[Music]
in this episode of Bryan's truck before
we've travelled down under and together
with my old mates deep Brooks
editor-in-chief of diesel magazine we're
setting out on a two-day journey into
the Australian outback to put the new
Volvo FH to the test
a real trucking adventure
ever since 1993 the Volvo FH has been an
incredibly successful truck for the
Swedish manufacturer over 700 thousand
examples have been sold worldwide so
that means new FH has some very big
shoes to fill and that's why I've come
to Australia the very heart of trucking
hell to see how the new FH 16 704 mning
and delivering the goods down under the
Volvo FH is a completely new truck with
several groundbreaking innovations like
the independent front suspension Volvo
dynamic steering the fuel savings system
known as IC and telematics gateway in
short it's a truck with cutting-edge
technology
well sniff here we are in a beautiful
sunny Sunday morning in Brisbane in a
short while according to my instructions
we've got to get up the rotor to wumba
and the fh16 750 pikal ozzie driver
that's personal grooming kit small
potted plants and a large jar of
Vegemite just for you if I missed
anything out mate the only thing that's
missing is your wheelchair and my dog
well it's a Globetrotter campus the new
FH we're going to get it all in there
list absolutely give me one day go in
the top locker right in the back perfect
wait for it okay Steve let's check the
bedding up next you make sure you're
comfortable up this weight up like my
grandmother doesn't have this much ghee
well hopefully your grandmother's not
joining me in the truck no she liked the
truck I'm not sure about the company
[Music]
there's no shortage of rooming there is
you know what since they've made that
windscreen a little less rate they've
ended up with a cubic meter inside more
space and it really shows particularly
when you're moving outside and inside
the cabin vegemite for me crisps for
Steve and miniature cactus having loaded
all our gear and with me wearing my new
Ozzie hat we're now leaving sunny
Brisbane and heading into rural
Queensland where we'll have our first
stop over at Toowoomba
so finally Steve we've got out of the
clutches of those camera crew and we're
we're doing what we like best which is
being out on the road with a mate in a
nice truck we're driving in the Volvo
fh16 with 700 horsepower the top of the
range model for the Australian market
see if the one thing I've come to
realize about Australia is it it's a
land of extremes extreme heat extreme
cold extreme loads and extreme roads
that's quite a cocktail for transport
operators and drivers to learn to live
with it takes a unique truck to survive
in this country and it takes a unique
driver to make that truck perform at its
best we can start in north of Australia
where it's 50 degrees and move to the
south of Australia in one trip where it
can be extremely cold and wet and even
ice and snow so yeah we have it all from
the inside an fh16 looks pretty much the
same as it is in Europe outside there
are clearly some big differences monster
fuel tanks to cover those massive
distances that Australian truck drivers
have to cover big AdBlue tanks - for the
SCR to ensure that the emission standard
system works all the distance
[Music]
coming down under to drive their fate 16
has reminded me of previous experiences
of new affection and the thing that
stands out for me is the quality of
steering it's a truck look it goes where
you point it and it stays where you
point you there's none of the seesaw
action and steering wheels that you
found them traps of yesteryear steering
on ufh it's incredibly precise Steve I
noticed you're not wearing that other
hat do you think I can persuade you to
wear that hat mate you have more chance
of getting me a ticket to the moon than
me wearing that hat after a long day of
filming we're now approaching our first
stopover in Toowoomba where Steve and I
draw straws to see who gets to spend the
night in the FH cab and the lucky winner
is that's coming up for 10:30 and I'm
looking to bed down in the new FH
Globetrotter cab to make sure I'm nice
and toasty I've got a lovely duvet I've
had a fantastic mattress and I've got my
Qantas pyjamas so if you'll excuse me
I'm now going to get a bit I'll see you
tomorrow morning
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
well I had a good night's Kip in the
fh16 I'm just finishing off from a
breakfast alfresco Steve today's
assignment involves you doing all the
hard work we've got to take three
trailers pitch him up to the mighty f8
16 and you're going to show me what it's
like to drive the road train how about
that no worries at all mate anything I
need to do just put your hat on
let's get going my favourite
[Music]
what exactly is this combination here
this is what's called a booty triple
Brian it's basically two short trailers
and one long trailer hooked onto the
back of it overall length is about 36
meters in weight terms these
combinations are allowed to run to about
90 tons at the moment we're at around 82
or 82 and a half tons we're still quite
a handful
it's a big truck yeah it is a big truck
we're now heading down the road to mill
Maron
to see just how well the fh16 performs
as a B triple combination
Steve you and I have been in this
business probably more years than we
care to remember so how did you get into
it I goes back a long time I'm a
journalist by trade but I didn't like
journalism very much but my grandfather
had trucks when I was a little boy and I
used to go to work with him and I think
it all started from there and I've
progressively had more injections of
diesel into the veins over the years and
I think I wouldn't know what to do now
with their trucks in my life I wouldn't
think this it's what I do
so you was telling mr. we were grossing
closer about 80 tons house I shipped
coping with that maybe you won't have to
convince me of I see if I think I see is
one of the best automated transmissions
in the market and I mean that quite
sincerely these two are made for each
other these engines and these
transmissions
they're both Volvo units so they're
perfectly integrated yeah and it just
makes the whole exercise extremely
smooth where you look pretty comfortable
in that you're comfortable in that seat
made I'm very comfortable
if I know you and I've often talked
about the increasing use of safety
equipment on vehicles and you were
telling me recently when you visited
Volvo just how impressed with the amount
of effort they put into safety to be
honest with you Brian I was blown away
by with the amount that I saw that went
into this truck the amount of safety
development they didn't have to do it
they already had a safe truck but
they've made a safer truck and that was
obvious to anyone who saw some of the
footage of their development working
safety
this trucks it's really really nice on
the road like on the line around Benz
and that is it's a really nice
combination this I can tell already well
I can see you were getting bored with me
driving so clearly enjoying your time
behind the wheel I wasn't getting bored
with you driving I've been wanting to do
a trip with you for a decade or more
when we started this episode of Brian's
truck report I asked the question as to
whether the new FH could fill the shoes
of the previous model after two days
driving with Steve on Australian roads
and I reckon the answer is a resounding
yes
Oh Steve that's the end of two great
days on the road with the fh16 750 cab
you had a good time and let a great time
that's been really good no no there's
that mate of yours hovering in the wings
waiting to take the truck away from us
Paul Margot from Volvo Australia yes a
tough night Paul thanks for taking it
away and looking after it for us here
was the truck truck was great after our
baby for us well that's all from us on
Brian's truck report from me Brian
Weatherly and him Steve Brooks until the
next time and don't forget enjoy your
driving and whatever you do drive safe
night
you
[Music]