CBO On the Road: Volvo Trucks

In late September, I ventured to Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, to preview Volvo Trucks’ newest release: VNX. The new VNX vocational truck is available in the following configurations: VNX 300 daycab, available as a tractor or a straight truck; VNX 440 with a 42-inch sleeper, available as a tractor or a straight truck; and VNX 640 with a 62-inch midroof sleeper tractor.

Peter Voorhoeve, Volvo Trucks’ president, called the VNX “the toughest, safest, most connected and most powerful vocational truck we have ever built.”

Voorhoeve continued, “Growth in vocational is a natural next step for Volvo Trucks, right as we’re seeing stable demand for trucks on construction sites, infrastructure projects and industrial builds across the country. The all-new Volvo VNX puts us in a position to serve that market, with a truck built specifically for the toughest jobsites in America.”

At nightfall, the lineup roared to life in an exciting demonstration, showing off their capabilities in the mud and rain. The VNX was designed with safety and comfort in mind. It is equipped with new safety features, including terrain brakes, pedestrian detection and remote steering. The brake “stops the vehicle from any sudden forward or aft movements on rugged terrain faster than the driver can apply the service brakes.” It stays stopped until the driver removes their seatbelt, at which point the parking brake is engaged.

With remote steering, the driver can control the vehicle from outside the cab. This functionality makes backing up and navigating tight spaces easier, and it removes the need for a second operator. When a driver relies on someone else to guide the vehicle, miscommunication is possible — and accidents are likely. Remote steering gives direct control over the truck, allowing the operator to see exactly where they need to go, and reducing the need to parse another person’s directions.

Pedestrian detection scanners are an optional feature for enhanced safety. The scanners reach from 23 to 230 feet around the vehicle, alerting the driver to people near the truck. Blind spot detection is also available on both sides of the truck, improving visibility and reducing risk.

The VNX vocational trucks come with Volvo’s “toughest windshield yet,” made from Corning glass. The Tough Shield windshield is made from Corning glass and is twice as resistant to impact and five times as scratch-resistant as a windshield of standard tempered glass. I watched as fellow editors shot ice balls at the windshield at 72 miles per hour — and the windshield was unscathed.

I had the opportunity to both drive and ride along in the new trucks, so I experienced some of these features firsthand. Volvo dynamic steering helped keep the wheel steady as we traversed rough terrain, which will help protect drivers from fatigue and strain. The cab is designed to reduce noise and vibration, and the interior is easy to clean. The design team focused on tactility, with physical buttons, switches and dials — not touchscreens — for core functions. “When you’re on rough roads and there are a lot of hazards around, you need to be able to quickly access your controls and feel that you’ve engaged them,” said Jason Dabel, Volvo Trucks’ chief designer.

“it’s all for the driver,” said Volvo Trucks’ Thomas Schwagerl. “We don’t do stuff for fluff — we do stuff that means something for the driver.”

Visit volvotrucks.us/all-new-vnx to learn more about the new VNX vocational truck.