When I went for a hike last month I caught this 2009 Volvo FH-series 6×4 logging truck at the job. The truck driver was operating the chassis mounted Palfinger Epsilon crane, you can see him sitting in the crane’s seat, way up high.
The Volvo truck is equipped with a 500 hp 12.8 liter inline-6 engine. Its legal maximum GVM is 28,000 kg (61,700 lbs), yet Volvo is more optimistic and rates the truck at a maximum GVM of 34,600 kg. When fully loaded The Woodpecker II may tow a 22,000 kg trailer to get to the 50,000 kg legal maximum GVM for a truck + trailer combination. I’m sure Woody is still laughing when pulling that off.
The good ol’ FH… Put the 16 liter 6 pot engine in there and you have the true beast of the European highways.
What I don’t know why is why doesn’t IVECO fit a larger Cursor engine into the bay of the Stralis. They have the engines, it doesn’t take a huge effort to get a more powerful truck than Volvo.
The 750 hp FH you mean ? World’s most powerful on-highway truck. Although the one below isn’t exactly on-highway yet…
This is a “One More Pile” project-rig in Sweden, 90 metric ton (198,400 lbs) GVM. The max. legal GVM in Sweden has been 60 metric ton for a long time. I don’t know what the outcome of the project is.
About IVECO, they must think the market for 700+ hp trucks is just too small, for them at least. IVECO is seen as a typical fleet-truck, they will never get the same reputation as Volvo and Scania with their 16+ liter engines.
Exactly, I meant the 750. Been a fan of that truck since it launched. Today I play Euro Truck Simulator 2 for my PC, and have one of those.
About Iveco, you’re absolutely right. In Portugal the Stralis models are almost only owned by big companies, and not in big numbers, as most have huge fleets of Volvo trucks. And I rarely see older than 2005 Iveco trucks, while Volvos from 1995 are still kicking.
That pic of the Swede truck says it all about the reasons for Swede trucks to be so powerful
Just by curiosity, have you ever seen there a truck of Portuguese company Torrestir over there? Bright green trucks and trailers, easy to identify.
I can’t remember seeing one…so I did a Google Image Search. And a huge collection of mainly Volvo FHs popped up ! I like the combination of the two shades of green with the yellow “swirls”.
They have almost only Volvos for long distance, and are probably one of the biggest Volvo customers in this country. I like how in the latest model they came to the point of even getting the grilles green instead of black!
Johannes, I enjoy your truck posts and one thing in particular jumped out at me about this one.
From seeing logging trucks routinely, always a road tractor and trailer combination, upon seeing this my first thought was this truck must be quite new. The posts holding the logs on the bed aren’t bent seven ways from Sunday as are the ones I routinely see!
They’ve also done a good job of evenly distributing weight, which is occasionally not the case with the ones I see.
It’s quite common here to haul logs with a flatbed truck + trailer with those posts and a chassis mounted crane. The 100% purpose built logging truck + trailer looks like the one below. Of course, also with a crane.
(Photo courtesy of the Van den Nagel Groep)
This is what we commonly see as a logging truck. The tongue of the trailer is adjustable to make just long enough for the load at hand. Once it is empty the tongue is set at its shortest position to be carried on the truck like this for easier travel and to save on a little wear on the trailer tires and brakes.
And loaded. Since these trucks are used to pick up at major logging operations and head straight to the mill they are not self loaders. We do see the self loaders for people who work to clear a smaller area more for the purpose of clearing for building than actually logging just for the wood. Of course that doesn’t mean that the wood from a small clearing job won’t get sold to a lumber mill.
Yes, those are used here for the longer logs too. Same owner as the Scania above, the current model Volvo FH tractor below. Also with a chassis mounted crane, no trailer tongue though.
What’s the weight limit for those US logging rigs ? Your example (nice rig !) seems to be heavier than 80,000 lbs GVM…
I know in the past they would use the logs as the “structure” of the trailer, IE the back set of wheels was just chained to the logs.
In theory if the length is long enough at least in my state with the 6 axles it could go up to 105,500lbs https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjGpKeewqXRAhVIxmMKHez7Ce4QFgg6MAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsdot.wa.gov%2FNR%2Frdonlyres%2FDF443726-F00D-48BA-A562-8A22F172F254%2F0%2Flegalweigtchart.pdf&usg=AFQjCNH4CPN76UvUZY2NS_OJNCwSKp2dkg Other states do vary and of course there are weight limits on some roads and bridges.
Without cargo.
Jason, I expect a key factor here is the guy driving the crane owns the truck!
Agreed. I’m sure his last name is Van Wijk.
Nice tree. Keeping things nice and tidy.
One of my Dutch cousins was about 10 and we went for a family walk in a conservation area and she said:
In Canada your forests are so messy!
A messy forest…that’s a good one !
absolutely true. north american forests appear ‘messy’ for a few reasons. they are not as intensively managed as typical european forests which are thinned multiple times before harvest. additionally, european forests have fewer shrub species than north american forests. so, at the height of the average person the european forest will be mostly clear of shrubs and all trees will be of roughly the same size and evenly spaced. they appear more orderly or, as your dutch cousin observed, less messy.
one of the benefits of having fewer shrubs is the profusion of low berry plants that developed (evolved) in europe. we have all heard of families spending a day in the woods berry picking, either for sustenance or just as a family bonding activity. it is true! lots of different berry species become ripe throughout the summer season.
Fascinating post – article and comments too. Jim.