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About VNL

The Volvo VNL is the Swedish answer to the American long-haul question, built in Virginia for drivers who spend weeks at a time living in a sleeper cab. For decades the VNL name has covered Volvo's on-highway conventional tractors in North America, and its rounded nose and generous cabs have made it a staple of big fleets that value safety systems, fuel efficiency and driver retention as much as raw horsepower.

The latest generation, unveiled in early 2024, was a near-total redesign. Volvo reshaped the cab and nose for markedly better aerodynamics, moved to a new electrical architecture designed to accept future powertrains, and refreshed the interior with a digital cockpit and a more livable sleeper. The D13 diesel paired with the I-Shift automated transmission remains the core combination, while active safety systems come standard in a way that once seemed exotic for a heavy truck.

Volvo has said a battery-electric VNL will follow, with orders for the electric version expected to open soon, building on the regional VNR Electric. Production capacity is also expanding to Mexico. The VNL's main rivals are the Freightliner Cascadia, Kenworth T680, Peterbilt 579, Mack Anthem and International LT, and big fleet orders for it remain a barometer of how trucking feels about the freight cycle. Look here for VNL fleet orders, production news, road tests, recalls and the progress of the electric model as it moves from promise to delivery.