Volvo Launches New Regional VNR Model

[james j neiweem]

Seems like they are trying to bump Mack out of regional/bulk haul.

[TeamsterGrrrl]

What's really troubling, especially for Volvo, is the lack of investment in a new cab. Both the Volvo and Mack cabs are now over 20 years old, and Volvo has been known to come out with a new cab every 10 years or less. Even Paccar has a new cab now, Daimler's newest is barely 10 years old, and even broke Navistar has a mere 14 year or so old cab. This lack of investment in a new cab suggests that Volvo is preparing to pull out of the North American market...

[41180]

1 hour ago, TeamsterGrrrl said:

What's really troubling, especially for Volvo, is the lack of investment in a new cab. Both the Volvo and Mack cabs are now over 20 years old, and Volvo has been known to come out with a new cab every 10 years or less. Even Paccar has a new cab now, Daimler's newest is barely 10 years old, and even broke Navistar has a mere 14 year or so old cab. This lack of investment in a new cab suggests that Volvo is preparing to pull out of the North American market...

we could only hope that Volvo pulls out and sells mack to someone with a brain

[TS7]

What is wrong with the Mack cab? Careful what you wish for. Lets hear from Mack owners what they think.

[41180]

I like the mack cab. my only beef is they don't make superliner,CL or titan type trucks.

[TeamsterGrrrl]

It's the best of 1980s technology, and even manages to beat Volvo's decade newer cab on aerodynamics and durability. But if they took advantages of the advances in materials science, computer aided design, etc. made since the 80s a new cab would be a genuine improvement.

[41180]

they are coming out with a new highway truck this fall . raised cab roof so you can stand up in the cab . I hear all new interior as well . 

[41180]

in reality the R model cab should still be in production ,alongside the ch cab . they'd still be selling a ton of RD's if they built them.

[TS7]

More plastic like Daimler and Paccar. Trucks you sell after 5 years. Like I said care full what you wish for.

[TeamsterGrrrl]

Like it or not, technology usually improves. Just bought a 7th generation VW Golf diesel, and have owned the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th generation diesels for comparison. The new Golf beats the previous Golfs on almost any measure- even beats the 4th generation on fuel economy by a bit. Other than a few nitpicks like the plasticy interior and hiding of the door locks I'm more than happy with it. Even the increased computerization ain't all bad- while I don't like having to dig through menus in the On Board Computer to change basic settings, the OBC will change settings that used to require the factory service tool or VCDS to change.

[Marcel67]

They should focus on that EGR and DEF sh*t to be reliable and working normal! Without the need to pull into every f....ING dealer to be ripped off!!!! 

[kscarbel2]

A tour of two new Volvo VNRs

Aaron Marsh, Fleet Owner  /  May 9, 2017

Volvo Trucks rolled out two of its new VNR tractors — one a VNR 300 daycab and the other a VNR 640 with 61" sleeper — at the National Private Truck Council's (NPTC) Annual Conference last week. 

Volvo designed the VNR lineup with particular emphasis on the driver "environment," so we took the opportunity especially to check out the larger sleeper model and driver accommodations. The OEM clearly spent a good deal of time on the details here; follow along with us to take a tour of some of them.

Photo Gallery - http://fleetowner.com/equipment/tour-two-new-volvo-vnrs#slide-0-field_images-218061

[Dirtymilkman]

Yawn

[Underdog]

6 hours ago, Dirtymilkman said:

Yawn

Exactly... I don't see much different compared to the 2015 Volvo I drive now. Did anyone else catch the reference in the video to the steering wheel?!? Volvo calls it the "human/machine interface". We are not human anymore, only part of the machine. Soon we will have chips with barcodes in our necks.

[kscarbel2]

Getting a fresh look at Volvo's new VNR

Sean Kilcarr, Fleet Owner  /  May 31, 2017

Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) provided journalists with a chance to get up close and personal with its new VNR regional haul tractor during a special ride and drive event in Winston-Salem, NC; a tractor that the OEM only recently unveiled to the industry.

Highlights for this particular daycab VNR 300 model, shown off to journalists ahead of the event, include its adaptive loading lift axle solution for 6x2 tractors, forward collision warning technology tied to an automatic emergency braking system, light emitting diode (LED) low and high beam headlights as well as turn signals and marker lamps, plus much more.

Photo gallery - http://fleetowner.com/equipment/getting-fresh-look-volvos-new-vnr

[kscarbel2]

Volvo Expects Range of Market Shifts to Push Demand for New Model

Transport Topics  /  June 1, 2017

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Volvo Trucks North America expects market shifts that range from the expanded Panama Canal to the strongest construction market in a decade to lift demand for its new VNR regional-haul model, company representatives said.

“We see this is a common workday tractor that goes out on local deliveries, supporting the communities, supporting the cities, supporting farming — it is a work truck,” Chris Stadler, product marketing manager for VTNA, said during the manufacturer’s ride-and-drive media event here June 1.

Specifically, he listed local deliveries in cities and rural regions as applications that the company is targeting with the truck, which was introduced in April at ExpoCam in Montreal.

During the truck’s development, Volvo talked with about 2,000 fleets and drivers to learn what they needed in a regional-haul truck, he said. That included hearing from drivers “what they have to say when they are operating in these markets,” he said.

Models in the ride-and-drive event included the Volvo VNR 300 with a 28-foot trailer, a Volvo VNR 300 with a 28-foot refrigerated trailer, a Volvo 400 6×4 flatbed and a Volvo 6×2 flatbed.

And market shifts are key to Volvo’s business outlook for the truck, said Magnus Koeck, the company’s vice president of marketing and brand management. At the top of the list is the expanded Panama Canal, and the volume of cargo that is moving through East Coast ports as a result.

“It is happening. We don’t see the full effect of this yet, but it is something that we are monitoring very carefully,” he said.

Among business segments, Koeck said, the company is seeing some recovery in the gas and oil field sectors, which will boost demand for tanker trucks. The construction industry is another sector that is mounting a comeback, experiencing its strongest performance since 2007, he said.

“The construction sector has grown, and we continue to see that probably into next year,” he said.

In terms of vehicle registrations, that growth has come at the expense of longhaul, due to weak freight demand and rates, and excess used-truck inventories, he said. As it relates to new trucks, Koeck said, inventory-to-sales ratios remain steady as dealers are maintaining less inventory and restocking more frequently.

“We are very pleased with the positive customer response we’ve seen since we launched the Volvo VNR,” Göran Nyberg, president of VTNA, said in a press release issued in conjunction with the event. “Our order intake, especially for the VNR 640, has exceeded our expectations, and we look forward to delivering the truck that meets all of the unique demands of the regional-haul market.”
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[kscarbel2]

Volvo VNR Ride & Drive

Sean Kilcarr, Fleet Owner  /  June 1, 2017

Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) recently showed off its new VNR regional truck model during a ride and drive event in Winston-Salem, NC.

A total of three VNR models in four different configurations were made available to attending journalists: a VNR 640 6x2 highway tractor configured with a 61-in. sleeper plus a VNR 400 6x4 tractor configured with a 42-in. mid-roof sleeper, both pulling 53-ft. flatbeds loaded out with concrete blocks; a VNR 300 4x2 in straight truck configuration, fitted with a dry van box and hydraulic lift gate; and a VNR 300 4x2 tractor pulling a 28-ft. pup trailer.

Photo gallery - http://fleetowner.com/equipment/volvo-vnr-ride-drive#slide-0-field_images-219741

[kscarbel2]

Rethinking the regional trucking market

Sean Kilcarr, Fleet Owner  /  June 1, 2017

Shifting freight patterns and driver demands may be positioning regional trucking for greater growth.

WINSTON-SALEM, NC. The main reason driving Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) to introduce the new VNR family of trucks to replace its VNM model is a fairly simple one, according to Chris Stadler, the OEM’s product marketing manager for regional haul: “The VNM is an aged truck; it was time for a refresh. We needed a more adaptable truck, too: one that can operate in the city and on the highway.”

Yet Stadler also explained to Fleet Owner that shifting freight transportation patterns plus the need to address a growing shortage of truck drivers accelerated VTNA’s decision to build the VNR: a family of trucks that took over two years to design in part due to the input of 2,000 customers and drivers.

“Even with autonomous vehicles we’ll need drivers; there’s going to be a need for them [drivers] for quite a while,” he said. “We need to make sure they are productive, rested, comfortable, and less distracted.”

Stadler noted that while the regional market is changing, the OEM can’t bank on any one segment doing better than another.

“There are lots of good opportunities in the regional market: bulk haul, tanker, city delivers, P&D [pickup and delivery], flatbed, construction, and LTL,” he emphasized. “But there are also lots of changes, too. We had anticipated more regional versus long haul when the expanded Panama Canal opened. Also the oil and natural gas fields are only slowly recovering.”

Those are some of the reasons why demand for regional trucks slumped in recent years. For example, according to VTNA data, in 2014 the regional haul market accounted for 66,300 units, humping to 72,320 units in 2015. But in 2016, demand dropped to 54,029 units. Comparing year-to-date regional market sales through March 2016 to year-to-date sales through March 2017, the decline is steeper: 15,519 units against 11,762 units, respectively.

Still, Magnus Koeck, VTNA’s vice president of marketing and brand management, stressed that 54,000-plus units remains “a big market.”

Perhaps the biggest change in the regional sector, though, is how truck OEMs are now getting more focused on driver recruitment and retention issues, said Stadler, as less and less people want to get into trucking.

“They don’t want to be gone weeks at a time anymore and that’s why LTL fleets, for example, are creating more hubs and distribution points: that leads to more short hauls,” Stadler said. “We’ve also heard there is more demand for timed deliveries, too. So we want to put the right truck into the right application and not just for today but for five to 15 years down the road.”

That means adding more electronics and “gadgets,” from Stadler’s view, to give the “younger generation” vehicle operating parameters that appeals to them, while keeping it “intuitive” for the current generation of truck drivers.

“It’s about making it easier for all generations [of truck drivers] to adapt to using it,” he stressed. “We want to make sure it can be operated by those who’ve never seen a manual transmission in their life. Make it adaptable.”

It also must be a more cost-effective truck as well, Stadler stressed. For example, he said the VNR’s improved aerodynamic profile can boost fuel economy 1% compared to the previous VNM model, while the VNR’s Volvo GHG2017 powertrain can offer a further 2.5% to 3.5% gain in fuel efficiency versus the VNM.

“Regional can longer be a hand-me-down from long haul; it must offer better performance and fuel efficiency, too,” Stadler pointed out. “While regional [fleets] don’t usually think about fuel economy, fuel is still their biggest cost. So getting an extra one to two miles per gallon when they are operating on the highway is an additional savings in the wallet for them.”

Regional customers also keep truck a long time, he added: five to 15 years for some of them. “They’ll start it in bulk hauling, then move to flatbed and then finally to dry van. They use the truck to its full potential,” he explained. “My mission is to give the customer a truck that can do all of those jobs.”

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[kscarbel2]

Driver Comfort Guided Volvo VNR Interior Designers

Transport Topics  /  June 2, 2017

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Drivers are proud of their trucks, so many were happy to invite Volvo designers into their cabs when the manufacturer was developing the interior design for its new VNR model, a company representative said.

“A lot of this design is intentional and is based on driver interviews and feedback,” Jason Spence, a Volvo product marketing specialist, told Transport Topics during a test drive of a Volvo VNR 300 day cab on June 1.

The company met with about 2,000 drivers and fleets while developing the truck, which was unveiled in April.

For example, he pointed out the six charging ports — four 12-volt jacks and two USB ports — that come standard in the truck. The two USBs and one 12-volt are mounted on top of the dash, a departure from the traditional spot low in the center stack, and high enough to be near spots where drivers tend to stash devices, he said. This design cue, he added, addresses the issue of charging cables being run up from low-mounted jacks, blocking HVAC and other controls. That said, there are two more 12-volt jacks installed lower down, near storage bins.

Helping drivers stay comfortable behind the wheel is also vital, especially considering the breadth of new recruits entering the industry. They include women, said product marketing manager Allison Athey, who discussed the challenges female drivers like her sometimes face. She pointed specifically to the truck’s adjustable seat belt and three-way adjustable steering wheel as features that help drivers of varying sizes find the right fit.

“I can get the setup exactly where I want it,” she said from behind the wheel of a VNR 420 that was pulling a flatbed trailer along a North Carolina state highway. She also said that the VNR has more space around the accelerator pedal than the VNM model it replaces, a nod to drivers who wear large boots.

From behind the wheel, the truck’s new 5-inch, color data screen is configurable to display three driver-selectable digital gauges from a menu of more than 20, including transmission temperature, oil temperature, DEF tank temperature, oil and fuel levels, and fuel economy. And there are benchmarks a driver or fleet can set. Also tucked into the menu are settings that control the volume of, for example, the sound indicator for the turn signal.

The wheel itself features 19 buttons that control such functions as Bluetooth connectivity, integrated engine braking and cruise control, gauge cluster backlight and audio volume and buttons that permit drivers to flash their headlights or taillights at other drivers, Chris Stadler, product marketing manager, said in an interview with TT.

Volvo also rethought the placement and number of switches, Stadler said. “We put them where they need to be and minimized the switch blanks.”

Buyers also have a choice of seven seats, including a RollTek unit that is designed to protect the driver in a crash. If sensors in the base determine a crash is imminent, Spence said, the seat will drop and slide back. The seat also features a side-mounted air bag, which is in addition to the standard driver-side steering wheel-mounted air bag.
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[kscarbel2]

Driving the new Volvo VNR

Truck News  /  June 22, 2017

The design of the all-new Volvo VNR was heavily inspired by driver feedback

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — If it takes a village to raise a child, as the African proverb goes, perhaps it takes an industry to design a truck. That was Volvo’s approach to developing its new VNR regional haul truck, which was unveiled at ExpoCam in Montreal in April, and made available to the truck press for initial rides and drives here June 1.

When designing the new VNR, Volvo consulted with about 2,000 customers and drivers, and results of their input can be found everywhere throughout the cab. There were so many ‘why hasn’t anyone else thought of that?’ moments noticed during my time in the VNR, that it was clear Volvo was listening carefully to driver feedback, and not just going through the motions. 

Mostly, it’s the little things. For example, drivers can adjust the interior volume of the turn signals and hazard lights, from obnoxiously loud to barely audible. A good idea for those times a team driver is trying to get in some sleep in the bunk. Also, cupholders can be removed and relocated to the exact position the driver wants them at along a rail on the center console. The driver can even install additional cupholders there. And the cupholders themselves are versatile enough to accommodate everything from large Big Gulp-type mugs, to small Styrofoam cups or narrow water bottles.

Volvo powertrain marketing rep Allison Athey told me she inadvertently put the cupholders to the test, when she placed in it a full coffee without a lid and forgot about it. On the road, she looked down in a panic, thinking she’d made a mess of one of the very first prototype VNRs to roll off the line, and to her relief saw that the cup hadn’t spilled over.

Chalk it up to an effective cupholder design and the smooth-shifting I-Shift transmission. But enough about cupholders.

There’s lots to like about the new design of the VNR, especially if you’re a driver. Volvo defines a regional haul truck as a work truck that tends to make deliveries within a 200- to 300-mile radius. Common applications involve bulk haul, flatdeck, tanker, and city P&D. These drivers typically don’t live out of the truck, but they spend enough time in it that they deserve to be every bit as comfortable as their linehaul brethren, and that’s what Volvo brings to them in the VNR.

The interior is stylish and comfortable, with exceptional visibility offered over the short, tapered hood. For the first time, Volvo is offering a full range of seats, regardless of interior trim level selected. If you want to splurge on a comfortable seat you spend all day in, but save on the interior trim level, now you can do so. And why not? Tying the available seat selections to the interior package limits customer choice, and the new VNR is all about choice.

Seven levels of seating are available, including high-end RollTek and Bose Ride System seats. You can also choose heated and cooled seats, or a passenger seat with an integrated refrigerator to eliminate the need to clutter up the cab with a cooler. Even the most basic seats are extremely comfortable. I drove a VNR 400 on the highway and assumed my seat was an upgraded option, only to discover it was the most basic one on offer – the X1 vinyl seat from National.

The new Position Perfect steering wheel is more comfortable than past designs, and can house up to 19 controls. It’s also pretty much infinitely adjustable. The VNR is a modern truck that doesn’t discriminate; drivers of all shapes, sizes, and statures will be comfortable in this truck.

The new steering wheel even offers a neck tilt option so you can position it just right to see the new, colorful driver information display. This five-inch display uses strategic colors – red and green – to convey key messages to the driver with minimal distraction. The display is also customizable, and where drivers can adjust things like the signal light volume, but that’s only possible when the truck’s parked.

The door panels have been redesigned as well, the speakers relocated to offer better acoustics and deeper pockets that provide more storage. A cool blue interior light on the door offers interior visibility for the driver and passenger, and a new puddle lamp on the bottom of the door shines down on the step and any hazards below when the door is opened.

That’s another idea that had to have come from a driver. No more soaked work boots!

Even the door-mounted fingertip controls for the windows, locks, and mirrors were revamped for a better feel.

I drove two VNRs – the 400 with 48-ft. flatdeck trailer loaded to about 75,000 lbs on highway, and the VNR 300 with 28-ft. trailer on a city route – and both were incredibly quiet. This is in part due to improvements to engine design, but also thanks to a new rubber floor covering insert that keeps road noise to a minimum.

Both trucks were powered by the D11 engine rated at 425 hp and 1,550 lb.-ft. of torque and Volvo I-Shift 12-speed automated manual transmission. The D11 is the standard engine for the VNR and it’s plenty powerful enough for loads grossing up to 80,000 lbs on reasonably flat terrain. The 13-liter will probably be preferred in many Canadian applications.

The highway tractor I drove was set up with the XE package for optimum fuel economy through downspeeding, while the city truck had a direct drive transmission and straight torque engine configuration. Both had fleet-level interior trim packages, but these were very well-appointed cabs and perfectly comfortable to drive. The highway tractor had a 42-inch mid-roof sleeper, home to a more comfortable higher-end mattress, while the city truck was a day cab.

Both had ample, well placed power options inside the cab, another result of the consultation designers did with drivers. These include USB and 12-volt power outlets at the top of the dash, close to the slots and pockets drivers can use to store their electronic devices.

Volvo cleaned up the dash, making it more intuitive while eliminating unnecessary empty switch blanks. An optional touchscreen infotainment system is available, but both trucks I drove were without.

The exterior of the truck is indisputably more handsome than the 20-year-old VNM it will replace. The truck has a more modern, streamlined appearance. But changes to the exterior were as much about function as they were aesthetics. Bearing in mind regional trucks are often required to work in tight spaces where damage can easily occur, Volvo designers took steps to protect against damage and to simplify repairs when required. For example, the headlights are inset from the edge of the fenders, where they’re less likely to get cracked.

Two bumper end plates can be removed if the truck is going off-highway, or replaced if they get dented. Volvo went with all-LED lighting, which is rated at 10,000 hours, making even bulb replacements less frequent. The bumper hugs the chassis so it doesn’t stick out where it’s vulnerable to damage. The hood offers incredible visibility from the driver’s seat, and Volvo’s stylish hood-mounted mirrors provide excellent visibility around the truck without detracting from the truck’s appearance.

The hood is attached to the cab, offering easier access to underhood components. The air intakes on the side of the hood– while not as distinctive as the inverted hockey stick shape I personally am fond of – offer excellent ventilation, Volvo officials said. The truck has a 113-inch BBC, one of the best in the industry, and 50-degree wheel cut, for excellent maneuverability. I was really pleased with how the VNR 300 handled on a tight city route in Winston-Salem.

You can tell by looking at the VNR that it’s a more aerodynamic design than the VNM it replaces, which Volvo says will net a fuel economy improvement of about 1%. The new GHG17 engines Volvo rolled out earlier this year contribute another 2.5-3% improvement in fuel economy. So fleet owners will really like the new VNR and its ability to boost their profit margins.

But to me, this truck is really about the driver, and bringing unsurpassed comfort, versatility, and customization to a segment that hasn’t always been afforded such luxuries.

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[RoadwayR]

Grocery stores out to love it.  And that is not necessarily a dig.

Anyway, listening to the comments on this thread and my own observations indicate to me that Volvo needs to rationalize their operations in North America.  I think the sensible thing to do would be to focus Mack on vocational and heavy haul, and focus Volvo on regional and OTR.  Mack gets a steel cab, Volvo get aluminum.  Share basic engine platforms to a point, but optimize to application.  Mack gets severe service frame/axle/suspension options, Volvo gets light weight highway components.  I would not offer a Volvo mixer chassis, nor would I have a Mack version of this new VNR (I would offer a way to spec. a Mack for OTR highway service just because I am nostalgic!).  Sell both lines at all dealers.

Oh yeah, and get Mack back into medium duty.  They used to be pretty good at it.  Volvo wasn't.......... 

          

[kscarbel2]

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[Dirtymilkman]

On 6/24/2017 at 1:22 AM, RoadwayR said:

Grocery stores out to love it.  And that is not necessarily a dig.

Anyway, listening to the comments on this thread and my own observations indicate to me that Volvo needs to rationalize their operations in North America.  I think the sensible thing to do would be to focus Mack on vocational and heavy haul, and focus Volvo on regional and OTR.  Mack gets a steel cab, Volvo get aluminum.  Share basic engine platforms to a point, but optimize to application.  Mack gets severe service frame/axle/suspension options, Volvo gets light weight highway components.  I would not offer a Volvo mixer chassis, nor would I have a Mack version of this new VNR (I would offer a way to spec. a Mack for OTR highway service just because I am nostalgic!).  Sell both lines at all dealers.

Oh yeah, and get Mack back into medium duty.  They used to be pretty good at it.  Volvo wasn't.......... 

          

Volvo just needs to not be so arrogant and give Mack the freedom Renault did. 

[james j neiweem]

Not bad looking. Kind of reminds me of the Iveco conventional

[kscarbel2]

2 hours ago, james j neiweem said:

Not bad looking. Kind of reminds me of the Iveco conventional

Reference:

https://www.iveco.com.au/product/powerstar