Volvo’s revolutionary steering COLUMN and how it helps heavy truck drivers
- October 21, 2022
- Blog
- Posted by Derick
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Truckers learn things fast.
Heck any trucker worth their salt will clue into all kinds of things they had never considered even after just a few short months (or weeks!) of behind the wheel. It’s not surprising. With the amount of time truckers spend in their rigs as those kilometers roll by, they have loads of time to think, consider and pay attention to things that others might miss. One of those things that they will soon enough pick up on is that it really is the small things that make a big difference. While this holds true for almost everything in life, driving a rig is no exception. Fortunately, the engineers at Volvo are aware of this reality as well. They know full well that a “going the extra mile” and a relentless focus on the minutiae of a rig is what it takes to make a world class product.
So that’s what they do.
Case in point is the Volvo heavy truck steering column. Many truckers (and seemingly truck manufacturers!) totally underestimate all the opportunities that improvements to otherwise the mundane steering column can offer to heavy truck drivers. How so? First, the steering column can have a direct impact on not only a rig handling but also the driver’s comfort/ fatigue as well. For this reason, the engineering team at Volvo came up with a host of steering column innovations.
And what would those innovations be?
It starts with something called “Position Perfect Steering”. Volvo’s steering column offers a 3 motion adjustable steering wheel. This wheel allows the driver to not only tilt the wheel, but telescope it as well for the ultimate in customization and comfort adjustments. On top of that the driver can even adjust the wheel relative to the steering column. This allows the wheel to be positioned more vertically… much like a steering wheel in a car would be. This extreme level of customization allows for much less fatigue on the driver’s neck, arms and shoulders.
But Volvo’s engineering team wasn’t done there.
The steering column can also fold flat against the dash board which allows for easier entry and exit of the vehicle. While this may sound like a small thing, it can be all the difference in the world as it allows for a better driver fit for all different types of bodies. So again, while it may not sound like a game changer, spend any time in a Volvo rig with “Position Perfect Steering”, and you’ll quickly realize the power of a small thing.