The visionary design of Volvo Trucks and the thinking behind it have always been driven by a view to the bigger picture. To do this, it is important to understand the context in which the products are used, which means that you need to understand the current needs of the truck drivers.

To be able to anticipate the future needs of the drivers and the customers, it is important to anticipate future trends and developments in society, technology and the transport industry. Volvo Trucks’ design tradition, based on respect for functionality, and a desire to improve everyday life are always there in the background.

"There is nearly 100 years of technological progress and development between the first truck and the Vision 2020, so direct comparisons are not possible. However, the Core Values of Volvo have not changed so you could say that our development is driven by the same vision now as then," says Rikard Orell, Design Director, Volvo Trucks.

To stay ahead of the competition, Volvo Trucks is developing trucks that are both functional and attractive. The focus is on the driver because good trucks attract good drivers, and good drivers are vital for the transport operators.

"I believe that we appeal to both the heart and the brain. It is a good business proposition and there is a sense of pride in owning a Volvo, because it is capable as well as attractive," Rikard Orell says.

One of the factors that will be important for the future of Volvo Trucks, from a design point of view, is excellent aerodynamic efficiency, which is directly attributed to the shape of the truck. Striving for efficiency has always been important, and will be even more so in the future. New materials, new technology and new processes will also increase the energy efficiency of trucks and affect the way they look.

"To integrate these elements into a design that clearly expresses Volvo's Core Values and identity is going to be very interesting work," Rikard Orell concludes.

Early traffic-­safety development had a focus on passive safety, reducing injuries. For heavy-­duty vehicles, the “golden age” of passive safety was from the 1970s to the 1990s. Volvo’s gift to mankind is the three-­point seatbelt, developed for the Volvo Cars and then adapted to the trucks.

The most important thing you have to consider when working with traffic safety is the interaction between humans, vehicles and traffic environment. The traffic system is very complex and if any system limit is exceeded, or if systems have conflicting demands, there is a risk of an accident.

"It is a waste constructing a technically perfect vehicle if it is not adapted to humans and the traffic environment," says Lennart Svenson, former Head of Volvo Truck Accident Research Team at Volvo Truck Corporation.

A good example of passive safety is a cab structure that gives enough survival space after an accident. Volvo Truck Corporation introduced pendulum-­tested cabs in the 1960s. In the 1970s, as a result of the accident research, reinforcements in the doors and energy absorbing instrument panel were added.

Another example is the seat belt. Using a seat belt is the best way for a driver to avoid impacting the steering wheel, or any other part of the interior in a collision. Roller belts improved the situation and evolved into the three-­point solution that we use today. The three-point seat belt is Volvo’s gift to mankind, used by car manufactures all over the world. "The injury-­reducing effect of the seatbelt is hard to beat when compared to other safety devices, but work still remains to be done: to get all truck drivers to use it," says Lennart Svenson.

The goals have been shaped in parallel with the progress of safety work through the years. Truck safety was intensified in the 1970s when Volvo Truck Corporation released the first external reports based on accident investigation.

Active safety, preventing accidents, was for many years synonymous with braking efficiency. Focus on steering and behaviours on the road were added. At the end of the 1990s, a system with the aim to assist the driver was introduced.

"I believe that Volvo Trucks has a social responsibility to contribute to a transport system that is as safe, environmentally friendly and as cost effective as possible," says Lennart Svenson. Volvo Truck Corporation’s global presence has affected today’s safety through an exchange of information. The Volvo organization has gained both local and regional assistance and in return given others support through seminars, resulting in contacts around the world. Road safety work in collaboration with Volvo do Brazil is a significant example, with continuity over several years.

Driver training in different countries can be specified as another example. 

Milestones that stand out, in the development of safety systems, is the impact-tested cab, the barrier test, the energy-­absorbing steering wheel and underrun protections, that prevent a passenger car to end up under the truck in a frontal collision. Not to forget the introduction on the three-­point seat belt that improved the injury-­reducing effects by as much as 60 percent. Accident research also showed a positive injury-­reducing effect when introducing airbags as a complement to seat belts.

Early traffic safety development was focusing on passive safety. The focus now and in the future will be on active safety. Lately there has been more focus on detecting and acting on hazards that the driver might miss. The interface between man and machine becomes more and more important.

One percent here, one percent there; it soon adds up to a noticeable saving. This is the thinking behind the "Every Drop Counts" philosophy. Volvo is constantly scratching away, looking for new ways to make the trucks run further with less fuel and less impact on the environment. It is a down-to-earth approach that has made Volvo Trucks a leader of the field. With the 13-litre diesel engine and the latest I-Shift transmission, the trucks already have the most efficient driveline in the industry. Yet this is just the beginning.

Little by little Volvo Truck is digging the way out of conventional fuels, reducing fuel consumption by one percent each year – it might not sound much,
but it is a realistic and long-term commitment. Available resources are being channelled into improving the fuel efficiency of diesel-powered trucks or developing alternative fuel solutions.

Volvo Trucks has proven that the interests of the environment go hand-in-hand with the interests of hauliers. Take the cost of fuel. If it represents one third of your cost base, then a tiny reduction in consumption will noticeably improve your bottom line. Operational costs, too, begin to shrink as we drive trucks in a way that has less impact on the environment. And here is another thing.
The radical reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulates from Volvo’s diesel engines has become a huge competitive advantage, not only for Volvo, but also for the hauliers who drive the trucks and for the customers whose goods are transported in them.

Over the next 10 years Volvo Trucks aim to reduce fuel consumption by another 10 percent. Often using microscopic improvements to efficiency, occasionally with something completely new, like the methane-diesel technology or perhaps DME. “We will carry on working away like this for as long as it takes to achieve sustainable levels of emissions, carbon neutral transports and independence from fossil fuels,” says Charles Engelaar.

Volvo Trucks works to stay ahead of the competition through delivering innovations: new high-tech engine technologies, like Hybrid, Methane-Diesel, and I-Shift, but also by driver training and Dynafleet.

In the future, Volvo Trucks will persist to focus on new technologies but also how to improve human behaviour. The driver will continue to play a key role in the next decade. He or she has a huge capacity to make a positive contribution to the profitability of the transport business through the right man machine interface.

The drivers’ productivity is important for the end customers. One way to achieve this is through development of the drivers working environment. Volvo Trucks has always highly prioritized the drivers working environment in the development of new products. “We work closely with truck drivers in front of, as well as during project development, performing for example customer interviews in order to fully understand the drivers’ needs,” says Staffan Wendeberg, Product Feature & Profitability Manager, Volvo Trucks.

Volvo participates in international projects to follow the newest ideas in science around human factors, and resources are put in the latest simulation techniques around driver workload and distraction. All this gives a genuine knowledge base for setting the demands in product development projects. Driver productivity demands are followed closely during the projects and are never compromised vs. other aspects. We know the importance of driver productivity for our end customers. Volvo Truck is keen to meet the drivers’ demands as well as the fleet owners concerns. That is why it is satisfying to find consensus regarding the drivers working environment.

“The drivers and fleet owners can agree on a number of things; good healthy drivers has a positive effect on sick leave and keeps the driver turnover on a minimal level”, says Staffan Wendeberg. Ergonomics, controls within easy reach, and safety and support functions is important to avoid accidents and break down by engaged and alert drivers. A good healthy driver that enjoys the environment in the cab is also a good representative of the company.

Volvo Trucks goals are to offer the best product solutions, and supporting driver productivity. This is one of the corner stones to reach number one and to be regarded as the leader within the premium brands. The only way to get there is to have high ambition targets and to follow up and prioritize continuously during the development process. By securing state of the art knowledge of customer demands, deep in-house knowledge of basic human factors as well as good knowledge of competitor offer and solutions Volvo will assure a leading position in terms of driver productivity.

“You need a big portion of common sense, when in the traffic environment. If we always kept our eyes on the road when driving – we would definitely reduce the number of accidents. Unfortunately we don’t always do this.”

These are the words of Carl Johan Almqvist, Traffic and Product Safety Director at Volvo Truck Corporation.

Volvo Trucks has a vision zero; no Volvo truck is to be involved in an accident.

ART – Volvo Accident Research Team – who analyse accidents in the Gothenburg area, is driving the active safety development forward. They look into causes of accidents and investigate if product changes or the behaviour of the driver can keep accidents from happening. “The best accident is the one that does not happen. We test a variety of scenarios in our laboratories in order to improve the safety in our trucks,” says Carl Johan Almqvist. The driver of the truck and potential passengers shall be safe as well as everybody in the traffic environment – oncoming cars, pedestrians, cyclists, moped riders etc. “We aim to make our trucks as crash-friendly as possible,” Almqvist continues.

The founders of Volvo infused this safety tradition in the company. This is a heritage that obligates. It is a fact that Volvo has influenced the world – the safety belt is a Volvo engineering idea that is spread worldwide. So there’s a little Volvo in every vehicle in the world that is equipped with a seatbelt. And most are.

Volvo Trucks aim to lead the development in work towards an accident-free future. The customers shall always be aware of the benefits they gain through Volvo’s safety system. Seat belts included – which need to be used way more consistently.

A common truck accident is when they tip over. To prevent this, one of Volvos latest safety innovations is the ESP (Electronic Stability Program). This system helps the driver by activating the brakes, stabilising the rig and preventing the truck to tip over.

Safety aspects that will be of importance in the future are focused on avoiding accidents. There are and always will be unobservant people and distractions along the road attracting for our attention. Text messaging, for example, increases the risk of being involved in an accident by 23 times.

A modern Volvo truck provides alcolock, good visibility, pleasant climate, low noise, safety alarms, powerful brakes, intelligent electronics, efficient handling and stability, crash safety, energy-absorbent cab interior, comfortable three-point seatbelt, airbag and under-run protection. What is left for Volvo to improve?

Volvo has started a project to learn more about how people behave behind the wheel. Vehicles equipped with cameras that record the blind spots as well as the visibility in front of the vehicle will be helpful to improve the safety development.

“We record how the accelerator and brake pedals are used – as well as speed, retardation and brake pressure. This will give us valuable information about driving habits through about 70,000 hours of logged driving time,” Carl Johan Almqvist concludes.