Volvo completes rollout of unattended software updates across North America
Drivers can start updates during breaks and leave the truck while software installs, eliminating service-center visits for routine programming.
Volvo Trucks finished rolling out a software update system across the U.S. and Canada that lets drivers start an update from the cab and walk away while the truck installs new code during a break or overnight stop.
How does Volvo's lock-and-leave update system work?
The feature, called lock and leave, runs on Volvo's Remote Programming platform. A driver initiates the update from inside the truck, locks the doors, and leaves. The truck installs the software over a cellular connection while parked. When the driver returns, the truck is running the latest version and ready to dispatch. No service appointment required.
Volvo said more than 7,500 updates were completed in August. The system can push up to 20,000 software updates per day across the connected fleet.
What truck systems can be updated remotely?
The updates cover engine performance, transmission programming, and battery management, according to Volvo. The company expanded Remote Programming in 2023 to include six programmable vehicle modules. By March, the share of connected North American Volvo trucks running the latest software had climbed from 25% to more than 80% in six months.
Volvo reported a 24% reduction in unplanned stops among trucks running the latest software.
Which Volvo trucks support unattended updates?
The feature requires factory-installed connectivity hardware and Volvo's connected 24-volt platform. The VNL, introduced in 2024, was built with expanded connected services that support over-the-air updates and remote diagnostics. Older trucks with eligible connectivity hardware can receive updates, but the unattended capability depends on the 24-volt architecture.
Volvo first rolled out Remote Programming in 2018 for eligible North American trucks. By 2023, more than 40,000 software updates had been completed through the system.
What this means for fleet uptime
The operational gain is not the update itself but avoiding the service-center visit. A truck that runs eight to 11 hours a day, according to Volvo's own figures, loses revenue every hour it sits in a bay for routine software work. An update that happens during a 30-minute break or an overnight stop costs nothing in lost miles.
Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America, said the goal is to make software updates as easy as possible. "Now a driver can lock and leave their truck while the update runs during a break and return to a truck that is up to date and ready to go to work," he said.
The shift reflects how truck manufacturers are managing increasingly software-dependent vehicles. Rather than treating software as something installed at build or during scheduled service, OEMs can now update vehicle systems throughout the truck's operating life. For fleets, that means fewer trips to the dealership for software-related work and more control over when updates happen.
What happens when updates don't require a service stop
The ability to update remotely also changes the calculus for fleets deciding whether to delay an update. A software patch that requires a service appointment might get deferred if the truck is running fine. The same patch, delivered during a break the driver was taking anyway, has no scheduling friction.
Volvo's June announcement described the unattended update capability as an extension of its existing Remote Programming system, made possible by the connected 24-volt platform. The company has described over-the-air updates as a way to keep trucks current without taking them out of operation.
For small fleets and owner-operators, the practical question is whether the truck's connectivity hardware is eligible and whether the update can wait for a scheduled stop or needs to happen immediately. Volvo's system lets the fleet or driver choose when to start the update, rather than forcing it during a narrow service window.
