The year is 2025. More and more people are choosing to ride buses instead of driving cars. City bus lines have their own dedicated lanes, like streetcar lines without rails. Via feeder routes from the suburbs, passengers travel to safe, well-lit stations in the urban core where buses on the trunk lines stop. All ticket handling occurs outside the buses, reducing the risk of delays.

In Johannesburg, South Africa, Rea Vaya, the city’s new BRT system, is earning high praise from passengers.

Buses have also increased in length in order to accommodate more passengers. This scenario will become a reality in most major cities around the world, according to Rolf Hedberg, Product Manager, Scania Buses and Coaches, with special responsibility for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

Escaping oil dependency
In 15 years, BRT systems will be a critical part of the infrastructure, Hedberg says. He lists several reasons for this: the environment, air quality and a desire to escape oil dependency. Experiences with BRT, especially in Latin America and South Africa, have also been very positive so far.

“Buses have always been cost-effective, but the overall experience of a bus journey needs to become more attractive,” Hedberg says. “In a BRT system, the suppliers, transport authorities and city planners can adopt a comprehensive approach.”

For Scania, this means helping its customers find partners who will assume responsibility for vehicle support and other considerations such as IT communications and coordination with other types of public transport.
Building a BRT system takes one to three years, compared with five to 30 years for an underground rail system. To date, Scania has delivered about 2,000 buses to BRT systems around the world.

“The challenge over the next few years will be to persuade more cities to dare to fully invest in BRT and not be satisfied with a budget version,” Hedberg says.

Minimising congestion
Anders Folkesson, Product Manager within Sustainable Systems at Scania Buses and Coaches, cites congestion in the urban core as another reason for investing in BRT.

“There is a trend towards a cleaner environment,” he says, “but even if cars ran on electricity, that would not be enough. There is simply not enough space on the streets to enable everyone to drive their own vehicle. That benefits buses.”

There are other parallel trends. For example, buses are becoming longer in order to accommodate more passengers. Scania has delivered buses that are 20 metres long, but eventually even longer ones may be needed. In addition, the company expects more experiments with electric propulsion, including a technology called “inductive power transfer” where electricity is transmitted wirelessly from the ground to the vehicle. Another method is to charge the vehicles via “electric umbrellas” at bus stops.

Renewable fuels highly prioritised
Hedberg and Folkesson emphasise that BRT is not the only solution to current public transport problems. Expanding the network of filling stations supplying renewable fuels is high on the priority list, since a transition to renewable fuels is one of the most effective environmental conservation measures. Hybrid buses are high on the list, although their development has occurred more slowly than many had predicted.

“Everyone wants to try them,” Folkesson says, “but few want to pay what they cost. Hybrids are not yet commercially attractive enough. Virtually all hybrids being sold today are heavily subsidised in different ways.”

Scania’s aim is to make hybrid buses profitable on their own merits. Based on today’s interest rates and fuel prices, they must pay for themselves in four to six years.

“The big advantage of hybrids is that they harness brake energy,” Folkesson says. Scania developed hybrid buses at an early stage, conducting its first tests in 1986. Over the years, Scania has tested various hybrid solutions − both parallel and series hybrids.

Hybrid technology and driver training
Hybrid technology reduces fuel consumption by an estimated 30 percent, and together with an ethanol engine it reduces fossil carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90 percent, compared with a diesel-operated bus. In a parallel hybrid system an electric motor is connected to the gearbox, while in a series hybrid there is no mechanical connection between the combustion engine and the electric propulsion motor.

Not everything is a matter of vehicle development. Scania’s driver training programmes are also an important element in its effort to reduce environmental impact. Evaluations show that by using Scania Driver Support, a bus driver in urban traffic can save on average 10 percent in fuel consumption.

The European Bus System of the Future (EBSF) is a four-year-long EU project focusing on bus systems in urban areas. Rolf Hedberg represents Scania in the project. Its aim is to highlight best-practice examples. The test cities are Bremerhaven, Brunoy, Budapest, Gothenburg, Madrid, Rome and Rouen.
The project will end in August 2012. Its final report will contain proposed solutions that fit European conditions and requirements.

Read more: www.ebsf.eu

Gas-powered buses. In 1980, Scania delivered the first gas-powered buses in modern times. More than 2,200 buses with Scania gas engines are in operation, in Australia for example.

Ethanol buses. In the mid-1980s, Scania developed its first ethanol bus engines, and ethanol-powered buses have been in full-scale operation in congested urban traffic since 1989. To date, Scania has sold more than 800 ethanol buses.

Hybrid buses. The first test of hybrid buses took place in 1986. In the intervening years Scania has presented six hybrid bus concepts, among them the world’s first hybrids using renewable fuel. These ethanol-powered hybrid buses underwent trial operation in Stockholm traffic in 2009–2010.

Commercial renewable fuels. In 2010, Scania became the first manufacturer to supply buses that can operate on all three commercially viable renewable fuels available today – bioethanol, biogas and biodiesel.

With the right vehicles, an uncompromising focus on driver behaviour and use of the computer-based Scania Driver Support system, fuel consumption can be reduced to very low levels. This is the assertion of the Scania Transport Laboratory, and it’s done the research to prove it.

“On our best trips between Sweden and the Netherlands, we have reached 18.2 litres/100 kilometres, a level that many say is impossible,” says Anders Gustavsson, Managing Director of the Scania Transport Laboratory.

Fuel economy and road safety 
Scania Transport Laboratory is a wholly owned Scania subsidiary that tests and evaluates vehicle properties and performance in commercial road haulage. It also trains and coaches its drivers in economical and safe driving techniques.

Today the company consists of 65 drivers, 20 tractor units and 75 semitrailers. The fleet includes competitors’ trucks as well, to provide relevant comparisons in real-life conditions.

The practical assignment of the Transport Laboratory is to be responsible for part of Scania’s European production flow by hauling freight and components between the production units in Södertälje in Sweden and Zwolle in the Netherlands.

“From the start in 2007 we wanted the Transport Lab to facilitate communications between Scania’s product development and the daily operations of a haulage company,” says Gustavsson.
“The dialogue works very well,” he says. “Virtually every week, our drivers are visited by employees of Scania’s research and development departments, who want to talk about concrete ideas and improvement opportunities.”

Lower engine revs
One result is that the Transport Laboratory now operates tractor units that are configured with a faster rear-axle gear ratio. This leads to lower engine revs at cruising speed, which can reduce fuel consumption by 3 to 10 percent.

Another result is a new rear air deflector known as a “boat-tail” spoiler, which is mounted at the back of the company’s semitrailers. The spoiler increases the length of the vehicle combination by 30 centimetres, which is equivalent to the extra length permitted by the EU. The results are very promising.

“The fuel savings are close to 4 percent,” Gustavsson says. “For our trucks, which run 360,000 kilometres per year and consume an average of 26 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, it represents an annual saving of nearly 4,000 litres of fuel per truck and lower CO2 emissions.”

Train and coach drivers
But the biggest improvements in terms of fuel consumption and vehicle wear and tear are still achieved by means of consistent efforts to train and coach drivers, combined with systems such as Scania Fleet Management and Scania Driver Support, Gustavsson says.

“These are the most important steps for us to achieve our target of fuel consumption averaging 22 litres per 100 kilometres.”

 7 tips for better operating economy

1. Consistent driver training.
   Repeat and reinforce driver training for real and lasting fuel savings. Find methods and processes for coaching drivers regularly, preferably in real-time using the tools in the Scania Fleet Management Portal.
2. Correct vehicle specification.
   Devote time to determining the correct vehicle specifications for your operations. A faster rear-axle gear ratio leads to lower engine revs at cruising speed and can lower fuel consumption by 3 to 10 percent. Correct specifications may also mean not to have too powerful an engine.
3. Scania Ecocruise.
   Make use of Scania Ecocruise. This is an intelligent cruise control system that can save up to 4 percent on fuel.
4. Scania Driver Support.
   Make use of Scania Driver Support. This computerised support system guides the driver in real time by providing tips and feedback.
5. Properly adjusted air deflectors.
   Ask your Scania workshop to help adjust air deflectors properly. An improperly adjusted deflector will increase fuel consumption.
6. Regular vehicle checks.
   Check the axle and wheel alignment regularly and adjust tyre pressure.
7. Regular trailer checks.
   Check axle alignment and brake settings regularly in order to avoid traction losses.

Source: Scania Transport Laboratory

About Scania Transport Laboratory

• Average annual mileage of 360,000 kilometres per vehicle
• 20 tractor units (4×2)
• 65 drivers
• 75 three-axle semitrailers
• 13 daily trips: Sweden – the Netherlands – Sweden
• Volume 100 m³/semitrailer, load factor 92 percent. Average gross weight of each rig is 37 tonnes en route to Zwolle and 32 tonnes returning.
• Most of this traffic goes via Denmark, with a driver change in Vordingborg.
• Average fuel consumption of 26 litres/100 kilometres (target: 22 litres/100 kilometres).

The contenders, Peter Röder and Hanna Fange, shake hands after two challenging days on the road.

In the end, Peter Röder won over Hanna Fange by a small margin.

“29 years behind the wheel have made me good at thinking ahead of what may happen on the road and in different traffic situations,” Röder said after completing the 1,351 km fuel duel.

25.4 litres/100 km is a bit lower than his normal average. He explains: “The R 480 Euro 6 was a great truck to drive, and it’s much easier driving here in Scandinavia than on crowded German motorways.”

Hanna Fange, however, felt the weight on her shoulders and was a bit disappointed: “I congratulate Peter for being the better driver. At the same time, I know I could have avoided some mistakes earlier today.”

Both drivers in the Scania Fuel Efficiency Duel managed to undercut the target fuel consumption set at 26 litres/100 km. This is in line with the expected average for the Scania Transport Laboratory vehicles.

Anders Gustafsson, Scania Transport Laboratory, congratulates Peter Röder to the victory.

Room for improvement
Anders Gustavsson, MD of the Scania Transport Laboratory, says he is very pleased the duel turned out to be so even.

“We have seen that it is possible to reach well under 26 l/100 km with totally different driving styles. That is encouraging. But we can also see that there is room for further improvement with both drivers,” Gustavsson says. 

The Scania Transport Laboratory uses a mix of Euro 5 and Euro 6 vehicles for its transport assignment, plus a couple of competitor vehicles, all with closely matched specifications.

“Each vehicle in our fleet clocks up around 35,000 km per month and we follow up the results in great detail. The average fuel consumption for the 18 Scania trucks used – a mix of R 400 Euro 5, R 420 Euro 5 and R 480 Euro 6 – generally differs less than half a litre per 100 km, including AdBlue for the 420 and 480,” says Anders Gustavsson.

“During winter, we averaged around 29 litres/100 km and during summer, we expect the average to be around 26 litres/100 km, as in this duel.”

Johan Berglund, Head of Scania Fleet Management, comments on the fuel duel, which he monitored all the way via the Scania Fleet Management Portal:

Peter Röder was appointed the winner in the Scania Fuel Efficiency Duel.

Fleet Management Portal
“Following the two drivers continuously these two days has been most interesting. Two skilled drivers with slightly different driving styles achieving virtually the same results. Hanna Fange is used to driving according to the recommendations, whereas Peter Röder has a different and obviously very effective way of negotiating hills.

“The difference between the Scania Driver Support scores shows that there is more than one way to skin a cat. Scania Driver Support is designed to provide real-time coaching on parameters that are well-known from driver training and thus encourage the driver to adopt a safe and economical driving style.”

Peter Röder says he performed better on Danish and Swedish roads than on dense German motorways.

Hanna Fange was satisfied with her overall performance, but admits a few mistakes along the road.

Hanna Fange and Peter Röder with representatives from TSL and Scania.

Scania Fuel Efficiency Duel drivers Hanna Fange and Peter Röder in Vordingborg, Denmark.

Show Scania fuel duel 2011 on a map.

Scania Fleet Management reports on several parameters. The table below includes a list of some of the most relevant criteria including average fuel consumption (AFC), Scania Driver Support percentage (SDS), location, distance and average speed. The target values for AFC and SDS are 26.0 l/100 km and 85 %, respectively.

Note: Updated values reflect accumulating trip averages.

Read more about the drivers.

Day 2, 27 May 2011

Time	Hanna Fange	Peter Röder
12:18 (finish)	22.7 l/100 km 97 % Södertälje, Sweden 677 km 78.0 km/h	22.4 l/100 km 79 % Södertälje, Sweden 678 km 77.3 km/h
12:00	22.7 l/100 km 97 % Järna, Sweden 665 km 79.5 km/h	22.3 l/100 km 81 % Järna, Sweden 668 km 79.0 km/h
11:00	23.0 l/100 km 96 % Jönåker, Sweden 583 km 79.1 km/h	22.4 l/100 km 81 % Jönåker, Sweden 585 km 78.4 km/h
10:00	23.4 l/100 km 94 % Linköping, Sweden 503 km 78.7 km/h	22.5 l/100 km 79 % Linköping, Sweden 504 km 77.8 km/h
09:00	24.6 l/100 km 93 % Gränna, Sweden 420 km 78.0 km/h	23.5 l/100 km 78 % Gränna, Sweden 421 km 76.9 km/h
08:00	25.2 l/100 km 91 % Skillingaryd, Sweden 339 km 77.2 km/h	23.4 l/100 km 76 % Skillingaryd, Sweden 339 km 75.7 km/h
07:00	25.0 l/100 km 91 % Klevshult, Sweden 333 km 77.7 km/h	23.3 l/100 km 76 % Klevshult, Sweden 333 km 76.2 km/h
06:00	25.5 l/100 km 91 % Hamneda, Sweden 264 km 77.3 km/h	23.6 l/100 km 76 % Hamneda, Sweden 263 km 75.6 km/h
05:00	26.0 l/100 km 85 % Östra Ljungby, Sweden 182 km 75.2 km/h	24.4 l/100 km 72 % Östra Ljungby, Sweden 181 km 73.0 km/h
04:00	24.6 l/100 km 77 % Helsingør, Denmark 136 km 76.4 km/h	23.1 l/100 km 65 % Helsingør, Denmark 136 km 74.4 km/h
03:00	24.4 l/100 km 100 % Greve Strand, Denmark 79 km 79.3 km/h	23.3 l/100 km 70 % Greve Strand, Denmark 78 km 75.8 km/h
02:00 (start)	- l/100 km - % Vordingborg, Denmark 0 km - km/h	- l/100 km - % Vordingborg, Denmark 0 km - km/h

Follow the duel here!

Name:		Hanna Fange		Peter Röder
Age:		31		49
Nationality:		Swedish		German
Employer:		Scania Transport Laboratory, Södertälje, Sweden		TSL GmbH, Groß-Umstadt, Germany
Years in the profession:		4		29
Best quality as a truck driver:		“I am attentive and have good anticipatory skills. I always think ‘traffic’ and ‘flow’ even when I am walking.”		“I am a very relaxed driver, I always treat the truck with care and respect and I am very reliable.”
Favourite Scania model:		“Driving the customised Scania Blue Shark V8 was fantastic.”		Scania R 500 V8
Mileage per year (kilometres):		100,000		160,000
Favourite truck stop:		Cloppenburg in northern Germany		Schwarmstedt, Germany
What I like about driving as a profession:		“I have always wanted to be a truck driver, so it’s difficult to say what I like the best. I like driving far distances and being ‘King of the Road’ in a big machine. Also, I learn new things and tricks all the time, thanks to great colleagues.”		“The freedom and that I can be somewhat independent.”
Hobbies:		Reading, listening to music, spending time with my girlfriend		Working in the garden

“We run this challenge because we want to show the industry and the people concerned that it is possible to reach 25 litres/100 km in normal driving. All it takes is skilled drivers driving their vehicles with care,” says Anders Gustavsson, MD of Scania Transport Laboratory. “The majority of hauliers are often quite happy to reach a level around 31–32 litres/100 km. There’s absolutely no reason why we shouldn’t be able to do better.”

Klaus Ellinger, founder of TSL, explains that his company entered the challenge because “we know that we have really good drivers who know how to handle a truck. We see the resulting low consumption in our everyday business, as well as lower maintenance costs and improved service performance. Moreover, our drivers are dependable; they treat the trucks with respect and make optimum use of them.”

The challenge between Hanna Fange from the Scania Transport Laboratory and Peter Röder from TSL begins at 04:00 Thursday 26 May at Scania’s production unit in Södertälje, Sweden. That’s when the two Scania R 480 two-axle tractors with Euro 6 engines (totalling 40 tonnes of gross weight) will leave on their journey from Södertälje to Scania’s production unit in Zwolle, the Netherlands. The trucks travel south through Sweden and Denmark to Vordingborg, approximately 100 kilometres south of Copenhagen, Denmark. There the drivers will take their statutory rest period of eleven hours. In the meantime, the trucks will continue to Zwolle with other drivers. At 02:00 on Friday 27 May the challenge will resume with Hanna Fange and Peter Röder at the wheels as two new trucks from Zwolle, with the exact specifications as their previous vehicles, leave Vordingborg to reach Södertälje around 13:00.

Scania Fleet Management enables transport companies to keep better track of vehicles and drivers, thereby improving the efficiency of their fleets. The system is based on a little “black box” called the Scania Communicator, which is installed on the truck and automatically gathers information from the vehicle, such as fuel consumption, driving style and braking behaviour. This information is then transmitted wirelessly to the office along with GPS positioning data.

With the help of this system, operators can keep track of exactly where their vehicles are, their fuel consumption, how they are being driven and when it is time for the next service. They can then use this information to improve their profitability and reduce their environmental impact.

TSL is a German transport company that specialises in time-critical deliveries for the food industry. Established in 1994, the company is based in Groß-Umstadt, near Frankfurt am Main in Germany, and has 60 employees. The fleet comprises 37 of the company’s own tractors as well as an additional hundred or so vehicles provided by contracted suppliers. TSL invests significant resources in fuel efficiency, providing regular training and follow-up for its drivers to ensure that they drive economically.

The Scania Transport Laboratory is a wholly owned subsidiary of Scania that tests and evaluates vehicle characteristics and performance in commercial road haulage. The company’s tasks also include training and coaching its drivers in economical and safe driving techniques. The company accounts for a small portion of the goods haulage between Scania’s European production and assembly units. Its fleet consists of 20 tractor units and about 70 semitrailers.

You can follow the challenge here at Scania Newsroom - we report directly from the Scania Fleet Management from 08:00 on Thursday 26 May.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Starting 31 December 2012, all new truck models sold in the European Union must meet the new Euro 6 emission standards. A year later, the same will apply to existing models, and sales of Euro 5 engines will be phased out.

But even today – more than two years before the law requires it – Scania has two engine alternatives that fulfil the new standards and are ready for launch. These engines make it possible for keen operators to take the next step and invest in the greenest technology available in the market. They will be able to benefit from lower motorway charges and other incentives that may be introduced by authorities. Another bonus is that vehicles with the latest emission standard also command a higher value in the second-hand market.

Scania Euro 6 R 440 4x2 Topline tractor unit.

“We want to be ready as early as possible to offer these new engines to our customers, so that they can begin to take advantage of them,” says Gunnar Nyfjäll, product manager for long-haulage trucks within Scania.

Six-cylinder 13-litre engines featuring 440 and 480 horsepower will be available in Euro 6 versions for the G- and R-series truck ranges. Thus Scania will cover a large proportion of customer applications in the long-haulage and construction fields.

Scania’s Euro 6 engines are based on the new modular engine platform that was introduced in 2007. The driving experience will be unchanged, featuring good torque at low revs. Building them with the Scania modular product system simplifies development work as well as servicing and parts management.

The biggest difference is the entirely new exhaust gas aftertreatment system that is built into the silencer. This includes a particulate filter and twin selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts with an advanced AdBlue dosage system that reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx) content.

According to the Euro 6 directive, the permitted NOx level is only a fifth as much as with Euro 5, and the particulate level is less than half. In addition, particulate matter will be counted according to a new method, and the limitation on the particle count will mean that a vehicle needs to be equipped with a particulate filter. The new Scania engines fulfil these emission levels by a wide margin.

Jonas Hofstedt, Head of Powertrain Development, says Scania has spared no effort to avoid fuel penalties on the new engines.

“Operators will find that fuel economy, driveability and engine response are fully on a par with our Euro 5 engines,” Hofstedt says. “

One of the new features for Euro 6 is the entirely new exhaust gas aftertreatment system that is built into the silencer.

All the development work has been performed in-house at Scania,” he adds. “We have combined all the new technologies that Scania has developed in recent years: exhaust gas recirculation, variable turbo geometry, common-rail high-pressure fuel injection, selective catalytic reduction and particulate filtering. Add to that our own engine and exhaust management technology, which has now been integrated into one system.”

 Visit the Euro 6 press room and watch the press conference at Scania.com.

Inside the box

The upstream NOx sensor, diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), full-flow diesel particulate filter (DPF), AdBlue mixer, twin parallel SCR catalysts, ammonium slip catalyst (ASC) and downstream NOx sensor are all integrated in the compact silencer unit. The temperature (°C) is measured all the way up to the catalysts, and the pressure drop across the DPF is monitored to assess the status of the filter.

Shrinking emissions

Euro 6 is a drastic downward step in emission levels compared with previous emissions standards. The European Union directive sets new limits on emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter from heavy trucks. The Euro 6 standard is also a first step towards harmonisation of the emission rules in Europe, North America and Japan. It applies to new models starting 31 December 2012 and to existing models starting 31 December 2013. After that, all new trucks sold in the EU must meet Euro 6 standards.

As haulage companies and operators come under growing cost pressure and environmental scrutiny, they are becoming increasingly interested in computer-supported fleet management systems on-board their vehicles.
Scania is now launching a new fleet management concept, creating three distinct packages of services to fit the varying needs of individual haulage companies.

Scania Fleet Management is based on a little “black box’ called the Scania Communicator, which is installed on the truck and automatically gathers information from the vehicle, such as fuel consumption, driving style and braking behaviour. This information is then transmitted wirelessly to the office along with GPS positioning data. 

With the help of this system, operators can keep track of exactly where their vehicles are, their fuel consumption, how they are being driven and when it is time for the next service . They can then use this information to improve their profitability and reduce their environmental impact. The transport operators can also examine information downloaded from the new generation of digital tachographs.

Johan Berglund, head of Fleet Management at Scania.

“There is great interest in fleet management solutions among transport companies and operators. They are all extremely cost-conscious and are looking at every opportunity to improve efficiency. Because fuel often accounts for one  third of their total costs, all fuel savings represent money that goes straight into their pockets,” says Johan Berglund, head of Fleet Management at Scania.

1. Weekly e-mail report
   The Monitoring package entails that a straightforward vehicle fleet performance summary is sent by e-mail to the operator. This enables the office to monitor such variables as fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions and to monitor trends and divergences for each vehicle. This service is best suited to small transport companies with up to 15 vehicles.
2. Monitoring driving style
   The Analysis package enables transport companies to carry out in-depth analyses of vehicle and driver performance. Since all data is stored on the Scania Fleet Management Internet portal, the office can study each vehicle and driver in depth during selected periods. The results are reported in an easy-to-understand “traffic light” format (red-amber-green). For example, the company can make plans to provide driver training and coaching based on driving patterns, as well as plan the maintenance.
3. Tracking the location of each vehicle
   The Control package provides further opportunities to follow the fleet and drivers. The haulage company can follow exactly where on the map the various vehicles are located, ensure that the system alerts them if the vehicle deviates from a predetermined route or is about to arrive at its destination.

Contact your nearest Scania workshop for more information.

Our long-term sustainability vision gives us an edge,” says Machiel Roelofsen, Rotra Forwarding BV.

We aim to be most sustainable joint cargo forwarder in the Benelux, and that’s only possible with a long-term policy,” says Machiel Roelofsen of Koninklijke (“Royal”) Rotra Forwarding BV in Doesburg, Netherlands. “Our long-term sustainability vision gives us an edge.”

Founded in 1909, Rotra today is led by Roelofsen and his brother Harm. The family company is responsible for 350 trailers (including 100 of its own trucks) with joint cargo forwarding throughout Europe, and a complete range of logistics services – rail, air and sea cargo – to destinations all over the world. With nine warehouses in the Netherlands and Belgium, Rotra can provide fourth-party logistics (“4pl”) services to clients, letting them contract out their total supply chain to the company.

Rotra provides fourth party logistics for Gazelle bicycles, for example, a traditional Dutch brand. Machiel Roelofsen heads up Rotra with his brother Harm.”We use a Scania ethanol truck to distribute bicycles to 600 dealers,” he says.

At Rotra, sustainable business begins with education. The company’s 550 employees in the Netherlands and Belgium – drivers, warehouse personnel and managers – are regularly trained at the Rotra Academy. In order to reduce fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions, the drivers learn skills such as anticipatory driving and changing gear at low revs.

In 2004, Rotra cooperated with Scania to introduce a heavier and longer truck combination with a very favourable load/emission balance. The combination extended 25.25 metres, the maximum allowed on restricted routes in Europe.

A special think tank manned by four former directors in the logistics world develops green plans for Rotra. One of the group’s results is the first truck in Europe to be fuelled with ethanol, introduced in 2008 in cooperation with Scania. Roelofsen says, “We are now working with Scania on a truck engine which can run on ice-cold LNG (liquefied natural gas).”

Sustainability initiatives

• Multi-modal transport
• Ethanol trucks
• Long vehicles – 25.25 metres
• Solar panels on warehouses
• Slim road management system for more efficient routing
•  Driver training
• Fork-lift trucks on hydrogen gas
• Warehousing system
• Barge terminal for multi-modal transport

Rotra’s “green” wish list

• A dredged tributary of the IJssel river in Doesburg, so that Rotra can build a barge terminal
• A subsidy for the construction of solar panels on the roofs of the various Rotra warehouses
• Tax reduction on ethanol

About Rotra

Founded in 1909, Koninklijke (“Royal”) Rotra in Doesburg, Netherlands, is today led by Machiel Roelofsen and his brother Harm. The company offers a complete range of logistics services, including fourth-party logistics, for rail, air and sea cargo to destinations all over the world.

Environmental demands are creating tough challenges for the transport business, but sustainable solutions for the sector already exist. For example, technology that is available today can reduce CO2 emissions. Meet another two transport companies that successfully combine their efforts on the environment, growth and long-term profitability.

Scandinavian food transport logistics company Bring Frigo has established two green corridors as one way to fulfil the company’s goal of a 30 percent reduction in its carbon footprint by the year 2015. Read more about Bring Frigo.

South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg, is constructing Rea Vaya, a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system to combat congestion and improve public transport. The initial results from the first phase are overwhelmingly positive. Read more about Rea Vaya.

“A three percent saving will lower fuel cost by close to EUR 1,500 per vehicle each year,” writes Hamish Bennett, product manager at Scania.

It is possible to save fuel by choosing a faster rear axle ratio, thus lowering the number of engine revs per minute at cruising speed. If the propshaft needs to rotate fewer times to cover a given stretch of road, energy losses in the powertrain will be correspondingly less. And so will fuel consumption.

Aside from propelling the vehicle and its cargo, a truck engine must also overcome resistance in the powertrain, such as friction and other losses. It also has to drive all auxiliary systems, for example the alternator and water pump. At cruising speed on flat ground, this is about 15 percent of total losses, also including air and rolling resistance.

Today an overall gear ratio of 3.08 is common, which means that the propshaft must rotate 3.08 times in order for the rear wheels to rotate once. If we choose a ratio of 2.59, this lowers the number of engine revs at a given speed. In top gear at a cruising speed of 89 kilometres per hour, it means approximately 200 fewer revs per minute.

This reduces fuel consumption by three percent or more − in some applications by up to ten percent. In long-haulage, an annual mileage of 150,000 km is not uncommon. Assuming an average fuel consumption of slightly above 30 litres per 100 km and a typical diesel price of more than EUR 1 per litre, a three percent saving will lower fuel cost by close to EUR 15,000 per vehicle each year. That level is not possible in all transport applications, but for a haulier with many trucks, this adds up to major savings.

New Scania Opticruise enables economy gearing for cruising down to 1,020 r/min.

So what needs to be done to implement such a change in practice? Above all, two things: Choosing a different rear axle ratio, and persuading drivers to accept a slightly different driving experience. In some markets this is already standard on long-haul trucks, for example in Great Britain, Poland and Spain. Elsewhere this trend has only just begun. It is naturally impossible to lump together all transport applications and to uncritically choose a specification that lowers engine revs in an entire fleet of vehicles. When the engine frequently needs to operate at maximum output due to hilly terrain, or when a vehicle often carries the maximum permitted payload, there may be reason not to choose a faster rear axle ratio. The fuel savings are less, and perhaps the vehicle owner wants to prioritise gradeability in top gear or other characteristics. When we choose a ratio of 2.59 instead of 3.08, many people believe this makes a truck feel less powerful. But the gearbox takes care of this difference in rear axle ratio, and with automated gearchanging, the driver can relax. This means that using a 2.59 rear axle ratio, a vehicle may even have more power at the wheels since it is operating in a lower gear.

A vehicle that normally maintains a cruising speed of 89 km/h on a typical European highway is using only a fraction of its maximum engine output. An engine with the most common output of 440 hp often uses thirty percent of maximum output on flat routes. Here operators can save fuel by maintaining lower engine revs, and this applies to between eighty and ninety percent of road transport in Europe.

For a driver, using lower engine revs means a quieter cab. It also means that the driving experience may be different, since taking maximum advantage of a new rear axle ratio requires that the vehicle be equipped with the Scania Opticruise automated gearchanging system. The vehicle also moves a bit faster when manoeuvring at terminals, but drivers soon become accustomed to this.

Hill climbing ability in top gear at cruising speed is admittedly somewhat lower. One noticeable difference is that the Scania Opticruise downshifts sooner up-hill. But this in itself is no disadvantage as an early downshift can result in higher speed in the hills. It is transport time that counts, and this does not increase with the new specification.
Powertrain specifications are increasingly important, and in many cases hauliers can no longer specify vehicles in the conventional way. It is necessary to optimise the powertrain for each user’s transport task, thereby minimising the environmental impact and the fuel bill.

Some hauliers also save a lot of money by applying a policy of 85 or even 80 km/h cruising speeds. Major savings are possible due to both lower engine revs and less air resistance at slower speeds.

Significant savings

Engine revs at cruising speed (per minute) - Engine revs per hour

• 1,300 - 78,000
• 1,100 - 66,000

Difference 12,000 revs for the same stretch of road

Fuel savings 3–10 percent (depending on application)