Cambridgeshire-Based G. Webb Haulage Purchases Volvo FM 8x4 Rigid Truck With Lifting Rear Axle
G. Webb Haulage, a bulk haulage company based in Cambridgeshire, recently added a new Volvo FM rigid truck to its 60-vehicle fleet, the company’s first Volvo purchase in nine years. The 8x4 truck features a Globetrotter cab with a 33-litre refrigerator and freezer underneath the bunk and a diesel-powered parking heater. It also has a D11K Euro 6, Step D engine that produces 430 horsepower (321 kilowatts) and 2,050 newton-metres of torque, and an I-Cruise intelligent cruise control and I-Roll software that Volvo says helps to save fuel when neither engine power nor engine braking is needed.
G. Webb’s FM features a lifting rear axle that lowers itself automatically when the truck is loaded and disengages with the push of a button when the truck us unladen. Having the second drive axle raised during return trips helps with “optimising traction” and “delivering a fuel saving of around 4%,” according to Volvo. The truck will work five days a week transporting aggregates, coal, contaminated soil, fertiliser, scrap metal, and other materials. G. Webb estimates the truck will travel around 120,000 kilometres per year while covered by a Volvo Blue Contract for two years.
Durable & Fuel-Efficient
“The nature of our work means some jobs can involve a period of empty running, when our vehicles return to site to reload. With the new FM we can lift the rear axle, reducing rolling resistance, which in turn improves fuel economy and reduces tyre wear. Volvo was the only manufacturer that was able to provide us with this configuration and we were keen to give it a try,” says Paul Broker, fleet director for G. Webb Haulage. “Initial driver feedback has been very promising. The main focus for us is fuel economy, so if the FM can prove its worth, we’ll definitely return to Volvo for future upgrades to the fleet. The whole purchasing process has been smooth from start to finish.”
More Volvo FM Details
While G. Webb opted for the Globetrotter cab configuration with a 430-hp engine, the Volvo FM also has options for low and normal day cabs or sleeper cabs as well as D11K or D13K diesel engines ranging from 330 to 500 hp (246 to 373 kW). There is also an LNG (liquefied natural gas)-powered version with either a 420- or 460-hp (313- or 343-kW) engine available as a 4x2, 6x2, or 6x4 tractor unit or rigid with a maximum range of 1,000 kilometres. Transmission options include I-Shift with crawler gears and I-Shift Dual Clutch gearboxes, both of which have several optional software packages optimised for construction, distribution, long-haul operations, and other applications.
You will find hundreds of new and used Volvo trucks for sale on Truck Locator, including a large selection of FMs.