Originally posted by Joel B So are they any good?
Well it depends on who you ask.
The purists, those who think that the classic looking conventionals like the Pete 379 and Kenworth W900 are the only way to go hate them. Of course they are used to riding along in a truck where the seat is only about 6" from the centerline of the chassis, where a Volvo has the seat about 18" further outboard. So riding in a Volvo can take some getting used to, as the movement as the truck rolls about the polar moment thing is greatly amplified. Hence, "riding in the belly of the whale".
The Volvo 780 like I drive is like a Cadillac. The ride is smooth and quiet. Everything about them is designed around driver comfort. As far as I know, Volvo is the only Class 8 truck that has a driver side airbag. Volvo is the only Class 8 truck that has cancelling turn signals.
Also, after getting a couple hundred thousand miles or more on them they are not subject to rattles, road and wind noise like some other trucks. The Freightliner I drove, for example, was very noisy running down the road, the wind noise would cause my ears to ring for days, the rattles of the dash and cabinets in the sleeper more than annoying, and until I put bungee cords on them the closet and cupboard doors would pop open on even the smallest of bumps.
There are things about the Volvos that I do not like.
The windshield is so big it is like a greenhouse. Even on a very cold winter day if the sun is shining through it I have to run the air conditioning to counteract the solar gain.
And the trucks are notorious for electrical gremlins. I have driven three of this same model, and every one had one electrical issue or another that the technicians could not figure out. One truck had a weird thing with the wipers. I would be happily rolling down the road on a nice day and all of a sudden I would hear a relay click, and the wipers would take a couple passes, smearing the dead bugs.
Class 8 trucks are pretty much all the same as far as chassis, drivetrain, and engines go. The main differences are in the coachwork, the cabs (and sleepers for over the road trucks). All trucks are built to order for the customer. Large fleets will have a "spec" that their trucks are built to. Individual customers, like owner operators, also spec a truck. You meet with the sales rep, and go over what you want, axle weight ratings, engine size, power and torque, transmission, frame size and rating, fuel tank(s) and layout, DEF tank size and location, 5th wheel type for tractors, cab type, interior, color, and any accessories like headache rack, side boxes, and extra lighting.