Volvo FM milk tanker Buying Used Review

There is no doubt that the Volvo FM is the preferred option when it comes to prime movers for the milk transport business, as a quick glance around any milk transport company's yard will confirm.

These Volvo FMs are high-utilisation vehicles that typically work around the clock. In Tasmania alone, I know of one company that runs 23 older Volvo FMs – a significant number in anyone's book – and they're frequently being traded-in for newer models.

For used buyers, this might be good news, because milk transport companies turn their trucks over every few years in volume. When a large number hit the used truck market at once, finding that bargain used prime mover might be easier than you think. The cautionary rule of caveat emptor – buyer beware – still applies, but a used Volvo FM milk truck could prove a cost-effective solution for other applications. Let's investigate…

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A few years back, I remember listening to the idle chatter on the UHF radio as drivers called their positions at predetermined call points. I was in my ute, at Tassie's famous Legerwood Carved Memorial Trees, waiting for the arrival of the milk truck I was to review that day.

Today, not much has changed. The call points are still the same and the milk tankers roll through this part of the Apple Isle like clockwork.

"Two by, down the roller coaster", crackled the UHF radio in the cabin of the Volvo FM milk tanker, as I headed into the sleepy town of Ringarooma.

That call came from a couple of log trucks signaling their position. Earl DeJersey – or Duke, as he's more commonly known – picked up the mike and replied, "Anyone coming out over the Ringarooma Bridge?"

It is mid-morning, halfway through Duke's shift collecting milk from farms in northeastern Tasmania. He was about to traverse the bridge that crosses over the Rinagarooma River, which is notoriously narrow with a sweeping bend. It's not the sort of place anyone in a truck would wish to meet another coming the other way.

Duke's lived in the area all his life and been collecting milk around here for more years than he cares to remember. He's also driven a variety of trucks and combinations in his time. He is quick to add that his recollection of some of those early trucks he drove should never be printed!

After a swift bit of research, it quickly becomes apparent that the company that handles the milk collection in Tasmania changes its name as frequently as it changes its trucks and combinations. Not so long back, the company was known as UMT (United Milk Tasmania). Then it went to Bonlac, and today it's Fonterra, a New Zealand based company. But more on that later.

Through the town, the road weaves its way over undulating fertile farming land. In this area dairy farming is big business, and that's good news for men like Duke. He eases off the throttle 10 minutes out of town, and the VEB (Volvo Engine Brake) slows the truck and its tankers. It's here that Duke leaves the bitumen and heads onto the narrow dirt lane to his first collection point of the day.

A few moments later, the Volvo FM came to an idle in front of the dairy's storage vat. There was a whoosh of air gushing from the spring brakes as they locked on. Duke pulled on some rubber gloves, started connecting the hose from the tanker to the dairy's vat, and then started the pump.

Duke stresses the importance of maintaining an efficient workflow. While milk pumps into the lead trailer, he is busy completing the collection's necessary paperwork. Occasionally he glances at the hoses to ensure everything is as it should.

"There is not too much to worry about; it's a pretty foolproof system," he says.

"The hoses all have cam-lock couplings, and if something were to go astray, the first thing you'd notice would be a change in the pump's sound."

The Fonterra Volvos work 12-hour shifts and cover roughly 1100 kilometres per day on their run from the northeast of the state to the west coast town of Wynyard. It's little wonder then that, after three years, some of these Volvo FM trucks have travelled more than one million kilometres.

This particular model Volvo FM is powered by the Volvo D13 engine, a 12.8-litre inline six-cylinder that is turbocharged and intercooled, rated at 480hp.

When they were new, the Volvo D13 was rumoured to be 20kg lighter than the older D12 engine it replaced. Indeed, that's a significant weight reduction considering its additional displacement. The 13-litre engine also delivered increased engine braking of up to 300kW from the integral VEB (Volvo Engine Brake). This D13 engine was also the first Volvo engine offered with a closed crankcase ventilation (CCV) system, designed essentially to make the engine clean and free of leaks by recirculating gases from the cylinder head cover into the turbo.

The power outputs of the D13 are somewhat conservative compared to other European brands with engines around this displacement. Yet on the plus side, the four 13-litre ratings available at the time showed substantial performance gains over the 12-litre models they replaced.

At the time of their release, Volvo emphasised that extensive trials both here in Australia and Sweden to the 13-litre engine coupled to the I-Shift transmission delivered a four per cent improvement in fuel economy over an equivalent 12-litre model with a manual transmission.

This particular truck is one of the few vehicles left in the fleet with a 14-speed manual transmission. The automated I-Shift is the more common transmission found in FM models today.

Duke concedes the Volvo's ride and comfort is the best he's experienced in any of the trucks he's driven over his time. He also admits a few more hard-working horses from the engine wouldn't go astray, especially on the steeper climbs that Tasmania's roads have to offer.

"These 19-metre B-double combinations are very flexible," he explained.

"They can operate at 50 tonnes gross mass in general access areas and up to 57.5 tonnes on B-double routes. But the biggest advantage of this combination is its swept path which is, in fact, better than that of a standard articulated unit. This gives it improved manoeuvrability in the farm pick-up environment, as you've seen here today.

"Marshall Lethlean designed and fitted a unique, electro-pneumatic control system, located in the boot compartment behind the A-trailer, which replaced many of the manually operated taps you'd find on the older style tankers.

"This means there are only three controls needed to operate the tanks. They are straightforward and efficient to use. A single switch actuates the necessary valves and vents to allow the ingress or discharge of milk to or from either tanker to load or unload milk. Similarly, a single switch actuates the necessary valves and vents to allow the cleaning process to occur."

Duke's shift draws to a close when he reaches the nearby town of Legerwood and he climbs out of the truck. But there is little rest for the Volvo FM, as another driver is ready and waiting to take it through to Wynyard on the next shift.

You can currently purchase a day-cab version of the Volvo FM like the one reviewed here with approximately 1.2 million kilometres for between $50,000 to $70,000. But be prepared to add an extra $10,000 for the sleeper version.

Considering the Volvo FM is capable of working in most applications, including hauling a B-Double, good ones are much sought-after used vehicles.

As a rough rule of thumb, typically the one-million-kilometre mark is considered the vehicle's first life. With this in mind, it is worth budgeting for a few repairs to ensure reliability and instill some peace of mind.

There's some good news here too, as Volvo currently offers a service manager special, which consists of three levels of In-Chassis engine rebuilds.

The Basic Package consists of an Engine Rebuild Kit with pistons and liners plus main, big-end and camshaft bearings, as well as a new thermostat, exchange coolant pump and genuine filters. The fitted cost is $12,995.

The Plus Package builds on the Basic Package with exchange injectors and a turbocharger. The fitted cost is $21,995.

That leave the Premium Package, which includes all of the Plus Package in addition to an exchange cylinder head, plus 12 months of free servicing. The fitted cost is $28,995.

These are all good options to explore. However, as we said earlier, the principals of caveat emptor certainly apply to highly utilised equipment. Nevertheless, a used milk tanker is certainly worth investigating if you're in the market for a cheaper prime-mover alternative.

Engine: Volvo D13C 13-litre
Horsepower: Power 540hp (397kW) at 1450-1900rpm
Torque: 2600Nm (1917lb/ft) at 1050-1450rpm
GCM: 70,000kg
Transmission: Volvo 14-speed manual
Rear axle: Volvo, single reduction, 3.09:1 ratio
Brakes: Volvo, electronically controlled disc brakes
Fuel capacity: 1035lt in 650lt and 385lk tanks
AdBlue: 150lt