Former World‘s Strongest Man, Magnus Samuelsson, at the wheel of a factory spec FH16 750 fitted with the new gearbox, lifted off and drove a 20-trailer, 40-container monster weighing some 750 tonnes, 100m along the Gothenburg Port. Covering the event for Volvo was Brian Weatherley, one of New Zealand Trucking magazine‘s European correspondents. Brian was in the passenger seat of the Volvo and said he‘d not witnessed anything like it before.

The new crawler gear allows trucks to move at 0.5 – 2.0 km/h. Depending on application, I-Shift is available with one or two forward crawler gears, and with or without two reverse crawler gears.  Mitch Peden, vice president of Volvo Trucks Australia, said, “ The Volvo I-Shift with crawler gears has changed the game – hauling 750 tonnes with a series-produced truck is incredible! What used to be a job for highly specialised, purpose-built trucks can now be performed with a series-produced truck. It is pleasing to see the platform moving from the high horsepower title race to how innovation can apply the enormous power and torque to drive productivity, fuel efficiency and competitive advantage. This amazing technology increases the versatility and productivity of our trucks in the heavy haulage segment.”

I-Shift Crawler – operator facts

• Developed for excellent startability and driving at ultra-low speeds. 
• I-Shift with crawler gears can drive as slowly as 0.5–2 km/h and can start off from a standstill while hauling 325 tonnes. 
• The transmission is available in a choice of direct drive and overdrive, with one or two crawler ratios. It is also possible to specify two extra reverse crawler gears. 
• The crawler gears are added to a regular I-Shift gearbox. In order to handle the high loads involved, several components are made from high-strength materials. The gearbox is 12 cm longer than a regular I-Shift unit. 
• I-Shift with crawler gears is available with Volvo Trucks‘ 13- and 16-litre engines on the Volvo FM, Volvo FMX, Volvo FH and Volvo FH16