Allison application for Volvo praised

Sweden-based Hall Brothers Company has recently taken delivery of a new 473 Volvo FM480 gravel truck - the first to be specified with an Allison transmission. The quarry operator, based in Hässleholm, has not be operating the truck for long but has already praised its high productivity and easy hill starts.

The company transports 400,000tonnes of aggregates from its three quarries to its customers each year and had previously used an Allison-equipped 661 Scania trucks. "We'd been running with Volvo trucks for as long as we can remember but when we bought a Scania G480 we wanted to test an Allison fully automatic transmission," said Hall's Peter Hansson. "We have had this truck for over a year now and the transmission has been working perfectly. I'm incredibly happy with the product.

Hall finance manager Kent Hall added, "When the time came to buy another Volvo, we chose an FM480 equipped with an Allison fully automatic with integral retarder and VEB+ - Volvo's intelligent engine braking device - right from the start

It is the first Volvo FM480 gravel truck equipped with an Allison Transmission which helps to give you get a much smoother ride, which protects the entire drivetrain. We will definitely save money with less time in the workshop." The Hall Brothers' new, 13litre FM480 uses a seven speed Allison 4700R model with integral retarder that offers excellent traction. "Thanks to the torque converter and the full power-shifting, engine power is transmitted to the wheels very smoothly and without jerks," said Hall. "This allows you to start a fully loaded gravel truck on a gradient of 14% with no fuss. The extra planetary gear module and a 4.5 rear axle ratio ensure the optimum performance for our tough duty cycle." According to the firm, the truck also offers good on and off road performance.