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ishful thinking

16th August 2012
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

We asked drivers and bosses in the industry what they would like to see on the next-generation Volvo FH

Words: Will Shiers / Images: Levent Tuna

IT’S NO SECRET THAT Volvo is on the cusp of launching an allnew FH. We’ve seen heavily disguised prototypes running around the UK for at least 18 months now. And judging by the pictures we’ve published in CM (3 May), it looks like this is going to be far more than just another facelift.

If Volvo really has completely redesigned its lagship tractor, what do you want it to be like? What’s wrong with the current one and what issues are you hoping that the designers in Gothenburg have addressed?

If the current FH has an Achilles’ heel, it has to be its heavily raked windscreen. Lee Staveley, proprietor of LJS Transport of Settle, North Yorkshire, sums it up perfectly. “The windscreen slopes too much towards the driver, so although it’s a big cab, it feels claustrophobic,” he says. Staveley, whose leet consists of a 440hp Scania, a Daf XF105, a pair of Volvo FMs and a Volvo FH500, says the FH was a cancelled order, so he got it for a good price. He was partly attracted by the promise of more space than the FM provides, but says it doesn’t quite deliver on that score.

This sentiment is echoed by Stuart Kirk, transport leet manager at Europa Worldwide Logistics. While the irm’s 12 FHs are irm favourites with the drivers, Kirk says the cab’s shape doesn’t do it any favours. “Although all the comforts are there, it is lacking in internal space. The raked screen makes this worse.”

We want 100%, not 75%

TruckNet UK forum user europleb doesn’t mince his words when he says: “I’m looking forward to getting 100% of the cab and not just 75%, thanks to that stupid rake in the screen.” Duncan Harris, who drives for Lincolnshire-based Denby Transport, agrees. He hopes a new, straighter front windscreen will free up enough space for Volvo to it additional lockers.

But for some drivers, the most serious law is the lack of legroom. Long-legged folk such as Truck Net’s Pimpdaddy wishes his seat could be pushed back further, while Zetorpilot says an additional two inches of movement would sufice.

And on the subject of seats – “How about a passenger seat that doesn’t rattle?” asks Diesel dog. “Mine sounds like a demented budgie. The rest of the cab is so quiet and it drives me mad.” TruckNet’s muckles hopes the new seats are as comfortable as the ones in his current FH. The only change he wants is for Volvo to move the I-Shift gear selector to the armrest.

A handful of current FH drivers mention the 12/24V supply sockets. Both mb14 and perkibre wish they were operative without the ignition key having to be in the irst position, while howatsi wants “at least half-a-dozen of them scattered around the cab” .

Madbaz wants stronger windscreen wiper arm springs, because of the wipers bouncing across the screen of his 2009 FH. He says it’s a particular problem when it’s getting dry, particularly on the last sweep of the wash/wipe.

Pimpdaddy wants improvements to the truck’s in-cab entertainment. “I’d like to see an upgrade in the speaker quality,” he explains, “or even adding a subwoofer under the bunk somewhere. It has six speakers and the bass line on them is c**p.” For kindle530, the biggest issue is with the driver’s door. “When I open the door and take my high-vis off I have to move out of the way, or I will get smacked round the back of the head by the door,” he says.

One area where no one wants to see changes is with safety. “I have been unfortunate to see several serious accidents over the years, one in which a barn ended up collapsing on the cab,” says Europa’s Kirk. “The driver opened the door and walked away, shaken and stirred but OK. So, from a safety aspect, I feel it is second to none.” While there was plenty of praise for the FH’s driveline (especially the I-Shift transmission) from drivers and operators alike, Denby Transport MD Peter Denby and John Hackling Transport MD Ken Hackling hope for improved fuel economy with the new model.

But LJS Transport’s Staveley says his current Volvos return better fuel economy than his Scania, and adds that if the new FH cab addresses the issues he raises it should be the best wagon on the market. ■


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