Volvo FH 500 With Tridem Increases Manoeuvrability & Payload Capacity For West Coast Woodfuels

---

West Coast Woodfuels increased its fleet to three trucks with the addition of a Volvo FH 500 Globetrotter 8x2 tridem. (Photo courtesy of Volvo.)

West Coast Woodfuels’ new Volvo FH 500 is an 8x2 tridem with a hydraulically steered pusher axle and a tag axle with single wheels. The 32-tonne (35-U.S.-ton) truck gives the biomass woodchip fuel provider better manoeuvrability when making deliveries to locations where there’s minimal operating space.

“It’s been spec’d to go into sites where we know 26-tonne refuse collection vehicles can struggle, yet we can comfortably get in on four axles thanks to careful chassis selection and the wonder of Volvo Dynamic Steering,” says Roddy Danabie, operations manager at West Coast Woodfuels. “My driver can literally turn the wheel with his little finger when manoeuvring, it’s that easy and makes such a difference.”

Bigger Payload Capacity

As Danabie notes, the four-axle FH also provides additional hauling capacity vs. the truck it replaced. West Coast Woodfuels specified the truck with a Volvo D13K engine rated for 500 horsepower (373 kilowatts) and 2,500 newton-metres (1,844 pounds-foot) of torque.

“I’m a Volvo man through and through; there’s little else worth buying, provided the price is sensible,” says Danabie. “For this new truck, the focus was on maximising payload capacity, whilst still being able to get into sites with very limited access. What we’ve achieved with this tridem is nothing short of exceptional!”

---

“The FH will only cover 50,000 kilometres a year, but a lot of that will be driving on poor-quality roads, so we need a truck we can rely on,” says West Coast Woodfuels Operations Manager Roddy Danabie. (Photo courtesy of Volvo.)

Enhanced Comfort & Visibility

West Coast Woodfuels’ new FH is equipped with a Globetrotter cab and Volvo’s Drive and Living+ package, as well as the Visibility package. The latter includes rain-sensing windscreen wipers, heated and wide-angle mirrors, and a manually adjustable kerb view mirror on the passenger side to make operating the truck even safer for everyone nearby. The truck also features Volvo’s 12-speed I-Shift transmission, which reduces operator fatigue while improving fuel efficiency, reducing vibrations, and delivering smoother shifting.

Find The Right Volvo Truck

You’ll find a large selection of new and used Volvo trucks for sale every day on Truck Locator, including numerous FH tractors and rigids.

Source: Volvo