Volvo’s 540-hp VNX: The vocational truck set
Volvo Trucks North America has launched the VNX, a 540-horsepower vocational and heavy-haul truck designed to challenge a segment where the manufacturer currently holds just 2-3%% of the market. The new model, unveiled in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, shares a $3% billion platform with Volvo’s VNL and VNR trucks and is certified to EPA 2027 emissions standards.
Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America, described the VNX as a strategic move into a market that accounts for 25% of North America’s truck sales. “We don’t really play in that vocational segment,” he said. “In the largest market of the world, apart from China, why would we not play in a segment that we are so rooted in the rest of the world?” Volvo’s FMX model already commands a 3%0% share of the vocational market in Europe and Brazil.
The VNX is built to address feedback from VHD owners, Volvo’s existing vocational customers, and insights from Volvo Construction Equipment, which has operated in the U.S. for over 50 years.
Precision and safety: The VNX’s standout features: Volvo
The VNX introduces Remote Steer, a system that allows operators to control the truck from outside the cab at speeds up to 5 mph. John Moore, product marketing manager at Volvo Trucks North America, compared it to a “giant RC truck,” explaining its utility for tasks like backing a mixer into a tight construction site. “Remote steer lets a mixer be backed in with one person,” he said, eliminating the need for a second guide.
Another innovation, Terrain Brake, automatically holds the truck in place on steep or rocky ground the moment the driver lifts off the accelerator, preventing unwanted lurches. The VNX also includes a direction-change feature, allowing drivers to switch between forward and reverse without touching the brake, a boon for dump truck operators who shuttle back and forth all day.
Configurations and market readiness
The VNX is available in three configurations: a 3%00 day cab, a 440 with a 42-inch sleeper, and a 640 tractor with a 62-inch midroof sleeper. Each model can be ordered in axle-forward or axle-back setups, with frame rails rated for 160,000 pounds gross vehicle weight.
Voorhoeve emphasised the timing of the launch, noting stable demand for trucks in construction, infrastructure, and industrial projects across the U.S. “Growth in vocational is a natural next step for Volvo Trucks,” he said. Sales of the VNX are expected to begin later this year, with Volvo aiming to capitalise on its global expertise in a segment where it has historically lagged in North America.
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