Category Archives: Scania

LAUNCHED: The New Scania 

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  • Ten years of development work, SEK 20 billion in investments
  • More than 10 million kilometres of test driving
  • Global launches in five phases
  • 40,000 customers to be invited to experience Scania’s range first-hand on site in Södertälje
  • A strong focus on customer profitability, through precisely cust­om­ised transportation solutions in the form of sustainable products and services
  • The new truck delivers 5% lower fuel consumption on average
  • Scania’s entire range is re-defining the market’s view of the term ‘premium’

Scania is introducing a new truck range, the result of ten years of development work and investments in the region of SEK 20 billion. With the new range, Scania is extending its offering and can now, thanks to its unique modular system, supply more performance stages, connectivity and a comprehensive palette of productivity-enhancing services as well as sustainable transportation solutions that are precisely customised for each type of customer in the highly comp­etitive transportation industry. The promise is that Scania’s customers will always be able to carry out their work in the most sustainable and profitable way, regardless of industry and area of application.

“It is undoubtedly the biggest investment in Scania’s 125 year history,” declares Henrik Henriksson, President and CEO of Scania. “It is with hearts bursting with pride that my colleagues and I are now presenting the products and services that will bring Scania to new levels regarding market shares and carry us far into the next decade.

“Today we are not just launching a new truck range but also a unique, ingenious toolbox of sustainable solutions in the form of products and services that Scania is first in the industry to be able to deliver – and I feel I can claim this with confidence. We are focusing firmly on our main task: to give our customers the necessary tools for achieving profitability in the one business that really means something to them, namely their own.”

Production of the new trucks starts immediately at Scania’s final assembly plant in Södertälje. Initially the focus will be on vehicles and services for long-haul transportation, but additional options will be continually introduced as more Scania plants readjust and additional options emerge.

“There is a tremendous amount of development work by our engineers behind this introduction,” emphasises Henrik Henriksson, Scania’s President and CEO.

“The most noticeable features are of course the new cabs, but the real innovation is that we are now introducing new technologies, services and insights that will help our customers gain an overview of both their costs and their revenues. Our goal is for our customers to be able to achieve sustainable profitability, regardless of assignment type or the conditions in which they work. Our customers’ vehicles always constitute a link within the bigger picture; Scania embraces this through quality, accessibility and a range of physical or connected services. Our new range of products and services re­defines the term ‘premium’ within the truck industry.”


Scania is launching its new range in phases, with a clear focus on various customer segments and according to a carefully planned schedule. The introductions will continue after the first unveiling in Europe, with more customer options, before the entire process concludes with simultaneous launches on markets outside Europe. Among the improvements Scania is introducing, one that is particularly noticeable is a 5% reduction in diesel fuel consumption, thanks to factors such as improved powertrains and better aerodynamics.

The express goal is for at least 40,000 customers and prospective customers to have test driven the new vehicles themselves in connection with the launches, and to have been introduced to Scania’s entire range, covering everything from sustainability optimisation to financing, insurance and maintenance. Other channels are online communication, the media and Scania’s approximately 1,700 dealers in more than 100 countries. The unveiling was held earlier tonight in Paris, live in front of roughly 1,500 special guests and globally to the online community.

OMG it’s Bloody MARVEL….lous 

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Yes I’m a truck anorak/geek/pervert what ever you want to call it. Since the age of 7 or 8 I could tell you what the truck a mile ahead was just by looking at it. Mrs Blog thinks I’m odd as I just look at truck photos, she describes it as “just staring and taking it all in” – fair comment I think. I’ve been to truck shows around Europe and also in the United States and seen a fair number of trucks in my time. Once in a while I see a truck that just leaves me lost for words, this is a rare occasion I can tell you and to be honest it’s just a reflection of the machine in front of me. 

 

A few months back I found out about a new custom truck that was in build and luckily enough I’m friends with the man in charge of the airbrush, which meant I was privy to a few early photos of what was going on. If you didn’t read it, then click HERE and have a read of “Templeton O’Heck”. 

The Superhero truck stopped me in my tracks when I saw it in the flesh at Peterborough Truckfest. Quite often when you see a custom truck, you like it or you can appreciate it but it’s just not your cup of tea. Perhaps it’s too gaudy, perhaps the colour is just to in your face, perhaps the interiour is like someone has emptied the complete contents of every tin of paint from a DIY shop onto the dashboard and seats! Like with everything all truck fans have their own preferences which is exactly why we all put our own stamp on our own truck.  

    
 
Having seen some in-build photos I wasn’t sure how the Supertruck made me feel, but I can safely say that I don’t think I’ve ever seen a custom truck that I like more than this. I know loads of you will disagree and that’s your perogattive but for me it is just spot on! I’ve said before that I wouldn’t run another airbrushed truck myself and I much prefer a simple Dutch or Danish paint job, but Superheros just blows that all away, I want it! The attention to detail is incredible, but it’s what we are all beginning to expect from Coles Customs in Banbury (GB), the work the lads there do is as good as if not better than anyone else in Europe. Next we have Matt the Painter. For more years than I care to remember Matt has been producing paint jobs on vehicles that are as good as any famous artist. When you get a moment just look at the realism in any of his artwork, Matt should be doing framed pieces and selling them for hundreds of thousands of £’s in my book. Matt is easily as talented as any famous artist you wish to mention.  

 

Attention to detail is both small and large on this truck. For all those who will never see it, Supermans cape doesn’t finish as it goes out of view on the top of the cab. I can assure you that the cape ripples and flows all the way to the rearmost edge of the cab top air deflector. 

   
Yes the exterior is incredible, the colours and the shear number of Superheros Matt has added to the panels of the truck is nothing short of mind blowing and yes I love it! For me the make or break of a custom truck is the interiour. Again usually, I like the simple brown leather or suede retrimming that the Dutch have made there own and when Matt told me he was airbrushing the interiour with more Superheroes I was a little sceptical!  

    
 
You might not agree, but I love it! I think it’s because it’s just black and white like its pen on paper, it just works. It’s some how not in your face and not over the top, or is it just me?? While I’ve been writing this I’ve been thinking what it must look like in the dark, no doubt it’s has some interiour lighting, does anyone have any photos please? You know what it’s like when you see a crazy interiour and we all say it; “I couldn’t sit in there all day, it’d drive me crazy!” Well in this case I’d happily give it a go and I think I’d be very pleased to call it my office. I don’t think this level of customisation has been seen in the UK but I very much hope it’s the start of many more. Quite often new ideas do get copied and trends start, this truck is a masterpiece and I’d have no qualms in buying it when the Templtons have had enough of it. Hopefully we will see more trucks to this standard and I’m sure all involved would happily try and create more masterpieces to this new level. There are no more words to describe it so I suggest you get to a truckshow this year to see it. It’ll blow your mind one way or another, for me it’s defdinately a good way. Awesome just bloody Awesome. 

    
   

Centurions – Stand up 

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Having spent the day yesterday with Richard Payne and having more than in depth run through on the 100 trucks, we have filled in a lot of gaps. 

Now are you a current Centurion owner?? Or did you own a Centurion at some point?? If so please please please can you substantiate your claim with a truck photo and a photo showing the Centurion badge thank you. 

DJ Ponsonby had, K7 DJP a 113 360 Topline Streamline but even Mike Ponsonby can’t remember what number it was. Any proof any where??

JR Smith from Tring were rumoured to have a Centurion reg number JES 200. Any proof any where??

I will be publishing the updated list this week. Although there are still queries but not many. 

Who’s Centurion and what number is this one?? 

 

Templeton O’Heck!!

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Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together!! Mr John Templeton must be over the moon with his nearly finished brand new custom Scania. As most of you will know John Templeton is no stranger to a heavily customised truck, his last one being “Avatar“. The brief given to world famous airbrush artist, Matt the Painter, was; “It has to be busier than Avatar”.

  

I think that brief has been met don’t you?! Before we go any further all of these photos belong to Matt the Painter and I have his permission to use them. There are lots of people involved with such a massive project, from the boys at Coles Customs, Tor Trucks paint shop, an unnamed leather expert and of course Matt the Painter. So where do you start?……a blank canvas of course. 

   

    
 

The eagle eyed amoung you will notice not only custom paintwork but also a number of custom parts; modfied side skirts (note the 3 exhaust holes), a completely flat panel on the rear of the cab, what looks like a lower windscreen panel, also a pretty amazing lower front bumper, you might recognise some of the parts used in the make up. There will of course be a few more custom parts added, lights and bits and bobs, but the second biggest custom area will be a amazing interior. The interior has been fully lined with black, red and white leather, approx 7 or 8 hides have been used. The painting also carries on inside the cab. Matt says there were approx 64 Heros on the external panels of the truck but he has added more, inside he has painted at least 14 on the ceiling panels alone, not to mention 20 or so on the rest of the leather panels. So those super hero fans can get to finding and naming as many as you can when you see it at a show this year. One of the ideas behind the theme was to appeal to all ages, kids and parents alike should be able to find characters they recognise. Although he’s painted somewhere around the 100 hero Mark, Matt says he’s got 600 odd Heros to choose from! Every hero imaginable or you’ve ever heard of from a 1938 Superman through to a female Asia spider woman type, called Silk from 2014. 

   

 

In order to protect the truck and the paintwork the cab will get an initial 3 or 4 coats of lacquer, before having its first bake, then it’ll be flattened down before a further 3-4 coats of laquer, more flattening down, mopping and finally one hell of a polish up. The big 730 Scania will also have the chassis and wheel hubs painted too. I mentioned the three holes in the side skirt for a special exhaust system but I’m not going to say anymore. It sounds so unique you’ll have to see it for yourselves. 
   
 

So what’s your thoughts on such a mad cap idea?? For a start we all know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea and I had said since I had my Atego airbrushed I preferred simple straightforward paint job but I have to say this is just amazing, I can’t stop looking at it. My good friend James coined the phrase “I can appreciate that” the other year. Meaning you know it’s an amazing motor but not your preferred taste. I have to say I’m right on the edge of turning my appreciation of this crazy multicoloured V8 into love and want!! You can’t deny its a one off, you can’t deny its already got people talking about it, you can’t deny it is a work of art! Whether you’d want to drive it everyday for what ever reason is a different matter, but I think I would…..
  

Mega Wilson Wednesday

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We haven’t done a WW yet this year, so bows a perfect week to start this year off. To start us off these first three photos of WIL 2580, a real workhorse of a truck. See here loaded with a 90 odd ton box loaded from the Midlands for delivery this week out to the Netherlands. To do this type of work week in week out year after year not only requires a great truck but and a great trailer and of course a great driver! Thanks John. 

  

 John Pryke out in WIL 2217, on locals and returning some empty flat racks back to Felixstowe docks early this morning. Followed on by office staff number 1, Graham Wilson out and about getting his hands dirty in Doris DAF. I say hands dirty I mean an urgent load that needed to be covered from Chelmsford to Ely. Still more of a load than I have done in the last 2 years!
  
  

First of today’s Wilson subbies are a brace of Hewicks Haulage tidy Scania’s both pulling flat racks from Felixstowe upto the North East. Is it true you can only be a Wilson Subbie if you drive a Scania?!? 

  

Above and below is office staff 2 also out on the road today. James Cartwright on a couple of locals. Above some loaded from the HCW  yard at Elmswell upto a building site somewhere west of Norwich. Then after lunch (photo below) reloading another flat rack from Felixstowe and back to the yard. 

 

  
Above is N5 HCW a 150 ton Scania 8×4 tractor unit driven by husband and wife team Dave and Sue Ramm. Loaded here near Liege, Belgium for delivery upto the English Scottish Borders. Again not an easy job when your loaded with a vehicle that measures 8.05ML x 3.00MW x 3.91MH and weighing 31t.   

 

Taking a little break from it all is the most relaxed Subbie you’ll ever meet. Mr Tasker is seen here today with his unique Scania parked at Zuzenhausen (20km SE of Heidelberg) in Germany waiting to reload tomorrow for the UK. 

  

Next up is N9 HCW and pilot Little Terry Alderton. Seen here at P&O Ferries in Liverpool docks this morning, waiting for the ferry to Dublin. You may notice Mr Taskers second truck, driven by none other  than Colin Waters. Clearly Colin wasn’t as keen to catch the ferry as Terry. 

   

Above and below is Gareth Rowlands in N6 HCW. Reloaded in Aberdeen with agricultural trailers for delivery back down the east coast of England. If only all tips could be dragged off by a monster tractor!

  

 
The only drawbar on the fleet at HCW is W100 HCW, an A frame drawbar that is. Driven by the man that is John Franks. Now I can happily reverse an artic trailer anywhere you tell me without much fuss but Franksy will do the same with an A frame drawbar trailer and still make it look easier.  Loaded with 2.80m wide buildings in the UK for delivery today in Denmark. 

  

Last in today is Daisy DAF and driver Geoff. Nice to see Geoff at work, I am told he was taking a break from his holiday schedule to keep his hand in at the driving thing. At no point do I remember Judith Chalmers driving a truck so you’ve got one up on her Geoffrey!!

Thanks to all drivers who got involved today, lots of good photos. I started this in good time this evening but as I am now finishing it’s almost Wilson Thursday! 

The Centurion Book

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What number Centurion is the above??

As some of you may know both Richard Payne and myself have been gathering information on the original 100 trucks that Scania GB released in 1991. Thanks to a lot of you truck buffs I have collated a lot of info but I could always do with more as we are still missing info on a lot of trucks and by that I don’t just mean there where abouts or what happened to them, but missing any info on the edition number at all. The original list I managed to lay my hands on was only a type-written list and was by no means anywhere near complete so there are lots of gaps and trying to find out what each blank edition number on the list is, is proving somewhat tricky, especially when the manufacturer themselves have no interest in the past what has made them into what they are today.

So to start with, can anyone shed any light what so ever on the following Centurions as we have no info, not even a model or cab type; 36, 37, 38, 39, 43, 54, 71, 72.

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Onwards….As you will all be aware there are what only can called fakes out there and although they are all gorgeous trucks, they are. But what I want someone like you to clarify is if any of the following info/rumours are true, untrue, or what ever. This is a list of trucks that may or may not be Centurions;

ROBERT BURNS  4X2 STANDARD R STREAMLINE  J282 GVV?
PETER ROFF  4X2 TOPLINE STREAMLINE  J5 ROF – DE-BADGED?
4X2 143 450  J50 GFB – A CURRIES EUROPEAN SUBBIE?
143 500 STANDARD R STREAMLINE  –  J79 RNS – CENTURION NUMBER?
DJ PONSONBY – K7 DJP – TOPLINE STREAMLINE  113 380?
GEORGE GREEN – J625 HOE – STREAMLINE R CAB  4X2  113 380?
CAMBRIAN PET FOODS –  J272 TRO – STANDARD R STREAMLINE?
AIG – J205 HGK 6X2  113 360?
JR SMITH, TRING – JES 200 – CENTURION?
J88 JBL – 143 450 6X2 – CENTURION?

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The next thing we will need for the book is at least one photo of every truck, that’s a minimum of 100 photos, which will be a fair challenge as there are at least the 8 trucks I mentioned earlier may or may not even have been produced. There are loads of photos out there and I know as well we you do which photos have been around for a while. What I need to see are the photos which aren’t quite so main stream on the internet, whether its on Trucknetuk, Facebook or wherever, if there is a photo that you think isn’t already out there please, please email me a copy. My email address is ben@truckblog.co.uk and also please free to use this email for everything else Centurion. The one truck I am desperate to find a photo of is #021. This is the one and only P-Cab Centurion. Reg number is J2 FFM, sold by Scania dealer Reliable of Renfrew, it was a 4×2 sold to a Mr Andrew Malcolm. The first photo will win a few TB goodies! Now there’s an incentive.

The actual book writing is underway and I hope that it will make a good read, but this will only be possible with the amount and quality of info we can find out. This is down to you. Email me, leave comments below or send me a message on multimedia, but if you know anything please share it, it could make a link.

 

The Only Way is Schweiz

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I really like the way the blog works! I would also really like to get back to blogging a lot more than recent months, so it gave me a little bloggers smile when I received a particular email today. 

Have a read of this non Swiss cheesy blog I wrote way back in 2012. Click HERE. 

The Renault Magnum in the 2012 blog always caught my eye and I have often wondered about the driver who has parked in Chelmsford for years. Just over three years later and I got the following email today; 

“Hiya Ben, just seen pics of my old Magnum (Kipfer Transport) parked in Boreham Svs, though seems a long time ago now still looks good. I left Kipfer 3 years ago and now work for Iseppi Frutta SA in Dornach, Switzerland. Regards, John.”

Great email! This for me is what the blogs all about, meeting other like minded trucking types from where ever. I have a slight obsession with Suisse ever since I went to Interlaken as a school boy. Finally getting back to Interlaken for the Truckers & Country Festival in 2015 was just awesome. If your Suisse or you drive regularly or used to drive regularly to Suisse please email me photos, stories and tales I’ll publish any that come with photos. Thanks to driver John for today’s email and please don’t make us wait another 3 years for the next contact, especially with such a gorgeous Scania instead of the legendary Magnum! 

I think I nice Swiss number plate would look good on the wall in TBHQ………

All About Me

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There’s been a lot of new recruits to the blog this year, on the www, Twitter and through the Facebook page so I thought I better tell you my credentials as I’m not just a wanna be trucker (although I do wanna be one again!), I have been there and done a bit. It goes something like this. Now this is a story all about how, my life got flipped-turned upside down, and I’d like to take a minute, just sit right there, and I’ll tell you how I became trucking nerd…… Oh no hang on that doesn’t rhyme!!

At the beginning of 1997 I was tasked on a college course to formulate a business plan that would or could work. It turns out the plan worked and the bank were keen so before I finished college I got a DAF 45 on order and started looking for work. In October ’97 I started as a Subbie for DFDS distribution in Coggeshall, Essex. I was soon covering….. 

 On a daily basis with anything between 15-20 deliveries and collections. What a way to learn my way about (no Sat-Navs then younger readers just a box of maps!) maps I hear you say?? Yep read THIS BLOG.  I still use some of the short cuts now! A year or so later and DFDS moved to Purfleet and I didn’t follow. Local business soon started giving me work and I was soon UK wide with loads of virtually everything and anything. The poor little DAF couldn’t keep up and 2-3 years after getting her I traded her in for possibly my favourite truck from the BJS fleet, an MAN 8.163 with a Hatcher Space cab.  

 This little German served me very very well and in our prime we were doing Braintree, Essex to Larkhall, Scotland 3 times a week even now and again with a reload of lead rolls from David Park Transport in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 3 pallets just over 3 ton. From day one I had done the odd run to the Continent but never enough. I was so busy running round the UK that I only ever got to wave as we passed to Steve Marsh as he was also the owner of a smart Hatcher canned MAN. A massive if only, but I believe if only we had stopped for a cuppa I could have still been doing the Continental with a little Tonka you. Along with, tail lifts, computers, baseball hats, Chinese menu’s, supermarket light fittings, industrial door fixings and 50-75kg sacks of hand loaded hessian sacks of malt to name but a few commodities I took on a driver and put the real show truck of the fleet on the road and passed the MAN onto my only ever employee Steve Shackle.  

 The Atego was awesome and again worked hard across the length and breadth of mainland UK. She was well recognised and got in quite a few magazines. This lead to the start of some Mercedes-Benz friendships that continue to this day. A very big customer went pop with no warning and I was literally in the proverbial dirty river with no oars. So goodbye to the MAN, the Atego and Steve. At the same time I was offered traction work although I didn’t have a class one license at the time. I ordered a Mercedes-Benz Actros of the same man that sold me the MAN and the Atego and two weeks before it went on the road I passed my class one with no minor faults.

  
I can safely say that living in this Actros (Claudia), turned me from boy to man. I lived in her virtually for the three years I had her and the long distance lorry driver life was what I hoped it always would be. Bloody hard work, great friends, some crazy trucking about and much to my delight a lot more continental. Nothing silly by most of your standards but, Belgium Holland and just into Germany on a very regular basis. Amazing the things you see and the situations you can find yourself in, some good some bad, some exciting and some ‘kin scary and eye opening but none the less it was awesome! I bought and restored a Scania 141 the same age as me and had agreed with the people I was working for that they’d give me trailer with no more than 15 ton on so for odd weeks I could run the 141 on the continent. Sadly it never happened. The 141 did, the work didn’t and not long after I had to make the hardest decision I’ve ever made and had to give up BJS International. 

  
The 141 got me going and the pinnacle was taking her to the Truckstar Festival in Holland. In the real world I got a job with a local firm driving an 8 wheeler around Essex for GB Finch. A fun job and I’m told I still hold plenty of fleet records. Drifting an 8 wheel tipper in wet mud is always good for morale.  

 I landed a job at HC Wilson Transport in the office and this was close to being what I wanted to do. Great people, great job and a great fleet. Routing trucks and securing loads all over Europe, Scandinavia and where ever the customer would pay, there’s a lot to learn in the world of international abnormal loads but it was rewarding. Oh the romance of international trucking! 

Moving on from Wilson’s having sold the 141 to raise a family, I went to Kersey Freight as fleet manager and holiday relief driver! Long days and on call 24 hours a day was rewarded with the odd spell back on the road doing two trips to Paris a week. Good times although I have to say back then crossing the channel was a breeze. 

 
Once again I got itchy feet and have now changed to the other side of the desk if you like and I have great job, spending my time talking about trucks to hauliers. Although not long after starting this dream job I did get offered the chance of being an owner driver again with a mini artic moving flash cars all over europa but age brings a certain amount thought and reality over what your spontaneous side wants to do. Funny old game, but I am a firm believer that once you get diesel in your veins you can’t get rid of it, hence the reason I’m trying to encourage my son to continue with his love of the local zoo and animals, but that’s the start of another hot topic in the press this week #lovethelorry. I now have friends across the UK and a couple else where in the world  through the blog and I find myself taking a big interest in driver friends daily trucking exploits to satisfy my never ending urge to go back on the road. I’ve not been a truck owner for a few years now and I feel like I have to say that in an AA meeting style! Hopefully in the next year or so I can get another retro show truck to help my marriage and stop me annoying Mrs Blog every weekend!! 
Anyway that’s me. Happy to talk trucks with anyone and I always question those who spend every day and night involved with trucks but still say that hate them.

“Ever see a duck that couldn’t swim?!”

Gathering of The Griffin 2015

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  Griffin Gatherings come round but once a year, well down in Ipswich they do anyway. For those of you who have been hidden under a rock for the last few years, you’re probably the only people who are unaware of the worlds largest gathering of Scania’s and as far as we know it is the only single marque truck show in Europe. Whether you’re a Scania fan or not it is an impressive sight to see 110+ trucks all in the same place wearing the same badge.   The show is held at the Orwell Truckstop on the A14 at Ipwsich on the last weekend of September. The gathering of trucks is open to anything manufactured by Scania, last year was a first in that there was a truck from every generation of Scania production from a 65 to a 0 series right through to a brand spanking new Golden Griffin R Series, definitely a one off event. This year the plan is the same as normal, more trucks than the year before as this shows the word is spreading and the interest is growing, this year will also see the first Dutch truck at the show, so clearly the word has crossed the North Sea.    

 This year the show has grown well beyond last years number and is still rising. So far there are more than 55 first time entrants so they will be plenty of new Swedish metal to look at. There are some well known trucks coming too, the gorgeous blue Tcab from Longthornes will be making a welcome return, the stunning moving memorial that is Afgan Heros will be there as will the huge, brand new, red Longline driven by Phil Lane from Stuart Nicholl Transport.   

 Officially the closing date to get your Scania entered for this years show is the last day of August so you haven’t got long. The reason for the early closing is that the organisers arrange the parking so that all trucks are parked with others of the same generation, i.e. All 2 series together parked in a row. This is good for two reasons, it’s great to see all of them parked with the others of the same age and also it means you can’t all park with your normal group of mates which makes for a far more social event! The idea behind the show is  If you want to enter it will cost you £10 that’s it. All I ask is that if you enter then please make sure you come!! If you do want to enter please ask for a form on the Griffin Gathering Facebook page or email gotg37@hotmail.com or leave a comment below with your email address and I can send you a form myself, so hurry up, more the merrier. What’s my involvement? I love old Scania’s that’s what, 143 and before are just awesome. My own opinion and plenty won’t agree but as a boy growing up there was nothing I wanted more than a 2 or 3 series V8. So now I have the pleasure of Sponsoring the Best 3 Series in show. See you there people!