Volvo FH wins coveted Motor Transport award

Truck model scoops ‘Fleet Truck of the Year’ accolade at this year’s Motor Transport Awards

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 picked up the accolade in the 12 years it has been running.

The award was presented to Mike Corcoran, commercial director (UK & Ireland) for Volvo Trucks, in front of an audience of fleet operators and key figures from the truck industry, at the recent Motor Transport Awards ceremony held in London.

The judging panel based their decision on factors including productivity, reliability, fuel efficiency, driver acceptance and dealer support, and unanimously praised the Volvo FH as a ‘fantastic fleet truck’.

The judges were particularly impressed by 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, whilst operator support from the Volvo dealer network also received positive comments from the judges, together with the 100% uptime guarantee and the FH’s durability.

John Comer, head of product management for Volvo Trucks, echoed the judges’ comments about I-Shift. He said: ‘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.

‘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.’

Mr Corcoran added: ‘We are massively pleased and excited. Volvo Trucks celebrate 50 years in the UK this year and to win this award is extra special.’