Volvo's New VHD Offers Unequaled Durability for Vocational Customers
24 July 2000
Volvo Combines Innovative Design and Use of Technology in New Truck
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Volvo Trucks North America, Inc. introduced today the new Volvo VHD, a family of Class 8 trucks that combines innovative design with technology to give customers a truck that works as hard as they do. Development of the products also included the creation of customer-assurance programs designed to provide operators with complete solutions to their truck needs.Based on extreme durability testing, the Volvo VHD was 50 percent more reliable than any other truck in the category. Testing on Volvo's durability track showed the VHD experienced 50 percent fewer faults than the toughest competitor during the first simulated year of operation.
"From what we've seen on the track and on the job with customers, the VHD is half truck, half construction equipment," said Marc F. Gustafson, president and CEO of Volvo Trucks. "That's why we promise customers that it's the best truck and the best value they will find in a Class 8 vocational product. Period."
In order to benchmark competitive products, Volvo Trucks undertook a number of activities. Thousands of owners and drivers were interviewed. Focus-group research and customer ride-a-longs were conducted. Competitive models were purchased and run through the same battery of durability tests as the new Volvo VHD.
The Volvo VHD successfully completed the equivalent of approximately two million miles of durability testing at Volvo's track in Greensboro, N.C. Those miles have been racked up by several VHD test trucks, each averaging the equivalent of about 300,000 real-world, off-road miles. For many customers, that is the equivalent of as many as eight years of service.
Customers may specify the Volvo VHD for a wide variety of applications, ranging from dump, mixer, block, rear-packer, container roll-off, crane, fire and rescue, general freight, logging and heavy haul. A number of truck and tractor models are available, ranging from 6x4 to 12x4 axle configurations. Customers may also choose models with a set-forward front axle or a set-back front axle.
The new truck series replaces the Volvo Autocar and WG with a broader range of models for specialized applications. Volvo Trucks has invested approximately $95 million to bring the Volvo VHD Series to market. Development of the new trucks began approximately two years ago. With their introduction, the company has renewed 80 percent of its products since 1996.
Production of the 2002 model year Volvo VHD begins in August at the New River Valley Assembly Plant in Dublin, Va. The new truck will be available at Volvo truck dealers throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico in late September. It will also be sold in Columbia, Venezuela and other export markets.
The Volvo VHD is the newest family of trucks produced by Volvo using the world's only global modular truck concept. Since 1993, Volvo has produced seven families of trucks on four continents from the modular concept. Approximately 240,000 vehicles are in operation around the world.
While it draws certain characteristics from the global modular truck concept - quality, safety, comfort - it has been developed from the ground up to exceed customer expectations. Market research conducted throughout the development process showed customers wanted a number of specific features. They also clearly asked for a truck that was built for specialty applications, not a tough looking highway tractor.
The Volvo VHD will be well suited to the most challenging vocational applications, including severe-duty operations. Unlike any other truck maker in North America, only the Volvo Group manufactures a complete range of construction equipment. As a result, the VHD not only exhibits some of the styling found on the larger construction equipment, the Class 8 truck also benefits from technology sharing.
"There was a time when customers couldn't get a tough truck that was comfortable, too," said Gustafson. "One had to be sacrificed for the other. Volvo is proud to be the first company to let customers have both features in the same truck."
Driver Safety and Comfort
Drivers and owners will appreciate the VHD's safety features, especially on job sites and in crowded urban areas. A lower, sloping hood and panoramic windshield provide a larger, unobstructed view in front of the vehicle. Larger side windows and mirrors improve side and indirect visibility.
Gauges and switches are within easy view or reach, eliminating driver distraction. And a smaller turning radius means better maneuverability. Getting in and out of the truck is also safer due to stair-like steps and two grab-handles inside the cab.
The Volvo VHD is standard with a driver's-side supplemental restraint system airbag, three-point safety belts in all seating positions and an energy-absorbing steering column. In addition, the Volvo VHD has passed the industry's most severe test of crashworthiness. The test simulates the destructive forces a cab encounters in a rollover accident - impacts and loads to the A-pillar, rear cab wall and roof. The cab is designed to withstand these forces so that survival space remains for the driver.
"Very often, VHD operators will be in a hard-hat environment, transporting heavy loads on difficult terrain," said Keith Brandis, vice president of marketing for Volvo Trucks. "We believe these customers increasingly want the level of safety equipment that's standard only in this truck."
The VHD also offers exceptional comfort for its drivers. At 89 inches wide and 114 inches high, the cab is the widest and tallest available and provides ample room for the driver and two passengers.
The VHD also features reduced vibration and noise levels, making the driver's experience less stressful and fatiguing. In fact, the interior of the VHD is four decibels quieter than its nearest competitor and is as quiet as many passenger car models.
With its new, tailor-made warranty, the Volvo VHD is standard with coverage based on the application. For example, trucks specified for use in the logging industry will have terms that reflect those severe duty cycles.
"Plug and Play" Features
Many of the VHD's features were designed with body-builders in mind so that delivery of the completed vehicle will be faster. And in fact, Volvo will include the truck in its quick-delivery program, with the goal of delivering a work-ready truck to any North American customer in 21 days.
To simplify body installation, the back of the cab and top of frame are free of components. The clean back of cab also helps maximize payload capacity by optimizing front and rear axle loads.
Built-in junction blocks for lighting circuits at the back of the cab or at the rear of the chassis make electric connections easy. The same thought went into the special air manifold, which has five ports for body-builders to plug into without having to splice any lines.
Standard equipment in the Volvo VHD cab also includes a body-builder console mounting plate, dedicated pass-throughs and specially routed wiring harnesses. These features are designed to eliminate time spent searching for circuits, the need to splice circuits and the need to disassemble parts of the cab to route control harnesses for the body.
"We talked to body-builders at length," said Brandis. "They raised important issues that we addressed in the design of the VHD. We went further, making changes that will eliminate causes of unplanned stops. For the first time now, they can plan on body installation without reworking the cab."
The Volvo VHD's frame technology is another advancement for vocational customers. The standard single rail is lighter and strong enough to do the work of a double frame, meaning lower costs, higher payload capacity and better handling.
Rails are as much as six pounds lighter per foot, depending on the application. A wider selection of frame rails is available, and frame liners are also available for severe-duty applications.
Auxiliary lift axles installed at the factory optimize payload capacity according to regional needs. Customers can choose as many as three auxiliary axles - two pushers and a tag or three pushers. Air brakes are fully integrated with the axles at the factory. This saves the time needed to have axles and brakes installed separately, speeding delivery of the complete vehicle. It also ensures that air capacity and brake performance are optimized.
A new system allowing body-builders to view truck specifications online will help shorten delivery time as well. Online specifications will let body-builders start doing their job as the truck is being built.
Maintenance Minimized
Under the hood, the VHD features standardized locations and a factory-approved layout for easy access to components and accessories. In fact, the entire vehicle has been built, evaluated and tested to provide owners with opportunities to reduce their total costs of ownership.
For example, the truck is standard with a clutch-wear indicator designed to help technicians project when the next clutch adjustment will be required and its simple scale and pointer show when an adjustment is needed. Other features include an air conditioning system engineered with steel piping, protective mesh wrap on some hoses and crimped ends on all hoses, all designed to prevent leaks and provide more durable operation.
The VHD is standard with Volvo's VE 345 diesel engine. Optional engines from Volvo and Cummins up to 465 hp are available.
The Volvo engine offers a competitive weight advantage, saving as much as 500 pounds compared to some engines in its class. VECTRO II, Volvo's engine management system, provides detailed data to drivers, mechanics and fleet operators, in order to optimize driver and vehicle performance.
In addition to its many other advantages, the Volvo engine's incredible longevity makes it the right choice for the VHD. Research shows that Volvo engines have a B50 life, which means that half the engines will last one million miles without needing an overhaul.
About Volvo Trucks North America
Volvo Trucks North America, Inc. manufactures commercial trucks and tractors, including the VN Series and the new VHD. Since late 1996, more than 70,000 Volvo VN Series trucks have been ordered and sold, half of which have come from new accounts.
The company leads the heavy-truck industry in the areas of safety research and development, quality manufacturing processes and environmental care. Volvo Trucks also markets heavy-duty diesel engines and rear suspensions. Headquartered in Greensboro, N.C., Volvo Trucks is an affiliate of Volvo Truck Corporation, Gothenburg, Sweden.