Volvo Celebrates The 35th Anniversary Of Its Integral Sleeper With Aerodynamic Design

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Newer Volvo trucks, such as the VNL, keep the spirit of aerodynamic design alive while also introducing new technologies that improve the reliability and uptime of Volvo vehicles. (Photo courtesy of Volvo Trucks North America.)

Volvo’s Integral Sleeper is particularly important in the pantheon of trucks because it was among the first to offer a fully integrated sleeper cab with a sleek, aerodynamic design in North America. Now, as Volvo Trucks continues to innovate and move forward, it’s also taking some time to look back at the Integral Sleeper and the impact it has had on the trucking industry since its introduction 35 years ago. It’s just one example of how Volvo has dedicated much of its time and energy to not only meet the power and performance needs of its customers, but also to strive for better fuel efficiency and more environmentally friendly products.

“Pioneering innovations in design, fuel efficiency, driver productivity, and safety have defined Volvo Trucks throughout our 90-year history,” said Magnus Koeck, vice president, marketing and brand management for Volvo Trucks North America. “We’re proud of our heritage and celebrate 35 years of aerodynamic design. With the Integral Sleeper model we truly introduced a new standard and all manufacturers quickly followed suit.”

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Volvo popularized purposeful aerodynamics back in 1983 with the Integral Sleeper. (Image courtesy of Volvo Trucks North America.)

Emphasizing Aerodynamics

Volvo’s Integral Sleeper played a, well, integral role in bringing aerodynamic design to the North American trucking industry. The goal for the exterior design was to lower the vehicle’s wind resistance and thereby improve fuel efficiency, and the goal for the interior design was to make it easier for the driver to move from the cab to the sleeper compartment as well as to offer a higher standard of comfort across the board.

Volvo continues to embrace and expand upon that original design philosophy with all of its new trucks, including its VNR, VNL, and VNX models. It’s a part of a theme called “The Shape Of Trucks To Come,” which shows how Volvo understood the importance of aerodynamics back in 1983 and still iterates on those designs today. “Each of our on-highway models, the new VNR, VNL, and VNX, bring efficiency through their streamlined shapes,” said Koeck. “Even regional haul and heavy-haul trucks spend time at highway speeds when aerodynamics become increasingly important.”

Other Innovations

In addition to aerodynamics and sleeper cab innovations, Volvo has also been a pioneer in many other facets of truck design. One example is the company’s enhanced stability system, called Volvo Enhanced Stability Technology (VEST), which has been standard since 2007 for Volvo’s on-highway trucks. Another is Volvo Active Driver Assist, which helps drivers avoid jackknifing, rollovers, and other incidents. Other major enhancements include automated manual transmissions with Volvo I-Shift, as well as Remote Diagnostics, Remote Programming, and other connectivity solutions designed to keep trucks out of the repair shop and out on the road.

Source: Volvo Trucks North America

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