The Terberg Chronicle

Page 3

By Niels Jansen (North Holland 2023)

Lots of four-axle trucks and the first chassis with five axles

Many more unusual transport concepts were developed at Benschop over the years, but Terberg's main sales came from building tipper chassis and terminal tractors. The Dutch weight restrictions for trucks are generous, but also contain many conditions regarding axle and bogie position.

With the enlarged and modified Volvo club-of-four-cab, this Terberg F 1900 was on the road on Dutch construction sites. It's eight-wheel drive and wide Michelin X tires made it an almost unstoppable off-road tipper.

Terberg's goal was always to use the local regulations such that the standard vehicles of the major European manufacturers struggled to keep up. A breakthrough came in 1984 with the introduction of the first five-axle chassis, the F 3000 with a 10x8 drive formula and a gross vehicle weight of 46 tons. The vehicle was equipped with Volvo 12-litre diesel engines, Volvo or ZF transmissions, and featured the Volvo F 12 cab. In subsequent years, the 10x4 and 10x8 chassis and other models received the Volvo FL cab, which provided the driver with easier access and better visibility on and off road.

The F 2000 was presented by Terberg in 1982 at an event in Utrecht, where the focus was on heavy-duty vehicles. The cab of the Volvo F 12 from 1977 had been modified and the headlights built into the bumper.
The changes made to the cabs at Volvo were also reflected at Terberg. The F 2000 from 1979 in the picture above is based on the cab version of the Volvo F 12 from 1977. The photo below shows an F 3000 from 1985, which corresponded to the F 12 from 1983. The external differences were the roof height and the modified sheet metal section under the radiator grille.
These photos show two further examples of Terberg vehicles with Volvo F 12 cabs from the 1983 series: above, a four-axle F 2000 from 1985 as a tipper, and below, a five-axle F 2850 concrete mixer, both of which were used by Dutch transport companies.
In 1985, Volvo introduced the completely new FL series. The L stood for Low Entry, as the cabs were significantly lower to make it easier for the driver to get in. Terberg followed suit and offered the FL 2850 model, which was equipped with the Volvo cab of the FL 10. The five-axle truck shown here from 1996 was part of the fleet of a Polish operator.

In 1992, another milestone was set with the introduction of the revolutionary WDG axle system. An 8x8 truck with rear-axle steering and the right axle spacing could now reach a gross vehicle weight of 46 tons and a 10x4 variant up to 50 tons. Thanks to close cooperation with the Swedes, Terberg was once again able to offer the latest Volvo FM cab and related components for its trucks in 1999. Under the hood, the tried-and-tested Volvo D 12 A diesel made way for the electronically controlled D 12 C and later also for the new 13-liter D 13 Euro 5 engine with 380 to 440 hp. Terberg used the ZF-16-S-181 Ecosplit as the standard transmission, supported by the VG 2000 transfer case from Austrian manufacturer Steyr. The AS-Tronic automatic box was also on offer and soon became very popular with tipper operators.

This five-axle Terberg FM 2850 T from 2001 was equipped with a cab from the Volvo FM series, which came onto the market in 1998. The upper radiator grille with the angled ventilation slots was not a Volvo design, but a Terberg design that gave this generation of trucks a special appearance.
In 2002, Volvo's FM cabs were given a new front design. The changes were also reflected at Terberg. The photo was taken in Vlaardigen in the Netherlands and shows the four-axle Terberg FM 2000 T from 2004.
This four-axle 8x8 tipper is a Terberg FM 1850 WDGL from 2007, which was equipped with the WDG axle system with rear axle steering.
A Terberg FM 2000 from 2008 in use for a Polish transport company.
This five-axle Terberg FM 2850 T truck mixer from 2011 shows the modified Volvo FM front design from 2010 with the "friendly smiling" radiator grille and the additional lights under the headlights.
The clever color scheme of this four-axle Terberg FM 1850 T as a roll-off tipper gives the front of the vehicle an unusual appearance, especially by dispensing with the black paint on the radiator grille. The year of construction is 2012.
Road construction site with a four-axle truck in the narrow streets of Amsterdam's old town: a Terberg FM 1850 T, built in 2011, loading and unloading construction materials.