This year Volvo will celebrate the 25^th anniversary of its iconic heavy duty truck, the Volvo FH.

The Volvo FH, specifically the FH440 6×4 T-T was the single most sold heavy-duty truck in South Africa in the year 2017, which the manufacturer believes is testament to a quarter century of the Volvo FH driving progress.

Claes Nilsson, President Volvo Trucks, sees the Volvo FH as the backbone of Volvo Trucks when it comes to image as well as creating profitability for the customers, while offering a state of the art workplace for the drivers. He recalls how this bold introduction in 1993 marked the start of a very successful time for the manufacturer.

Revolutionary cab design

“We were coming towards the end of a recession but decided to make a big push. This proved a real success. We launched the FH at the right time and had the most attractive product when the economy and transport market turned upwards again,” says Nilsson.

The first version was based on a new chassis whose dynamic design facilitated flexible solutions for different transport applications. Everything had a clear business focus, including the fuel-saving aerodynamics, ground-breaking driveline and the Volvo Engine Brake.

A unique driver focus

Top all of that with the new cab and the Volvo FH was announced as something special. Volvo Trucks early on decided to put the driver as the focus and over 1 500 drivers took part in extensive research clinics. The end-result — a safer and comfortable cab that created a whole new driving, resting and sleeping experience.

“There are so many possibilities to create fantastic improvements. We will explore all of them to make sure that the Volvo FH remains the drivers’ first choice and keeps delivering profits for our customers. Without revealing too much, it’s safe to say that the coming years will be even more exciting than the first twenty-five,” Nilsson concludes.