Volvo Truck Driven One Million Kilometers on One Clutch

Phil Moore, an experienced truck driver who works for manufacturer EBC Brakes in Northampton, has just finished driving 1 million kilometres on the same clutch. He’s quite proud of his achievements and talks at length about the reliability of his Volvo truck that been serviced at regular intervals as the manufacturer intended it to be.

Phil’s seven-year old Volvo FM tag-axle six-wheeler hit this magic number while he was returning from making a delivery to Holland recently. However, his busy driving schedule often takes him as fas as eiden in Holland, Bristol, Leeds and Hawick, so it’s no surprise he manages to clock about 2,700 kilometers every week.

“When I’m driving, I never ride the clutch. When I stop at traffic lights, I always put the handbrake on,” adding, “It’s a great achievement because, according to the Volvo Dealer, a truck like this could have had three or more clutches in the same period,” Moore says.

The FM, which is Phil’s second Volvo, is equipped with the 9-liter engine that pushes out a solid 300 hp. The truck, which was purchased from new in 2003, is maintained by Volvo Truck and Bus Centre East Anglia’s Kettering Dealerpoint. Phil puts the long life of the clutch down to his careful driving style and the fact that the Volvo is well maintained.

ECB Brakes is a manufacturer of discs and pads for both cars and motorcycles and even ATVs. In 2009, the company moved from importing its products to the US from Britain and established a large warehouse facility and new Corporation EBC Brakes USA Inc, located in California.