palovaara specialises in truck design. His latest creation is Volvo Trucks’ new construction truck, the Volvo FMX.

“It’s true that truck design is largely about rational factors like aerodynamics and ergonomics,” he says. “But there’s also an emotional dimension. The truck’s appearance is strongly linked to both its function and its identity and, by extension, to its brand.”

The Volvo FMX is an excellent example of this. Palovaara and his team based the truck’s design on its predecessor, the Volvo FM, but accentuated its robust, rugged characteristics by introducing external changes that clearly express certain qualities.

New functionality was also added in several key areas, including a completely new central towing device on the front with a stronger fastening point. This resulted in a new front with a powerful lower section that clearly distinguishes the Volvo FMX from its predecessor.

“Volvo Trucks commissioned us to design a product that would appeal to construction customers,” says Palovaara. “The market’s response proves that we succeeded.”

A truck designer’s first challenge in a new project is to interpret the client’s requirements and preferences and the results of user studies, and then create his or her own personal vision of the new truck. The designer may draw inspiration from countless sources, for example the animal kingdom, film, fashion or extreme sports.

During this phase, countless sketches are produced. The designer can give free rein to his or her imagination and challenge traditional concepts of how a truck should look – while always remaining realistic.

“When making strategic sketches, I often work with three themes,” says Palovaara. “An extreme visionary theme, a basic theme and a theme that falls somewhere in between the two.”

After this initial period of sketching, the team chooses a design theme to develop further. Now they start producing CAD models to verify factors such as ergonomics, aerodynamics and functionality for the new truck.

“Air resistance is of strategic importance because it is critical to fuel consumption,” explains Palovaara.

The team includes surface modellers and studio engineers who are responsible for regularly reviewing the design process with Volvo Trucks’ production technicians and ergonomics, aerodynamics and technical design experts. A team of clay modellers at the design studio build a full-scale clay model of the new truck that allows everyone involved to follow the verifications made with the CAD model.

“Many people only fully realise what the new truck will look like when they see the fullscale model,” says Palovaara. “The model provides a reference point for everybody, from Volvo’s CEO to tool makers and subcontractors. And many people have their say before the shape, colour and surface of the design are finalised.

So everybody has an opinion about design. But is it possible to define what makes a good truck design? And how important is the design from a larger perspective?

The Umeå Institute of Design at Umeå University has collaborated closely with Volvo Trucks for many years, and is one of the world’s leading study institutes in this field. Tapio Alakörkkö, Department Head at the Umeå Institute of Design, comments:

“Design is a creative discipline that improves a company’s competitiveness. In Scandinavia, we have a tradition of creating functional designs. For us, a good truck design is about focusing on the driver and finding out how we can make his working day easier and develop his work routines – not least so that more women will choose to become truck drivers.

Even if a design is primarily functional, its success also depends on arousing consumers’ desire to have it. Purchasing decisions are not only made by the logical left brain.

“Good design is to do with the dreams a product evokes in people, what they hope to get out of it,” explains Alakörkkö. “Design is what makes people tick”, it’s that simple.

Another factor that drives development forward is the link between concrete product design and visionary concept design.

“Concept design is important in getting people’s brains to think outside the box,” says Alakörkkö. “By discussing the design on the basis of a common vision, we can move the goal posts forward. Concept design also serves as a sounding board for our views – do we like this vision or not?”

Needless to say, designers who work for a leading truck manufacturer must always remain at the forefront of development. They keep abreast by reading the industrial press and attending trade fairs, but it takes more than this to know how trucks will develop by the year 2020.

“Trends in truck design are driven by technical development,” explains Palovaara. “New fuels, new materials and logistics solutions influence the commercial vehicles of the future.

He should know. In the design studio, concealed behind long curtains, are models of future Volvo trucks that few human eyes have seen – yet.

Road accidents are one of the most common causes of death in modern society. Between 2001 and 2008, 375,000 people were killed in traffic accidents in Europe. A key reason for this high death rate is that many Europeans still do not use safety belts. Truck drivers are at particularly high risk in road traffic.

Safety belt use among truck drivers ranges from 10 to 70 per cent in European countries, with an average of 50 per cent of drivers using the life-savers. This is despite the fact that safety belts are the best guarantee of safety in the event of an accident. A recent study by the CEESAR research institute showed that the number of fatalities and injuries in traffic accidents would decrease by 40 percent if everyone drove with safety belts. 6 out of 10 people involved in accidents would have suffered less serious injuries if they had used safety belts.

But what is the reason behind this lack of use of the safety belt? This is a question that Volvo Trucks’ Traffic and Product Safety Director, Carl-Johan Almqvist, has long grappled with.

 “Many drivers live under the impression that it is much safer to drive a big truck than a small passenger car,” he says.

 This is certainly true, but the argument fails for drivers who drive into concrete bridge supports even at very low speeds. And it is the unbelted truck drivers who overturn who suffer the really severe injuries.

 “We human beings quite simply have no speed sensors. We can read the speed on a gauge, but we have no means of registering speed within our own bodies,” says Carl-Johan Almqvist.  He explains, “This contrasts with our feeling for height as you would never jump from a height of four metres and just hope for the best. However, in terms of trauma to the human body, this resembles a head-on collision at 30 kilometres an hour without a safety belt. We understand height but not speed,”

 It is also a question of attitudes. An Paepen is responsible for Volvo Trucks Driver Development – a driver training programme for professional drivers. She has heard just about every reason there is to explain why drivers do not use safety belts.

 “It varies with the type of driver. Many distribution drivers feel it is annoying to put their belts on and take them off when they are only driving short distances between stops. Long-distance drivers want to be as comfortable in their workplace as they are at home in the sofa and construction drivers like to be able to hop out of their seats should something go wrong,” says An Paepen and continues, “But it is also a question of age. The older generation, who did not grow up with safety belts, are on their way out. The youth of today are much more accustomed to using safety belts.”

Engineered primarily for the waste collection industry the new design combats the rear axle overloading frequently experienced with traditional 8×4 rear-end loaders. The Volvo FM tridem features a 24-tonne capacity rear bogie and nine-tonne front axle.

The FM is powered by the 410hp version from the Volvo 11-litre range and the gearbox is the familiar automated Volvo I-Shift. Disc brakes are fitted throughout and an on-board weighing system provides an additional margin of safety for drivers.

Supplied by Wales and West Truck & Bus Limited, in conjunction with Gulliver’s Vehicle Rentals, the specially configured 8×4 rigid is equipped
with a Heil ‘Big Bite’ rear-end loader and is plated for operation at 32-tonnes GVW.

The vehicle is based at the Hills Waste Solutions depot at Lower Compton near Calne and will operate throughout Wiltshire. Hills Waste Solutions operate an extensive fleet of rigid trade waste and rear-end loaders as well as articulated units.

Mats Franzén, Manager of Engine Strategy and Planning at Volvo Trucks, is satisfied with the way Volvo’s engine designers are tackling adaptation to the new standards’ tough limit values.

“We take a positive view of the tough requirements. They pose a challenge for us, like for everyone else. They offer our engine designers a chance to show their mettle, which gives us a clear competitive edge. We will meet the standards long before the new legislation takes effect,” he comments.

So how can the engines be improved to meet the new limit values ? For commercial reasons, Franzén does not want to specify exactly which technical improvements will be made, but there is plenty to play around with: improved software, improved friction conditions, more efficient selective catalytic reduction and adaptation of operating temperatures. It is very probable that achieving Euro 6 will require a combination of SCR, EGR and a particulate filter.

Independent researchers have raised criticisms, arguing that the Euro 6 standards will mean increased fuel consumption, given today’s engine technology.

“Clearly, the challenge of Euro 6 will lie in further reducing oxides of nitrogen emissions without increasing fuel consumption and thereby increasing CO₂ emissions. Our engine designers have made enormous progress in recent decades, and we’ll continue developing our engines for optimised fuel consumption regardless of changes in regulations and standards,” says Franzén.

Fuel consumption has dropped dramatically in recent decades. For example, Volvo’s popular FH truck has cut its diesel consumption by almost 40 per cent in the last 30 years. With the D13 engine, launched in 2005, Volvo took the definitive step to the forefront of the industry in terms of fuel economy.

“Yes, we’re certainly leaders in fuel economy. And we’ll continue to reduce fuel consumption by about 1 percent a year. That means big savings, both in economic and environmental terms,” comments Franzén.

But the biggest improvement of all is in air emission levels. A truck thirty years ago produced the same level of particulate emissions as fifty trucks today and when Euro 6 is introduced, the level of particulate emissions will be reduced by a further 50 per cent !

“Besides becoming cleaner and more efficient, our trucks are now also stronger. 20 years ago in 1990, our most powerful engine had 470 horsepower, but today we can offer our customers the Volvo FH16, the world’s strongest truck with a 700 horsepower engine,” says Franzén.

So engine designers can meet the emission targets. However, the improvements come at a price and today’s engines are roughly twice as expensive to manufacture as in the early 1990s.

Family-run O’Toole Transport, the leading international seafood distribution specialist, is based near Galway City on the western seaboard of Ireland from where they deliver throughout Europe.

They are no stranger to the FH, this is the third in their thirty-five tractor fleet, and O’Toole’s have been proving that high horsepower does not need to bring heavy fuel bills. Managing Director

Laurence O’Toole said, “We give these high horsepower trucks to drivers who know how to get the best out of them. The 3,150Nm of available torque in this new truck needs treating with respect.”

The new 700hp FH16 joins a 660hp and a 580hp already on the fleet and Laurence is more than happy with their fuel performance. “I’ve been delighted with the fuel on the other two units. I’ve been getting 8mpg at 44 tonnes from the 660 and the 580 is doing well too”, he said.

The company was only established in 1996 and it has seen very rapid growth since then. Now with thirty-five trucks and fifty-five trailers on the road, Laurence aims to continue expanding in the sector and more Volvos look like being part of the story.

The lucky driver in the new FH16-700 is 34-year-old Donal Leonard. “He’s a good lad, he’ll get the best out of the new truck” reckoned Laurence.

John McNamara from Murphy Commercial’s sales department was celebrating too. The Claregalway dealer has only been a Volvo Dealer point for twelve months. “Laurence and his lads like the new truck and we’ve been really pleased with the performance on his other FH’s”, he said.

“I’m delighted with it. It’s possible to maintain a steady, high speed with a full load even on steep gradients,” says Tore Aase, who hauls heavy loads from Stavanger on the demanding, hilly Norwegian west coast.

Stavanger serves as the base for the Norwegian offshore industry, where drills, pipes and other materials are distributed to the various oil-fields. It’s an industry that the veteran haulage operator has been serving for almost 30 years. In order to shorten transport times, much of the cargo is hauled on the coastal roads before being shipped out to the oil rigs.

“The reason why we chose the FH16-700 is that we haul loads of up to 50 tonnes. The roads are often narrow and there may be kilometre-long gradients of between 6 and 10 per cent, so you can never really have too much power,” says Tore Aase, owner of haulage company Spesial og Tungtransport AS, located in Förde 170 kilometres (around 100 miles) north of Bergen on the west coast of Norway.

Despite the truck’s 700 horsepower and torque of 3,150 Nm at 2,650 rpm, this has not had a negative impact on fuel consumption. Quite the contrary, it seems. “I save about 5 litres per 100 kilometres compared with my previous truck,” reveals Tore Aase.

What is more, Volvo’s product development engineers have succeeded in cutting the oxides of nitrogen emissions by 40 per cent, thus meeting the Euro-5 emissions requirements.

Tore contributed his own ideas to the design and construction of the trailer. One example is the specially designed storage compartments in the trailer and the light unit set into the wind deflector panel on the trailer’s roof.

However, Tore’s smartest idea is probably the light unit set into the wind deflector panels on the front wings. “When we are hauling long and wide cargo, we sometimes find that cars want to cut in between the truck and its escort as it can be difficult to see our regular hazard warning lights. The light units integrated into the wind deflectors are clearly visible through the car’s side window. The driver is therefore alerted and understands that it is not a good idea to force his way in,” explains Tore.

One major – and highly appreciated – surprise with the new truck is the cornering lights that illuminate the edge of the road when turning. “When you slow down and turn, the powerful lights help a lot. I get far better visibility and considerably increased safety,” says Tore Aase.

Tore Aase spends almost 200 days a year in his cab so it is important that he feels at home behind the wheel and his new truck has not disappointed him.

“It’s just like driving a car. It steers very precisely and you can control it with just two fingers on the wheel. And as for the I-Shift transmission – that’s simply fantastic. I can’t change gear as smoothly or quickly with a manual gearbox. Absolutely amazing,” says Tore. “When I return from a long trip, I don’t need to lie down on the sofa to relax. I scarcely feel I’ve been driving a truck for an entire day.”

Managing Director Graham Moore – who began the company’s move to its present, largely Volvo fleet in 1985, attributes MRCT’s long relationship with the marque to the support provided by Volvo Truck and Bus Centre East Anglia. “We’re between three depots here,” he says of their location at Eye,near Diss, “and we have a good relationship with all of them. We always get good service from the Volvo Dealer network in East Anglia. On top of that the trucks themselves are liked by the drivers, economical to run and, taken with the overall package, they fit our needs the best.”

MRCT’s latest 6×2 FH-480’s, with Globetrotter XL cabs and I-Shift automated transmission, are part of a fleet of over 100 which has grown dramatically over the years.

Graham says: “In our business of delivering temperature controlled goods to all the major retailers we have very strict deadlines to achieve and therefore must operate trucks with the utmost reliability. We work in partnership with our customers and have agreed to invest in the most eco-friendly vehicles with the most fuel efficient engines as we work towards greener miles. All of this along with driver acceptability means that Volvo fits our requirements best.”

Over the four decades of operating, Graham remarks that truck quality has changed beyond recognition. What has not changed is MRCT’s family philosophy of being pro-active to customer requirements allowing them to offer the highest possible service levels while always planning for the future. “I’m coming up to retirement myself now,” says Graham, “and we already have the next family generation in place within our logistics, administration and maintenance departments. This forward planning will secure our future as a family business. One that, we believe, will continue to grow long into the future.”

According to Nynas’ Distribution Manager, Ernie Dixon, Nynas continue to purchase Volvo because of their exceptional build quality and safety features.

“Quality and safety are two of the core values that Nynas and Volvo share, both of which are paramount in the success of our operations,” commented Ernie.

“These core values were put to the test only recently, when a tractor unit and tanker, part of Nynas’, 42-strong fleet, was involved in an M6 motorway roll-over incident. Thankfully, the experienced driver suffered relatively minor injuries,” he said.

Continuing, Ernie added, “I am convinced that Volvo’s attention to safety helped minimise the injury to the driver.

Supplied by Group Customer Solutions Manager, Steve Wilson and Customer Solutions Manager, Mark Lingard of Thomas Hardie Commercials, the 6×2, Volvo FM-440 Globetrotter-cabbed vehicles were specified with the lightweight mid-lift axle, enabling the vehicles to safely run at the UK 44-tonne limit.

Explaining the long-standing relationship Nynas has with its local Volvo dealership, Ernie stated that, “Thomas Hardies’ sales, parts support and backup is ‘second to none,’ we have an exceptional working relationship with them.”

Serviced and maintained in-house at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, the vehicles can be seen operating nationwide, distributing bitumen, a binding agent for asphalt, throughout the UK’s quarries

“We’re a long-standing user of Volvo Trucks,” says Operations Director, Bob Cash. “Everything we’ve had from them has been very reliable and we get a very good service from (supplying Dealer) Hartshorne Motor services at Walsall. Historically, Volvo have done the business for us.”

Despite the 13% increase in tonnage, the truck’s manoeuvrability has received particular praise. “The driver loves it,” says Bob, “and the rear–steer axle has been especially effective for deliveries in tight yards and urban areas. It can cope with all the roads we use it on: national deliveries from Scotch corner to the South coast ending at the doors of individual high street butchers.”

As well as a 280hp version of Volvo’s Euro 5-compliant D7F engine, the truck features a 6-speed manual gearbox and Day cab. The bodywork – a Gray Adams refrigerated box – is equipped with internal rails for hanging carcasses and a D’Hollandia DH-IV meat hoist.

Hartshorne at Walsall will continue their relationship with Blakemore Fresh Foods by performing all repair and maintenance work on the vehicle during an operational lifespan which Bob estimates at five years.

The 6×2 tanker just added to the fleet combines the manoeuvrability needed for access to small premises and rural roads with the payload essential to generate economical delivery routes at a time when the size of individual deliveries is shrinking.

“In the current climate,” explains the company’s General Manager, Kevin Levy, “the typical delivery is getting smaller, yet our 4-wheelers still had to make 20-30 drops a day. We needed a vehicle that could do the same work as them, but carry a bigger payload to make the routes an economical proposition. Volvo’s reliability and the FE’s low cab width made it a good place to start.”

Rated at 26 tonnes GVW, but actually plated for operation at 21 tonnes, the 6×2, rear-steer rigid retains most of its standard features, such as its 320hp engine, four-over-four-plus-crawler manual gearbox and ‘Comfort’ cab. However, while it is still capable of carrying the required 17,000 litre Magyar fuel oil tank, the Volvo chassis has been specially shortened to improve access still further.

“The chassis has been cut back to the legal minimum,” says Kevin, “and we’ve saved even more length by replacing the rear-mounted toolkit with an under-wheelarch model. If anything, it gets in and out even easier than a four-wheeled tanker; if it keeps performing this well, we shan’t be buying any more four-leggers!”

Repairs and maintenance on the new vehicle will be carried out under a three-year contact with supplying Dealer Wales and West Truck and Bus at their Gurney Slade facility.

The delivered trucks are powered by Volvo D13 engines with 405 hp and 1450 lb-ft of torque, and Volvo I-Shift automated manual transmissions.  The trucks rank the cleanest trucks in the world, since they are certified without the use of emissions credits.

Talon Logistics is the transportation division of Giant Eagle, Inc., Pittsburgh, a grocery chain with stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland. Working with Volvo Trucks, Talon has been a pioneer in field testing advanced emission control technologies.  For the past seven years, the two companies have tested selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems in real world operation in Talon’s fleet.  The company also inaugurated Volvo Trucks’ EPA’10 customer field testing in September 2007.

EPA2010 diesel emissions standards are the most stringent in the world requiring near zero-emissions. By using selective SCR to reduce the oxides of nitrogen (NOx), Volvo meets these standards as well as improves fuel economy and reduces emissions of the greenhouse gas CO₂. The use of SCR is already wide spread in Europe among other markets.

Volvo Trucks is the first truck manufacturer to have its heavy-duty 11- and 13-litre diesel engines certified for 2010 by both EPA and CARB.

The FH-440 8×2 rigid, plated for operation at 32 tonnes GVW, is designed for optimum flexibility in terms of load, while support will come from long-standing partners M.C. Truck & Bus Ltd., who also supplied the vehicle to the West Sussex plant and general transport operator.

“Why Volvo?” says owner Shane Lucking, “Because they’re extremely reliable and they do everything we ask of them, since we can get them built to our exact specification. We need our vehicles to be able to handle anything from a mini-digger to a 26-tonne crane to a multi-modal container; our contacts at MC Truck and Bus know our business as well as their own, and are able to give excellent advice through the whole the spec and order process. Volvos are comfortable, too – this FH is very much a driver’s truck, pleasant to work in with plenty of cab space.”

As well as the spacious Globetrotter cab, Northchapel’s drivers enjoy Volvo’s I-Shift fully-automated transmission, while the 440hp D13C engine is fully Euro-5 compliant. Externally, the truck features factory paintwork and a versatile Andover body. A front-mounted Palfinger PK36 crane dominates the deck, which is also equipped with a fold-over beavertail and chain lockers for plant work, as well as twistlocks for securing shipping containers. As Shane says, “It’s built to do anything!”

The upgraded vehicle is now being released with new components and software to be tested by Veolia Environmental Services in central London.

“Up to 30 per cent lower fuel consumption, low emissions and a low noise level make this hybrid a very attractive choice. That’s why we’re keen to test and develop the technology in partnership with Volvo Trucks, with whom we have developed a very strong working relationship,” comments Rob Stubbs, fleet director at Veolia, London and the UK’s leading waste management provider. The company has ordered the new refuse truck.

The new truck is an upgraded version of the trucks field-tested in Stockholm and Gothenburg, Sweden over the past eighteen months. Like these trucks, the new refuse truck is what is known as a parallel hybrid. This means it has two separate energy sources, one for diesel and one for electricity, which can be used either separately or together. The benefit of this is that each energy source can be used where it is most fuel-efficient: the electric motor at low revs and the diesel engine at high revs.