2020 marks the tenth year of the Volvo FMX series of trucks. This is a heavy duty truck that has been specifically developed for the demanding construction industry. Over the past decade, the FMX's ability to cope with tough conditions has evolved as a result of the introduction of many innovative features. Aside from being developed from the ground up as a heavy duty truck, adding better features and equipment over the years since its introduction, has made the FMX one of the better heavy duty / construction trucks on the market, especially in its current form.
Now prior to the Volvo FMX, different variants of the Volvo FM and Volvo FH were used in the construction industry. However, Volvo Trucks saw the need of a truck specially developed for the construction sector and it also noted the years of feedback from customers. In 2010, Volvo Trucks did just that and came out with the first FMX.
It was only in 2014 that Malaysia got the Volvo FMX. This is because of the usual regulations and the research needed to see whether it was suitable to be brought in and sold in a small but very competitive market. Many issues needed to be ironed out from the diesel engine specifications, the quality of diesel we have available and the need for its to be locally assembled to get tax break incentives so that the price of the truck is competitive. But since then it has been the top selling model not just in the construction segment, but also widely used in other heavy use sectors like logging, mining and agriculture (CPO tanker)
According to Volvo Trucks Malaysia, the Volvo FMX 6X4 is a popular model here after the Volvo FM series. This is a three axle heavy duty truck of which the two rear axles have power transmitted to them with the front being used for steering. The pairs of rear wheels allow more traction to the rough terrain and surfaces that the FMX will have to traverse like in the logging and construction trails while hauling heavy cargo.
So while the engine performance is rated the same, it is the extra traction that makes the FMX more suited for rough terrain and other heavy duty work. Also note that there is an air snorkel option if you need to additional filteration from dust or even water from entering the engine. The engine offered here with the 6x4 is the Volvo D13A440 Euro3 which makes 440hp and 2,200Nm torque. In fact, this is the engine specified for most Volvo FM series of trucks here these days. So similar parts and all with the other FM series of trucks sold here.
Even Mitch Peden, who has been Managing Director of Volvo Trucks Malaysia for a couple of years has noted that. He said, “The Volvo FMX was a game changer and it soon became very popular among both haulage operators and drivers for its powerful performance and versatility in handling rough road conditions.”
Of course, some truck operators also buy their trucks not only for the performance aspects but the overall truck itself. Sometimes, it is the brand and also how the styling of the truck. And no, trucks do look different from one another if you are truck connoisseur. So the styling may be something that draws the truck operator to it. The Volvo FMX does have that decent balance between its modern truck design and having a heavy duty purposeful exterior.
In fact, Volvo Trucks does say that the first Volvo FMX ever made had some design and functional cues with other Volvo Construction Equipment machines. So while it may look like a normal haulage truck, the first of the series already featured a strong towing eye up front, headlamp protection, new anti-slip steps and a handy ladder (seen below). There is also a three-piece steel bumper, corners made from 3-mm-thick steel, a solid crankcase protection plate and a protective bullbar, this was a sturdy construction truck.
By 2013, Volvo Trucks launched a new version which by 2014 is the one Malaysia managed to get. The cab was modified and all the components in the front structure were redesigned. New air suspension gave an increased ground clearance of 300 mm. The towing eye could now tow up to 32 tons. This version made heavy duty haulage even better. So maybe it was good that Volvo Trucks Malaysia had taken quite awhile to get the truck here. We started off with an even tougher truck.
However, while the Volvo FMX is a heavy duty truck meant for rough terrain, it still features the 12 speed Volvo I-Shift transmission. This is a self-shifting or automated gearbox. So the driver still does not need to have a clutch pedal and with that, can actually focus more on the task of steering the truck over difficult terrain without worrying whether he or she is in the right gear or not. The I-Shift works it out for you and as it is a truck transmission unit, it still it robust. No reasonable company would put something that isn't suitable for the task at hand. And since these are the chaps at Volvo Trucks, you know it would work. But to those that want a manual gearbox (there are some traditionalists of course), the FMX has a 14 speed manual option.
Volvo I-Shift gearbox maximises performance and efficiency by monitoring and responding to vehicle mass, road inclination, speed and acceleration. The I-Shift gearbox allows the Volvo FMX to handle tough and hilly terrain with high levels of productivity and driver comfort. Coupled to a Volvo diesel engine, it reduces fuel consumption by up to 5% compared to a manual gearbox. A computerised gearbox actually will reduce wear and tear as it is in the correct gear all of the time unlike if a human were to be controlling it.
One other heavy duty equipment fitted to the Volvo FMX is the Hub Reduction feature. With Hub reduction the FMX can support the maximum axle load of 33 tons and the combination weight of 120 tons. The truck is fitted with reduction gears in each hub. The hub reduction gears reduce loads on the driveline so that tractive effort can be transferred to the ground without wheel slip, giving excellent grip and very low tyre wear. These feature transfers wheel pressure evenly so that the weight carried is distributed as equally as possible making the truck an efficient cargo carrier regardless of the terrain. The hub reduction is perfect for construction work. It provides good grip when the surface is slippery, which result in higher truck productivity.
Of course, if you've been in a Volvo FM series of trucks, which the FMX is derived, the interior is very ergonomicaly sound, which most of the buttons and switchgear where you want it to be. The sprung seats are also supremely comfortable too. With good visibility, and that easy to hold steering wheel and automated gearbox, it allows for less stressful driving too. Personally, having driven a Volvo FM, albeit briefly, these trucks are one of the best places to be if you drive trucks for a living.
One example of a satisfied Volvo FMX customer is Kotamas Oil Sdn Bhd, a specialist in petroleum haulage from Sabah. In 2018, they added 15 units of custom-made Volvo FMX 6X4 with tandem axle lift feature into their fleet. The Tandem Axle Lift featured FMX is designed for operations where the driver drives heavily loaded in one direction and empty in the other. Here, with only a push of a button located on the dashboard, the driver can disengage and raise the drive axle to improve fuel efficiency by up to 4% on average.
As soon as the truck is loaded, the drive axle automatically lowers and engages to ensure maximum traction and driveability. Kotamas was the first in Malaysia who specced their Volvo FMX with this feature in order to address the demanding hilly and rough road conditions in Sabah. According to Volvo Trucks from data collected through Kotamas, most likely via the Volvo Fleet Management System (FMS) already installed in the trucks, the fuel consumption has also improve remarkably by 15 to 20 percent. Do note that 15 to 20 percent is quite a savings as you multiply that by at least the 15 FMX trucks they have and you can see the savings had by Kotamas.
"The Tandem Axle Lift is a perfect fit for customers who travel regularly on rough terrain. This is especially true for customers based in East Malaysia where roads are riddled with pot holes and sometimes not tarred, uneven and hilly. It provides better traction, and helps to reduce tyre wear and tear and more importantly, saves cost," said Mitch, who believes that this additional feature could be more beneficial to future FMX customers.
So there you go. Happy birthday Volvo FMX. May you carry on serving your operators well.
The innovative features of the Volvo FMX have been presented in many YouTube videos. I have embedded one here, but you can click on the link to view the rest:
The Hook
Volvo Trucks' former CEO Claes Nilsson illustrates the power of the towing eye of the
Volvo FMX.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf_wKkV5dwQ
Look Who's Driving
Four-year-old Sophie remotely controls the Volvo FMX, thanks to Volvo Dynamic
Steering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kx67NnuS
The Technician
This video demonstrates the ground clearance of the Volvo FMX.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoVI2KzO-_Y
The Hamster
A hamster controls a Volvo FMX, thanks to Volvo Dynamic Steering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N87uxyDQT0
The Epic Split
Volvo Dynamic Steering became well-known throughout the world following the stunt
by Jean-Claude Van Damme, who performs an epic split between two reversing Volvo
FM trucks. The video, which has almost one hundred million views on YouTube, is
regarded by many as one of the best commercials ever made.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7FIvfx5J10
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