Scheduled for delivery between March 2012 and December 2013, approximately 300 units will enter service this year. As with the previous order, the mix of vehicles will comprise mainly Scania R-series tractor units but will also include a significant number of Scania G-series models.

“This agreement reflects our on-going satisfaction with Scania and the levels of support provided by the company’s dealer network,” comments Stobart Group Chief Operating Officer, William Stobart. “Scania’s focus on ongoing development will allow Eddie Stobart to continue to provide sustainable distribution and the usual high levels of service to its customers.”

“Over the past two years, the partnership between Eddie Stobart, A. W. Jenkinson and Scania has continued to develop positively,” says Hans-Christer Holgersson, Managing Director of Scania (Great Britain) Limited. “Winning such a significant repeat order not only demonstrates that our products meet the operational needs of these two high profile customers day-in day-out, but also the capabilities of our service organisation when it comes to providing a comprehensive range of back-up services on such a large geographical scale.”

Eddie Stobart, part of Stobart Group, is one of the most recognised and strongest brands in Britain, best known for its iconic green trucks. Today, Eddie Stobart is the name behind a road haulage fleet of 2,280 and some of the best vehicle utilisation in the industry, helping to maximise effiency and environmental benefits.

A.W. Jenkinson Forest Products and its subsidiaries handle over 2 million tonnes of green waste, roundwood, chips, sawdust, bark and other timber co-products each year, collected from forestry sites, sawmills and other wood processing industries throughout the UK. The company is the largest UK supplier of woodchip and bark products.

Scania is a major supplier to British industry of trucks, buses, coaches and engines for industrial and marine applications. Additionally, the company provides a wide range of complementary and ancillary services in support of its products and customers through its 90-plus-strong network of service centres. In 2011, Scania’s share of the UK heavy truck market was 14% and its combined bus and coach market share amounted to 8.1%.

For further information, please contact Hans-Åke Danielsson, Press Manager, tel. +46 8 553 856 62.

Magnuz Häger

Magnuz Häger, who has been a demonstration driver for 10 years, puts his skills on display primarily at Scania press events in Europe. “When I’m not working as demo driver, I work as a service technician at a tractor workshop,” he says. “Most of us demo drivers find the contrast between our regular jobs and working as demo drivers enriching.”

Häger and his colleagues are trained for their assignments. He says, “It’s expected that we have full knowledge of the solutions that are being introduced, so we continuously receive training in product knowledge. But my view is that our most important role is to convey a positive feeling to our visitors, whether or not they are capable truck drivers. It’s our duty to ensure that driving Scania’s trucks is a good experience.”

Most of the journalists that Häger meets are very interested in the technology behind Scania’s products. “Occasionally, they ask us questions that clearly lie beyond our field of knowledge,” he admits. “We’ve learned to only answer questions when we have all the information; in those cases, we refer them to experts.”

On camera

Dutch TV programme editor Bas van Nooten and photographer Giel van der Donk, both with PMG TV, were participating in Scania’s press event with the aim of shooting a 7-minute segment on the new off-road trucks.

Editor Bas van Nooten and photographer Giel van der Donk

“Our viewers are very interested in the technology and how it’s being applied,” says Bas van Nooten. Each week, 300,000 viewers in the Netherlands tune in to the half-hour TV-programme “RTL Transportwereld” to learn about the world of transport.

Scania staff photographer Carl-Erik Andersson was also onsite, shooting press images and photos for the company’s internal purposes.

“Most visitors at our events take their own pictures,” Andersson says. “I try to help them by scouting locations and angles; that way we don’t get the exact same image in every magazine. Photographers usually wish to add their own touch, and I understand what they are looking for.”

Carl-Erik Andersson

Dirk Sanne is Editor-in-Chief of the German trade magazine Güterverehr.

Dirk Sanne

“I will primarily write about the technological developments,” Sanne says. “That is what my readers are most interested in. I expect that this launch will result in at least two pages in my magazine.”

Excon is Asia’s third largest exhibition for construction equipment and is therefore an important place for Scania to be in order to reach target groups within the mining and construction segment. About 30,000 people visited the exhibition for business purposes.
 
Scania’s truck was placed in a central position at the exhibition and therefore received good exposure. Many visitors got the chance to try it out and could obtain information about the different functions such as Scania Opticruise. The response was positive.
 
 

Scania’s heavy-duty mining tipper model P 380 was launched in the Indian market during EXCON 2007 together with Larsen & Toubro (L&T). L&T has successfully established Scania’s mining trucks in the Indian mining industry and since the launch more than 600 P 380 mining trucks have been supplied to various highly satisfied customers in the construction and mining sectors.
 
After four years in India, Scania sees other openings in the on-road segment for buses and coaches and for heavy transport services. 

Scania Commercial Vehicles India was formed in 2011 in order to market Scania trucks, buses and engines in India. To shorten the lead times to the customers, Scania Commercial Vehicles India is currently in the process of establishing an assembly unit in Bangalore.
 
Scania’s presence in the country complements L&T’s product range in the construction and mining sectors, and Scania customers will benefit from a larger range of models, shorter delivery times and enhanced service support.

Since the contemporary, non-profit spectacle Cirkus Cirkör was founded in 1995, some 70,000 to 100,000 spectators have seen their performances every year.

The troupe is presently touring with its performance “Wear it like a crown” and will visit eight Norwegian cities followed by the French city of Mulhouse, Budapest, Hungary, and the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana. To help with the tour, Scania has lent a new tractor and trailer unit for two years.

“The cooperation solves our transport problems but it also means a partnership with a company that we respect and are proud to work with,” says Anders Frennberg, CEO at Cirkus Cirkör.

Scania has a number of other current cultural sponsorship agreements including the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm, the experimental exhibition and museum Tom Tits Experiment, along with the Scania Choir and the Opera of Södertälje.

China: large-scale infrastructure and public housing projects. Mongolia: a vast copper and gold mine under development. Russia: strong demand for transport to support the country’s enormous energy sector.

These are a few examples of the impact that the past years’ global economic development has had on the construction industry. More and more, mines and construction sites are located in remote places, which raises demand for robust trucks that can handle rough conditions.

“That is why Scania is now extending its range of trucks tailored to tough off-road working conditions,” says Dan Persson, Product Manager for Construction within Scania.

The new Off-road trucks are designed to cope with the toughest conditions in the industry.

“The new frontal styling is utterly functional, encompassing robust solutions to protect vulnerable components,” says Persson. “This reduces repair costs and avoids non-profitable downtime.”

The first introduction includes new Off-road trucks based on the spacious G-series. A full range of P-series models will follow at a later stage.

The new trucks benefit from all of the improvements, new features and functions introduced on Scania trucks, such as Scania Opticruise with off-road mode, new traction control features and the new Scania Retarder with enhanced low-speed performance – as well as all of the new developments on the chassis.

For more details and pictures, visit the pressroom.

Extra low-speed retarder performance

Scania has developed a new, high-performance version of the Scania Retarder for greater low-speed power or higher overall performance, perfectly suited for construction and off-road applications.

Although more powerful, the new retarder (R4100) is technically identical to the previous version (R3500) in all major respects. This includes the multiple functional integration of the braking, speed control, gearchanging and cooling systems.

The improvements are significant. Overall braking performance is up from 3,500 Nm to a healthy 4,100 Nm. The internal gear ratio has been raised from 3.04 to 3.26, giving a 17 percent boost in peak braking torque. At low road speeds, the actual increase is 20–25 percent, depending on the rear axle ratio of the vehicle.

Because the new gear ratio gives additional drag at high road speeds, the new retarder is most suitable for applications that mainly run at road speeds below 70 km/h. At those speeds the difference in fuel consumption is insignificant.

Automated off-road gearchanging

Scania is introducing a new operating mode for Scania Opticruise that optimises gearchanging for off-road and tough construction applications. This feature, called Off-road mode, is is a useful complement to Scania’s traction control systems – now all gathered close to the steering wheel – giving drivers maximum support for driving in adverse conditions.

A complement to Normal mode and Power mode, Off-road mode is adapted to rough terrain and driving on soft surfaces. It is standard on vehicles specified for off-road driving and for driving on soft or loose ground with high rolling resistance.

• In Off-road mode the system strives to keep the clutch engaged as much as possible to avoid interruptions in power delivery and, hence, traction. The number of gearchanges is minimised by allowing the engine speed to vary over a wider rev band. Gearchanges are made faster and without prioritising comfort. The gearchanging strategy is the same for Opticruise with a clutch pedal.
• Power mode is intended for runs in which transport time is at a premium. Hill performance is adapted to go for engine revs where maximum power is delivered. There is some sacrifice in fuel, but hill-climbing is faster and with slightly quicker gearchanges than in normal mode.
• Normal mode is optimised for maximum fuel economy, but still delivering good hill performance. The system strives to run at engine revs that deliver maximum torque.

All driving modes are controlled by toggling the ring switch on the Opticruise lever; the mode engaged is indicated in the central instrument.

Inter Airport Europe covers a vast array of terminal operations, infrastructure and technical installations. With its green options and modular product system, Scania can supply solutions for a great many of these, as evidenced by the exhibits at Inter Airport 2011 in Munich. Scania fire and rescue vehicles – usually chosen for reliability, uptime and performance – are in operation at major airports on all continents.

For more information and pictures, visit the pressroom >

Scania G 400 4x4 sweeper/blower/snow plough.

The jubilee truck completed the final leg of its world trip recently, when Robert Bengtsson from the Scania museum drove the truck home from Skandia harbour in Gothenburg. 

Eleven of Scania’s production units around the world were involved in the manufacture of the truck in order to demonstrate Scania’s global production. Scania employees from all these units also attended the presentation ceremony in Hannover.

There is photo documentation which shows the history of the truck all the way from the manufacture of core components to various transportation services on behalf of the International Red Cross. This epoch-making vehicle will therefore have a comprehensive story to tell visitors to the Marcus Wallenberg Hall.

The truck has had a long sea voyage to Sweden. The voyage began in Dar Es Salam, Tanzania in March and passed through India and Japan to Southampton in the UK, where it was reloaded onto a new ship destined for Gothenburg.

The 1,000 Point Test is one of Europe’s largest comparative truck tests and, according to many, the toughest. It involves an international team of truck journalists who score the trucks subjectively in combination with objective measuring.

German Lastauto Omnibus notes the ability of Scania to cruise at low revs.

Organised by Germany’s ETM Verlag, whose publications include the magazines Lastauto Omnibus and Fernfahrer, the 1,000 Point Test is carried out in cooperation with Spain’s Transporte Mundial, Great Britain’s Commercial Motor and the Netherlands’ Truckstar. Articles about the test are published in trade magazines in at least 10 other countries as well.

The test runs along a 180-kilometre route in south-west Germany, a hilly part of the scenic Mosel valley.

In the 1,000 Point Test that took place in late 2010, the focus was to compare fleet trucks producing around 400 hp. A Scania G 420 Highline faced three other tractors: a Mercedes Axor 1840 LS with 396 hp, a MAN TGS 18.400 LX with 394 hp and a Volvo FM 410 Globetrotter with 405 hp.

The seating position of the Scania G 420 is best in class, writes British Commercial Motor.

Scania was the overall winner, earning a total of 941 – nine points ahead of the closest contender. The Scania G-series tractor received especially high points in the economy, performance and cab categories. In economy, the Scania almost reached a perfect score – 133 out of 135 points.

In Commercial Motor’s December 2010 issue Colin Barnett summed up the results: “This year’s test was won by an even bigger margin than last year, 35 points separating the field, but the winner stays the same, as Scania once more takes home the spoils of victory.”

Lastauto Omnibus notes the ability of Scania to cruise at low revs “… with the result that Scania wins the fuel consumption evaluation by a comfortable margin.”

Frank Zeiten of Lastauto Omnibus also points out the Scania’s superior qualities in hilly terrain, saying: “Despite a very long rear axle ratio … Scania is the fastest of the quartet on the hilly course.” He points out that the main reason for the much higher average speed of Scania is found “in the high torque and its very broad, constant progress.”

In addition to economy, Scania received high marks for driver appeal and the cab. “Driving the Scania is very good,” writes Commercial Motor. “The steering gives a good feeling of the road, while visibility around the cab in the mirrors is good.”

“The seating position behind the unique adjustable steering wheel is still the best in class, and that all adds up to making this G 420 the winner of our 1,000 Point Test,” the magazine concludes.

The Scania G-series tractor received especially high points in the economy, performance and cab categories.

It is the Campionato Italiano di Gran Turismo, a classic Italian racing weekend at the Autodromo Vallelunga north of Rome. One of the high points is the season finale of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo, the fastest one-make racing series in the world.

“Both Scania trucks and Lamborghini race cars have a lot of muscle and great personality,” says driver Roberto Farina from Logico transport company.

The paddock just outside the racetrack is bustling with activity. Two impressive Scania semitrailer rigs form the entrance to Super Trofeo Village, Lamborghini’s onsite hospitality venue, which exudes elegance and muscle. Technicians from Lamborghini and six private stables swarm around the race cars. Tonnes of tyres are being reloaded, and there is a long queue to the two-level parts-storage area inside one of the Scania rigs. Red wine, Parmesan cheese and prosciutto di Parma are laid out in the VIP tent. In a few hours, everything will be ready for guests and for practice sessions on the racetrack, where Ferrari, Audi, Porsche and Formula 3 stables have also been allotted time. Some 200 people travel with the Lamborghini racing team, ranging from race drivers to kitchen staff.

Although most Scania customers choose a V8 for more rational reasons nowadays, some are attracted by image and design. One example is the most exclusive manufacturer in the sports car world, Lamborghini, also known as the House of the Raging Bull.

Two Scania trucks form the entrance to the Super Trofeo Village, Lamborghini’s onsite hospitality venue for the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo.

“To us, Scania was the obvious choice,” says Douwe Hilarius, project manager of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo. “We can’t haul Lamborghini race cars in any regular rigs. The best-performing sports cars in the world should naturally be transported by the best-performing trucks. When it comes to image, Scania is the brand.”

The Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo tours between six of Europe’s best-known racetracks. The cars used in the competition are driven by both professional drivers and amateurs.

To arrange transport services between events, Lamborghini contacted Italscania, Scania’s distributor in Italy. The company wanted the most powerful and impressive-looking truck rigs possible. Inside the vehicles, it needed room for race cars, parts storage areas and generators, as well as office and conference spaces equipped with satellite TV systems.

Christian Ardizzoni and Guiseppe Artusi are two of the drivers who transport the Lamborghini semitrailers with its race cars and equipment.

The solution was the Scania R 620 Topline Platinum V8 with black and motif-painted semitrailers. Since Lamborghini has no transport licence, the operator Logico in Campogalliano, which delivers more ordinary Lamborghini cars to customers around Europe, was asked to handle the transport services. Loris Paganelli, managing director and owner of Logico, personally travels on the racing circuit to help out his most important customer.

“Lamborghini specified very detailed design and image requirements for the Scania V8s,” he says. “Next season they will use Scania trucks again, and the new 730 horsepower V8s are a natural fit.”

Giuseppe Artusi is one of Logico’s drivers, who transports the Lamborghini semitrailers with its race cars and spare parts between European race tracks.

“I get to drive the truck world’s equivalent of a Lamborghini − with power, technology and beauty all in one vehicle,” he says. “We drivers use Scania as the ultimate benchmark when we compare different truck makes.”

The other two Scania drivers, Roberto Farina and Christian Ardizzoni, are spending the weekend washing and moving race cars inside the Lamborghini village. They see additional similarities between the two vehicle makes on which their lives centre at the moment.

“Both Scania trucks and Lamborghini race cars have a lot of muscle and great personality,” Farina says.

Manfred Fitzgerald, Lamborghini’s brand and design director, has been working for a decade to build the company’s image. He believes the racing competition creates new ways of reaching both existing and new customers.

“It is important for a luxury make like Lamborghini to have a clear idea of how to build its brand,” Fitzgerald says. “It is my job to ensure that this task is moving in the right direction. Putting a few cars on a racetrack is not enough. Equally important is everything that surrounds the competition: how we behave, how we take care of our customers and how we transport our exclusive sports cars.”

7 facts about Lamborghini

1. Lamborghini began as a tractor manufacturer, and tractors are still made under the Lamborghini name.
2. The company launched its first sports car in 1963, and its first major success, the Lamborghini Miura, came in 1966.
3. Lamborghini made the iconic Countach for 15 years starting in 1974.
4. With a top speed of 340 km/h, the Lamborghini Muciélago LP 670-4 SV is the fastest car allowed on ordinary roads.
5. The 560 hp Lamborghini Gallardo is the company’s most successful model ever.
6. Those who want the exclusive ­Lamborghini Reventón have to pay ­EUR ­­1 million.
7. Volkswagen/Audi took over Lamborghini in 1998.

Vehicles for refuse collection are seldom associated with custom built trucks but rather more with long-haulage vehicles, owner Kenneth Hellström notes.

Polishing colour coating and chrome helps Miljö Trans outshine competitors.

The latest in his aptly named “Trash” series, Trash 5, could be admired at the Young European Truck Driver final before being placed in operation. “Why ever spend so much money and effort on a truck,” he asks rhetorically. “Well, it’s simply great fun to have a nice truck. And besides,” he adds, “it provokes my competitors. I often hear that refuse transport isn’t something worth an extra styling effort.”

In addition to the sparkling green solid and the 22 layers of clear coating to enhance the exterior, Kenneth Hellström together with Fredrik Palm at the custom paint firm Billackeringen i Mjölby have created their own unique design. For example all plastic details in the cab interior blend with the leather-clad seats.

“My aim is achieving an attractive truck with my own personal touch. But the truck should never conflict with the original styling and the untrained viewer won’t really see the difference. I wish to highlight Scania’s styling by using original parts that aren’t included in the chassis specification supplemented with my own ideas.”

Trash 5 is not only build to be visually attractive but also as a dependable and flexible truck for transport assignments. “Customers often ask if it’s possible to transport waste in a truck this nice. I don’t mind at all, that’s always pleasant.”