Volvo has updated its Class 8 VHD Vocational Series trucks with what it calls a “fresh, modern look.” And, in keeping with the company’s longstanding commitment to safety, it has also added new safety and uptime solutions with vocational fleets in mind.

“The new Volvo VHD looks every bit as capable as it is, designed to bring new energy into the vocational market,” said John Felder, product marketing manager, Volvo Trucks North America. “Everything we’ve done to improve the model to make it more versatile and reliable also extends the life of the vehicle and increases driver productivity, safety and comfort. Drivers will love this truck because it makes hard work easy. It’s the perfect example of tougher made smarter.”

According to Volvo, the VHD provides a number of notable upgrades, including:

• An updated exterior gives a modern look that reflects the other models in the Volvo Trucks family. The VHD has a new grille design, as well as new LED high/low beam headlights. The fully sealed headlamp component offers a brighter, more focused beam for increased visibility. An available de-icing feature burns through ice and snow that accumulates on headlamps in colder weather.

• Groundbreaking safety and productivity features for the vocational industry include Volvo Dynamic Steering (VDS) and the next generation of Volvo Active Driver Assist (VADA). The VDS system delivers a safer, more comfortable driver experience by adding torque to reduce steering strain at low speeds and remove vibrations caused by rough terrain. Also, now available in the VHD, the next-generation VADA provides integrated radar/camera capabilities, automatic emergency braking, highway departure warnings, adaptive cruise control and more.

• A new, more robust VHD bumper features a heavy-duty 45 mm tow pin rated for a full 80,000 pounds. Responding to customer requests, the rugged tow pin allows for a quick pull out of sticky situations thereby increasing uptime and drivers’ peace of mind.

• A state-of-the-art interior offers improved driver comfort and productivity. For example, the truck’s ignition has been moved to the lower left-hand side of the dash, while the steering wheel buttons are more touch-friendly and clustered intuitively to help drivers feel more confident.

• Volvo I-Shift transmission with crawler gears adds one or two gears to the 12-speed Volvo I-Shift transmission, enabling the VHD to start on steep grades, provide low-speed control, and reach maximum highway speeds with faster rear axle ratios.

• Volvo T-Ride suspension delivers the best ride under the most demanding conditions by applying constant pressure on the wheels to create sure-footed traction. The Volvo T-ride suspension also offers a new ride stiffness option for mixers and trucks with wing plows.

• The latest in connectivity solutions such as Remote Programming and Remote Diagnostics allow customers to use real data insights to make the right decisions for increased safety and truck productivity.

“For years, the Volvo VHD has been one of the most capable and versatile trucks on the jobsite. We listened to our customers, and are proud to showcase the newly updated VHD with the same class-leading features and technological innovations our customers expect from a Volvo truck with relevant and important updates that benefit the functional needs of vocational applications,” said Felder. “At Volvo Trucks, we continue to improve our product offerings and we have done so for an already tough vocational truck model. Now, this smarter and more innovative VHD for the vocational market raises the bar on what it takes to be an all-around great work truck.”