A 30 metre (98 ft), 66 tonne payload log truck can deliver 20% improved fuel consumption.

The truck under the spotlight is a Volvo FH16 (6x4) with a 660 hp engine, and is part of the “One More Pile” project in Northern Sweden, which is being coordinated by Volvo. This is Europe’s longest truck used for scheduled transport. With its payload, the truck weighs in at 90 tonnes. The trailer consists of a modular system comprising a dolly, a link and a semitrailer. It has 11 axles and 26 wheels. Results show that if this truck configuration became standard, fuel consumption for log haulage would improve by 20%.

Over the two years of testing, the truck has travelled 544,000 km (338,000 miles) and hauled over 100,000 tonnes of logs. One of the partners of the project is Skogforsk (the Forest Research Institute of Sweden), which is carrying out the research. Halfway through the project, their research results showed that the test rig had a 50% higher payload and used 20% less fuel per tonne than a conventional Swedish 24 metre (79 ft) log truck. Carbon emissions are also cut by 20%. If this rig were to become standard, the number of log trucks on the road could be reduced by a third.

A video of the One Pile Project can be seen on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCv0YRkRXjI .
Source: www.volvotrucks.com