InfraStructures - May 2016 - Volvo FH16 and I-Shift with Crawler Gears Pulls 750 Tonnes from Standstill

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 t.

In the Port of Gothenburg, Sweden, 40 containers filled with Volvo spare parts sit on 20 trailers and form a 300 m long road train. The mission: to drive a Volvo FH16 from standstill while hauling 750 t and cover a distance of 100 m.

“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.

“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 automated gearbox that can haul 325 t gross combination weight is impressive. But tackling more than 700 t 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 Mr. Weatherley.

*gross combination weight

Source: Volvo Trucks

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