 Production 2
This is a drawing of Ken and Beth Zelten's tractor unit. They are both referred to as 'Professional Drivers' in the Volvo Trucks North America video below. Certain similarities to another person featured in this
book are not to be ruled out, as in the Roof Tent chapter, we already had someone who lived exclusively in or above their car.
You guessed it: Ken and Beth Zelten gave up their apartment and have been living exclusively in their truck, a Volvo, since 2012. They bought the first one in 1989. Kermit is now known throughout America,
and the couple specializes in long tours, even longer than those are usually known in America. Even more extreme are Jon and Miriam Brown, but see for yourself.
Let's take a look at the American version of truck production in Dublin, Virginia, and compare it with the German version. The first thing that strikes us is the similar variety of colors. Anyone who has ever
advertised for a manufacturer knows what we're talking about. The RAL code is even prescribed for several colors used by the company.
It's no surprise that the share of trucks in freight transport, at over 70 percent, corresponds almost exactly to the forecast for Germany. Trucks can be built with almost any amount of overhang at the front, as
only the length of the trailer is limited. For example, a huge front hood and a very high cab with two wide double beds and even a tilting section are possible.
The six-cylinder engines are slightly larger in displacement and reach up to 400 kW. While they have common rail and four valves, they only have one overhead camshaft, unlike two in the Actros, for example.
In the USA, trucks are among the fastest, and speeds of up to 80 m/h (128 km/h) are sometimes permitted, even for trucks. In Texas, there is reportedly a stretch of highway with a maximum speed of 85 m/h.
There are no major differences in the production of the frame and chassis. The high proportion of women involved is striking, even in somewhat heavier tasks. More manual labor is also required for the assembly
of the cabin. It is obviously too large for a dip bath, which would flood all the cavities. The topcoat is again very similar.
But, all engines are only tested cold. Warm-ups under full power are only carried out randomly. They are also painted, although Volvo traditionally paints them green. The crates containing parts for final
assembly are made of wood and considerably larger. However, human intervention is still necessary here. Sometimes, improvisation is even necessary due to missing parts on the assembly line.
The differences become significant toward the end of final assembly. For example, a windshield isn't glued, but rather pulled in the traditional way with a string. There are also no automated tests on roller
dynamometers. Instead, everything is inspected by a single person, identified by a sticker, and the car is finally test-driven on the test track.
In a completely unusual way for Germany, deliveries are carried out across the vast continent. The new trucks are connected to a maximum of four units using simple linkages in the correct order so that they
can be delivered to customers, the last one always first, return from the last customer by plane.
In general, the incredibly strict controls at the German truck factory are always striking. It's somewhat laxer in the US, but even there, crucial records are kept of whether and with what torque tightening was
carried out. However, the factory produces 'only' about 100 vehicles per day with 3,500 employees, 500,000 since the late 1970s.
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