The Volvo FH has won the coveted Motor Transport ’Fleet Truck of the Year’ Award for 2017 – the first time that a Volvo truck has won the Award in the twelve years it has been running.
The Award was presented to Volvo Trucks Commercial Director UK & Ireland Mike Corcoran, in front of audience of fleet operators and key figures from the truck industry, at the Motor Transport Awards ceremony held this month at the prestigious Grosvenor House Hotel in London.
The judging process for the ‘Fleet Truck of the Year’ Award is carried out by an independent panel of fleet operators. The panel, who based their decision on factors including productivity, reliability, fuel efficiency, driver acceptance and dealer support, unanimously praised the FH as a ‘fantastic fleet truck’.
Speaking at the Motor Transport Awards ceremony, a jubilant Mike Corcoran said: “We are massively pleased and excited. Volvo Trucks celebrate 50 years in the UK this year and to win this Award is extra special.”
The judges especially praised the I-Shift gearbox, with one declaring it to be “the best automatic transmission on the market”. Others on the judging panel praised the fuel economy of the 13-litre engine. Operator support from the Volvo dealer network also came in for positive comments from the judges, together with the 100% Uptime Guarantee and the FH’s durability.
The judges’ comments about I-Shift were echoed by Volvo Trucks Head of Product Management John Comer, who said that: “Since its introduction in 2001, I-Shift remains the benchmark for two pedal trucking. It has constantly evolved, through software developments, the launch of I-Shift with Crawler Gears and I-Shift Dual Clutch – which is a world first for a truck manufacturer – to the extent that the Volvo heavy truck range is only available now with I-Shift.”
John added, “This is a major achievement and statement for Volvo Trucks, 50 years on from defining truck drivelines with the System-8 synchromesh gearboxes in the F86 and F88. That set the standard up until the millennium. In fact, Volvo still defines the best drivelines for the correct application, providing performance with economy yet still giving the best driver experience – one that defines the brand.”
One operator on the judging panel confirmed that he had had ‘one million relatively trouble-free kilometres’ from his Volvo FH. Overall, the general consensus from the judging panel was that the latest FH has ‘come of age’ after its introduction in 2012.