Volvo Trucks is launching a new member of the I-Shift family – I-Shift with crawler gears. The new gears, which are added to the automated transmission, is entirely unique for series-produced heavy trucks and provides exceptional startability for trucks carrying heavy loads in demanding situations. Volvo Trucks’ new version of I-Shift makes it possible to add up to two new crawler gears. This means, amongst other things, that the truck can possibly move off from a standstill and transport a gross combination weight (GCW) of up to 325 tonnes.

“I-Shift with crawler gears offers an entirely new scope for heavy trucks with automated transmission to regulate their speed when crawling slowly and reversing. The driver can haul a heavy load without worrying about getting into situations that may lead to costly downtime,” says Peter Hardin, Product Manager FM and FMX, Volvo Trucks.

With the new crawler gears, the truck can drive at speeds as low as 0.5-2 km/h, which helps immensely during precision manoeuvres for heavy haulage and construction applications. “The vastly improved driveability and startability with the new crawler gears makes the driver’s job far easier when operating in difficult terrain on slippery surfaces with heavy loads, such as in the construction, forestry or mining sectors. The heavier the transport operation and the poorer the surface or the terrain, the more the driver gains from a truck with crawler gears,” explains Peter Hardin.

For haulage firms carrying out heavy transport operations on demanding surfaces as well as regular highway driving, crawler gears also offer considerable flexibility and the possibility of improved fuel economy.

“I-Shift with crawler gears makes it possible to start off from a standstill in extreme situations. Combining them with a suitable rear axle ratio that optimises engine revs at high speeds results in lower fuel consumption on the highway. This is a significant benefit to haulage firms doing this kind of work,” says Peter Hardin.

Depending on the application, I-Shift is available with one or two forward crawler gears and with or without two reverse crawler gears. Reverse crawler gears make it possible to reverse extremely slowly, which is a major advantage when reversing manoeuvres require immense precision.