PEST VOLVO FRIll
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Ifou only have to look around when hurtling, sorry queueing, along the M25 to appreciate the popularity of the Volvo FM12 tractor. It certainly has a lot to offer the fleet manager: a driver-friendly driveline, an easy !arbox and that all-important business ogul image. Volvo would be the first to cr.ee that the PM I2 isn't the cheapest truck i the block—it's built its reputation on :andinavian reliability and longevity.
The 6x2 tractor that is the subject of our ;ed truck test was registered in March 1999 id has covered more than 172,000 miles. )Ivo dealership Duffields of East Anglia used in Cambridge is selling T365 JCL for ;6,000 (ex-VAT) with a three or six-month -iveline warranty. That's L3,500 over the Cap ed Book recommended retail price, simply cause there are so few second-hand FMiz actors on the market and residuals are high. he average price is likely to drop as supplies nprove, and there should be plenty of FM lobetrotters up for grabs. Operators looking it a high cab and narrow truck should be .ady for some hard bargaining.
oduct low-down
six-pot turbo-diesel (with Electronic Diesel ontrol) powers the FM7, FMno and FM12 imilies with capacities of 7.3, 9.6 and 12.1tre respectively. The FMr2 gets the full 12.1 tres, rated at 34ohp, 38ohp and 42ohp for perations up to 44 tonnes. Operators get a aoice of 4x2, 6x2 or 6x4 tractors, with rigids mging from 4x2 to 8x4. There's also a choice f day, sleeper or Globetrotter cabs, and aobetrotters on rigids are not as unusual as au might think; after all it shares more than 5% of the F H's bits and pieces.
Our 6x2 FMT2 38ohp Globetrotter has the verhead earn Euro-2 D12C38o engine proucing 1,850 Nm of torque between Liao
r,3oorpm. It drives through the i4-speed three-over-three S Rr7oo gearbox with a splitter, rather than the optional "easy-shift" VT2o14 or the four-over-four nine-speed R17oo range-change box.
Dumping air from the mid-lift pusher axle improves traction for hill starts and slippery surfaces, though traction was never a problem during this test.
T365 JCL was contracted from Duffields of East Anglia to Norfolk haulier Derek Cooper (Transport) for two years. To date it has had no major components replaced or repaired, and no work has been needed under warranty.
Bottom line
We have modified our used truck test route to take out some 20 miles of flat A-roads which will make little difference to the results. The FM12 is the first contender to tackle this revised 274.5-mile route.
Through the first half of the trip, from the Hinckley BP Station through the hilly section to Ross-on-Wye, it returned
7. o4mpg, improving to 8.59mpg on the motorway-anddual-carriageways run back to our starting point. The overall figure was 7.54mpg.
We used the four-metre CM test trailer rather than any of the manufacturers' trailers and ran at 38 tonnes. The tractor tipped the scales at 7,63okg; with the 7,000kg Fruehauf trailer that gave an overall payload of 23.370kg.
The only hold-ups occurred in the morning on the A5/M42 junction where we were backed up for 15 minutes, and a mile from the BP Station along the A5 in the usual post-17.00hrs rush. We took our 45-minute break in a lay-by outside of Leominster.
On the road
The ride on any Volvo truck is impressive. The parabolic leaf springs on the front with stabilisers and air-suspended bogie with shock absorbers on the rear axles showed no sign of wilting but then T36 SICL has spent most of its life hauling bulk more than weight. There is some cab nod when changing up from a standing start but tackling roundabouts is a smooth process and the driving experience is a strong plus point.
The FM with the SRr7oo gearbox is in that select group of trucks that does not require top gear for 4omph sections of the road; 6L put the revs just right for peak torque.
As mentioned the gearbox is a three-over-three set-up; from o-5omph on the flat we used just as many gears as the more conventional four-over-four or r6-speed boxes.
Buying a truck with a 14speed three-over-three-gearbox might faze your driver initially but it can be mastered in less than a day. The ratios are close enough not to worry about overrevving when hitting a hill, and unless you run the box down to around 7oorpm when negotiating roundabouts or junctions block changes are few and far between.
The mid axle being a pusher prompts the question of tyre scrub in tight situations as it counters the front axle. Manoeuvring around the twisty A483 showed little evidence of this but it's always worth considering the type of roads you'll be using with a 6x2.
The FMI2's standard exhaust brake offers up to i6okW of retardation and with the revs in the blue band it will hold you back to 455omph downhill without recourse to the service brakes.
With 38ohp underfoot and a splitter at hand, the FMra took hillclimbs in its stride. We were left wondering how it would cope with 40 or even 44 tonnes. The cruise control saw plenty of action (as it's designed to) and despite a little extra noise and the needle m, ing into the yellow on the rises we bar, knew it was there. It allows the driver to adji his speed at the flick of a switch.
Cab quality
Judging by the excellent condition of the in rior it seems that fleet drivers no lorq smoke, clamber around the cab in mud boots or abuse the interior with a lighter wh they are kept waiting for hours on end (hi things have changed). The only thing missi from the cab was the paperwork tray that s over the engine; instead there were several pre-marked holes waiting For the new owner to fit a replacement.
There are two steps up into the FM's cab rather than the FH's three, but apart from the smaller doors and the reduced height you definitely get the FH feel, and the new owner won't have to spend any time sorting the cab out. The top bunk has not been used (it still has its plastic wrapping) and the bottom bunk has stood up to regular use very well.
The storage facilities are not outstanding but they look perfectly adequate for fleet use with one main compartment up in the rafters and two lockers next to each other over the passenger seat. The driver's seat is extremely comfortable with more than 4o available positions— the driver's mate gets the standardissue seat.
For once the dashboard is not covered in walnut, and looks the better for it with the combination of grey and black plastics. It even boasts a smoke alarm as standard which is good news for careless smokers.
CM verdict There are few of these trucks on the used truck market at the moment but as shorter contract and leasing deals expire there will be FM s aplenty over the next couple of years. As more come up, the price will inevitably fall so operators might be well advised to wait awhile before buying one. Mind you, operators don't seem inclined to wait: FM fzs are being snapped up almost as soon as they reach the forecourts. On the road it's as smooth as anything we've driven, and even though the fuel figures don't set the world alight we feel it's still a good result. Overall we'd recommend this truck to an operator because it has proved itself to be cost-effective, reliable and hard working. What more do you want?
IN by Kevin Swallow