Volvo FH16 and I-Shift with crawler gears pulls 750 tonnes from standstill
In “Volvo Trucks vs 750 Tonnes”, a Volvo FH16 featuring I-Shift transmission with crawler gears faces an extreme heavy haulage challenge. With the world’s strongest man, Magnus Samuelsson, and trucking journalist Brian Weatherley in the driver’s cab, a Volvo FH16 pulls 750 tonnes.
See the film “Volvo Trucks vs 750 Tonnes” here (link)
In the Port of Gothenburg, Sweden, 40 containers filled with Volvo spare parts sit on 20 trailers and form a 300-metre long road train. Together with the truck it weighs 750 tonnes. The mission: to drive a Volvo FH16 from standstill while hauling 750 tonnes and cover a distance of 100 metres.
“I-Shift with crawler gears offers starting traction that is unlike anything else on the market for series-produced trucks. The new crawler ratios make it possible to haul really heavy loads, start off in difficult terrain, and drive at speeds as low as 0.5 km/h. Specially built trucks are normally used for exceptionally heavy loads, but here we’re using a Volvo FH16 with a driveline that has come straight from the factory,” says Peter Hardin, Product Manager FM and FMX at Volvo Trucks.
The Volvo FH16 used in the test features I-Shift with crawler gears and the strongest axles from Volvo’s regular product range. The truck is driven by Magnus Samuelsson, former holder of the “World’s Strongest Man” title.
“Few things can match the sense of challenging and winning over one’s physical limitations. I’ve faced many tough challenges over the years but this pull is my heaviest ever,” says Magnus Samuelsson.
At his side he has experienced trucking journalist Brian Weatherley.
“That Volvo Trucks has developed an automatic transmission that can haul 325 tonnes gross combination weight is impressive. But tackling more than 700 tonnes GCW* with a single regular production truck is really quite amazing. In my 30 years as a trucking journalist I’ve never seen anything like it,” says Brian Weatherley.
*gross combination weight
April 12, 2016
The truck’s specifications
- Volvo FH16 750 hp in standard configuration, featuring Volvo’s strongest axles from its regular product range.
- In order to handle the pressure on the drive axle, the plate under the fifth wheel was reinforced.
How the challenge was tackled
- Before the trial was carried out, several safety measures had to be adopted. For instance, the couplings between the 20 trailers were checked thoroughly and the air pressure in all 204 tyres was finely adjusted.
- 40 containers were loaded onto the trailers. The containers were loaded in pairs, one on top of the other.
- All told, the truck, trailers and containers had a total weight exceeding 750 tonnes.
- The truck hauled the rig 100 metres.
Other ways of expressing 750 tonnes
- 57 Volvo FH16 trucks
- 350 Volvo XC90 cars
- 150 fully grown adult elephants
- 4 Boeing 747 Jumbo Jets
- Just over 4.5 wind turbines
Facts I-Shift with crawler gears
- I-Shift with crawler gears is a further development of Volvo Trucks’ I-Shift automatic transmission.
- The new version of I-Shift has been specially developed for excellent starting traction and to handle driving at ultra-low speeds.
- I-Shift with crawler gears can drive as slowly as 0.5–2 km/h and can start off from standstill while hauling 325 tonnes, a unique achievement for series-produced trucks with automatic transmission.
- The transmission is available in a choice of direct drive and overdrive, with one or two crawler ratios. It is also possible to specify two extra reverse crawler gears.
- The crawler gears are added to a regular I-Shift gearbox. In order to handle the high loads involved, several components are made from high-strength materials. The gearbox is 12 cm longer than a regular I-Shift unit.
- I-Shift with crawler gears is available with Volvo Trucks’ 13- and 16-litre engines on the Volvo FM, Volvo FMX, Volvo FH and Volvo FH16.
Links
Download high resolution images “Volvo Trucks vs 750 Tonnes”
Download high resolution images I-Shift with crawler gears
See the film about I-Shift with crawler gears here
See the animation about how I-Shift with crawler gears functions here
For further information, please contact:
Eva Lindeberger, media relations Volvo Trucks
phone: +46 31 322 8078, e-mail eva.lindeberger@volvo.com
For broadcast-quality videos supporting this press release and more, please visit http://www.thenewsmarket.com/volvotrucks
Press images and films are available in the Volvo Trucks image and film gallery at http://images.volvotrucks.com
Volvo Trucks provides complete transport solutions for professional and demanding customers, offering a full range of medium to heavy duty trucks. Customer support is secured via a global network of 2,200 dealers and workshops in more than 125 countries. Volvo trucks are assembled in 15 countries across the globe. In 2015 more than 113,000 Volvo trucks were delivered worldwide. Volvo Trucks is part of Volvo Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment, and drive systems for marine and industrial applications. The Group also provides solutions for financing and service. Volvo’s work is based on the core values of quality, safety and environmental care.
