Volvo redesigns VNR as regional Class 8 workhorse for urban, bulk, and flatbed haulers

The all-new Volvo VNR was unveiled in Nashville on Monday night during a Volvo Trucks North America event at American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council exhibition. With a tighter turning radius, the new VNR is built for shorter-range operations, such as urban delivery. It also features improved aerodynamics and can be spec’d in sleeper configurations for longer hauls. 

The new VNR shares a common platform with Volvo’s flagship VNL, which began serial production in 2024. “Both of the trucks have been built from essentially 90% new here in the U.S.,” Bobby Compton, VTNA product marketing manager for regional haul, told FleetOwner before VNR’s public debut.

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He said that VTNA spent countless hours working with dealers, visiting truck stops, and digging into current regional customers’ operations to develop the new VNR. Compton said Volvo Trucks implements safety and efficiency technologies developed in Sweden along with U.S. engineering improvements.

“We utilize the common platform and technologies and adapt and enhance it for the U.S. market,” Johan Agebrand, VTNA product marketing director, told FleetOwner. “A lot from the VNL goes into the VNR, but the VNR has little differences.”

Some of those differences include better visibility for surface roads and cities and shorter wheelbases. “We’ve taken everything we had on the VNL and tried to improve it a little bit for that regional haul segment. That’s really what this truck is about.”

Along with updating the truck with technologies and amenities to benefit drivers who hop in and out of the VNR cab multiple times daily to complete deliveries, the new VNR focuses on regional wet and dry bulk carriers and flatbed operations. 

“This truck is mostly catered to customers that would run 600 miles or less per day,” Agebrand said.

Compton said most VNR customers drive less than 600 miles daily, but some spend a night or two on the road. That's why the VNR is also available in three sleeper configurations, along with the VNR 300 day cab, which Volvo expects to be the top choice of return-to-base customers. The VNR is also available as a tractor or straight truck in compact, mid-, and high-roof sleeper configurations.

“A regional haul customer is so much more unique,” Compton said. “So we needed to tailor our truck to their needs. A long-haul driver typically doesn’t stop until they hit their eight-hour break. But a regional customer, in that first eight hours, will get in and out of that vehicle 10, 15 times. They will perform work between each time of getting in and out of the truck. So we had to give that rugged feel to the truck.”

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Volvo debuted a 24-volt electrical architecture in last year’s new VNL. This technology is now incorporated in the new VNR, making it the second North American heavy-duty truck to feature this higher voltage. 

The 24-volt architecture allows for faster diagnostics, minimizing battery and electrical failures, Agebrand said. It incorporates lighter components and more reliable, serviceable wiring harnesses, reducing wear and tear due to the lower amperage. 

The 24-volt architecture also paves the way for future innovations, according to VTNA. The new VNR will be the platform for future powertrain technologies, including battery-electric and alternative internal combustion engines.