The EU has decided to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from the transport sector by 20 per cent between 2008 and 2030 – and by even more in the longer term. At the same time, transport needs continue to increase and, above all, it is the heavy freight sector that is increasing most. In other words, what we are up against is a complex challenge.

“In order to succeed, a number of different measures will be needed such as better logistics, more efficient engines, more fuel-efficient driving techniques and new fuels. But one of the solutions may also be larger and more powerful trucks.” This is the opinion of Anders Ahlbäck, project manager in the Area of Advance for Transport, Chalmers University of Technology.

The basic principle is simple: with larger and more powerful trucks, more freight can be carried by fewer vehicles, which in turn reduces fuel consumption and the climate impact in relation to the transport work being undertaken.

The fact is, that for many decades, demands on more efficient transport have driven development in the direction of increasingly powerful trucks. In the mid-1970s a power output of 350 hp was regarded as high, yet today you would need to add another 100 hp to reach the average for a truck on European long-haul work. For operations in very hilly terrain and in high-altitude conditions, really high performance is needed to be able to transport food and other fresh goods quickly or to haul heavy loads such as wind-power stations, timber, iron ore or machinery. For this sort of demanding operation, there are trucks like the Volvo FH16 with power outputs of up to 750 hp.

“What is remarkable is that during the same period, fuel consumption and climate impact have dropped by an average of about 40 per cent, whilst emissions of nitrogen oxides and particles have been cut by more than 90 per cent,” says Hayder Wokil, product manager at Volvo Trucks.

But more still remains to be done. Volvo Trucks works actively and continuously to reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions from its trucks. In addition, if more countries in Europe were to follow Sweden’s and Finland’s example and allow truck combinations of up to 25.25 metres in length, one in every three semi-trailers on Europe’s roads would no longer be needed – at least in theory. In actual fact, what is probably more likely is that it will be easier to meet expanding transport needs without adding more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

“Longer and more powerful trucks are, of course, not the only solution to the transport sector’s climate problems, but they are one of many answers,” adds Hayder Wokil. “Here at Volvo Trucks we see it as our mission to pursue development and to make truck transport’s environmental footprint as small as possible. Trends thus far show that a smaller climate impact and more efficient transport really do go hand in hand.”

It was a fierce contest with ‘Mean Green’, a converted Volvo VN featuring the very latest hybrid technology from Volvo Trucks, challenging the Ferrari sports car driven by Henrik Appelholm

The Ferrari, as you might expect, took the lead from the start, but ‘Mean Green’ quickly caught up and eventually won by a hair’s breadth.

“It was very close and I’m happy because now I know that the Volvo hybrid is as fast as a Ferrari,” says a very happy Boije Ovebrink.

Watch a film of the event on YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cVtzt_bbhM

“Now it’s time to nominate the candidates for the 2011 EuroTra ‘Safety and Innovation’ Award,” says Carl Johan Almqvist, Traffic and Product Safety Director at Volvo Trucks and a member of the EuroTra jury. “By supporting this award we hope to draw more attention to traffic safety issues and to influence others to continue to work with this important area.

“As ‘safety’ is one of our core values, Volvo Trucks is working on all fronts to improve safety and minimise the risks and consequences of road accidents. Not least with our driver training programme,” adds Carl Johan Almqvist

Nominations for the EuroTra ‘Safety and Innovation’ Award – which close on 16th September 2011 – are being sought from all over Europe. For more details or an application form, please contact James Tillyer, Campaign Manager, on : jtillyer@fta.co.uk

The jury selects the winning proposal among the applications which best meet all or several of the following criteria:

· Presents a clear link with road safety and encourages a continuous process in the area of road safety

· Has a connection with the benefits of training and education

· Helps solve environmental issues in the road transport industry

· Is innovative in its nature

Working in conjunction with both Volvo Truck dealer M C Truck and Bus and Wilcox Commercial Vehicles Ltd, Viridor Regional Vehicle and Plant Engineer for the south east Paul Riley was able to design a bespoke vehicle ideally suited to the conditions encountered in the Capital’s narrow streets and back alleys.

The FL 260 was specified with a six-speed Allison fully automatic gearbox enabling the driver to cope more easily with the stop-start traffic, while the overall 2.3-metre width allows access to otherwise inaccessible locations.

Single tyres are fitted to the drive axle in order to reduce the width of the tipping vehicle.

“This vehicle will operate within a radius of five to ten miles from our depot in Canning Town, East London collecting waste food materials from both shops and hotels. This is then taken to an anaerobic digester for treatment,” explained Viridor’s Paul Riley.

The transportation of food waste is subject to strict environmental conditions so the Wilcox tipping body is fitted with a water-tight rear tailgate to eliminate leakage while in transit. Similarly a spill-proof Terberg side-loading bin lift ensures that the loading process is both clean and efficient.

The Volvo FL narrow-track tipper is one of nine vehicles taken by Viridor all of which will be operated from their site in East London. Other models include FL and FE rigids fitted with an Allison automatic gearbox but equipped with mobile compacter bodywork.

Viridor operates more than 1,000 commercial vehicles throughout the UK in order to service its extensive waste recycling operations.

Rob Ireland, Sales Manager at Dennison’s commented: “We were delighted to be given the opportunity to supply a milk collection vehicle into the market as it represents a move back into the agricultural sector, with which we traditionally had a strong association. In particular, we are pleased that we have been able to work with United Dairy Farmers on this order as it further supports the longstanding business relationship that we have with the Group”

The Volvo FM-450 6×2 tractor unit is equipped with the 12-speed, automated I-Shift gearbox and has been specified with a shorter than normal wheelbase, to allow increased manoeuvrability and to enable the operator to access restricted spaces, as is often necessary in tight farmyards

As a company that takes staff satisfaction and well-being very seriously, the Volvo FM truck was a perfect choice for United as it is renowned in the industry for its driver comfort, safety and on-the-job enjoyment. The unit has also been specified with a sleeper cab, which offers comfortable overnight accommodation for the driver.

Dan Carey, Fleet Manager of United Dairy Farmers explained, “The milk side of our business is a 24/7 job and is often carried out in challenging environments. The Volvo FM offers the best combination of operational flexibility and driver comfort and is certainly robust enough to function even in the most demanding of conditions.

Stephen Cameron, Group Supply Chain Director of United Dairy Farmers commented, “The benefits of the Volvo truck package have long been recognised by United in terms of the quality of the product and the aftersales care, but most importantly we have identified that the Volvo truck offers unrivalled cost efficiency over the whole vehicle life”.

Our picture shows Dan Carey (Fleet Manager, United Dairy Farmers), John Jenkins (Managing Director, Dennison), Stephen Cameron (Group Supply Chain Director, United Dairy Farmers), Philip Wylie and Rob Ireland (Sales Manager, Dennison)

One might say that diesel is somewhat misunderstood and has received more than its fair share of criticism from an environmental perspective. Originally the term had nothing to do with any particular type of fuel, just a particular type of engine. For example, Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine, ran his first engines on peanut oil. For many people today, however, the word has become synonymous with fossil diesel oil, which is a rather narrow description since the diesel engine can be run on many different fuels, some of which are renewable. The common factor is that they are ignited via compression instead of using the spark provided by a spark plug.

The reason why diesel oil has become synonymous with the diesel engine is that, over the years, it has been the most common fuel used in the diesel engine. However, as society’s demands increase and technology makes significant advances, so more and more alternative fuels being developed for use in the diesel engine.

“It’s important for us to work with a wide range of alternative fuels and to come up with solutions that reduce our impact on the climate. It is already possible to build efficient diesel engines that run on renewable fuels. This can be shown, not least, in our new Volvo FM MethaneDiesel and the bioDME-powered trucks on which we are now conducting field tests. This fuel has the potential for cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 95 per cent,” says Lars Mårtensson, Environmental Director at Volvo Trucks.

Anders Röj is a fuel expert at Volvo Technology. He explains that diesel fuel can be made from virtually any organic material just as long as it has flammable properties that make it suitable for the diesel process.

“However, some fuels require major or minor modifications of the engine and its peripheral equipment. And, unfortunately, the engine does not always function equally well on all fuels. For instance, biodiesel exhibits poorer stability and cold-weather properties than hydrocarbon-based diesel fuels. When mixed in small quantities with diesel oil, however, biodiesel functions well if its quality is acceptable in other respects.

Since there is such a wide range of alternative fuels, it is a good idea to undertake a thorough review of just what is available. Consequently here is an examination of both existing and future fuels for the diesel engine…..

What we traditionally refer to as diesel oil is a petroleum product consisting of hydrocarbons. To produce diesel fuel, crude oil is first distilled and then refined. In this process the petroleum is filtered and purified to meet the legislative requirements and diesel standard of the particular country in which the fuel is to be sold.

The EU, for instance, has both a directive and a CEN standard* – an abbreviation that stands for European Committee for Standardisation – to regulate quality requirements for diesel fuel. The USA, on the other hand, generally adopts the ASTM International standard, whereas many other countries have their own national standards.

According to Anders Röj, fossil diesel fuel offers the best energy efficiency from initial oil extraction to combustion in the engine, known as the ‘well-to-wheel’ perspective.

“Nature has done an excellent preliminary job with its crude oil deep down in the bowels of the earth over millions of years. And in the almost 100 years that oil refineries have been around, the technology has also undergone significant development,” he explains.

FAME, Fatty Acid Methyl Esters, is the collective name for what we refer to as biodiesel. FAME can be produced from a number of different vegetable or animal oils, such as rapeseed oil (RME), soya oil (SME) and palm oil (PME). It is even possible to run a diesel engine on fuel obtained from used cooking oil or tallow, depending on where in the world the biodiesel is produced.

The advantage of FAME fuels is that they give 50-60 per cent lower CO2 emissions from ‘well to wheel’ compared with conventional diesel, and are free from sulphur and aromatics. The fuels’ downsides are that they contribute to increased emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx). Within the EU, it is no longer permitted for diesel fuel to contain more than seven per cent FAME since, if it contained a higher proportion, the NOx emissions would be too high.

“Had FAME not been a bio-component we would probably be very negative to such fuels due to the NOx emissions and quality problems. Now, however, there is political pressure to use renewable fuels, and biodiesel is one of the few biofuels currently available on a commercial scale,” says Anders Röj.

Diesel oil can also be produced synthetically through gasification of fuels such as black coal and natural gas, creating a fuel that contains a smaller proportion of aromatic hydrocarbons. There is at present no significant production of synthetic diesel; however, research is currently being conducted into energy-efficient gasification of biomass. If this project is successful synthetic diesel may become a particularly viable fuel in the future.

“Emissions of NOx and particulates from synthetic diesel are lower than from fossil diesel oil. However, the energy content per litre of fuel is somewhat lower,” Anders Röj goes on to say.

One of the synthetic diesel fuels being examined is an ether known as DME, a carbon/hydrogen/oxygen molecular bond. At present DME is produced from natural gas, but Swedish company Chemrec is running a pilot plant for the production of BioDME in Piteå, Sweden, where the raw material being used is black liquor, a high-energy by-product of paper pulp manufacture. It gives 95 per cent lower carbon dioxide emissions than diesel fuel and zero emissions of soot. BioDME can also be produced from other biomass sources.

“As a diesel fuel, BioDME gives the highest energy output per unit of raw material. It offers five times the driving range per unit of cultivated arable land than biodiesel, for instance,” reveals Anders Röj.

Consequently, BioDME is one of the fuels that Volvo Trucks is focusing on for the future and the company is currently engaged in field tests in Sweden with trucks running on DME.

Natural gas or biogas can be used as vehicle fuel in both compressed and liquid form. It does not ignite like diesel fuel, but if fossil or biodiesel is used to assist in the combustion process, it works well.

In May 2011 Volvo Trucks launched its new Volvo FM MethaneDiesel, a gas-powered truck designed for regional distribution. It is powered by up to 75 per cent liquefied methane gas with the remainder consisting of diesel oil, with the diesel serving as the above-mentioned ‘spark plug’. With biogas in the fuel tank, CO2 emissions drop by up to 70 per cent compared with a conventional diesel engine. With fossil-based gas, emissions are cut by 10 per cent.

The advantages of renewable fuels for diesel engines:

· Obtained from renewable energy sources (biomass).

· Cause lower (in some cases much lower) emissions of greenhouse gases compared with fossil diesel fuel.

· Usually produce lower particle emissions; some fuels burn with virtually no soot formation (e.g. DME).

· Other regulated emissions may also be lower than for fossil diesel fuel.

Volvo’s strong commitment to safety, quality and environmental care were all factors behind Linfox’s choice of trucks. Volvo’s extensive network of service agents on the east coast of Australia also figured in the Linfox decision.

“As a leading Australian logistics operator, Linfox sets the standard for the industry. Linfox’s values align perfectly with Volvo Trucks: they put safety, environmental care and quality first,” said Arne Knaben, CEO of Volvo Group Australia, adding “The Linfox decision to buy Volvo trucks is a clear indicator that we are leading the way in the areas that really count.”

The trucks that Volvo are supplying to Linfox meet the Euro-5 emission standards and they also live up to the customer’s high demands when it comes to fuel efficiency.

“Linfox’s customers take environmental responsibilities seriously. They expect their suppliers to do so as well,” said Gary Bone, General Manager of Volvo Trucks Australia

The participation in this show is also part of Volvo Trucks commitment to establish ‘blue corridors’ in Europe. These transport corridors are designed to increase the availability of gas on European roads to make it possible to cover longer transport distances with gas-powered trucks.

NGV Berlin 2011 is being organised by NGVA (Natural & Bio Gas Vehicle Association) Europe, a platform for companies involved in gas for vehicles.

“NGVA Europe is actively driving important issues within the gas vehicle area and, through our participation in the fair and membership of this organisation, Volvo Trucks is helping to establish an infrastructure that will create transport that is both environmentally sustainable and more economical”, says Lennart Pilskog, Director Public Affairs at Volvo Trucks.

The question about ‘blue corridors’ is actively driven through Volvo Trucks membership in NGVA

During the fair, Volvo Trucks has been showing its new Volvo FM Methane-Diesel, which uses methane gas as its primary fuel and has a technology, which makes it possible to use methane gas in diesel engines. The technology opens up an entirely new segment for gas-powered trucks and, in combination with the use of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) in heavy-duty trucks; it makes it possible to use gas for long-distance transport as well. Beside this, it is both more energy efficient and more powerful than its current standard gas-powered counterparts, can lead to cost benefits as well as considerably reduce carbon emissions.

“The main strength in this context is that the environment, technology and economy go hand in hand. Only then can decisive changes be made,” adds Lennart Pilskog.

However, for these decisive changes to be implemented on a broad front, access to liquid gas must be increased. A well-developed infrastructure, with more LNG filling stations, is essential to enable gas-powered trucks to be used in long-distance transport in the first place.

“The infrastructure needs to keep pace with technological developments if our products are to be used in the optimal way,” concludes Lennart Pilskog.

The Volvo FM Methane-Diesel is powered by up to 75% natural gas or biogas – both of which consist of methane gas and Volvo Trucks is the first manufacturer in Europe to present this technology.

The Volvo FM Methane-Diesel is both more energy efficient and more powerful than its current standard gas-powered counterparts. This has been demonstrated since 2008 in commercial fuel tests that have been run in Sweden, the UK and the Netherlands where the infrastructure for liquid gas is most developed. In many European countries, LNG is also less expensive than diesel, which will result in cost benefits for the customers who choose to operate a Volvo FM Methane-Diesel in the future.

“The driver plays a central role in our customers’ drive to generate profitability. Creating an environment that the driver appreciates is thus one of our main tasks when we develop new trucks. This series of films is a simple and enjoyable way of putting the driver in focus,” says Tommy Kohle, Senior Vice President Corporate Communications.

First up in the new online video series is Dutch driver Dagmar Klink with her distinctive Volvo FH, known as the ‘Pink Lady’. In the short film, Dagmar Klink takes us on a tour of her truck, whose distinctive look truly stands out from the crowd out on the road.

“I used to hate the colour pink because it is always associated with women,” she says. “But when I got my own truck, I wanted everyone to know that it was a woman’s truck to make people realise that women can be truck drivers too. So I decided to choose a woman’s colour.”

“It is a big honour to be in the first ‘Welcome to my cab’ video,” Klink says. “I hope lots of people see it so they know it’s possible for women to be truck drivers. We need more female truck drivers”

The films will be available on YouTube, via Volvo Trucks’ online magazine and on the company’s new iPad Magazine.

“We know that truck drivers have strong professional pride, and that’s exactly what Worldtrucker is about – sharing that passion for trucks and for life on the road,” says Worldtrucker manager Paula Kühnel.

The community has already attracted almost 10,000 members during the development stages when ten local communities, including the UK, had already been established using nine languages – Italian, Swedish, Dutch, Spanish, French, Russian, German, Polish and English. With the final update, including a mobile phone version and design upgrade, the community has now been launched on a global scale.

It was decided from the start that Worldtrucker would be open to anyone interested in trucks regardless of the brand they use. Volvo Trucks as a company would maintain a low profile and let members build their own content and agenda.

“Most haulage firms have various truck makes in their fleets, so all their drivers should feel equally welcome,” says Paula Kühnel.

Worldtrucker helps drivers keep in touch with their families, friends and colleagues as they can easily discuss experiences and establish new cross-border relations. They can also share photos from the road by uploading them, even directly through their mobile phone, making it possible to stay connected without carrying a laptop. By offering these social elements, Volvo Trucks hopes to stimulate the driver’s working life and increase interest in the profession. The worldwide driver shortage is a vital issue for the industry.

Worldtrucker has already spread to over 40 countries even though no promotion was undertaken outside the start-up markets, so Volvo Trucks’ expectations on the global launch are high. “We have not yet seen any competitor matching our set-up and believe we have the chance to become the trucker’s first online choice all over the world,” explains Paula.

The new livery, which depicts the blue EMR logo in bold lower case letters on the Volvo FH’s cab doors and front panel below the windscreen, reflects the company’s move towards a more modern corporate identity and makes maximum use of the advertising space on its 300-plus vehicle fleet.In keeping with this, and for the first time, the cabs of the new trucks are white and the modern typeface of the logo is set off by a green ellipse.

“The move away from the long standing blue livery has been well received,” says EMR’s Transport Manager Craig Fisher. Although the bulk of the order for new Volvos sees fourteen Globetrotter-cabbed FH-460s entering service with EMR, there are also seven FM 8x4s equipped with Edbro Hookloader bodies and one FL 4×2 skiploader joining the fleet at depots around the UK – including Bellshill, Sharpness and Tilbury.

Also, for the first time in the EMR fleet, which contains over eighty Volvos, the FMs feature the payload friendly D11C litre engine rated at 370 HP. Chosen, says Craig Fisher, “for its reputation for reliability, fuel economy and low weight, the 11-litre develops 1750 Nm of torque between 950 and 1400 rpm. This wide spread of torque contributes to its excellent driveability.”

In another first for EMR, all of the company’s new FHs and FMs are equipped with Volvo’s I-Shift automated gearbox featuring the ‘Eco-Roll’ function – thus ensuring they are optimised for fuel efficiency.

The large amounts of traffic on European roads are causing ever bigger problems. Every day, tailbacks disrupt the traffic flow along 7,500 kilometres of roadway in and around European cities – that is almost 10 per cent of the entire continent’s road network.

The EU Commission estimates the cost of these bottlenecks at more than €80 billion (£71 bn) annually – and that does not take into account the environmental aspect. Bearing in mind that the transport sector accounts for about 27 per cent of the 4,500 million or so tonnes of carbon dioxide discharged every year, it is clear that Europe has a growing problem to deal with.

Between 1995 and 2006, goods freight grew by a total of more than three per cent annually. However, most of this volume increase was on roads, contributing to the fact that road transport now accounts for almost 50 per cent of all goods transport in the EU.

Renault says it will use the proceeds of the sale to reduce its debt, which currently stands at €4.6 billion.

The company still remains a major shareholder in Volvo.

Renault chief executive Carlos Ghosn said that Renault would remain a “major shareholder with 17.5% of voting rights”.

Women truck drivers are a rarity. For example, in Great Britain there are around 309,100 drivers of heavy trucks and less than one per cent of them are women, according to figures for 2008 produced by the independent organisation Skills for Logistics. In 2006, Britain had a shortage of 46,000 drivers and Skills for Logistics, which works in parallel with the transport industry, issued a widespread appeal in order to attract more drivers, both young people and women.

The situation looks similar across large parts of Europe and in Sweden, which often beats its chest on equality issues, the proportion of women drivers is still just four per cent.

“Truck driving requires professional skills and places great demands on the driver, but there is no practical reason why women should not drive heavy trucks,” says Liam Northfield of Britain’s Freight Transport Association (FTA)

There are a number of preconceptions about the driving profession that make women reluctant to come forward. One is that the profession involves long periods of time away from the family, although the fact is that international long-distance transport services are a small part of the transport cake. Less than three per cent of all freight is transported further than 500 kms (around 300 mls) and a massive two-thirds of goods travel less than 50 kms (30 mls) on Europe’s roads.

Another argument is that women quite simply do not have the physical requirements to make it in the driving profession, an argument which to a certain extent would have held water 30 years ago, when working in haulage was usually physically stressful for the driver. Today the situation is very different, as, for example, Swedish truck manufacturer Volvo Trucks has long focused on building vehicles that suit as many people as possible.

“Our vehicles should be able to be handled by both tall men and short women,” says Rikard Orell, Design Manager at Volvo Trucks. “A few years ago it was pointed out that the manual gearboxes were difficult to handle for shorter people; they had difficulty reaching the gear lever from the high seat. So we immediately changed that,” relates Rikard Orell.

Today these aspects are completely integrated in the design department’s thinking. Driving a truck today is not a tough job, he explains saying, “Our task is to create trucks that are as comfortable and functional as possible for the specific tasks for which they will be used. The driver should benefit, irrespective of whether it is a woman or a man behind the wheel.”

Even those aspects that are not directly connected to the actual driving process have become less physically strenuous. As Rikard continues, “Previously, loading and unloading was an unbelievably hard operation as, for example, heavy sacks of potatoes were loaded by hand. Today the whole logistics industry is so standardised. All packages are on pallets which are handled using electric pallet trucks, so it requires no strength.”

Technology and design are one thing, but the focus is also on making it easier for women to enter the driving profession. In order to target women directly Volvo Trucks in Sweden has been organising all-women events since 1999. One such event was held in September last year, when over 100 women were invited to Volvo in Gothenburg in order to have the chance to try truck driving and to listen to talks on the driving profession, trucks and the freight industry.

Susanne Frödin is Market Communications and PR Manager for Volvo Trucks in the Nordic region and the initiator of Women’s Day. She says, “We have too few women in the truck industry. Volvo Trucks would like the situation to be more balanced, making it more fun, more creative and contribute to the development of the driving profession.”

Rolf Wallin, Training Manager at Swedish logistics company BDX in Luleå, believes that women drive in a more environmentally-friendly manner, are fuel-efficient and are more cautious with vehicles. In spite of this BDX only have between five and ten women drivers in its 1,700-strong staff. Therefore, in conjunction with haulage interest group ‘Sveriges Åkeriföretag Norr’ and local upper secondary schools, they started the ‘Drivers on the Road’ project, which was all about attracting more young people, mainly girls, to the driving profession.

“The best way to succeed in attracting women to the driving profession is for women who already drive trucks to talk about what it’s like. And since there are so few women, we have a problem, so we must get this process underway,” he adds.

Dutch haulage company Oegema Transport hauls freight throughout Europe and undertakes domestic distribution assignments.

Of around 240 employees only ten are women, but three of them drive on international routes.

“When we recruit drivers we choose those who suit the job best irrespective of whether they are women or not,” says Sibbele Oegema, CEO of Oegema Transport. “However, I would like to have more women drivers since they drive more cautiously and are more fuel-efficient. My main challenge for the future is to have a sufficient number of drivers to meet customer demand. The problem at the moment is that there are so few women entering the driving profession.”

The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) has decided that by 2013, all member associations must take the necessary measures, both at national and at company level, to recruit substantially more women to the transport industry than is the case today.

Brigitta Paas, Vice Chairperson of ETF and active in the organisation’s equal opportunities team, says, “I would like to see the EU’s Transport Commission do something so that the number of women drivers in the different countries is surveyed. So far, however, there is no organised register. I want to have hard figures for the number of women truck drivers on a European level in order to be able to put pressure on transport companies and politicians.”

“There is no rational reason why women should not be able to drive trucks,” says Lennart Pilskog, Director of Public Affairs at Volvo Trucks. “It is mainly about attitudes. The transport sector will increase again and when it does, the lack of drivers will once more become an issue for the industry. So it is even more important to be able to attract women to the profession.”

 Road accidents are one of the most common causes of death in modern society. Between 2001 and 2008, 375,000 people were killed in traffic accidents in Europe. A key reason for this high death rate is that many Europeans still do not use safety belts. Truck drivers are at particularly high risk in road traffic.

Safety belt use among truck drivers ranges from 10 to 70 per cent in European countries, with an average of 50 per cent of drivers using the life-savers. This is despite the fact that safety belts are the best guarantee of safety in the event of an accident. A recent study by the CEESAR research institute showed that the number of fatalities and injuries in traffic accidents would decrease by 40 percent if everyone drove with safety belts. 6 out of 10 people involved in accidents would have suffered less serious injuries if they had used safety belts.

But what is the reason behind this lack of use of the safety belt? This is a question that Volvo Trucks’ Traffic and Product Safety Director, Carl-Johan Almqvist, has long grappled with.

“Many drivers live under the impression that it is much safer to drive a big truck than a small passenger car,” he says.

 This is certainly true, but the argument fails for drivers who drive into concrete bridge supports even at very low speeds. And it is the unbelted truck drivers who overturn who suffer the really severe injuries.

 “We human beings quite simply have no speed sensors. We can read the speed on a gauge, but we have no means of registering speed within our own bodies,” says Carl-Johan Almqvist.  He explains, “This contrasts with our feeling for height as you would never jump from a height of four metres and just hope for the best. However, in terms of trauma to the human body, this resembles a head-on collision at 30 kilometres an hour without a safety belt. We understand height but not speed,”

It is also a question of attitudes.

An Paepen is responsible for Volvo Trucks Driver Development – a driver training programme for professional drivers. She has heard just about every reason there is to explain why drivers do not use safety belts.

“It varies with the type of driver. Many distribution drivers feel it is annoying to put their belts on and take them off when they are only driving short distances between stops. Long-distance drivers want to be as comfortable in their workplace as they are at home in the sofa and construction drivers like to be able to hop out of their seats should something go wrong,” says An Paepen and continues, “But it is also a question of age. The older generation, who did not grow up with safety belts, are on their way out. The youth of today are much more accustomed to using safety belts.”

“We have chosen a route where we combine the diesel engine’s superior efficiency rating with the benefits of gas. This gives us a truck that is significantly more energy-efficient than traditional gas trucks,” says Mats Franzén, Manager Engine Strategy and Planning, Volvo Trucks.

This innovative approach is bound to attract attention in the transport sector, where the gas-powered trucks currently in use have spark plug internal combustion engines adapted for gas operation. “There is a simple logic behind Volvo Trucks’ decision to slightly modify its proven diesel engines,” argues Mats Franzén, Manager Engine Strategy and Planning.

“A diesel engine has a 30 to 40 per cent better efficiency rating than an ordinary spark plug engine running on petrol or an internal combustion engine. Whatever fuels either engine type runs on, the diesel engine is always far more energy-efficient. That’s why all heavy vehicles have diesel engines,” he explains.
One example: With compressed methane gas in the tanks, a gas-powered truck with an internal combustion engine can drive 150-200 kms without refuelling. With the same amount of gas in a truck with a methane diesel engine, the range is twice as long.

Volvo Trucks’ aim is for its trucks to operate on 75% methane gas and 25% diesel in the initial stage. Optimum efficiency is achieved if the methane gas is chilled to -160ºC as, at that temperature, the gas becomes liquid, the volume is reduced and you get twice the amount of fuel. With liquid methane gas in the tank and a fuel consumption of 75% methane gas and 25% diesel, it is now possible to drive more than 500 kms before refuelling.

This means that for transport companies performing long daily transport jobs and returning to the same filling station, Volvo Trucks’ methane diesel technology is already an attractive, environmentally compatible fuel option.

“The technology is constantly developing. We’ll be able to drive 1,000 kms on a tank of liquid gas in the near future,” says Mats Franzén.

At present, the network of filling stations that distribute liquid methane gas is unevenly developed in Europe. There are plenty of filling stations in the UK, while some countries, such as Sweden, have none at all. However, filling stations will soon be built in Sweden’s three largest cities, partly as a result of Volvo Trucks’ drive, which is taking place in close cooperation with gas suppliers in Sweden.

“We’re currently in a transition stage. We’re moving from decades of dependence of oil to a society based on renewable fuels,” explains Lars Mårtensson, Volvo Trucks’ Environmental Director. “During this transition period, gas trucks with a methane diesel engine have an obvious advantage. They can run on only diesel, which is practical and safe when filling stations are few and far between.”

A common argument against methane gas is that natural gas has to be used because not enough biogas is produced. Critics argue that replacing one fossil fuel with another is unsatisfactory.

“Using natural gas is one way of getting through this transition period until biogas production has been fully developed. We’d prefer our engines to run on both biodiesel and biogas. That would reduce carbon emissions by almost 80% compared to traditional diesel operation,” explains Lars Mårtensson.

Field testing of methane diesel engines will start in the UK and Sweden during 2010. Potential customers are showing high interest, not least in the public sector, which already makes strict environmental requirements during procurement and plays a key role in driving development forward.

“Our focus on a combination of methane gas and diesel makes it possible to capitalise on all the benefits of a diesel engine, while lowering both costs and emission levels by using methane gas as our main energy source,” concludes Mats Franzén.

Engineered primarily for the waste collection industry the new design combats the rear axle overloading frequently experienced with traditional 8×4 rear-end loaders. The Volvo FM tridem features a 24-tonne capacity rear bogie and nine-tonne front axle.

The FM is powered by the 410hp version from the Volvo 11-litre range and the gearbox is the familiar automated Volvo I-Shift. Disc brakes are fitted throughout and an on-board weighing system provides an additional margin of safety for drivers.

Supplied by Wales and West Truck & Bus Limited, in conjunction with Gulliver’s Vehicle Rentals, the specially configured 8×4 rigid is equipped with a Heil ‘Big Bite’ rear-end loader and is plated for operation at 32-tonnes GVW.

The vehicle is based at the Hills Waste Solutions depot at Lower Compton near Calne and will operate throughout Wiltshire. Hills Waste Solutions operate an extensive fleet of rigid trade waste and rear-end loaders as well as articulated units.

The order for 95 Volvo FE snowplough/spreader chassis, which is also believed to be the biggest-ever order received by Volvo for new FE trucks, means that a significant part of  England’s motorway and trunk road network will be kept clear by Volvo vehicles next winter.

Romaquip (Ireland) and AEBI Schmidt (Holland & UK) have a four year framework contract to replace the Highways Agency’s winter service fleet. Following a successful tender, both suppliers have chosen the Volvo FE chassis for vehicles to be provided for the 2010/11 winter season.

The FE 6×4 double drive chassis are to be supplied by Irish Commercials of Naas, Co Kildare to Romaquip and AEBI Schmidt who will then fit their high-tech equipment at their factories in Birr, Co Offaly, Ireland, and Holten in Holland.

It is a fantastic achievement and we must congratulate everyone involved for bringing it to a successful conclusion,” said Conor Horan, Sales Director of Irish Commercials (Sales) Ltd., adding “But I would especially like to pay tribute to Jim Bergin for the hard work he has put into this order and Martin Kelly from Sales Engineering at Warwick for his invaluable contribution with the technical spec of the vehicles.”

Whilst it is great news for the British and Irish dealer network, it is even greater news for Irish Commercials, who have recently invested in brand new, state-of-the-art workshop and customer facilities which are setting the standard for the industry and competitors.

Mats Franzén, Manager of Engine Strategy and Planning at Volvo Trucks, is satisfied with the way Volvo’s engine designers are tackling adaptation to the new standards’ tough limit values.

“We take a positive view of the tough requirements. They pose a challenge for us, like for everyone else. They offer our engine designers a chance to show their mettle, which gives us a clear competitive edge. We will meet the standards long before the new legislation takes effect,” he comments.

So how can the engines be improved to meet the new limit values ? For commercial reasons, Franzén does not want to specify exactly which technical improvements will be made, but there is plenty to play around with: improved software, improved friction conditions, more efficient selective catalytic reduction and adaptation of operating temperatures. It is very probable that achieving Euro 6 will require a combination of SCR, EGR and a particulate filter.

Independent researchers have raised criticisms, arguing that the Euro 6 standards will mean increased fuel consumption, given today’s engine technology.

“Clearly, the challenge of Euro 6 will lie in further reducing oxides of nitrogen emissions without increasing fuel consumption and thereby increasing CO₂ emissions. Our engine designers have made enormous progress in recent decades, and we’ll continue developing our engines for optimised fuel consumption regardless of changes in regulations and standards,” says Franzén.

Fuel consumption has dropped dramatically in recent decades. For example, Volvo’s popular FH truck has cut its diesel consumption by almost 40 per cent in the last 30 years. With the D13 engine, launched in 2005, Volvo took the definitive step to the forefront of the industry in terms of fuel economy.

“Yes, we’re certainly leaders in fuel economy. And we’ll continue to reduce fuel consumption by about 1 percent

a year. That means big savings, both in economic and environmental terms,” comments Franzén.

But the biggest improvement of all is in air emission levels. A truck thirty years ago produced the same level of particulate emissions as fifty trucks today and when Euro 6 is introduced, the level of particulate emissions will be reduced by a further 50 per cent !

“Besides becoming cleaner and more efficient, our trucks are now also stronger. 20 years ago in 1990, our most powerful engine had 470 horsepower, but today we can offer our customers the Volvo FH16, the world’s strongest truck with a 700 horsepower engine,” says Franzén.

Family-run O’Toole Transport, the leading international seafood distribution specialist, is based near Galway City on the western seaboard of Ireland from where they deliver throughout Europe.

They are no stranger to the FH, this is the third in their thirty-five tractor fleet, and O’Toole’s have been proving that high horsepower does not need to bring heavy fuel bills. Managing Director

Laurence O’Toole said, “We give these high horsepower trucks to drivers who know how to get the best out of them. The 3,150Nm of available torque in this new truck needs treating with respect.”

The new 700hp FH16 joins a 660hp and a 580hp already on the fleet and Laurence is more than happy with their fuel performance. “I’ve been delighted with the fuel on the other two units. I’ve been getting 8mpg at 44 tonnes from the 660 and the 580 is doing well too”, he said.

The company was only established in 1996 and it has seen very rapid growth since then. Now with thirty-five trucks and fifty-five trailers on the road, Laurence aims to continue expanding in the sector and more Volvos look like being part of the story.

The lucky driver in the new FH16-700 is 34-year-old Donal Leonard. “He’s a good lad, he’ll get the best out of the new truck” reckoned Laurence.

John McNamara from Murphy Commercial’s sales department was celebrating too. The Claregalway dealer has only been a Volvo Dealer point for twelve months. “Laurence and his lads like the new truck and we’ve been really pleased with the performance on his other FH’s”, he said.

Phoenix, Arizona-based Knight Transportation has placed an order for 370 Volvo VNs equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) emissions control technology.

Knight is a long-standing Volvo customer; about 3,000 of the 3,736 trucks in its fleet are Volvo VNs. Volvo’s SCR system produces near-zero emissions while meeting the EPA’10 regulations without the use of stockpiled emissions credits and improves fuel economy

by up to 5%.

“We want to have this new technology from Volvo,” said Dave Williams, Knight Transportation’s vice president of equipment and maintenance. “We will gain fuel economy. We’ve tested the technology and we’re comfortable with it. These trucks are better for the environment and they’re better for us.”

Volvo Trucks had produced and invoiced 85 EPA2010-certified trucks for customers and dealers as of January 20.

“Volvo has invested many years of development in SCR technology and we know it is clearly the best way to reduce emissions while improving fuel economy. We’re gratified Knight’s management recognized the benefits of Volvo’s technology, and we think their example will help others in the industry make the same choice,” said Scott Kress, Volvo Trucks senior vice president – sales & marketing.

Tool, status object, vehicle, means of transport, mobile accommodation – a truck has a thousand faces. You get different perspectives depending on the person to whom you are speaking.

A driver hauling a full load up a steep Alpine gradient appreciates its power, size and spacious interior. A regional planner with responsibility for environmental issues would doubtless prefer to see more modest and more aerodynamic trucks than those currently on the roads.

A child who is about to cross a busy road would perhaps prefer that there were no trucks at all.

“When we pen a new design, we consider two different types of end-users. First of all we have the customer, who usually knows exactly what he wants. To attract him to our brand, the design must express certain values and qualities. The other end-user of our products is society in general. The trucks we design operate everywhere,” says Asok George, Chief Designer at the Volvo Design Center. “If people don’t like them because they look frightening or ugly, they simply won’t function in society, which means we will have failed,”

At his workplace just outside Gothenburg in Sweden, a dozen or so designers from all over the world work on the creation of what in truck circles are some of the most dynamic products in the world: Volvo’s fleet of heavy trucks.