Behind any person doing something great, like Van Damme did his epic split, are other people with the same amount of great skills. Usually these guys and gals remain in the shadows of anonymity. At least in front of the big audience.
All the time I’m thinking of these great unseen heroes. All over the internet people are saying that Van Damme’s epic split was out of this world and he is the main hero but no doubt the drivers are equally heroes too. Others are saying that no one can drive like this but Chuck Norris.
Let’s see who they are.
We had a lot of questions and they were kind enough to answer them.
PT: People want to know you. Please tell us who you are and what are you doing at volvo ? What does Precision driver mean exactly ?
Jens Karlsson: I work as a truck driver at a haulage company driving chemicals in Europe. Occasionally I have been hired by Volvo Trucks to drive vehicles in film and photo production.
Mikael Rosell: I work at the Volvo Trucks press test department since 2008. Before that I was a test driver at Volvo proving ground in Hällered, Sweden for 10 years.
PT: What was your first reaction when you heard for the first time the idea of this commercial ? Did you consider it doable immediately or did you have some doubts ?
JK: That sounds exciting – I definitely want to take part in this stunt. At the beginning I had many doubts: how was it possible to reverse two trucks straight at the same speed and keep the correct distance between the trucks? We did not have any margins for mistakes either – everything had to be according to plan to the last centimetre.
MR: This is not possible – to reverse a truck straight in the distance needed is not possible.
PT: This stunt is so spectacular that some people still don’t believe it was done without the help of special effects. What can you tell to these people as the drivers of the stunt ?
JK: The stunt is for real. It is one of the most difficult thing I have ever done with a truck, but Volvo Dynamic Steering in combination with me and Mikael’s vast experience as drivers made it happen!
PT: Why did you drive backwards ?
MR: The purpose of the stunt is to demonstrate the precision and stability that Volvo Dynamic Steering offers when driving backwards.
PT: What was the speed you were driving at?
JK: 25 km/h.
PT: Please tell us more exactly how dynamic steering helped you to do this stunt ?
How Volvo Dynamic Steering works – taken from the press release. Jan-Inge Svensson, the engineer behind the development of the system’s software, can be quoted:
Volvo Dynamic Steering is based on a conventional mechanical steering system where a steering shaft links up to a steering gear. A hydraulic servo unit generates force that helps the driver turn the truck’s road wheels. In Volvo’s system an electronically controlled electric motor is added, which is attached to the steering shaft. This electric motor works together with the hydraulic power steering and is adjusted thousands of times per second by the electronic control unit. At low speeds, the electric motor adds extra force and at higher speeds, the electric motorautomatically regulates the steering and compensates for irregularities that feed through to the steering wheel, caused for instance by side winds or bumps in the road surface.
PT: Can you do a stunt like this with normal trucks, without dynamic steering ?
JK and MR: We would say no. The stability and precision that VDS offered enabled us to focus on reversing the trucks in the right speed and keeping the right distance throughout the whole stunt.
PT: How does a training day for this stunt look like ?
JK: We kept practising for days how we should keep the distance and speed. We drew lines on the road to help us mark the spots where we should change speed or distance. During the whole time, it was very hot so we had to take many breaks to drink and rest.
PT: The shot looks very smooth and very calm and we know that you are professional precision drivers, but still: what was inside your head and heart during the stunt ? Did you hold your breath ?
JK: I was not nervous. By the time of the actual shot we had done it many times and knew it could work. I was calm and very focused.
MR: I was quite tensed, I wanted it to work at once. The stunt should also be filmed in one shot as the sun was in a particular position so we worked under time pressure.
PT: Did you see the Science Fiction movie Pacific Rim ? Mainly it is about a big machinery who needs two pilots to be operated. Those pilots’ minds have to be connected to synchronize left and right movement. How did you both synchronize ?
JK: No I haven’t seen the film. We checked via pre-marked spots and lines on the road that we kept the right distance at all times. Mikael’s truck is the one increasing the distance as the split is made. We also both had co-drivers and my co-driver helped me check that the right speed was kept. Mikael’s co-driver assisted Mikael in identifying the moment to start increasing the distance between the trucks.
PT: How did you feel when you see that you and Van Damme nailed the job from the first shot ? Did you expected it to work so smoothly ?
JK: I was so relieved but also dead tired after all the tension. I was so incredibly happy that we succeeded in doing it one shot.
MR: Immediately after the shot we could see it in the monitor on set. I got goose-bumps. It was so beautiful.
PT: How is Van Damme ? How was your collaboration with him ?
JK: He was calmed and focused. He was the right man to do this stunt.
MR: He talked a lot and was generally easy to work with.
PT: How do you feel now, playing such an important part in this immensely successful viral commercial ?
JK: It has been so much fun and I am very glad that I took part in this production. It is a memory for life.
PT: Certainly now you have fans, can you please say a few words to them ?
MR: I read many comments on Youtube and it is so fun that many of them are addressed to us drivers. Thank you all for these positive words.
