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The Volvo FMX has made a major impact on the construction truck market. Since its launch in April last year, almost 5,000 units have been sold. The new construction truck is now being put to the test in extreme working conditions throughout Europe. The Gotthard Base Tunnel is under construction on the border between Switzerland and Italy. When completed, it will be 57 km in length. The rail tunnel will be an important part of the transport chain linking the railway networks of northern and southern Europe and the large ports of Rotterdam and Genoa. Construction started in the late 1990s, and the tunnel will be opened to traffic in 2017. One of the project's major challenges is removing the 13.3 million m3 of rubble that is drilled out of the bedrock. Some of it is taken from the tunnel and deposited in terraces for subsequent creation of new mountain contours that will blend in smoothly with the surrounding alpine landscape. That is where Beffa Trasporti comes into action. It is also here that the Volvo FMX (6X4) gets to show its mettle. The trucks operate in two shifts along a 40 km route between the tunnel and the unloading site, encompassing public roads and tough construction sites. This means very demanding operating conditions where the truck's capacity is exploited to the maximum for most of the day. Up to 2,200 t of crushed stone is transported per shift. Loaded with almost 40 t, it is vital that the trucks be able to handle steep gradients on muddy surfaces when rain and snow make transport operations even more difficult. Renato Beffa has already ordered another Volvo FMX, and he is not the only haulage operator to do so in Switzerland. The Volvo FMX already accounts for more than 15% of total truck sales in the country.
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Volvo FMX in Action at the
