Volvo Trucks look to world record truck to attract new recruits

Volvo Trucks is growing at an enormous rate in Europe, which is leading to a serious shortage of technicians and drivers in some areas. To help deal with this, the company has pulled out all the stops during the past year to raise the visibility of the company to attract more young people into these particular professions.

One such campaign involves Boije Ovebrink, the former truck racing driver, who recently set a new world record for the fastest ‘Standing kilometre for heavy trucks’ in his red Volvo NH.

With an output of 1,600 bhp, an impressive 5,000 Nm of torque and largely built using genuine Volvo parts, the truck really is in a class of its own. Now, this record-breaking truck will be used to help Volvo and the transport industry attract new truck mechanics and drivers in Scandinavia.

As Boije Ovebrink says, "We had very limited resources and a number of technical difficulties to resolve. However, the team behind the truck demonstrated an enormous will to succeed, overcoming all the problems and taking on all the challenges on the way to the new world record.”

Under the watchful eye of Swedish Motor Sport Council officials, the world record was broken at Västerås Airfield in Sweden. The average speed from a standing start over a distance of one kilometre was 158.8 kph (98.67 mph), with a top speed of 240 kph (149.13 mph). The record will remain unofficial until the World Motor Sport Council (FIA) gives its formal approval. Boije beat his old record of 155.744 kph (96.77 mph) set in 2001.

The truck was built with the support of Volvo Truck Center Sweden and a dozen or so other companies with links with trucking links. In addition, Volvo's engine development team and Volvo Penta helped with tests and tuning of the D16 engine to achieve the brake horsepower and torque necessary for the record-breaking attempt. However, as they discovered, building a world record-breaking truck using standard components almost throughout, was no easy task.

"Tuning a truck to such a level of performance and largely with original parts is a technically interesting challenge in itself,” says Boije Ovebrink. “To then use the truck without any major reconstruction or repairs after such a race really is a true indication of Volvo's quality."

"The record-breaking truck is a unique phenomenon in the industry and the perfect means of attracting interest. It demonstrates to young people that our industry is a true blend of cutting-edge technology and exciting challenges," says Lena Lind, Human Resources Director, Volvo Trucks Europe."

"We saw a possibility to attract young people with an interest in technology in a new and different way. Youthful and cool," adds Lena Lind. "The underlying aim is to offer our customers the best service in the world. One of our objectives is to ensure availability of skills and expertise and that in the future we can still offer the best technicians. We are also seeking to raise awareness of Volvo as a company and a workplace. Many people know of the product, but not the company,"

Are Knoph, MD of Volvo Truck Center knows that behind this world record challenge is a serious attempt to help recruit more technicians. As he explains,”There is a desperate shortage of truck technicians and drivers in Scandinavia, so Volvo Trucks is going all out to raise the level of interest in these professions. The truck will also be exhibited at major national truck shows and customer events throughout the Nordic region.”

The world record-breaking truck - and the new world record holder - will now embark on a tour, taking in the number secondary schools around the Nordic region, with the aim of persuading young people to apply for the vehicle engineering programme or equivalent at high school.