Tightrope Boost as Volvo Truck Offers Road Haulage Operators a New Package

EUROPE – Earlier this week, Volvo unveiled its new FH series which the company says will provide road haulage operators with better fuel economy, superior handling and is built with the driver in mind. Ahead of the launch during a spectacular ad campaign a young woman walked a slackline between two Volvo trucks driving at speed to demonstrate the handling of the new model and the resultant video has become an internet hit with over 5.4 million views to date.

Filmed in Croatia along a new stretch of motorway with no oncoming traffic, the American slackliner Faith Dickey, 23, walked across a taut rope between the trucks in what has been dubbed the ‘Ballerina Stunt’. Safety was paramount for this stunt even for the world record holder in the new sport of highlining it was still a difficult feat. Dickey said:

“I’m used to heights, long lines and lines that sway in the wind. But those lines are firmly anchored to cliff-faces. Walking a line attached to two moving points is something quite different.”

The Volvo FH series is set for production in spring 2013 and launch in the European markets first after approximately £1 billion of investment and five years of development. Claes Nilsson, President Volvo Truck Corporation was keen to point out the new truck’s finer points saying:

“Thanks to Volvo’s I-See technology the haulage firm can cut fuel consumption by up to 5% per vehicle with the new software package for the I-Shift transmission. It stores information about hills as the truck drives along. The next time the truck uses the same route, I-See operates the accelerator, gears and brakes to ensure that progress is as economical as possible.

“Volvo I-Torque reduces fuel consumption by up to 4 percent. Together with I-See and other minor improvements, the result is that fuel consumption drops by up to 10 percent. This corresponds to 4100 litres of fuel a year for the average truck. Using the wireless connection a workshop can remotely check the actual wear of various truck components via the computer. As a component approaches the end of its service life, the workshop can get in touch with the haulage firm well in advance to schedule a service when it is most convenient.”