Volvo FH Tractor’s MPG, I-Shift Dual Clutch Transmission Impress Hereford’s Bayliss Bros
Bayliss Bros of Hereford has come to purchase enough Volvo trucks that they now constitute more than half of the haulier’s fleet. The company’s newest addition is its first from Volvo’s latest generation of FH models. The fuel economy of the FH 540 Globetrotter 6x2 tractor unit with Volvo’s I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission has caught its new owners’ attention.
“It is currently 2 mpg up on anything we’ve seen before,” says Bayliss Bros co-owner Phil Bayliss. “Admittedly, we’ve not had it long and we’re expecting that to tail off a bit but even if it went down by a mile per gallon, we would still be doing cartwheels.”
Volvo dealer Truck and Bus Wales and West supplied Bayliss with the new FH. The firm plans to run the truck approximately 120,000 kilometres (75,000 miles) per year delivering aggregates to concrete and asphalt plants throughout the UK.
“It’s unbelievable,” Bayliss says. “We’re getting 8.9 mpg, which is unheard of for us as we run our trucks at 44 tonnes 75% of the time.”
Seamless Shifting
Bayliss’s new FH has a Volvo D13K engine good for 540 horsepower (403 kilowatts) and 2,600 newton-metres (1,918 pounds-foot) of torque. Its I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission takes but a fraction of a second to shift gear, delivering the engine’s power without interruption. The transmission’s controller can also decide on its next gear while driving in the current one, Volvo says.
“The Dual Clutch has also really impressed us,” says Bayliss. “It makes life easier for the driver. You don’t even know it’s changed gear. It’s a great bit of kit.”
Driver Retention
The tandem-axled Volvo FH 540 came with a comfortable Globetrotter cab. Its 12-inch digital instrument display allows the driver to set it to any of four available screen views. A second, 9-in. display on the side serves up navigation, the trucks’ camera feeds, transport information, and infotainment.
“We like to use top-of-the-range product, spec’d to a high level to help make sure we keep our drivers happy as well as our customers—driver retention is such a big issue in the industry at the moment,” says Bayliss. “Needless to say, the driver of this new FH absolutely loves it.”
Bayliss plans to purchase two more FH models over the next year.
“Generally, we try and change four trucks a year and recently most of the new orders have been Volvo,” Bayliss says. “We know it’s a reliable product, and in this line of work that’s what you want to be known for. To do the job properly, you need vehicles you can rely on. We’ve been having one or two issues with the other manufacturer we use and that’s why we went for Volvo again this time.”
The Volvo FH
Volvo designed its FH tractors and rigids for aerodynamic efficiency and maximum uptime. Its 420- to 540-HP (313- to 403-kW) engine options support diesel, LNG, biodiesel, and HVO fuels. There is also an FH Electric model with up to 657 HP (490 kW) and a 300-km (186-mi) range.
The FH offers five cabin options from a low sleeper cab to a high-roof Globetrotter XXL configuration. The Volvo Dynamic Steering feature reduces the driver’s turning and steering effort at any speed. Available options include the I-Save fuel economy package with a high-efficiency, turbo-compounding engine.
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Source: Volvo