Volvo White GMC

Alie&Jim's Carrilite · December 29, 2014

After looking for several items that were Volvo specific, and then asking about where to find the items here, I now have the understanding that Volvo, White and GMC were all collaborating on these trucks.

Is there an easily located source that covers the specific breakdown of model years or models built as the mergers and acquisitions took place?

Phil D · December 29, 2014

Volvo bought White Trucks in the very late 70s or early 80s to gain entry into the North American truck market. Volvo White then bought a majority interest in GM's heavy truck business in the mid-80s (around '86 or '87, if I'm not mistaken), forming a joint venture which operated as Volvo GM Heavy Truck, which marketed the White-based and Volvo-produced W-series trucks and GM-produced Brigadier models under the WhiteGMC brand. Volvo acquired the remaining GM stake in Volvo GM in the early-90s, reorganizing as Volvo Trucks North America. At that point Brigadier production was discontinued, and VTNA began producing Volvo-branded W-series trucks. The first entirely Volvo-designed truck, the VN series, appeared around 1996, although traces of their White Truck origins remained in their product line up until about three or four years ago, when the last model based on the White cab -- a specialty model built specifically for use as an auto transport -- was discontinued in favor of a new, VN-cab based model intended to serve that market.

Anything pertaining to the VN/VH/VT series trucks is all Volvo-based.

beyerjf · December 29, 2014

I believe the dates in this Wikipedia article are close and should answer your question.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_Trucks

My first tractor was a 1974 White Road Commander cabover, a remnant of their earlier 7000 series cabovers. White was already in bankruptcy when the truck was made and a terrible piece of equipment that almost put me out of business almost before I started.

White was marketing "The Big Four" at the time.

Autocar, formerly produced in Exton PA, Heavy duty vocational truck for the east coast

Freightliner, originally designed and built cabover by Consolidated Freightways in Portland OR spun off by this time to Freightliner Corp and badged a White Freightliner

Western Star, originally produced in British Columbia for mostly Western US and Canada

White, produced in Cleveland OH

Freightliner and Western Star developed their own dealer networks and left the group when Volvo showed an interest in White. Freightliner was purchased by Daimler in 1993 and Western Star by Daimler in 2000.

Alie&Jim's Carrilite · December 29, 2014

Thanks Phil and Jeff. That should help in finding some miscellaneous parts that are needed. I don't think anything would be exact build date needed, but the date range that a particular model was built from the say 1996-1999 time frame would probably have the same vents, etc.

jkennell · December 31, 2014

Not quite. I believe its 1998 and up for the VN series. I have a 1995 and a 1997 WIA truck that are nearly identical.

Strumminking · December 17, 2015

Hello everyone,

Hi Have a 1995 Volvo (White GMC) tendem axle semi tractor, model (WIA64TTES). I was wondering if anyone has a fix for a broken (under sleeper) side hatch that has a broken pull cable?

I'm sure I'm possibly looking over something obvious but other than trying to crawl in the other side and trying to jimmy the latch on the inside of the hatch with the broken cable, I can't think of anything.

Also, has anyone ever had a speedometer stop working and if so, what are the possibilities that could be wrong.

Thank you for having this forum to discuss these great trucks

Don

spindrift · December 17, 2015

Autocar, formerly produced in Exton PA, Heavy duty vocational truck for the east coast

Jeff...thanks for that info. Having been raised on the Right Coast, I always liked the look of the Autocar and just assumed you could find it pretty much anywhere in the U.S.A.

jkennell · December 17, 2015

Hello everyone,

Hi Have a 1995 Volvo (White GMC) tendem axle semi tractor, model (WIA64TTES). I was wondering if anyone has a fix for a broken (under sleeper) side hatch that has a broken pull cable?

I'm sure I'm possibly looking over something obvious but other than trying to crawl in the other side and trying to jimmy the latch on the inside of the hatch with the broken cable, I can't think of anything.

Also, has anyone ever had a speedometer stop working and if so, what are the possibilities that could be wrong.

Thank you for having this forum to discuss these great trucks

Don

On my 95, I've been very careful to keep these latches oiled and the seals lubed so not to stress the cables. I think your only option is to buy a new cable and then to jimmy (as you say) it open and fix it.

My speedometer goes on the blink every now and then. I think its just a loose connection--all I have to do is press firmly on the face of the cluster and it usually comes right back. Wierd, but true.