AMSWED, INC.

By Brian Hoover, Senior Editor

Has a Long and Storied History with Volvo Construction Equipment and Holds the Honor of Owning and Operating the Longest Working Volvo Articulated Truck in North America

The Volvo articulated truck commemorated its 50th anniversary in 2016 and Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) decided to celebrate by holding an attention-grabbing contest. As part of their yearlong celebration, Volvo CE decided to scour North America in search of the oldest Volvo articulated hauler still actively working. After careful review and a thorough investigation, they determined the winner to be Tom Stenvall of Amswed, Inc. out of Chula Vista. Stenvall had been running the 1968 Volvo DR860 on an almost daily basis at his recycling/diversion plant in Chula Vista since the early 90s.

Oldest working Volvo articulated hauler shown here in Amswed, Inc. yard in Chula Vista. Pictured with the Volvo 4,000 gallon articulated water truck is Mike Stenvall (left), Tom Stenvall and Mike Burrell of Volvo Construction Equipment & Services.

Tom Stenvall had no idea that this contest was going on until Mike Burrell from Volvo Construction Equipment & Services (VCES) decided to visit him in 2016. Burrell knew that Stenvall had been operating an old Volvo articulated truck, but just how old remained a mystery. “I knew his (Stenvall) DR860 was the oldest that I had ever seen; we just didn’t know how old,” says Burrell. We couldn’t find any serial numbers stamped in the frame but eventually found an identification plate on the transmission. We sent the number to Volvo, and it came back within the range associated with the 1968 production year. That’s when we decided to enter his Volvo into the “Still Hauling” contest.”

Amswed replaced their 1968, 4,000-gallon Volvo water truck with another newer Volvo 8,000 gallon truck in 2018.

Stenvall was, of course, surprised by all of the attention he was getting over one old Volvo articulated truck. “If this had been a beauty contest, we wouldn’t have made it very far, says Stenvall. “I would say that we put at least 1,000 hours per year on our Volvo for 25 years, and it was already 23 years old when I bought it. If there was an hourmeter, it stopped working long before I took ownership. Our Volvo continued going strong up to when we donated it to Volvo in 2017.”

To Volvo CE, it was much more than just an old articulated truck; it was a testament to the 50-year legacy of a machine that would ignite an entirely new range of construction equipment. Volvo CE launched its first DR 632 articulated hauler out of Braås, Sweden, in 1966. It was a 10-ton class hauler that they nicknamed “Gravel Charlie” and is considered the first purposebuilt articulated hauler in the industry. Volvo CE has produced tens of thousands (90,000) of articulated haulers since 1966, and many are still working on job sites all-around the world. It seems that it is difficult to kill a Volvo articulated hauler, exemplified by the DR860’s years of service in Europe and in Stenvall’s yard in Chula Vista.

Tom Stenvall (center) with Volvo representatives in Sweden in 2016.

Mike Burrell was pleased and excited for Stenvall concerning his chances to win the contest. “Sure enough, he had the oldest working hauler,” says Burrell. “Tom is just one of those guys that never stops working and it was so great to see him win a trip back to the Volvo factory in Sweden, and to his homeland where it all started.” Stenvall was joined by his VCES sales representative, Mike Burrell, and a good friend, as they all enjoyed the weeklong 50th-anniversary celebration back in July 2016. “To be back and to get a chance to visit the Volvo facilities was quite an experience,” continues Stenvall. “There were big customers from all over the world, and some were buying 30 to 40 haulers at a time. Even so, I was the one getting the royal treatment, and all because I had an old Volvo truck. It was outstanding.”

Tom and Mike Stenvall with their Volvo Construction Equipment & Services (VCES) representative, Mike Burrell.

When Stenvall emerged from high school in Sweden back in the 60s, he immediately got involved in a comprehensive apprentice program sponsored by Volvo CE. He finished the program in three years and began fabricating trucks for Volvo with his certificate in hand. Stenvall then decided to purchase a Volvo dump truck and went into business for himself. Another major life decision was then made in 1978 when he decided to immigrate to the United States to escape the wet and cold weather and seasonal working limitations. In stark contrast to what he had been accustomed to, Stenvall made the move to Southern California, where he started Amswede Corporation (later changed to Amswed, Inc.). The name commemorated and recognized Stenvall’s previous life in Sweden and what the future could hold for him in America.

Volvo wheel loaders hard at work at Amswed, Inc. yard in Chula Vista.

Once settled into the San Diego area, Stenvall began purchasing equipment for his new bare and operated equipment rental venture. He incorporated in 1982 and eventually evolved into a grading and demolition company, before making another change in the early 90s to get into the trending debris processing business. “The construction business climate is fluid and constantly changing, so you learn to follow the money. In the 80s, equipment rental was hot and when that died down, we transitioned into contracting since we already had the equipment,” says Stenvall. “Then we realized that with the roll-off equipment we already had in our fleet, we could get into hauling building debris. One thing led to another, and tipping fees were so high that sorting and diverting construction debris became a viable and primary business model.”

After purchasing a property in Chula Vista in 1995, Stenvall went all-in and began putting all of his efforts into recycling and diversion. He added a concrete crushing plant, several screening units, five Volvo wheel loaders and a Volvo 40-ton, 8,000-gallon articulated water truck. Additionally, Amswed owns and operates seven Volvo trucks with roll-off containers, a compact excavator, backhoe, and more than 100 various sizes of container bins. “We make more than a dozen trips to the dump each day, but only 40% of what we bring in can be sent to the dump. This means that we have to find a place for the 60% that remains,” continues Stenvall. “We accept all kinds of building and demolition debris, from wood waste and drywall to concrete, red brick, green waste, tires, electronics and even dirt.”

Amswed, Inc. owns and operates three Volvo semi-trucks equipped with sidedump trailers and four Volvo roll-off hauler trucks.

Sorting, loading and generally diverting all of this waste material requires dependable heavy equipment and specialized attachments. Amswed has five Volvo wheel loaders and a Volvo articulated water truck in its fleet to keep the diversion process flowing. “We originally purchased the (Volvo) DR860 from a tunneling company in Sweden, because there was nothing like it in the United

States at the time. I needed something more agile than a typical water truck and not as clumsy as a water wagon. So I spent $7,000 on the DR860 and had it shipped over in a container. We reassembled it, lengthened the frame, and put a 4,000-gallon water tank and ag pump on it. We only recently traded up for our Volvo articulated hauler with an 8,000-gallon water tank because our operation has grown to a 190-ton daily capacity, and we needed the larger unit to keep the dust under control.”

Volvo has had quite an influence on Tom Stenvalls entire life. “I have been dealing with Volvo Construction Equipment and Services for many years and Mike Burrell and his (VCES) crew have been there for us with fast and reliable parts and service whenever we call,” says Stenvall. Tom Stenvall has passed on all of his knowledge and passion to his son, Michael, who is now the owner and president of Amswed, Inc. “Michael has been around the business since he was a little kid and has worked his way up through every aspect of this business,” says Stenvall. “He got his commercial driver’s license when he was 18, making him one of California’s youngest. He knows this business inside and out and will take it to an entirely new level.” Tom Stenvall still works at Amswed seven days a week, and like that energizer bunny, he just keeps going and going. For more information on Amswed, Inc., please call their Chula Vista recycling and diversion yard at (619) 425-9450. Cc

Volvo exhibit at 2016 Volvo celebration in Braås, Sweden.