Volvo’s Flight of Fancy in their Latest Promo

Working in the haulage industry, I find that it is important to keep afloat of all the new trucks coming to the market to see how they can make delivery work easier, safer and more efficient. One new vehicle which has caught my attention is Volvo Trucks’ new beast, the FH complete, with unique powertrain with I-Shift Dual Clutch.

Volvo is pulling out all the stops to advertise this new truck with an incredible Live Test promo video titled ‘The Flying Passenger’. This video has premiered on the 29th of November on all of their digital platforms, so be sure to look it up.

What Does the Stunt Entail?

The amazing film shows the Volvo FH tow a paraglider up a winding mountain pass in the Croatian countryside – a precision stunt that has never been tried before. In order to keep the brave paraglider in the air, the driver must maintain a high cruising speed at all times up the steep mountain road and under an overhanging bridge with a narrow opening. To succeed, it will require precision driving at a constant cruising speed and there is no margin for error. Every trucker will know just how challenging it can be to maintain speed on hilly terrain, so the engine and gearbox must have fantastic driveability.

How Does this Show the Superiority of the New Truck?

• The Flying Passenger’ is not just an impressive visual stunt - this challenge is an extreme way of showing the powerful performance and efficiency of Volvo’s unique powertrain, which is built of an enhanced D13 Euro-6 engine and I-Shift automated Dual Clutch gearbox. This advanced technology ensures that the truck loses no momentum when changing gears in tricky conditions, all thanks to impressive power shift gear changes.

Staffan Wendeber, the Product Manager FH and Long Haul at Volvo Trucks, further explained:

"Driving in high gears and securing seamless gear shifting is an important factor for fuel efficiency. The I-Shift Dual Clutch enables smooth driving while staying in high gears and low rev."

Keeping fuel consumption low, regardless of driving conditions, is important in all delivery work and this stunt showcases the smooth, efficient driveability of Volvo Trucks’ new vehicle.

How Can I See the Film?

Visit Volvo Trucks’ website, social media channels or YouTube page to see ‘The Flying Passenger’. This is not the first stunt that the manufacturer has used to advertise their vehicles – other instalments in the Live Test series include ‘The Epic Split’, ‘The Hamster Stunt’ and ‘Look Who’s Driving’. These can all be found in the same places and have already been viewed over 100 million times on YouTube.

All haulage companies need to be aware of the latest vehicles and technologies used to make delivery work easier, safer and more affordable. Volvo Trucks have taken the challenge to the next level and presented it in the most spectacular fashion possible.

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Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting logistics professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching delivery work with available drivers. Over 4,000 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.