Rentco is always looking for new and innovative ways to serve our customers better, and one of the ways we’re doing this is by using Volvo trucks for our rental fleet.
What exactly is it that made us choose Volvo for our fleet of trucks?
Durability and reliability
Volvo trucks can handle long distances and heavy loads with ease, which positions them perfectly as a reliable truck hire option for Rentco. Our trucks need to be resilient, reliable and durable, ready to weather Australian conditions, so Volvo vehicles were the obvious choice.
Volvo trucks tend to have long lifespans, and can be very reliable if regularly maintained. At Rentco, when you hire a truck from us, we handle all of the maintenance and servicing for you.
We also know that no vehicle is faultless, so if there’s an issue, we offer 24/7 industry-leading support.
Safety measures
Volvo has put a lot of time and effort into ensuring that their trucks are as safe as possible, implementing a variety of helpful vehicle safety technologies.
Their goal, says Volvo’s Traffic & Product Safety Director Anne Wrige Berlin, is “Zero accidents with Volvo trucks.” However, it’s important to remember that “The most important safety system, even in a modern truck, is still the driver.”
Since 1969, Volvo has had a “Accident Research Team”, dedicated to analysing accident statistics and investigating more than 1,700 truck accidents.
Image Source: Volvo
In response to the safety and accident data, Volvo have implemented a variety of capabilities on their trucks, including:
- Dynamic steering with Lane Keeping Assist. Lane Keeping Assist is designed to keep trucks within their lanes, alerting them with a vibrating on the steering wheel and gently steering the truck towards the centre of the road.
- Passenger corner cameras, which allow the driver to better see cyclists, pedestrians ,and other road users at intersections.
- Adaptive high beam. The LED headlamps automatically reduce light directed towards other road users, while still allowing the truck driver to see clearly.
- AVAS – Exterior sound for electric trucks. Given the quietness of electric trucks, Volvo has developed four distinctive, but unobstructive sounds, to make people aware of an approaching electric truck.
- Active grip control, which is designed to improve stability, acceleration, and braking in slippery conditions.
- Side collision avoidance support. This system uses a dual radar on each side of the truck to detect when other road users are nearby, such as cyclists, when the driver indicates to turn.
Fuel efficiency
Volvo trucks have a track record of being fuel efficient. An independent test conducted in Germany in Volvo’s fuel-efficiency flagship has shown that the Volvo FH with I-Save consumes almost 18% less fuel compared to the same test four years ago.
There are two key things that factor into fuel efficiency: the truck itself, and driver performance. This means that if your drivers are naturally driving the trucks harder, not using cruise control, and braking suddenly, then they are going to be using more fuel overall.
Volvo themselves also identifies three key ways that it optimises its trucks for fuel efficiency:
- Engine. Volvo’s FH series uses the D13TC engine with Turbo Compound technology, and has the option of its additional I-See technology.
- Gearbox. More efficient gearboxes mean increased efficiency overall. With its I-Shift, Volvo evaluates factors such as truck speed, weight, road grade and torque demand automatically to ensure that each gear change is perfectly timed.
- Cruise Control. Historically, cruise control has been intended for usage on flat roads only. I-See, Volvo’s predictive cruise control, optimises truck speed, gear changes and engine braking on hilly terrain by using its knowledge about the road ahead.
For when you need peace of mind when hiring trucks for your fleet
Whether your business is currently doing long-haul journeys, travelling on-site, or doing local metropolitan trips, you want to have the peace of mind of knowing that your trucks are reliable and efficient on fuel.
Rentco prides itself on its dedication to delivering exceptional truck hire options across Australia, with depots in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Darwin and Townsville.
Looking to hire transport equipment for your company? Find out how to get in touch with us here.
