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May 2008 |
Not only do South African truck operators have one of the widest range of truck offerings in the world to choose from but Scania southern Africa is now giving its current and potential customers its own new choice through the launch of three new truck ranges writes Patrick O’Leary.
ONE OF THE most important foundations in growing a successful trucking operation is to select the correct vehicle to do the job. With trucking having so many sectors and applications to cater to, from off-road construction work through to on-highway long haul - with a lot in-between – it is essential that the correctly specced truck matches the task at hand. For this you need choice and while - as the introduction states - South African operators are fortunate in having what is arguably the widest choice of vehicles from manufacturers all over the world, conventional trucking wisdom tells us that having a mixed bag of trucking marques in one fleet is not really the way to go as it does present its own set of problems. It will thus come as good news to local operators that Scania southern Africa, the wholly owned subsidiary of Scania in Sweden, has launched three new truck ranges - the R-, P- and GSeries - in South Africa as the broadest range of heavy duty trucks yet offered by Scania in its 116-year history. Three truck ranges with 50% more cab options to choose from and an extended range of Euro 3 engines - from 230 to 580 hp - will go a long way towards helping customers match specifications with their transport needs. For each truck or tractor application, the customer can ‘mix-and-match’ from different cab models, powertrains and chassis types. The chassis options include a range of wheelbases, wheel configurations, suspension types, chassis heights and bodywork styles. All the cabs feature new interiors with high-quality fittings and excellent ergonomics. The P-series – the successor to Scania’s P94 - has the lowest boarding height and is suitable for multi-drop distribution work as well as regional long-haulage, construction and mining. Short and sleeper cabs are available. It features different combinations of drive axles to meet specific operating environments, including an 8x4 configuration. A raised chassis with increased ground clearance, together with several alternative suspension systems makes it possible to adapt the trucks to a variety of capacity needs and operating conditions. In addition, several wheelbase options for each axle configuration facilitate the accommodation of specialised bodies without the need for complex engineering. The G-series, with its spacious interior and numerous options, is new to South Africa. Positioned between the R- and PSeries – using six-cylinder engines exclusively – it covers a broad range of applications from long-haulage to the toughest on- and off-road construction and mining operations. Short and sleeper cabs are available. The R-series is Scania's
top-of-the-line model and replaces the best-selling 4-Series on South
African roads. It’s a real beauty and comes with even more interior
space and generous options including powerful V8 engines bear
applications such as heavy longhaulage and heavy-haulage. Sleeper and
high-roof sleeper cabs are available.
All three series offer significant gains in payload and fuel efficiency and are identified by new frontal styling designed to reinforce the Scania identity. Also, all three are based on Scania's modular construction system that enables the precise matching of a vehicle to its task. Christoffer Ljungner, managing director of Scania SA, says the new trucks feature innovations and improvements in many areas. “Quality, operating economy and uptime were the principal focus areas during development,” he says. “New, lighter components
and a new rear suspension save up to 270 kg in weight. Such improvements
mean significant gains in earning capacity for the operator. And we have
created an even better environment for the driver with new cab interiors
complemented by many thoughtful ergonomic features to support safe
driving.”
Six power plants There are six, direct injection turbocharged diesel power plants in the new Scania line up, all of which bear compliant with Euro 3 emission requirements. They are:
Across the new range there are different gearbox variations available – from Scania’s rugged 8+1-speed option with single-reduction single axles, to a 12+2-speed range-splitter gearbox and heavy-duty double-reduction bogies. It is also possible to choose an overdrive gearbox together with hub reduction in order to reduce revs at cruising speed for improved fuel economy. All engines and gearboxes offer high torque power take off options. A feature of the range is a new lowwear clutch which, in combination with a new electronic clutch monitoring system, contributes to extended clutch life with minimum maintenance. With this system, the risk of damage to the transmission from harsh operation is minimised. There are three sleeper cabs with interior height options in the range. A new high-spec, high-roof version fits between the standard sleeper and exclusive (special order) Topline cabs in the range. A new, semi-flat floor design boosts cab space in all models. Scania’s Opticruise automated gear changing system (with integrated retarder) is an option on all long haul models in the P- and R-series. It is interesting to note that the automated gearboxes are becoming more and more popular in South Africa – both with operators as they help to achieve better fuel efficiencies and other savings as well as with drivers who find the driving task less onerous when using such a gearbox. Going back to vehicle selection, while I state above that it is vital that the correct vehicle is specced for the task at hand, equally vital is to take into consideration the parts and backup services offered by the manufacturer supplying that vehicle. It is no use buying a vehicle that is going to experience huge downtime while you wait for parts as that is going to lose rather than make you money. And it is happening out there. It is all about life-time costs rather than up-front price. On this point, a national panel beater told me recently that Scania offered superb parts back-up service. This was confirmed by a major operator who was in on the conversation. “We operate Scanias in Botswana and even there, the parts back-up is excellent. They do a great job on parts supply,” he said. The concentration on the support ‘hub’ concept where Scania south Africa is responsible for the supply of trucks, buses, engines and spare parts to neighbouring countries has obviously paid off. For some time now Scania has been doing a lot of things right in this region. We reckon that with these latest truck offerings, Scania has hit a home run for itself and the market.
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The curved design of the new
dashboard puts the controls within easy reach for the driver. Safety via
excellent mirror visibility is also enhanced.