Volvo Trucks Asks the Strongest Swede to Conduct an Extreme Towing Test [w/ Videos]

It’s one thing to possess great strength; it’s another thing to be able to manage that strength to the point of making best use of it. Magnus Samuelsson, the first and so far only Swede to hold the title of World’s Strongest Man, knows that all too well. Whether he’s pulling a truck, lifting a tree or some other feat of extreme physical labor, getting the object moving is crucial. The same is true in the world of trucking, which means Samuelsson was the natural choice when Volvo sought somebody to help demonstrate the new I-Shift crawler-gear-equipped transmission in its FH16 series truck.

Except the real-live giant (who is also an actor, former European Arm Wrestling champion, former champion of Sweden’s version of Dancing with the Stars and a 2010 WRC Rally Sweden competitor) wouldn’t be using the FH16 to tow just any old load. No, he, along with longtime trucking journalist Brian Weatherley riding shotgun, would be towing a train of double-stacked shipping container trailers stretching 300 meters – or almost 1,000 feet – long and weighing 750 metric tons (827 US tons), which is way over double the 750 horsepower Volvo FH16 750’s official 325 metric ton maximum. Surely one rig couldn’t get something that gargantuan moving, never mind yank it across a finish line 100 meters (330 feet) away, could it? Something in the driveline would have to snap, shatter, or end up looking like a giant steel cinnamon twist! Well, as we’ve learned from past Volvo Trucks demonstration videos, underestimate their capabilities at your peril…

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