Driver Preference & Advanced Safety Features Drive United Utilities’ Acquisition Of Two New Volvo FMX Tractor Units
Longtime Volvo customer United Utilities of Warrington, Cheshire, recently added two new FMX heavy-duty trucks to its fleet. The 6x4 tractors with sleeper cabs were supplied by Thomas Hardie Commercials.
“Our vehicles work on five-year asset management periods, so when it was time to refresh our contracts, we shared our vehicle specifications and requirements with all the major players in the industry,” says United Utilities Regional Logistics and Industrial Cleaning Manager, Martin Shaw. “Volvo has been awarded the contract for the past two renewals as its vehicles have consistently proven to be the best fit for our operation.”
Volvo’s Active Safety+
United Utilities’ Bioresources Services Team will use the new Volvo FMX tractors to pull bulk tipping trailers made by Wilcox Commercial Vehicles. Their job will be to haul sewage sludge that has been treated to become fertiliser at wastewater treatment plants.
The new FMX units feature headlamp protectors, new anti-slip steps, and a Volvo Gold Contract for service and maintenance. They also came with Volvo’s Active Safety+ pack of features. These include adaptive cruise control, emergency brake assistance, lane changing support, driver alert support, and Volvo Dynamic Steering, which assists the driver with extra steering force at low speeds. The vehicles also support automatic trailer brake activation and stretch braking, which pulses the trailer brakes on dangerous downhill roads to help prevent jack-knifing.
“The new vehicles have proven to be a hugely popular choice with our drivers, and they are particularly impressed with the added safety features,” Shaw says. The new tractors join a pair of FMX 8x4 tippers and other Volvos in United Utilities’ 350-truck heavy goods vehicle fleet.
Drive Axle Lift
United Utilities’ new double-drive Volvos also feature a tandem axle lift. A button on the dashboard disengages the rearmost drive axle on the tandem bogie and raises it to reduce fuel usage and turning radius. When the truck is loaded, the axle automatically lowers itself and re-engages its drive.
The tractors are equipped with a Volvo D13K engine rated for 500 horsepower (368 kilowatts) and 2,500 newton-metres (1,844 pounds-foot) of torque. A 12-inch digital instrument display inside the cabin can present as many as four screen views to accommodate the driver’s needs. Navigation assistance, camera monitoring, and other items appear on a separate, 9-in. touchscreen.
The Volvo FMX
Volvo’s latest FMX trucks are available in tractor and rigid form. They can be ordered with two to five axles in 4x2 to 10x6 configurations. Models with driven front axles come with Volvo’s Automatic Traction Control.
The six-cylinder Volvo D11K and D13K engine options provide the FMX with power levels of 330 to 540 HP (243 to 397 kW). Variants of the motors support diesel, biodiesel, and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuels. Drivetrain options include Volvo’s I-Shift 12-speed automated gearbox (available with or without a dual clutch) and the manufacturer’s fully automatic Powertronic powershift transmission.
The FMX is available with six cabin options ranging from a low day cab to an extended crew cab configuration. Volvo also offers the FMX Electric truck with an up to 300-kilometre (186-mile) range.
Find The Right Volvo FMX
Truck Locator lists an impressive selection of new and used Volvo trucks for sale, including FMX tractors and rigids.
Source: Volvo