A tantalising glimpse
Page 2
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
I’ve just been to see Smiths Mechanical Services, a Bridgend-based heavy haulage specialist, and I’m really impressed. There’s a lot to like about this family-run firm, but the thing that really ticked my box was its choice of trucks – a fleet of show-stopping Volvo FHs.
OK, I admit that’s not surprising – after all, the big Volvo is a firm favourite with heavy haulage outfits across Europe. But what’s different about Smiths Mechanical’s fleet is that they are all FH13s.
Heavy haulage division boss Simon Griffiths believes Volvo’s 13-litre is the best engine out there, favouring it over the 16-litre. He says 540hp (and a manual transmission) is perfectly adequate for hauling 100 tonnes, and while his new 6x4 FH13 might take a minute longer than an 750hp FH16 to climb a hill, he says this is a small price to pay for the savings at the pumps. How refreshing to hear someone say this.
And on the subject of big Volvos, have you checked out the tightrope walking video on YouTube yet? http://bit.ly/Q1rblj features highliner Faith Dickey walking between two moving trucks. But the real stars of the show are the all-new FHs. So far, more than 2.4 million people have watched it. There’s quite a bit of detail in there
too, including the first tantalising glimpse of the new interior. You can see some of the stills on page 8.
This is the first, but probably not the last, truck to launched by social media. Will Shiers
Commercial Motor – the official UK journal of the International Truck of the Year and International Van of the Year Awards