Volvo Trucks plans to bring its Dynamic Steering system to North America next year. The company says the technology, which allows drivers to easily control heavy trucks, reduces driver fatigue — and may even reduce the need for chiropractors to treat neck and shoulder pain.
The Swedish truckmaker introduced the system, which is designed to reduce steering force by up to 85 percent, on its convertible trucks in Europe in 2013. It demonstrated the technology’s precision in a video featuring Belgian actor and martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme. The video has been viewed more than 93 million times.
About one in five European orders includes this option, compared with about one in twenty six years ago.
The stress of maneuvering in tight spaces and vibrations from uneven roads and potholes transmitted through the steering column can cause muscle pain in the driver’s arms, shoulders and neck. A Volvo survey of 250 drivers found that 82% reported regular pain and 63% said they visited their doctor frequently.
Volvo says tests have shown that Dynamic Steering can reduce muscle strain by up to 30%. For some repetitive movements, strain can be reduced by up to 70%.
On a closed track at Volvo Trucks’ Dublin, Va., plant, I tested the system by driving over speed bumps and swerving slightly in and out of a roadside ditch. Reversing a 53-foot flatbed truck required just one finger on the steering wheel to keep the truck straight between the lane markers. In low-speed evasive maneuvers toward cones, steering proved virtually effortless.
In its April 2020 introduction of VNR conventional regional trucks and VNL long-haul trucks in the U.S. and Canada, Volvo humorously recounts on YouTube the chiropractic treatments drivers experience for pain caused by fighting the steering wheel.
How it works
Volvo’s Dynamic Steering system features an electric motor mounted above the hydraulic steering. Inputs from multiple vehicle sensors continuously monitor driver actions, environmental factors and road conditions more than 2,000 times per second.
The system delivers up to nine foot-pounds of torque to the steering column. It features a return-to-center function for the wheel when the truck is in motion. This makes backing up and maneuvering in tight areas easier.
Other features include:
Stability control to improve directional stability on the highway at all speeds, Damping that improves handling by filtering out inputs from the road surface, Torque offset to compensate for crest roads and steady high winds
ZF Friedrichshafen offers a version of its lightweight steering system called ReAX. And Robert Bosch will equip Nikola Motors’ Class 8 fuel cell trucks with ServoTwin electrohydraulic steering early in the next decade.
The three systems enable future automated driving, including lane keeping and focus. Daimler Trucks North America produces the 2020 Freightliner Cascadia that includes Level 2 partial automation features.
Jan Inge Svensson, a specialist in active steering technology, led the development of Volvo’s system starting in 2006. It took several years to adapt it to North America due to electrical infrastructure issues. Europe uses a 24-volt system. North America uses a 12-volt system.
Volvo’s dynamic steering system, which has a 40 percent usage rate, has helped the shift in North America, Svensson said.
Sales pitch
Volvo marketers believe that dynamic steering will be popular in North America because it makes driving easier, appealing to both existing drivers and new drivers who don’t know how to drive a truck.
“Drivers are the trucking industry’s largest asset, and increasing driver recruitment and retention is a top priority for our customers,” said Chris Stadler, VTNA’s director of product marketing.
