Gothenburg, Sweden,-based Volvo Trucks, one of the world’s premier manufacturers of long-haul and off-highway vehicles, is expecting unprecedented growth in the transportation industry in the relatively near future. So much growth in fact, that the company doesn’t think traditional trucks and truck drivers will be able to keep up. Volvo is working on solving this problem sooner rather than later.
On The Horizon
According to Volvo Trucks President Claes Nilsson, “If we are to meet this demand in a sustainable and efficient way, we must find new solutions.” This starts with Volvo Trucks’ Future Transport Solution, an advanced logistics system that leverages autonomous electric vehicles to shuttle goods between relatively nearby locations on a frequent or regular basis. Other characteristics of Volvo’s offering include zero emissions, low noise, the ability to operate at any time day or night, and the use of modern roads and existing load carriers to cut down on the initial investment costs.
The high-tech autonomous vehicles are all synced to and controlled from Volvo’s cloud service and a transport control centre. Each one features numerous on-board position-tracking, location-monitoring, and failsafe capabilities designed to maximise the safety of other vehicles and people in or near the roadways. Other items that can be monitored remotely include battery charge, load content, service needs, and more. As with an industrial production process, speed and progress are tailored to avoid unnecessary waiting and to increase delivery precision. In this way, it will be possible to minimise waste in the form of buffer stocks and increase availability. Vehicles that operate on the same route cooperate to create optimal flow. For the time being, Volvo Trucks are opting to refine its technology with select customers in a handful of applications.
Get A Sneak Peak
If you’re going to be in Hannover, Germany between 20 and 27 September, stop by the IAA Commercial Vehicles event and head to Volvo Trucks’ stand (A05) in Hall 17. There you’ll get a closer look at the Volvo FH 25 Year Special Edition truck, Volvo FL and Volvo FE Electric vehicles, and more.
If you’re in the market for a nearly new Volvo truck, you can find numerous models for sale on TruckPaper.
