Those big, red machines

Music to some ears "" Volvo launches a new generation of trucks

Once I was relegated to the freight train that runs the Dover - Calais Channel Tunnel, and that meant parking my car on an open rake and spending time with British truck drivers. The guy sitting across me was reading a well-ironed copy of the Financial Times. Left hand holding the pink paper, the right religiously was feeding enormous quantities of egg and sausage to his mouth. Even the newspaper could not hide his girth "" he certainly had been eating a lot of eggs and sausages over the years. Dave, as he called himself, was one of the many truckers who kept things coming from and going to Great Britain. For the next thirty minutes, Dave would explain how much fun it was to be driving trucks all over Europe. New places, new friends, lots of money...and great machines. He then introduced me to a few other drivers who were also busy gulping what looked like breakfast-lunch-dinner sets. They were quite well dressed and some even wore a tie.

Language was not the Queen's very own but they were extremely friendly and pretty proud of the fact that they drove big rigs. At Calais, I exchanged tie-pins with Dave and we went to our respective machines "" my SUV was dwarfed by a massive, red Volvo tractor-trailer combination. I envied Dave. But why did I bring him to this page? To understand, you'll have to read on till the end. Please.

Fast-forward to some five years later. Here I am, currently driving a massive, red Volvo on the Mumbai-Nasik road "" the brand new FM 12, to be precise. No, I don't have a massive trailer carrying four rolls of steel behind me. Just the tractor and I, and we are cruising at an 80 kph. I can hear the hush of the air-conditioner and the seat feels tailor-made for me "" it could well have been a Volvo S80 (the luxury car produced by the passenger car division, now owned by Ford).

Before you think I have been inspired by Dave to change professions, let me explain "" I was in the midst of a road-testing session where we put the new Volvo trucks "" the FM 12 and the FM 9 through their paces. Let me apologise in the same breath "" in reality, I do not know enough nor do I have the relevant experience to road-test these beasts. Even though I have driven the previous generation series of trucks and the B7R bus, all I can do is make a feeble attempt to tell you about what it means to drive these new machines.

To begin with, the reference to the S80 is not all that misplaced "" the FM 12 cab is designed like a passenger car "" well, almost. It is extremely handsome to look at, has vertically stacked headlamps that can do new-age Cadillacs proud, has been crash tested, has safety features "" driver side air-bag and seatbelts incorporated, and comes with an ergonomically correct interior that is built around the driver with a fully adjustable seat, adjustable steering wheel, tinted glass... and we have the gall to call it a truck!

The FM 12 380 6X4 I was driving actually has wares that cars can only dream of. Let us start with the all-new engine that displaces 12,000 substantial CC between its six cylinders and breathes through an intercooled turbocharger. This Volvo D12D 380 engine develops, as the nomenclature suggests, 380 bhp, and supercar aficionados will tell you that Sachin's Ferrari 360 Modena also has about 400 horses going for it. Wait a minute, but how about 380 bhp at just about 1800 rpm? Add that to 85 kgm of torque at 1400 rpm and you know tree stumps don't stand a chance with this thing. Essentially, by the time you say "Volvo FM 12," you get peak torque and peak power in your hands and that is an absolute must if you have to haul to earn your money.

More than that, these heavy duty engines are built to run forever "" it is not abnormal for a Volvo truck which strictly follows the scheduled preventive maintenance regimen to last 20 years of continuous service.

Six engine control units make up the engine management system of this 24 valve, overhead cam engine with unit injectors and a Volvo patented engine braking system (VEB), which uses exhaust gases to retard the vehicle's run, in tandem with the conventional brakes. All the power is transmitted to the four powered wheels through a synchromesh gearbox with 9 forward gears and 2 reverse gears. The tandem bogie-type rear axle features hub reduction and differential locks.

It may all sound tough and big. But it is a breeze to drive and let me tell you, you don't need to go through the Volvo driver training programme to get behind the wheel of just the tractor. It is so effortless you will instead be appreciating the panoramic view of the road than trying to remember which gear you are in. You thought fifth gear in your car is overdrive, right? I was starting off in fourth and fifth, since there was no load to haul.

Steering is, naturally, power assisted and turn-ins, while you need to take care of lesser mortals on the road, is very good for a vehicle of its size. Later in the day we would also drive the FM 9 8X4 and 6X4 tippers which are used extensively for mining applications. The 8X4 version has two axle, four wheel steering, which makes manoeuvring in tight spaces a total breeze.

The new breed of Swedes which follow the successful FH 12 and FL 7 range of Volvos in our country will set your company account back by Rs 40-50 lakh, depending on the tractor-trailer combination you choose. They are designed and built to earn that money back in a span of two to three years. As for the Indian truck driver, these machines can redefine his life. Volvo drivers are already a respected lot, especially when they encounter rough policemen and transport authorities. Mind you, they are trained drivers and when their Volvos go for service, they get quality treatment which includes a proper rest area, especially reserved for them. And they earn close to Rs 10-15,000. Not surprising then that the Volvo training centre near Bangalore even gets applications from post-graduates.

All this at a time when most of the 'normal' truck drivers in our country go through hell to ensure that our march to progress continues. They still sleep under their trucks and cook food from kerosene stoves by the roadside. Most of them graduate to the status of driver after spending years as cleaners. Many suffer from poor eyesight. They are asked to operate their ill-maintained and overloaded machines beyond the limit and comply with impossible deadlines. Paid almost nothing, most don't know what job security means. Many die from the numerous accidents that are a permanent feature on our highways, while many others live with venereal diseases picked up from the dismal truck towns that have sprung up around our big cities.

Volvo has already heralded improvements and it is heartening to notice that quite a few truck drivers are already benefiting from this transformation. We don't have drivers who read the Business Standard and wear ties yet, but Dave, we are getting there. These big, red machines are making the difference, for sure.