Insight on 2016-17 Volvo 670 please

Looking for some input from any drivers who are currently driving a 2016/17 Volvo 670.

We recently received word that our company is switching to Volvo 670s for this year, from Cascadias. Unfortunately part of the switch is going to Ishift from 13 sp manuals.

I last drove a 2008 Volvo as a single driver, and I'm not pleased about the prospect of trying to run a team operation in a much smaller truck then we have currently.

I'm hopeful some of you can shed some light on what has changed since 2008 and if we should be looking for somewhere else to drive for.

Major concerns:

Is the top bunk a proper bunk (solid plastic bunk with a mattress) or is it still the useless (for storage and sleeping) velour, foam hammock/pad? We store most of our stuff on the top bunk in crates currently with no mattress. There is a lip about 4" high that prevents everything from falling on the driver when coming on the brakes.

Is the factory fridge still a narrow, tiny piece of crap that will not fit even a carton of eggs? Since I don't eat anything that doesn't need to be refrigerated (bread, cereal, fruits) it's a huge concern that we won't be able to pack enough food for 2 people for at least 15 days.

Have there been any substantial changes to the cupboard arrangements? My 2008 had an utterly useless open space behind the driver's seat on top of the fridge and an open cabinet not quite big enough for a suitcase and the wrong size for a duffle bag on top. Behind the passenger seat was an open cabinet for a TV (useless, since I don't own one) and a cabinet with a door on it to shove everything else a driver might need (painfully inadequate for 1 driver, let alone 2).

I'm hopeful that maybe Volvo has made some improvements in the last 10 years?

Pictures would be much appreciated, if anyone has any.

 

Thanks for confirming my worst fears about this upcoming move. I don't own a microwave at home and I'm certainly not about to start living on reheated junk food in the truck. I have an electric skillet, slow cooker and toaster oven on my top bunk now and it seems like there's just no feasible way for 2 people to share the tiny Volvo sleeper.

The Volvo I drove was an Ishift, and while it was much (MUCH) better than the garbage Eaton Fuller autos at the company, I still hated it.

We run out of Canada and having to use the brakes to get slowed down and stopped in the conditions we run in is a frightening endeavour. If I ran down south I could understand the appeal, but I spent more time stuck in snow drifts in our yards that winter in the Ishift than my whole career put together.

 

I'd be thrilled if they were 780s, even a 730 would suit the purpose.

The open cabinets in my 670 meant the first thing I did everyday after getting parked was pick up every item of clothing I owned off the floor. I also kept stuff in my trunk of my car to grab while at the yard if I needed it, since there was no where to put anything except some clothing.

It's not unusual to get 24" of snow once or twice a week where I live and without being able to used e clutch to rock the truck out, there was no way the Ishift could navigate our yards in that weather. There were 10-15 of us per day getting stuck, the shunter spent more time moving our trucks around than the trailers.