1966 was the year in which Volvo Construction Equipment, then Volvo BM, produced its first articulated hauler, the DR 631, in Braås in Sweden. It was given the nickname of “gravel guy” (“gruskalle” in Swedish).
It was also the first series-manufactured hauler in the world.
The DR 631 and its successors were a huge success and became one of Volvo CE’s most important products.
The demands imposed on a machine that was able to withstand gruelling, difficult conditions increased in the mid-1960s, as more and more buildings and roads were constructed in Europe, for example. Volvo’s articulated haulers were an entirely new kind of machine and, within the space of a few years, they had revolutionised the work involved in soil preparation. These haulers were ideal for removing and transferring large amounts of soil and materials and for strengthening surfaces.
Volvo CE has continued to be a world leader in the development of these machines. In 2006, the 50,000th unit left the production line. It was not painted the otherwise traditional yellow colour, but it was instead painted Volvo blue when it was presented at the Intermat Fair in Paris the same year.
Today, Volvo CE’s haulers are distributed in some 150 countries and have a market share of 37 per cent, making Volvo CE the largest company in the world when it comes to haulers.
At the present time, there is a huge need for haulers in the markets in South Africa, Russia and Indonesia and the need is also increasing in China and Central Asia.