Maritime Transport Finds Volvo FH With I-Save Trucks Well-Specced & Fuel-Efficient, Buys 355 More
Felixstowe-based Maritime Transport recently began taking delivery of 355 new 44-tonne (48.5-U.S.-ton) Volvo FH tractor units with I-Save technology. The firm ordered the Volvos due to the past performance of FH trucks already in its fleet; the order makes Maritime Transport the UK’s largest operator of Volvo trucks with a turbo compound engine. Volvo’s I-Save saves fuel in long-haul operations by combining a Volvo D13TC Turbo Compound engine with Volvo’s Fuel package, which includes I-See predictive cruise control and other technologies.
FH Adoption
In March 2021, Maritime Transport ordered 275 Volvo FH tractor units with I-Save to help make its fleet eco-friendlier. The order followed an earlier one for 50 previous-generation FH trucks with I-Save. Maritime Transport Fleet Director Paul Heyhoe says the haulier’s fleet now totals 1,150 trucks and will consist of roughly 50% Volvos once all ordered FH trucks are delivered.
The majority of the trucks in Maritime Transport’s most recent order are equipped with a 460-horsepower (343-kilowatt) Euro 6 D13TC engine and Globetrotter cab, although 25 have 500-HP (373-kW) D13TC engines and larger Globetrotter XL cabs. Maritime Transport expects the trucks to log about 125,000 kilometres (77,670 miles) annually hauling containers from ports.
Saving Fuel
I-Save lets drivers operate at lower revs and a higher gear for a longer period, in part by generating 300 newton-metres (221 pounds-foot) of additional torque at low revs. Depending on various factors, the tech can help reduce fuel costs by up to 10%. D13TC engines with I-Save are available in power ratings from 460 to 500 HP. Maritime Transport says its new FH trucks with I-Save each save 16 t (17.6 U.S. t) of carbon dioxide annually as compared to previous 460-HP Euro 6 Volvos in its fleet.
“The decision to order a significant number of Volvo vehicles was made when they introduced the turbo compound engine,” Heyhoe says. “We ran a comprehensive fuel trial, which compared the first-generation FH with I-Save with other vehicles on our fleet, and we saw some great results. Volvo has always produced a quality truck, and we have worked with them closely in order to get where we are today, with a specification fine-tuned to drive fuel efficiency and emissions savings in our business.”
Lighting The Way
Maritime Transport specified its Volvo FHs with a factory-fitted fridge, microwave oven, and new digital dashboard with DAB radio and a touchscreen side display. The firm also added Volvo’s Visibility package, which makes driving in foggy, rainy, and dark conditions safer through the use of cornering lights in the headlamps, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, and banksman lights.
The Volvo FH comes with your choice of five cab options and is also available as a rigid. It sports an improved aerodynamic design and is available with engines ranging from 420 to 540 HP (313 to 402 kW), with diesel, biodiesel, liquified natural gas (LNG), and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel options. The truck has the latest version of Volvo’s map-based I-See technology, which continually surveys the road 2 km (1.2 mi) ahead in order to optimise gear usage based on the topography. I-See can reduce fuel consumption by up to 5% compared to a truck without, Volvo says.
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Source: Volvo