Volvo Emphasizes Options for Niche Market

April 1, 2000
VOLVO is adding new vocational-use equipment options to its truck family. "There are so many challenges in mounting equipment on Class 8 chassis," said

VOLVO is adding new vocational-use equipment options to its truck family. "There are so many challenges in mounting equipment on Class 8 chassis," said Rick Beavan, manager of Volvo refuse chassis. "Our goal is to provide you with a vehicle that meets the needs of your customers while minimizing the amount of modification in the equipment installation process. Volvo would like to revisit and announce some new componentry that we believe will help the body building industry."

Volvo is continuing to focus on vocational needs of the Class 8 buyer. The truck and vocational marketing group has been strengthened by the further resources commitment to assist the body building industry in building vocational chassis and completed vehicles for the end user. Body builders can contact the truck and vocational marketing group through the Volvo field sales manager.

The truck and vocational marketing group can take build-out requests and integrate them into the vehicle design, Beavan said. "In general, such items such as front-mount PTO, pusher- or tag-axle, can be incorporated into the unit at the factory level and for one unit or several units."

The truck and vocational marketing group will engineer items such as the factory installation of auxiliary axles, punching extra holes in the frame, multiple drop frame designs, inverted L-reinforcements or fish-plating, and installing electrical junction boxes in nonstandard locations. "The list of chassis modifications that Volvo can perform is extensive," said Beavan. "Our desire is to let body builders understand that we can perform the engineering and build the chassis on the line without the waiting period that many manufacturers are facing."

New Options Available Volvo has broadened its available options for this model year. Chassis options that Volvo has expanded include new Volvo engines designed for different model applications, improved T-Ride suspension packages, and new transmission offerings.

Upgraded engines include the Volvo VED-12 with a new horse-power/-torque rating of 465 hp with 1,650 lb-ft. This engine is suited for the Autocar chassis, but is not certified in the WG chassis.

"For the WX and WXLL chassis, Volvo has done very well with the VE-275 and VE-300 products," said Beavan. "These are low-mass engines that have found a real niche in the house-to-house refuse business." A low-mass engine design provides a low horsepower/inertia starting point.

Rear suspensions upgrades include the Volvo proprietary T-Ride suspension. This suspension is now certified for use with both Eaton and Meritor rear axles. The T-Ride is available in a 40,000- to 52,000-lb tandem configuration aimed at the mixer, dump, refuse, and construction vocations. It has a cross-rod design combined with taper-leaf springs that are suitable for on/off, or off-highway applications. "The T-Ride has been a great success story for Volvo componentry," said Beavan.

Transmissions haven't really changed that much for this year, except that Volvo is certifying and incorporating some of the newer Fuller AutoShift technologies in the WG series, said Beavan. "Of course our WX and WXLL series still run in excess of 95% with some automatic transmissions."

Beavan said that he wanted upfitters to be aware of all of the existing options that Volvo had to offer to the industry. "Just to name a few things, I'd like to remind the industry about the multiple drop frame options and the special 45 degree wheel cut that Volvo can build the WX chassis with"vocations."