BUSINESS
| VEHICLES | TRENDS
N O 1/2016
#15
WWW.SCANIA.COM.AU
EXPERIENCE UPTIME
Fully loaded
115-tonnes GCM and hauling hard, on-road or off-road Lugging local logging
Huge fuel savings
Reliability and power drives scheidL
an extra km per litre for craig Agar
JANUARY 2016
CONTENTS Scania Experience No.15 6 News
20
A new global CEO and the launch of Scania Financial Services in Australia.
16
12 Sustainable Transport: Access
all areas
Scania's global commitment to reducing its environmental impact takes many forms.
14 Sustainable Transport: Alternative fuels
From 100 % biodiesel to gas and ethanol, Scania has solutions and use the same basic modular engine.
16 Sustainable Transport: Peats Soils
Peats Soils trades in its Scanias for new Euro 5 100 % biodiesel trucks to run on home-made fuel.
18 Sustainable Transport: Data from the fleet
Scania's Fleet Management Programmes offer datadriven routes to reduce costs, fuel use and emissions.
20 Cover story: Fully Loaded
Esperance Freight Lines focuses on B-double and C-train transport, powered by Scania V8 8x4 trucks.
48
26
26 Logging on
Mount Gambier-based H & L Scheidl has a fleet of Scania V8s doing hard yards in the forests and not even raising a sweat.
32 Turning WA Green
Australia's second oldest business has switched to Scania power and is enjoying the benefits day-after-day.
42 Flexible thinking
Wynyard adopts a Scania rigid to pull its adjustable drawbar tanker trailers to maximise productivity.
44 Containing costs
Queensland's ScuzzTrans has focused on Scania to keep its runing costs down and uptime high.
55
4 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
Editorial
46 Fuel saver
A new Scania G 480 is giving Agar Haulage an extra 1 km per litre, driving savings straight to the bottom line.
48 Threading the needle
Scania and Bustech created a new, shorter bus for Sydney's beachside suburbs. The results are stacking up.
51 Fixed Price Repairs
Scania after sales offers a cost-effective replacement programme for core components.
52 Second Life on the Apple Isle
Metro refurbs 11 ex-Tullamarine Airport car park buses.
55 Meet our dealers: Kip & Steve
Esperance's Scania dealer has a lot on. Everyday.
56 Dealer Directory
Find Scania branches, dealers and emergency help.
58 The Back Page
3-D print your own Scania engine? Well, maybe not this week, but the technology may soon be available.
Scania Experience Scania Experience is a magazine about business, vehicles and trends, for transport operators and professionals, and is distributed free to all owners of Scania trucks, buses, coaches, and industrial and marine engines.
Managing Editor Alexander Corne Contributing Photographers Charlie Suriano, Mark Bean, Mark Horsburgh, Paul Kane, John Krüger
Graphic Design and Layout Motorink Pty Ltd Scania Experience is printed by PostScript Printing Publishing Agencies Motorink Pty Ltd (Aust) + Appelberg, Stockholm, Sweden www.appelberg.com Scania Experience is published by Scania Australia 212-216 Northbourne Road, Campbellfield, Victoria 3061
No reproduction in whole or in part of this publication is allowed without the permission of the Managing Editor. The publisher does not accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs submitted to this publication. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Scania Australia. This publication is issued for informational purposes. Any use of the information provided is at the user’s sole risk, and the publisher shall not be liable for direct, incidental, consequential or indirect damages of any kind arising out of the use of the information made available in this publication. Scania Australia thanks the owners and operators of Scania vehicles for their time and assistance in the compilation of material for this edition. www.scania.com.au
www.scania.com.au
“ In typical Australian operating conditions, Euro 6 is no less effective than Euro 5 in reducing fuel consumption.” Roger McCarthy, Managing Director
Sustainability is the target The debate surrounding the emissions from road transport has clicked up a gear with the announcement in November that the Federal Government would create a working party to look into reducing noxious emissions and CO2 entering the atmosphere from tailpipes. As you will read in this magazine, Scania globally and locally is taking this very seriously. Scania is at the forefront of the search for suitable, practical, and sustainable solutions to road transport emissions. Naturally there are no easy fixes. For many decades, Scania has been dedicated to reducing fuel consumption and emissions by its vehicles while they are working. We are masters of squeezing greater distances from each litre of diesel fuel and other fuel sources. Currently, we are studying real-world experiences with biodiesel hybrids, electric propulsion linked to overhead wires, as well as induction ‘in-road’ charging points for buses. In Brazil, we have just displayed a ‘B-double’ bus that can carry 270 passengers, effectively removing 135 cars from the roads. When you add all these technologies together you can see how Scania is pro-actively broadening the possibilities for sustainable transport solutions for the future. Here in Australia we are introducing more customers to the real-world performance of our Euro 6 engines. In Europe of course this has been the mandated standard for almost 2 years. Our desire is to prove that in typical Australian working conditions, Euro 6 is no less effective than Euro 5 in terms of fuel consumption, while at the same time reducing exhaust pollution by a significant amount. Early adopting customers are building a database of use that will stand them in good stead should legislators move quickly. Cleaning up the air most Australians breathe means attacking polluting vehicles in the major population centres, which is why we believe attention should be drawn to reducing the working lives of all heavy vehicles, many of which would comply with older Euro 3 or earlier standards. Noxious emission reduction strategies have moved on significantly, when you consider the efficiency of Euro 6. So it is easy to see the benefits of getting older buses and trucks out of our cities. Scania is part of the clean air solution for Australia. Perhaps your fleet could also lend some muscle to this cause.
Roger McCarthy managing Director N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 5
News
Product and services drive sales Scania in Paris for COP21
S
cania is taking part in the COP21 climate conference in Paris. Scania is pursuing the issue of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving this goal calls for modern technology and high ambitions. Transportation accounts for some 14 % of today’s global greenhouse gas emissions. This proportion is at risk of increasing as demand for transport increases in future. To keep the impact of global warming to under a 2-degree rise in temperature, the global road transport industry needs to halve its output of fossil carbon, by 2030. “Scania is actively working together with our customers to reduce the transport industry’s climate impacts and output of CO2,” says Scania’s Sustainability Manager, Andreas Follér. “Our strategy has three parts: energy efficiency, alternative fuels and electrification, as well as smart transport.” All of Scania’s diesel engines are now certified for biodiesel, and the company has technology to reduce heavy vehicle CO2 emissions by 90 % via the use of bioethanol. “Intensive development work has allowed Scania to remove – or nearly completely remove – any differences in engine efficiency and performance between our alternativefuel vehicles and those with diesel engines,” says Follér. “And our unique technology for ethanol and biogas allows us handle all commercially available biofuels.” Scania has set itself the goal of halving energy use – and therefore CO2 emissions – from its own production facilities between 2010 and 2020. Scania Transport Laboratory, Scania’s own transport company, has halved emissions per transport kilometre during the transport of components from Södertälje, Sweden, to Zwolle in the Netherlands, via a combination of driver training, technology, good planning, and efficient loading. “Our goal is to reduce CO2 emissions from our own transport needs by 25 % between 2012 and 2020 and we’re well on the way to achieving this,” Follér says.
S
cania enjoyed another strong year of sales in Australia in 2015 with new and existing customers taking delivery of a broad mix of fuel-efficient vehicles. Bolstering the reliable and durable product line-up was a comprehensive range of services to enhance the ownership experience, from driver training to fleet management, maintenance & repair programmes, and service scheduling, all aimed at reducing operating costs and improving uptime for greater operator profitability. By year’s end, more than 800 vehicles were signed up for Scania Driver Services’ fleet management programme. Scania has delivered in excess of 100 new vehicles to K&S Corporation over the past two years. While the majority of the 2015-delivered trucks were R 560 V8 6x4 prime movers destined for B-double work, there were a number of G 360 8x4 rigids fitted with tanker bodies, as well as G 440 6x4 prime movers, destined to pull single
tanker trailers. A fleet of R 620 V8s, rated at 130-tonnes GCM, were also supplied. Sadleirs Logistics in WA took delivery of a fleet of Scania V8 prime movers through the year, to supply the Chevron oil and gas processing facility in Karratha from Perth. The fleet includes the largest concentration of the Scania R 730 V8 flagships in Australia, to be used for B-double, B-triple and road train work. Dyers also added more than 20 Scania prime movers to its fleet in 2015, while Detour Logistics, based in Silvan, Victoria, have purchased their first Scanias, with a fleet of prime movers delivered at the end of the year. This year, multiple deliveries were also made to Metropolitan Express in Victoria and Wightman Transport in South Australia to service a Coles contract. In the bus and coach division a healthy number of city bus chassis and fully builtup Scania-Higher A30 school and charter buses were delivered across the country. The Scania-Higer A30 clocked up its 250th delivery in Australia during 2015.
Metropolitan Express, Wightman Transport and K&S have received new Scania fleets this year.
6 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
Critical test for Euro 6 V8
T
he advanced Scania V8 Euro 6 range is now available for customers to order and a demonstration vehicle has joined the fleet in Australia. Scania offered a select group of Australian truck media the opportunity for a drive in the R 580 and G 490 Euro 6 trucks that had earlier caused such a visual sensation at the Brisbane and Perth truck shows this year. Drives took place in September and saw the R 580 hooked up to a B-double with close to 60-tonnes on board, while the G 490 hauled a single trailer loaded with around 45-tonnes. The drivers cruised the Hume Highway between Melbourne and Sydney as well as the Western Highway between Melbourne and Adelaide, and emerged very impressed
with the experience. Driver reaction was uniformly positive with writers reporting the V8 felt smoother and, if anything, even quieter than the Euro 5 16.4-litre. Fuel efficiency looked good and line-ball with Euro 5 engines, as well, at around 1.8 km per litre. For the G 490 the fuel figures were even more impressive at around 2.2 km per litre. The journalists were set up with their own account using the Scania Fleet Management App so they could analyse their driving efficiency as they drove along and check their Driver Support scores, too. Reports on the driving experiences emerged in publications in October, November and December.
Scania Australia launches financial services company
S
cania is launching its own financial services company in Australia in Q1 2016. “Scania Finance Australia will offer a full range of products to the market for truck and bus customers,” says Peter Taylor, Scania Finance Australia Business Development Director. “We will offer Hire Purchase, Chattel Mortgage, Finance Lease, Operating Lease and Full Contract Hire, all of which can be tailored to meet our customers’ individual requirements. “We have seen a notable increase in fleets turning to various non-bank www.scania.com.au
financing options recently, and we therefore believe the time is right for Scania to offer these proven products to the Australian market. “Scania Finance AustraliaPty Ltd will commence operations in January, and we will establish business development managers in New South Wales and Victoria to cover the entire country.” Peter has arrived in Australia after a long period working for Scania Financial Services in the UK and Italy. The new Finance team (l-r): Ally Gillon, Peter Taylor, Ciaran Brady, Franco Ranieri, and Craig McFadyen.
New CEO for Scania AB
T
he Board of Directors of Scania has appointed Henrik Henriksson as the new President and CEO of Scania AB. He takes up his position on 1 January 2016 and succeeds Per Hallberg. At the same time, Henrik will become a member of the Volkswagen Truck & Bus Management Board (Truck Board). “Henrik Henriksson is a capable and experienced person, with great entrepreneurial spirit and visionary leadership. He has the right profile to lead and develop the company in the longterm,” said Andreas Renschler, Chairman of the Scania Board of Directors. Henrik, 45, has been a member of Scania’s Executive Board since 2012 and is currently Executive Vice President and head of Sales and Marketing. He joined Scania as a Management trainee in 1997 and has held a number of senior positions in the company’s marketing organisation. “I look forward to the task of continuing to develop Scania in accordance with the goals and strategies established by the company management and the Board. We will continue to broaden the offering of products and services that drives profitability for our customers and us, as well as our efforts to become the leader in sustainable transport. An important task for Scania is to also utilise the potential to develop brand-specific customer solutions, made possible through the cooperation within Volkswagen Truck & Bus,” Henrik said. Per Hallberg will resign from his operational positions during 2016. He has been employed at Scania since 1977 and joined the Executive Board in 2001. “I would like to thank Per Hallberg for taking over the CEO position in April this year on short call, for keeping Scania on its high level of excellence and its employees being motivated during those times of changes,” Andreas Renschler said. N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 7
News
Worth the weight Take a load on: The 8x2 gives and additonal 5-tonne payload, which means greater productivity in a working day, and less chance of overloading the front axle. D’Hollandia tail-lift speeds loading and unloading. Weigh scales on the axles feed a dash readout. Comfortable, quiet and smart cabin is easy to enter and exit many times each day.
S
cania is boosting productivity for distribution operators with the P-series 8x2 Twin Steer Curtainsider that permits an additional 5000 kg of payload to be carried in a 14-pallet, 9.1m body – compared with a traditional 6x2 configuration. Fully builtup vehicles are to be available ex-stock for swift delivery. The 8x2 Twin Steer provides the added benefit of removing worries of front axle overloading or diminishing load imbalances. Total payload is now 13,900 kg, enhancing productivity for operators who are often paid by weight delivered, and who may now transport heavier loads per shift. With Scania on-board scales offering a digital read-out on the dashboard, drivers can tell instantly how much weight they have over each axle set, reducing the chance of inadvertent overloading. In Australia, the 8x2 Twin Steer configuration has been popular with supermarkets, thanks to the high degree of manoeuvrability the impressively tight 11.4 m turning radius provides. Scania is pre-building supplies of the P 310 Twin Steer model with a Genuine Truck Bodies Curtainsider body. A 6x2 version with the same body is also to be available ex-stock (with an 8900 kg payload). There is also a tail-lift pack from D’Hollandia via GTB, which provides additional levels of flexibility for palletised rear loading. “Our Scania P-series 8x2 Twin Steer Curtainsider project’s focus was on improving productivity for distribution operators,” says Dean
Dal Santo, Scania National Sales Manager. “We can provide a solution with very competitive total cost of operation over the vehicle’s life. “The Twin Steer configuration means operators need not be so concerned about loading profiles or diminishing load issues putting too much weight over the front axle. This allows faster loading and unloading, meaning more deliveries are possible per day, earning the operator greater income. “In addition to our Curtainsider body we can also provide refrigerated bodies which are ideal for transport of perishables. We have recently supplied a major fleet with this specification, and it has been performing very well,” he says. “The Scania Truck Rental fleet will have examples available for potential customers to experience prior to committing to purchase,” Dean says. A high torque, low revving Euro 5 compliant 310 hp 5-cylinder engine using Selective Catalytic Reduction to meet emissions is one of several available to power the Scania Twin Steer Curtainsider. The truck employs the Scania fully automated (two-pedal) Opticruise gear-change for fatigue-free driving around town and in traffic. “Our 310 hp engine has been proven in use in Australia to be exceptionally fuel-efficient, with well over 3 km per litre possible in typical usage profiles,” Dean says. “This is a market that has traditionally focussed on Japanese product, but with our robust chassis, our modular engine range with its torque advantage means the P 310 can get the job done with less fuss, fewer revs and with the driver-oriented benefits of a quieter, more comfortable cab,” he says.
8 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
MFB hoses down emissions
M
elbourne’s Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board will take the lead among emergency services and truck fleets in general in Australia, when a new fleet of Euro 6 emissions compliant vehicles supplied by Scania arrives early in the New Year. The MFB has ordered 8 Euro 6-compliant Scania vehicles, 6 of which will be built up into heavy pumper-tankers, with one a prototype of a future ultra-large pumper, and the other carrying a Bronto aerial platform. As such the MFB would be the operator of the largest fleet of Euro 6 compliant trucks in Australia, while the ACT’s public transport operator, ACTION, continues as the overall largest operator of Euro 6 vehicles, with 77 Scania Euro 6-compliant buses in service. The MFB has a heritage of leadership in reducing emissions. It was the first to adopt Euro 5 emission compliance as soon as it became available within the era of the Euro 4 mandate several years ago. “Scania is committed to providing ‘best in class’ environmentally sustainable solutions to government and commercial customers,” says Shane Griffin, Scania National Manager for Specialist Vehicles. “We are the Australian market leaders in the provision of the widest range of Euro 6 compliant engines, giving more truck and bus operators the ability to select the cleanest emission options immediately. “We offered the Euro 6 option to the MFB during the most recent tender and they were very keen to adopt the technology for the new 370 hp and 410 hp pumpers,” he says. Stuart Collis, Fleet Development Manager for Melbourne’s MFB, says there’s both an OH&S and a Social Responsibility aspect to the order. “Every day, fire trucks are driven inside buildings, which are uniquely both work-places and residences for the MFB’s operational men and women. The health and welfare of firefighters is taken seriously at all times,” he says. “Reduced particulates and the cleaner exhausts offered by Euro 6 compliance are better for everyone in our community,” Stuart says. Scania has upwards of 650 fire and rescue vehicles in service around the country, many of which have been on duty for more than a decade and some are expected to serve out 20 years or more.
Precision built to scale
L
Dion, top, and Vince, spend hundreds of hours creating tiny replicas of the real thing.
www.scania.com.au
ove your truck and have dreamed of an accurate scale replica of it for your desk? Well, dream no more, because two dedicated and painstaking modellers in Perth are making dreams come true, as they independently manufacture scale model Scania trucks and trailers for a small number of customers every year. At the Perth Truck show in July, Dion Chambers and Vince Ziino showed off their latest masterpieces, Dion displaying an R-series V8 cab hooked up to a C-train, (B-trailer, A-trailer and B-trailer) in the colours of long-time Scania customer South West Express, and Vince showing off an earlier T-series. Both had taken hundreds of
hours to create. “I’ve built about 30 all up. They are very hard to part with,” said Dion. The SW Express model uses spun alloy wheels and metal nuts, even down at this size. The model is accurate down to the twin AdBlue tanks, and while the main cab body is based on a KFS 6x4 model, Dion made up the vertical air cleaner and air intake for the battery box from scratch, as this Australian spec feature is not often seen in Europe. “Tim Keays from South West even supplied technical drawings and the livery was supplied by the Reuben of Frontline Signs who make the actual decals for the full-size trucks and trailers, including the specific SWE angry Griffin image,” Dion says. N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 9
News
T
he latest addition to Scania’s engine range for marine applications incorporates proven XPI fuelinjection technology, allowing for unrivalled fuel efficiency. The new V8 engine is also the most powerful engine in the range, boasting up to 1,150 hp. Scania’s new, more powerful marine engine range now features the company’s common-rail XPI fuel-injection system, long used in Scania’s engines for trucks and industrial applications. Svante Lejon is a senior technical adviser within Scania’s Research and Development division and his responsibilities include developing technical performance concepts for industrial and marine engines. “The XPI system introduces more fuel into the cylinders in a shorter time, providing more power,” he says. “However, this also places higher demands on both the filtration system and the cleanliness of the fuel, as the system is more sensitive to particles.” Lejon says the challenges involved have meant that Scania has
not previously used commonrail technology in its marine solutions. “The fuel quality required for marine applications is different to that for trucks and industrial applications,” he says. “However, filter technology has now reached a level that allows for performance and uptime to be maintained at the high level that Scania expects.” The V8 version of Scania’s marine engine is based on the company’s tried-and-tested 16.4-litre V8 for trucks. The engine is the most powerful in the marine range and is capable of producing up to 1,150 hp for use in working boats. While this represents an increase in power on the previous generation, the physical size of the complete installation has actually decreased, making it easy to upgrade an existing V8 installation to the new engine platform. Scania’s modular system in combination with the company’s Engine Management System (EMS) allows for the same platform to be used in different applications. An engine solution can thus be tailored for completely different operating profiles without compromise.
You’re going to need a bigger boat
V8 pulls 1,000-tonnes
I
f you think pulling 130-tonnes is a tough test, have a look at this Scania V8-powered cane locomotive. Mulgrave Mill just outside Cairns has installed a Scania 16-litre V8 in a refurbished sugar cane locomotive. The 588 hp Scania V8 has been hard at work for several months pulling 1,000-tonnes gross without breaking into a sweat. And even more impressive is the new engine’s fuel efficiency: almost twice that of the engine it replaced. It now consumes only 15.5-litres per hour, instead of 27-litres/hr with the old motor, providing the operator with a meaningful reduction in operating cost. This is the 3rd Mulgrave Mill loco to be repowered with a Scania engine supplied by Scania’s Cairns dealer, RSC Diesels. There are 2 further engine repowering jobs in progress. The 50-year-old loco repowered with the Scania V8 was stripped to its chassis and received an all-new, scratch-built cab constructed
in the Mill’s engineering workshop. The V8 engine produces enough torque to haul a selection of 4-, 6-, and 10-tonne individual cane-filled carriages that add up to 1,000-tonnes gross – across a distance of 40-50 km depending on collection location – from farmer’s field directly to the sugar mill. “It has been a good harvest this year so the V8 powered loco has been busy,” says Morty Owens, Mulgrave Mill’s plant engineer. “It is using around 15.5-litres of fuel per hour, which is what we expected. The other (5-cylinder) Scania engines we have had in use for a couple of years have proven themselves. They have done what Scania said they would on fuel, between 12 and 14-litres per hour pulling around 500-tonnes. “We run each locomotive around 2,000 hours per season,” Morty says. “The engine that the V8 replaced had clocked up around 40,000 hours.” “RSC Diesels’ Ross Nucifora has looked after us well,” he says. As with previous repowering jobs, RSC Diesels has replaced the original transmission with a bigger, heavier-duty, more costeffective Allison unit that works well with a high-speed diesel engine for greater efficiency. “We put a lot of effort into designing a powertrain package that would work well in this 42-tonne DH-class loco,” Ross Nucifora says. “That included a control package similar to those fitted to the earlier repowers of ComEng locomotives. “Each application has been different, so we needed to work out exactly how much horsepower was required, and how to achieve the best fuel economy. “This is the first V8 repowering job we have done and there is potential to repower further existing V8-engined locos found across the region in the cane industry,” Ross says.
10 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
Big bus carries 270 passengers
A
new bus specifically tailored for the Latin American Bus Rapid Transit market is a showpiece of sustainable and cost-effective transport. Scania recently unveiled a 28-metre bi-articulated bus with a passenger capacity of up to 270 people aimed specifically at the Latin American BRT market. “That’s the same as removing
135 cars each carrying two passengers from the road,” says Silvio Munhoz, Head of Bus and Coach Sales for Scania in Brazil. The awesome megabus is powered by Scania’s 360 hp front-mounted engine. With bodywork by Brazilian bus bodybuilders Caio or Neobus, the bus comes equipped with five doors for an efficient and smooth passenger flow. Despite its higher price tag, Scania calculates that the
passenger-per-kilometre cost is 40 percent lower compared with a conventional articulated bus. “This is very much in line with Scania’s aim to provide sustainable transport,” he says. “As cities continue to grow, ensuring mobility is an increasing concern and efficient BRT systems are the most costeffective means of providing public transport.” The concept could be perfect for sprawling cities that
have radial arterials funnelling passengers to the hub along freeways, displacing private car traffic and easing the morning congestion. With WIFI on board the morning and evening peak period could become far more restful or productive; and then there’s more time to spend with family on arrival at home. So a design such as this can provide social benefits as well as economic and environmental benefits.
Gone But Not Forgotten 2
J Generating interest
S
cania’s new genset product range is generating interest among mobile power suppliers and users across Australia. Earlier this year, two 13-litre 6-cylinder SG400 units rated at 400kVA were supplied to Total Generators, based south of Brisbane, and will be hired out to construction customers. Aptly, the gensets were trucked away from Scania’s Brisbane premises on the back of two Colpak Towing Scania Twin Steer flatbed trucks, also powered by Scania 13-litre 6-cylinder engines. Several more gensets have been delivered to other customers to power remote locations that are off the grid. Scania’s success in the workboat market continues with a new pilot boat for Darwin Harbour now in-build, powered by two 13-litre 6-cylinder engines. Delivery is planned for June. www.scania.com.au
ust when you thought it was safe to go back to the bus stop, comes another even more thrilling instalment…. The second book in Tony Finneran’s series has been released in time for Christmas 2015, and reviews. an Australia-wide selection of buses that have been wrapped or painted to promote various products and services in the past. Tony, a stalwart Scania bus division executive currently involved with the Driver Development Programme, says the second book was assisted by a huge number of bus folk who had iconic images tucked away. Spurred on by the success of the first book and the excitement surrounding the follow-up, Tony is already working on the third of four planned tomes: ‘Australian Coaches – The Haydays from the 60s to the naughties’. Details of how to acquire ‘Gone But Not Forgotten 2’ can be found at www.GBNF.com.au N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 11
sustainable transport
The path towards sustainable transport In a world dependent on safe, sustainable and efficient transport, a holistic view of the logistics flow is required. Scania’s solutions are shaping this path by boosting efficiencies and eliminating waste.
Industry-tailored solutions Scania works with an application focus, allowing the company to meet specific demands of a range of industries, from mining, forestry, manufacturing, bus systems (BRT), to distribution. With Scania’s modular system as the starting point, trucks, buses and engines are optimised for a range of applications. This is complemented with services adapted to each transport need. Scania can also contribute specialist logistics expertise to further improve flows, efficiency and reduce waste.
Platooning
Scania is leading a three-year European research project to develop a system for implementing road-based truck platooning. Heavy vehicles are able to drive in close formation with gaps of just 0.5 to 1 second in order to reduce air drag. In Australia, we use roadtrains to achieve pretty much the same result.
Timber applications
Fuel comprises about one third of the total operating cost for a timber haulier. Robustness and high-performance engines are needed to meet the demands. See the story on H&L Scheidl in this magazine.
Mining applications
In mining, large volumes of heavy material must be moved in tough conditions, at the lowest cost per tonne. This requires equipment with high uptime and low fuel consumption. Scania’s successes in Australia see our vehicles in use with mining giants and minnows.
Scania Field Workshop
Demanding transport sectors – such as the mining industry – require high productivity and high uptime for the entire fleet to remain efficient. With preventive maintenance and fast repairs on-site, Scania Field Workshops get vehicles up and running again. Remote area workshops are running in Australia.
12 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
sustainable transport
Engine applications
Scania gensets used as back-up power in hospitals, etc., need to be highly reliable. Other applications for Scania Engines include construction and mining equipment. New gensets are headed for WA miners and already provide municipal back-up power.
Bus systems
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) offers a sustainable, practical and appealing form of urban transport. Scania’s solutions for city buses operating on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) or biogas offer a combination of high capacity, fuel economy and low environmental impact. Brisbane has run gaspowered Scania buses for many years.
Cities on the move Cities will be one of the testing grounds for sustainable transport, demanding efficient, high-capacity transport solutions with low environmental impact. Scania works systematically to gain more insight into the entire logistics fl ow, and to develop and offer more sustainable solutions both in and around cities.
Alternative fuels
Distribution segment
Retail distribution and waste management are essential to city life. Our solutions save fuel and contribute to greater transport efficency.
Alternative fuels play a large role in reducing the environmental impact of transport services. Scania offers one of the market’s broadest Euro 6 engine ranges for alternative fuels, such as biodiesel and biogas for city buses and trucks. Peats Soils will run 11 new Scanias on its homebrewed biodiesel.
Marine applications
Electrification
Scania will participate in field tests for a wirelessly charged hybrid electric bus. Using inductive charging, the vehicle receives power wirelessly from the road. This opens up the possibility of entirely electrified roads. Perhaps on the Hume, one day?
www.scania.com.au
Whether a fast patrol craft or heavy river barge, outstanding operating economy and low emissions are important features of Scania’s marine solutions, based on our marine engine range. Solutions are tailored to offer flexible options for ratings, equipment, transmissions and instrumentation.
N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 13
sustainable transport
Text: Per-Ola Knutas Illustration: Kjell Thorsson Photo: Kjell Olausson
One platform suits all fuels Scania’s modular system allows the company’s diesel engine to be adapted to suit a wide range of fuels.
T
hrough the use of both
compression- and sparkignition technologies, Scania is currently able to offer engines suitable for diesel, biodiesel, ethanol, biogas and natural gas. Compression and spark ignition are the two basic principles by which combustion engines operate. In compression engines, the fuel mixture is ignited when extreme compression raises its temperature. Scania’s diesel and ethanol engines both work according to this principle. The ethanol engines require a fuel that consists of 95 percent pure ethanol, along with corrosion protection, lubricant and an ignition improver.
By contrast, Scania’s gas engines rely on spark-ignitiontechnology, with a spark plug igniting the fuel mixture and starting combustion. Scania offers gas engines for biogas and natural gas. The gas may be stored in two different forms, either as compressed natural gas (CNG) or as liquefied natural gas (LNG). CNG is stored in pressure tanks at 200 bar, whereas LNG is stored as a liquid in insulated tanks at minus 160 degrees Celsius and at 10 to 16 bar. So which components of the basic diesel engine need to be adapted for use with other fuels? We asked Scania engineers Ulf Wallin, Thomas Åkerblom and Gustav Hedin to explain the main differences between the various engines.
Compression-ignited ethanol engines • Combustion chamber – A piston head shaped differently to increase the compression ratio to 27:1, compared with between 16:1 and 20:1 for diesel engines. • Fuel system – PDE injector adapted to resist ethanol. – Filters and O-rings from materials that resist ethanol. – Higher volumes of injected fuel, due to ethanol’s lower energy density. • Shorter service intervals
14 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
Green light for Euro 6 HVO
S
cania has given the green light to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) being used to power its Euro 6 range,
provided the fuel used meets technical specification TS15940. Vehicles using HVO – which chemically mimics fossil-fuel-based diesel – can under optimal conditions achieve up to a 90-percent reduction in CO2 emissions. HVO
does not affect a vehicle’s characteristics or its maintenance requirements. “We have decided to give our blessing to the use of HVO biodiesel in our diesel vehicles,” says Örjan Åslund, Scania’s Head of Product Affairs in Sweden. “Scania is the leading manufacturer when it comes to offering power trains for alternatives fuels, and we have considerable experience with the practical side of driving using HVO. It’s an alternative fuel that has relatively few disadvantages when compared to diesel, while also offering a large reduction in CO2 emissions.” Earlier this year, Scania approved HVO for use in all types of Euro 5 vehicles and all types of operations. In cooperation with customers, the company also initiated a field test in Sweden involving some 100 trucks with Euro 6 engines. HVO is a biofuel that is based on either vegetable oil or animal fats. Hydrogen gas is used to create Scania’s standard diesel engine.
hydrocarbon chains that mimic fossil-fuelbased diesel. This means that the fuel can also be distributed and used in the same way as regular diesel, including with regard to its thermal and storage properties. The certification of HVO complements Scania’s already marketing-leading range of Euro 6 engines and powertrains for
Spark-ignited gas engines
Compression-ignited Biodiesel engines
• Combustion chamber – A piston head shaped differently to reduce the compression ratio to 12.6:1, compared with between 16:1 and 20:1 for diesel engines. • C ylinder heads – Diesel injection technology replaced with spark plugs. • Air inlet system • Fuel injection system • Exhaust gas after-treatment system • 3 -way catalyst in a Euro 5 silencer housing
• Fuel system – Fuel filter. – O -rings in the fuel system to withstand biodiesel. • Exhaust gas aftertreatment – Enlarged SCR catalyst to cater for higher NOx levels in biodiesel. – Greater capacity to add AdBlue. – Software changes in the emission control unit. • Shorter service intervals
alternative fuels. Scania has for some time offered five Euro 6 engines for use with FAME biodiesel, as well as two gas engines. “Scania is continuing to take the lead in products and services for sustainable transport,” Åslund says. “From Scania’s perspective, it’s clear that a variety of solutions are needed in the form of different alternative and renewable fuels. And to meet the global climate challenge, it’s necessary to explore several different avenues, ranging from more efficient vehicles to smarter transport and renewable fuels.”
www.scania.com.au
N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 15
sustainable transport
Photos: John Kruger
Peats Soil
fuels new
Scania fleet
with its own
biodiesel Peter Wadewitz, above, has ordered a fleet of new Scania trucks which will run on 100% biodiesel, which he aims to produce in-house. The Peats Soil biodiesel production facility was designed in association with Adelaide University.
In Willunga, South Australia, Peats Soil has developed its own biodiesel manufacturing plant, utilising ‘dirty water’ it collects from food manufacturing locations.
16 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
sustainable transport
P
eats Soil will be
its own biodiesel to fuel a new fleet of 13 Scania trucks it is purchasing for its collection and delivery operations around the state. Peats Soil Managing Director, Peter Wadewitz, says he aims to manufacture more than 1 million litres of biodiesel in the first year at his McLaren Vale headquarters an hour south of Adelaide, which would provide the bulk of the 1.3m litres his fleet of trucks and loaders will consume annually. “The first batch of 1,000-litres is now in production,” Peter says. “We collect residual wash-down water from food preparation and manufacturing locations. We call it ‘dirty water’. “From this we extract the fats we use as the base stock of the biodiesel. “This biodiesel manufacturing concept has been developed in association with manufacturing
www.scania.com.au
Adelaide University and has attracted funding from the Australian Research Council,” he says. “We have now progressed from proving the concept in a laboratory to building a new biodiesel manufacturing facility at our head quarters in Willunga. So far as we know there is only one other plant like this in the world, in the United States. “We hope to make 1 million litres of biodiesel a year, all of which will be consumed by our trucks and the 9 loaders we use in the yard to load the trucks with our organic garden products. “We have ordered 13 new trucks from Scania that will run on 100% biodiesel. These trucks will replace our existing Scania fleet, plus we are adding two more trucks and two more loaders. This means we will be creating four new jobs for drivers plus adding staff for the laboratory,” Peter says. “Scania is delighted that Peter Wadewitz
has decided to replace his fleet with new Scanias that run on 100% biodiesel,” says Alfons Reitsma, Regional Executive Manager for Scania in South Australia. “We will be supplying Peats Soil with 480 hp six-cylinder trucks and some V8-powered 560 hp prime movers which will be used to collect waste matter and then deliver bulk and bagged organic supplies once they have been processed at the plant. “Scania already produces some of the most fuel-efficient heavy trucks available, but the switch to biodiesel will make this one of the lowest CO2 emitting fleets in Australia. “Scania promotes environmental sustainability providing operators with a variety of low emission solutions. “Our research shows biodiesel produces far less CO2 than regular diesel, making it exceptionally environmentally friendly,” Alfons says. “Just another example of Scania’s leadership in sustainable transport.” N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 17
driver services
Text: Per-Ola Knutas Illustration: Kjell Thorsson Photo: Kjell Olausson
data from the fleeT
The connection to Scania’s Fleet Management system allows Scania’s sales representatives to see exactly how vehicles behave while carrying out the transport assignments.
Scania’s Optimiser programme allows driving data from existing vehicles to be uploaded to create the basis for productive discussions on improved efficiency.
A
nders Gillstedt, Head
the Product Engineering group within Scania’s Sales and Marketing department has called up a customer’s vehicle by typing its chassis number into a computer. He selects ‘upload’ on the screen and a few seconds later every imaginable type of data on how the vehicle has been driven over the course of a year is displayed. There are details, for example, on fuel consumption, drivability, and turning radius, as well as on the types of topography the vehicle has driven through and the loads it has carried. “Connecting to Scania’s Fleet Management system allows our sales representatives to see exactly how the vehicle behaved while carrying out the transport assignment,” Gillstedt says. “The Vehicle Optimiser has been gradually refined and now provides an extremely good basis for discussions between the sales representative and the customer regarding finding the right of
specifications for future vehicle investments.” The Vehicle Optimiser tool now covers trucks and buses and it’s also possible to incorporate typical bodywork additions and trailers. With help from the tool, Scania’s network of some 2,000 salespeople and 60 distributors across the world is able to access information on how different combinations of components affect a vehicle’s performance. This is done with a focus on providing customers with exactly the right recommendations in terms of specifications for each individual transport assignment. “In place of the existing specifications, we might, for example, propose a more powerful axle which costs more to buy but allows for increased cargo every trip, as well as lower
levels of wear and less downtime, while providing better operating economy over the vehicle’s life cycle,” says Gillstedt. Fuel consumption and respect for the environment are already central considerations for many of Scania’s customers. At the same time, the customers of Scania’s customers are increasingly demanding greener transport. Vehicle Optimiser also provides strong support for discussions in this regard. “Using the tool for support, the salesperson can, for example, propose a faster axle gearing or different tyres or side skirts that lower fuel consumption,” Gillstedt says. “It’s also great for calculating axel load, weight, and dimensions for the vehicle.”
18 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
Photo: Charlie Suriano
Driver Services
It’s hard enough scheduling your fleet for efficient operation, but how do you pin down the black holes sucking in costs? Consider Scania Driver Services your searchlight.
Gain the competitive edge
Y
our trucks might get to
customer on time every day, but how do you know which truck is operating with the greatest efficiency? And if one truck can be more efficient than the others, just where and why are you losing out? As an American politician once said famously: “It’s the unknown unknowns,” or more plainly; “you don’t know what you don’t know”. Scania Driver Services presents Scania OnBoard and Scania Optimise to help reduce the unknown unknowns, with data collection and analysis that sheds light on where unexposed costs are piling up, reducing your business’ profitability. Scania Optimise gives you a competitive edge and allows you to focus your attention on other parts of your business. “We are connecting the dots for many fleet operators,” says Alexander Sundin, Scania Australia’s Driver Services Manager. “Sure, many fleets have telematics systems, but only Scania provides telematics on driver performance and vehicle performance and connects that up through driver training and follow-up coaching and looks into the data to identify the exact areas that need attention. “We can drive real efficiencies into a fleet, by spotting exactly where the problems are, by monitoring and comparing the data. “This really is the future of efficient transport operations,” he says. “The numbers the
www.scania.com.au
of operators who choose to drive blind, not understanding how their vehicles are being used or abused is reducing, but at the same time the numbers of fleets that actively manage their assets is still small. “It is easy to see which operators will prosper into the future. It will be those who understand and control their costs,” he says. “A good example of the inefficiencies the Scania Communicator black box can highlight through our reporting is idling time. If you have a fleet average idling time of 30% but one or more truck are idling for 45% of the time, you know that’s an area ripe for investigation. This is waste that can be eliminated,” Alexander says. With just a few insights such as this it is easy to see how the financial benefits of applying Scania Optimise to a fleet’s operation can very quickly recoup the modest fee for the service. “Aside from fleet running cost efficiencies, we can tailor scheduled service intervals to the use profile of the vehicle, reducing downtime thus keeping vehicles busy on the road for longer,” he says. “Driver training assists in improving fuel efficiency, reduces driver fatigue and boosts road safety, as well as minimising inservice wear and tear, which may even allow servicing intervals to be extended in some cases. “Already we have good case study
examples from Australian operators who have been able to create efficiencies from the data produced by Scania Optimise. These are pronounced for long haulage operators because they rack up the most miles. If you are covering more than 100,000 km per year per vehicle, the Scania Optimise system can help you cut your costs. “For mining operators availability is key, and we have been able to review use profiles and actually reduce over-servicing for some customers, which saves them money and makes their assets available for longer. “We implemented Scania Optimise only a few months ago, but already we have more than 750 vehicles connected. That’s just the tip of the iceberg,” he says. “With intelligent access programmes allowing increased load limits subject to GPS tracking, there will be a growing interest in telematics for all types of operators. Safe operation of vehicles is a key aspect of Chain of Responsibility laws which are now being more strictly enforced, and high profile incidents on the roads over recent times has put a lot of focus on roadworthiness of vehicles,” Alexander says. “In all cases, Scania Optimise can provide fleet operators with the tools to focus on running their business in an efficient and compliant manner, utilising the data and analysis of their drivers and vehicles,” he says. For more information about the Scania Driver Services programmes, please contact your closest Scania branch or call 03 9217 3300. N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 19
testimonial
Photos: Paul Kane
Michael Harding, right, with his fleet of Scania 8x4 prime movers. Above, the morning run to Perth sees refer and tautliner B-trailers hauled up the highway from the deep south.
20 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
testimonial
fully
loaded W
estern Australia is
as it is vast. In the south-eastern corner lies the regional centre of Esperance; a mix of seaside town, farming town, bulk tanker-handling import and export terminal, as well as the exit point for a chunk of the state’s huge iron ore reserves. Blessed with beautiful beaches, balmy weather (mostly), and boundless plains, the fruits of colonial settlement have resulted in widespread farming of commodity crops, grazing and even the planting of commercial forestry, all the while harbouring an active mining sector for nickel and iron ore. The busy port terminal hosts oil tanker deliveries while bulk grain and iron ore carriers queue up within the sweeping bay, waiting their turn at nuzzling the conveyor belts that spill out renewable harvest products of wheat, barley and canola, and non-renewables supplies of unprocessed mineral wealth.
In essence, Esperance has the perfect trifecta to deliver stability. The three legs of the economic stool that supports the community of 15,000 souls are tourism and mineral and agricultural exports. If one is slow, the others may step in to carry more of the load. Esperance is progressive too, being the first to establish a wind farm in WA. Its 16 turbines provide up to 30% of the town’s power requirement. Sustained by decent rains in 2015, the farmers’ initial glee at the size and quality of the crop may have dulled slightly as late rains arrived in early November. But at an estimated 3.0 million tonnes, it’ll be a record year in terms of volume, bringing smiles to the faces of most in the town, from the shipping agents to the bankers, the farm machinery suppliers and the transport subbies. This year’s iron ore exports will amount to 11 million tonnes, though the daily transfer of 1 million litres of diesel from the port to the mines to run power generation has ceased since they became more selfsufficient. As the roads hum with B-doubles and C-trains whistling up and down the wellmade single lane byways, in tidy but modest premises close by the main drag, Michael Harding, owner of Esperance Freight Lines can pause to reflect on the state of the local economy. “Esperance Freight Lines will always rely on agriculture but we’ll never put all our eggs in that basket,” he says. “This harvest we have 38 road trains (including sub-contractors’ trucks) on the road moving grain. In fact, as Esperance the town rests securely on a diversified approach to economic survival, Esperance Freight Lines has similarly spread its risk across supermarket delivery (a refrigerated B-trailer and dry food B-trailer arrive daily from Perth N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 21
s
www.scania.com.au
as varied
Scania’s R 730 8x4 fleet helps Esperance Freight Lines move more for less.
testimonial
fully
s
loaded
for 2 national chain retailers), general freight, seasonal agricultural transport to silos and the port, as well as Nickel Concentrate transfers ship side and Sulphur transport from wharf to mine. The spread across the industries gives protection against unseasonal performance or the cyclical boom-bust tempo of commodities exports. Michael Harding grew up around trucks, worked for his father, and then for – and later with – his brother-in-law in Esperance Freight Lines as Operations Manager, before buying out the company with Colin Danks in 2003. In 2010, Michael and his partner, Katherine Ann, became the sole owners of the business. “We started with 5 trucks and 20 trailers in 2003 and now we’re up to more than 70 trucks and 300 trailers. We move anything except livestock,” Michael says. “Early on, Dad had a Scania on a fruit and veg run. Today we have around 40 Scanias and a mix of American and
European brands make up the rest. “We’re comfortable with Scania and they don’t break down. We know that if you drive them properly they are good on fuel. Most modern trucks are good on fuel, but the driver needs to understand the truck. The driver is key to fuel use,” Michael says. “Around 80% of our drivers have been with us more than 5 years, and we have taught the older guys to love the auto (Opticruise) gearbox. We had one driver who was very focused on a manual gearbox but we sent him out on a drive in the Opticruise and he called back after only 38 km saying how much he loved it and didn’t want to get out of the truck. “The Scanias are comfortable, quiet in the cab and reliable. If they are driven properly you get good fuel. We rely on our drivers to drive well to get good fuel results. Fuel and wages are the biggest costs of the business,” he says. For a transport operator with close to 80 trucks and 300 trailers in the inventory,
3 yards in Esperance and further depots in Albany, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Perth, Ravensthorpe and Welshpool, you’d be forgiven for thinking Michael would be welded to the desk in his spacious, light and airy office drowning in spreadsheets. But the truth is far different. Never happier than behind the wheel on the road, Michael is one of a diminishing number of transport professionals who continue to run the business from the coalface. “I drive an R 730. I often need to be driving full time to get the job done,” he says. “Because I have a good crew behind me I can be behind the wheel driving (while they run the business). The secret to the success of Esperance Freight Lines has been the relationships we have built up over the years with the people we do business with,” Michael says. “Our customers know if they want to talk to the boss they just pick up the phone and talk to me. They don’t go through layers of
22 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
testimonial Loading up on a farm an hour out of Esperance, and the Howard Porter bulk trailers are soon filled. At the CBH grain termnal back in Esperance, the combination weighs in at over 115-tonnes, for a payload of around 78-tonnes.
management. They like that direct access and it means we can get the job done or the issue sorted out,” he says. Along with Milton Valli, company Financial Controller – soon to be heading for semi-retirement after 8 years with the company, but staying on as company secretary – Priyanka Shivran, the company accountant, Andy Giles, in charge of general freight, and Eric Carter who runs the workshop, Michael and Katherine Ann have a tight-knit management team with its fingers firmly on the pulse of every vehicle and every job. That’s no mean feat. The search for efficiency has driven the adoption of Scania’s 8x4 Twin Steer configuration for his pocket road trains, and C-trains (an A-trailer and 2 B-doubles). The 8x4 chassis has been teamed with the Scania King of the Road R 730 V8 engine to provide effortless pulling power all the way to 115-tonnes gross under the harvest concession, day-in, day-out, amounting to around 78-tonnes of payload per trip.
www.scania.com.au
Esperance Freight Lines purchased two Scania R 730 8x4 in 2014 and 2 more in 2015, all of which were hitched to new Howard Porter bulk grain tippers, and the combination measure 36.5 m in length. Weigh scales on all axles enhance the all-round airbag suspension, useful for combinations running exceptionally heavy loads. “When I saw the R 730 I thought we’d give it a go,” Michael says. “We use the R 730 8x4 for bulk grain and fertiliser while the R 620s are used on general freight and can go anywhere and do anything.” The company transports daily from Perth all of the dry and refrigerated food for Woolworths and IGA in Esperance, using Scania B-doubles. One trailer is a refrigerated pan and the others a Vawdrey tautliner. These trucks cover 1.0 million km in 5 years on this route. The trucks can stop halfway to Perth and the drivers switch over, returning to Esperance to be able to sleep at home.
The Esperance Freight Lines fleet includes every variant of the V8 engine output range: 500, 560, 620 and 730 hp engines performing a variety of roles. Tucked away in the corner of the yard is a T 143 V8 bonneted Scania Topline that obviously is too well loved to be moved on, while another early Scania can still be pressed into service come the need, despite seeing more than 1.6 m km under its wheels to date. During the harvest period there won’t be a spare trailer rested up in the yards, though during the visit of Scania Experience in November, amid an unseasonably chilly and wet spell, farmers were forced to suspend loading and transporting as the crop’s moisture content was too great for the CBH silos to accept. For some the solution is a trip to the drying yards and then off to one of the 11 CBH receiving yards in the district, but others withheld deliveries until the sun returned to dry out the crop naturally.
N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 23
testimonial
fully
loaded
Going with the grain Driving the Scania R 730 V8 8x4 pulling 2 B-trailers, the additional power of the engine over the previous R 620 really makes itself felt, says Rob Mellor, a driver with Esperance Freight Lines. Speaking among the grain storages on Jake and Clara Graham’s sprawling farm in Wittenoom Hills, 80 km outside Esperance, Rob says the airbag suspension all round gives the truck a very steady and solid feel on the road. “The ride is outstanding, the trailers are very stable,” he says.
Rob Mellor has been driving for decades, and enjoys the comfort and ride stability of the Scania V8, even with three fully-loaded trailers behind him.
“We’re pulling 115-tonne gross so around 78-tonne payload. The biggest I had on was 80-tonnes for 117,200 kg gross with only a few
driving road-trains. “I drove my first road-train in 1987 in
Scania you don’t even feel it once. “The steering is not any heavier than a
hundred to spare under the concession. That
Australia,” he says, “and I had a few years in the
single steer, though it doesn’t self-centre as
was barley, it’s heavier than wheat.”
mines.
easily as single front axle trucks, so you have to
Rob’s been with Esperance Freight Lines
“The R 730 takes comfort and grunt into
for around 18 months after 50 years driving
another class,” he says. “On some 8x4s you’d
trucks, and the Kiwi native is still enjoying
say you’d hit the same bump twice, but in the
be ready for it. “I like the Scania cab, and you can see out very well,” Rob says.
24 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
testimonial
“We’ll aim to cart around half of the 3.0 million tonnes of grain from the Esperance region this harvest,” says Milton Valli, “and about one third of this amount out of Geraldton. “We only deliver to CBH. While some of the grain is used domestically, much is exported all over the world: China, Middle East, Japan and Europe,” he says. In addition to the dry and refrigerated food and bulk grain transport, the business also runs a fleet of 5 trucks 24/7 carting 3 trailers of close to 80-tonnes of sulphur from the port to the nickel mines, where it is used as an integral part of the extraction process. The payload is large and the demand high, so the trucks barely rest, completing 4 round trips each day, and again Scania trucks play a formidable role keeping this side of the business running. “We’ll cover on average around 180,000 km per year on each truck, but some do more than others. For example the sulphur delivery trucks will do 400,000 km, and the www.scania.com.au
Perth food freight trucks will do 350,000 km,” Michael says. According to Trevor Furnace – another long-serving staffer who readily returns to the fold from semi-retirement to his old role as Operations Manager to help Michael out – the strength of the Esperance Freight Lines and Scania relationship is reliability and performance. “Michael’s always leaned towards Scania but we have tried other trucks. But we’re back with Scania now. We know they can do the job. The first 18 trucks Michael put into the fleet were Scania. We run the newer trucks on the Scania Maintenance and Repair contracts,” he says. “The Maintenance and Repair contracts mean I can deal in fixed costs,” Michael says. “I know what my trucks will cost me and I run them on operating leases as well, turning them over after 4 or 5 years. “I don’t want to own 70 trucks outright, but we do buy the trailers. They work for longer and there’ll always be a buyer for a trailer if we need to move some on.
“Esperance Freight Lines provides a good snapshot of a good Scania customer,” says Keith Berwick, New Truck Account Manager for Scania WA, based out of the Kewdale, Perth branch. “They cart big loads in 3 trailers and they have trucks on the roads all day and all night in some cases. Reliability, durability and after sales back-up are the keys to their uptime, as is the Maintenance and Repair programme we have running with our dealer Kip & Steve’s Mechanical Repairs, based close by in the town. “We have had a long and close relationship with the business over several years and they trust us to find them a tailored solution, such as the airbag equipped R 730 8x4 that allows them to go up to 115-tonnes in safety, but also with fuel efficiency and driver comfort as well,” Keith says. “You couldn’t get a better endorsement of the product than by having the boss drive the Scania flagship because he wants to drive, not just because he has to.” N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 25
testimonial
Photos: Charlie Suriano
A
cold, crisp morning in a
is one of the most natural places in the world to find a V8-powered Scania truck and a set of logging trailers. Scania’s logging industry spurs were hard-won decades ago in Scandinavian forests ranging from the edge of the Artic to the base of the Baltic peninsular. So the strengths of all-steel safetyengineered cabs, plentiful power and torque, and excellent traction through loamy, boggy, crudely-cut roads as well as snow-covered pine forest
Switching to Scania for logging work in South Australia has boosted Hans Scheidl’s uptime.
tracks, shine through just as brightly in the heart of South Australia’s carefully managed woodlands as they do, back where the Scanias were designed. Just outside Mount Gambier, there is a broad mix of mature and juvenile pine forest plantations, interspersed with cleared acreages replanted with new saplings. It’s a veritable production line of forests worked over decades-long lifecycles. H & L Scheidl is a well-known livestock and logging contractor that has been based in Mount Gambier for 22 years, though owners Hans and Lill have been involved in the
26 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
testimonial
Trunk road
traction
“The Scanias have eliminated my downtime,” says Hans Scheidl of his V8 620 hp fleet. More are on the way. Above, The Elphinstone trailers are made-to-measure for the job.
industry for much longer. “I started working at 15 with my uncle in the logging industry,” Hans says, seated comfortably at the kitchen table in the company office on the town’s outskirts. “The choice was fishing or logging, and I’m not keen on holding a line, so logging was the only choice. My first truck was a Benz. It was a long time ago.” Since establishing this business, Hans has revolved through a number of American and European truck brands and has now found Scania to be the solution to his logging trailer toting needs. www.scania.com.au
“Since we have had the Scanias they have just worked. I haven’t been getting calls from drivers stuck with a broken down truck, and I haven’t been suffering trucks off the roads for weeks waiting for parts, or bits just falling off during day-to-day operations,” he says in his no-nonsense way. “The Scanias have eliminated my downtime. “This is vital because this business is all about volume. “The engines and gearboxes are good and the servicing has been great. We have one 620hp truck that has done 120,000 km and
one on 60,000 km. I needed trucks that can work in the bush, and these work well there. They have given me no grief at all,” Hans says. “The trucks were well specified by Alfons Reitsma of Scania in Adelaide. He knew what he was doing, as he understands logging. “The Scanias have provided excellent traction in the muddy and slippery forest roads, thanks to their hub-reduction axles on 4 point air,” he says. We also went for a 14-speed manual synchro gearboxes as well, because they are easy to drive and the drivers like them. N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 27
testimonial “We specified the new Scania 4100 Nm Retarder for the R 620s, which gives us plenty of braking performance. These are the first trucks in Australia with the new big retarder,” Hans says with some pride. “I have driven a few loads with this retarder on and it is awesome. Unlike a Jake brake you can still change gear when the Retarder is working,” Hans says. Operating a fleet of American and some other European trucks, the reaction from the Scheidl driver group was almost universally positive when the Scania trucks arrived. “One of my drivers, Jim Smith, says he
feels better getting out of the Scania after a shift, than he did when he got in,” Hans says. At present Hans has three Scania R 620s working in the forests nearby. They’re loading over a long working day and delivering logs either to the local mill in Mount Gambier or into Portland or Colac, each of which are several hundred km away. “The Scanias are the only trucks I am double-shifting at present,” Hans says. “They are good for this.” A typical load is 44.5 tonnes of logs for a 68-tonne GCM. They are carried in new Elphinstone trailers with an advanced air
Trunk road
traction
28 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
testimonial strapping system, on-board scales and EBS. The trailers are tough enough to handle the loads and the forest floor tracks and the white metal roads, and stable enough to give drivers confidence when operating at close to the posted speed limits. “The bottom line for us is that the Scanias deliver very high productivity,” Hans says. Scania’s Alfons Reitsma says Hans and Lill set very firm operating parameters when they were shopping for new trucks. “They told us they wanted high productivity in terms of trip times, and the ability to take the loads they are pulling from the forests, but critically tare weight, reliability, durability, safety and ground-clearance were key important factors. The way the logging industry is structured
in Australia you have to get your trucks on the road as long as possible hauling as much as possible. Using the Scania engineered-in excellence to meet the needs of the logging industry we were confident our trucks could carry Hans’ load. “We have a special logging specification that includes a strong CA6x4MHA chassis, straight 9-tonne front axle as well as important safety features such as roll stability, ESP,
EBS and built-in load scales, all of which help the drivers do their jobs better and in greater safety. There is a high front bumper / bullbar, and the hub reduction overall axle ratio of 3.67:1 allows outstanding take-off traction “We added Goodyear 385/65 R22.5 super singles as well to increase stability on the rough roads,” Alfons says. “Scania’s logging spec truck is the ideal solution for forestry hauliers because our Scandinavian logging expertise, plus our complete in-house engineering and our safety and V8 power, mean there is nothing better to do the job. Hans Scheidl’s experience with the V8s proves that,” Alfons says.
Driver’s View Jim Smith is fairly new to the Scania driving experience with only 7 weeks behind the wheel when Scania Experience drops by. Despite his long driving experience, this is his first stint in a Scania. But it has not taken him long to appreciate the benefits. “On my first shift, the interchange driver said ‘you’ll never want to drive another American truck again’ and he was
of short runs from the forest to the Mount
right,” Jim says.
Gambier mill dropping 44-tonnes of logs
“I found the Scania to be very comfortable. It tracks beautifully as well,” he adds. Jim’s main run is a return trip to Colac most nights, which is a 750km round trip. As a warm up act he often does a couple www.scania.com.au
before heading off towards the Victorian town to the east. “Like Dave I am a fan of the Retarder. I use it all the time,” he says. “The Scania is sure-footed in the forests and gives us great traction.” N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 29
testimonial CTI Tyre inflation system The Scheidl Scania R 620s are fitted with an advanced New Zealand sourced tyre inflation system (TractionAir) with integrated GPS that allows the driver to concentrate on his driving, rather than worrying about adjusting his tyre pressures as he moves in and out of the forests. After testing in Scheidl’s operating conditions the company has developed a specific hub-end package for Scanias fitted with hub reduction systems that manages heat very effectively, enhancing the working life of the CTI wheel end
The CTI Tyre Inflation solution was devised specifically for H & L Scheidl’s business and provides an advanced and sophisticated monitoring system, designed to extend tyre life in arduous working conditions. Jim Smith, right above, straps up the load and gets some exercise at the same time.
rotators, in turn increasing productivity for the customer. The tyre pressure management system works with limited input from the driver. Re-inflation is triggered by the GPS receiver, which measures the vehicle’s ground speed independent of the speedometer. This ensures safety by first alerting the driver about his speed relative to the pressure setting and should he not increase the pressure to the next setting the system then automatically increases the tyre pressure to the next step. TractionAir is fully programmable and settings can be tailored to a specific application to optimise protection against overheating, excess wear and excess fuel use. When running at low pressure over slippery terrain, the rubber footprint is significantly increased, which is good for added traction should you need it over cross locks and traction control. The CTI system recognises when the need for low pressure driving has ended and reinflates the tyres for normal road running. The system is also able to detect a leak in a tyre and alert the driver, while using the auxiliary compressor to continue feeding air to the leaking tyre. Sensors constantly monitor pressure in tyres adjusting hot tyres and cold tyres to optimum settings to ensure longer tyre life. Gavin Halley, National Sales Manager of Tidd Ross Todd, the company supplying the CTI (TractionAir) Central Tyre Inflation System for the Scanias, says it is an important element of the vehicle’s offhighway performance. “We believe this system can benefit more than logging contractors; bulk tippers, livestock carters and pretty much any operator who is spending time off-highway can use it. It is relatively maintenance-free, requiring only periodic inspections,” Gavin says. 30 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
testimonial
Driver’s View
comfortable. Plus the heated seats in this
Dave Jones has been driving logging trucks
environment is great,” he says, gesturing
in the forests outside Mount Gambier for
to the torrential rain sluicing through the
around 3 years. He averages around 300 km
trees on a day when the mercury can’t even
a day, making multiple runs from the forest
hope to reach double figures.
log-loading areas to the local mill. “I was attracted by the open air. There’s
“We’re hauling 44 tonnes of logs and the ride is very smooth. Power-wise, with
a lot less traffic here. I was on fuel prior to
the 620 in it, even though this one has only
this, which was very hectic. The stress level
done about 65,000 km, I think it is still a bit
is gone; as you can see by the environment
tight.
we work in. It’s quiet and peaceful out here.
“It took me a little while to work out the synchro on the 14-speed but it’s all good
I’m using the Retarder for about 85% of the
5 or 6 years ago when I was on fuel. We
now. The gearbox makes the most of all the
braking in a day, and it really does make life
had one of the first trucks with the retarder
low-down torque coming from that 620 hp
easier especially on the fatigue side.
system, and it was great.
engine,” Dave says.
“My first Scania experience was about
“Before these new Scanias arrived, I
“Another Scania benefit is the visibility. Compared to a bonneted truck, the Scania
“I like the low-revving high torque
was driving a bonneted American truck, but
performance. It reminds me of an old Mack
has a really wide windscreen and none
the change has been for the better.
V8. The Scania motor likes working in the
of those air cleaners or stacks in your
1000-1400 rpm range, that’s the sweet
vision and it does make a big difference,
that when you get to my age and you have
spot. Anything over that, and you’re wasting
especially in this environment, and at
been driving for a long time, you tend to
fuel and time,” he says.
“What I like most about the Scania is
think about comfort. “After a 14-hour day in the Scania you
night as well. The truck also has a really
“I have found the Scania Retarder to be absolutely brilliant. I pretty much only touch
tight turning circle, another benefit in the forest,” Dave says. “At the end of the day it’s just how you
get out and feel great. Your back is not all
the service brakes right at the end of the
twisted up because the truck is just so
braking cycle. Depending on circumstances
feel when you get out. And it’s great.”
Trunk road
traction www.scania.com.au
N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 31
new fleet
Photos: Paul Kane
32 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
new fleet
West Coast pioneers Scania has devised an integrated total transport solution to deliver long-term value.
www.scania.com.au
N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 33
new fleet
W
Perth-to-Karratha and back again. B-triples, road trains and B-doubles ply the route nonstop; pulling a variety of trailer types, from flattops to containers and tautliners.
West Coast pioneers
hat would a roundtown truck know
about big loads, big distances and a big country? The operations team at Sadleirs Logistics in Perth have heard it all before from drivers wedded to a big bonnet and chrome pipes. But over the past 15 years, the company has bought Scanias for distribution and line haul, and the Swedish trucks have proven to possess plenty of ticker for a hard day’s yakka. So when the Sadleirs’ Road Distribution Services arm won a competitive supply tender for line haul services to an oil and gas processing facility in Karratha/ Dampier, Scania was a front-line starter for consideration for the fleet that now numbers 33 prime movers and 80 trailers. A fleet of Scania V8 prime movers runs the 1600 km from Perth daily, many transitioning to triple running in Carnarvon,
34 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
new fleet Matt Brown, General Manager, Operations, led the Sadleirs team that selected a supplier for the new contract. Fuel-efficiency, safety, driver comfort and reliability were core competencies the company sought.
www.scania.com.au
Scania is no mere hardware supplier, but a business partner that can leverage an array of activities to enhance efficiency, availability and fleet management and measurement that provides Sadleirs far greater peace-of-mind. From truck rental to driver training, maintenance and repair contracts and comprehensive fleet management software, Scania is turning problems into solutions. There will be further evolution and innovations in the ongoing relationship, as the two companies work more closely for an improved total operating economy. The ignition spark for Scania’s success
in being selected to provide vehicles for the contract came from one of Sadleirs’ more experienced drivers. He was tasked with evaluating four competing prime movers to identify the most suitable solution to fulfil the key deliverable of uninterrupted transport to Karratha from Perth. “Our driver evaluated the vehicles on objective and subjective criteria over a run to Carnarvon as a double and on to Karratha as a triple,” says Matt Brown, General Manager, Operations for Sadleirs’ Logistics Group. “Driver acceptance, fuel burn, safety,
N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 35
s
for the final 7 hours into Karratha. A further fleet of V8s running with 2 or 3 trailers transports sand from the Turner River, 30km south of Port Hedland, to Karratha, at a GCM of 120-tonnes. Other Scania V8s are on general freight duties in north western WA; the common characteristic being the ability to get the job done safely, on time and without unplanned downtime. The working environment is hot and sultry, and that’s just the winter. It can be very windy, very, very, hot and while some of the roads are new and in good repair, others are narrow and challenging. Then there’s the distance separating Karratha from just about anywhere. So the task is a gruelling one, but one the Sadleirs team has attacked with enthusiasm and commitment, evolving the relationship with Scania to include a broader range of business elements, that deepens and strengthens the ties between the two companies.
new fleet Hauling up hills. There are a surprising number around Karratha. The local scenery is dominated by mountains of randomly strewn, shattered rocks that glow red in the late afternoon sunlight.
Sadleirs Heritage
S
adleirs is part of the one of the oldest continuously trading companies in Australia, and continues to be family-owned, part of the Lionel Samson Sadleirs Group of Companies. It operates across three distinctive divisions, Sadleirs Logistics, Sadleirs Road Distribution Services and Sadleirs Global Logistics. The group of companies is something of a business legend in Australia. “You are aware there’s a legacy to protect. It’s a company with a long history. “There’s definitely a sense of community among the 500 staff who work for the business across Australia and in our global operations,” he says. “We have a large terminal in Perth that accepts rail cars and trucks nationally, a wharf business and our global arm, so we are a true 1-stop-shop but we still have that family-business feel. “We are aiming to provide a fully integrated service so we can render 1 bill to the client across a range of services,” Matt says.
Almost home: This road train is just minutes from returning to the Sadleirs Perth Terminal, in Kewdale.
SMART SPECIFICATION
Sadleirs’ specification includes a stout bull-bar on account of the proliferation of wildlife and cattle and sheep on the roads. A substantial catwalk crosses the chassis over the fuel tanks, and there are extinguishers outside and inside the cab. Three cameras watch the road and the driver, along with an alco-lock and an emergency beacon that drivers can take out of the cab with them, for example if they’re changing a tyre, and they’re bitten by a snake, they’ll have the beacon with them to alert rescuers. An in-cab air conditioner provides cooling when the engine’s not running, making in-cab living tolerable irrespective of the external temperature or humidity. 36 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
s
new fleet
Hale Preston-Samson runs the loading terminal at the sprawling Sadleirs main base in Kewdale. The shed accepts freight cars on rails and road trains. Scania and Sadleirs have had a longstanding relationship, as this wellworn 4-series shows.
West Coast pioneers
N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 37
s
www.scania.com.au
and suitability for the job were all key elements. And the Scania ran out a winner by a country mile from that perspective.” The result is a fleet of 16 x Scania R 730s – the biggest R 730 fleet in the country – 14 x R 620s and 2 x R 560s, with 1x R 580 Euro 6 recently joining the line up. “We liked the R 730 because it had plenty of power for the job which means lower revs, less wear, and it was easy to drive,” Matt says. “Our key focus is on safety, driver comfort and fuel burn. We also need flexibility, so all the trucks, whether they are R 560, R 620 or R 730 need to be able to cope with any of the jobs we do. “Styling is irrelevant to us, we’re focused on safety and technology,” he says. “We did get some commentary from the driver group initially, but some came back after driving the trucks saying: ‘Wow, I really like this. I never thought I would drive a Scania’, and ‘the 730’s power is extraordinary’. “One of the most surprising things we encountered was the how the Scania driver training really resonated with our drivers. The Scanias have quite a high level of technology on board compared with some of the trucks they would have been used to, and the driver training showed them how to get the best out of it. The Scania driver trainer, Jimmy Coote, was able to demonstrate the features (such as the Scania Retarder, Opticruise automated gearchange and Adaptive Cruise Control) illuminating the most efficient way to drive the Scanias. “These drivers were coming from manuals into autos, and learning that driving in economy mode would not compromise performance but deliver really good fuel,” Matt says. “Overall, the driver training was positively received, helped by the credibility of the driver trainer. Our drivers felt at ease with someone who had done the job himself. It helped him win over the majority of the drivers,” he says. For any long distance operator, fuel burn is a critical component and Scania has been able to demonstrate its ability to return impressive fuel figures. “We’re covering up to 4800 km a week on some vehicles, that’s around 240,000 km annually. So consumption is a major factor. “Initially, we are seeing 1.4 km per litre,” Matt says. “That’s much better
new fleet Karratha’s roads bustle with the green and yellow striped Scania cabs. The yellow striping was devised in-house for high visibility and safety.
John Cooper, State Operations Manager for Sadleirs Road Distribution Services says he was very keen to be part of the next phase of its development.
West Coast pioneers 38 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
s
new fleet than the 0.9km per litre we used to achieve as a triple, and is a tribute to the vehicle’s technology. “We are happy with the fuel results so far,” he says. The latest data drawn from the Scania Communicator fleet management ‘black box’ shows fuel burn to have improved to 1.6 km per litre on average across the three V8 engine outputs across 33 trucks, providing further operating economy benefits. The Scania Communicator derived data also shows idling times for some vehicles is still in excess of the ideal level, which, when addressed will reduce still further consumption by individual vehicles. “Idling is wasting fuel,” says Michael Berti, Commercial Services Manager Scania
Ensuring the Scanias deliver the promised uptime, Sadleirs has placed the recently acquired vehicles on Scania’s comprehensive maintenance and repair programme that aims to ensure the vehicles remain in perfect condition. The schedule provides a pre-determined monthly maintenance expenditure per vehicle, giving visibility, transparency and predictability to a traditionally volatile part of any operator’s business. “We expect Scania to be expert at understanding the costs of maintaining its trucks, and with the Maintenance and Repair contract we have a good view of the lifecycle expense of the equipment,” Matt Brown says. “We can budget with confidence and this provides us with a competitive advantage with regard to pricing-up our services for future tender documents. Effectively, it removes an historic core variable every operator faces.”
N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 39
s
www.scania.com.au
Western Australia. “We will be working with Sadleirs further to reduce idling time. We think the 1.6 km per litre number can be improved further still, as well, even with the R 730s pulling 3 trailers.” With the Perth-to-Karratha line haul trucks racking up big distances quickly, and other trucks on shorter if similarly weighty runs, Sadleirs’ has a sophisticated asset management plan in place to rotate vehicles through the differing tasks required to service the new contract, to ensure an even wear rate among the fleet. “Our asset utilisation model plans for covering 700,000 km on line haul, then a further few years working in more local applications in other parts of the Sadleirs business. We aim to run the vehicles to about 1 million km before disposal,” Matt says.
new fleet
Co-incidentally, Jeff was married on this very beach a few years ago. After just a few months behind the wheel of a Scania V8, he’s a changed man.
Driver’s view Jeff Seymour
S
adleirs’ driver Jeff Seymour is based in Karratha and is a recent convert to the pleasures of the right-hand seat behind the Scania steering wheel. A life-long fan of American trucks he was won over by the ride comfort, on-road stability and quietness of the Scania driving experience, as well as the retarder, Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Departure Warning safety systems. The Bluetooth handsfree phone connectivity and headrest mounted flexible microphone also won his praise. “I started driving an AC 1800 International in New Zealand a long time ago,” the Chatham Islands’ native says. “I like the variety of work with Sadleirs, and enjoy the drive to Perth most. “There’s always something new to see. The road to Perth used to be very narrow in stretches, but they have been widening the shoulders. But there’s always the challenge of cattle, pigs and even goats on the road, as well as ‘roos. “We’re driving these Scanias in all sort of configurations, as road trains and triples with sand, B-doubles with containers, or singles doing general freight, pulling drop-decks and we even have a float. With a single trailer on, that R 730 is like a racing car. “I like the Scania Driver Support feature that rates your driving efficiency. I have been pulling sand from Turner River, as well as running line haul with a changeover in Carnarvon, or going all the way to Perth and sleeping in the truck for 4 nights.
“Yes, the bed is a bit small, but headroom is great and you can stand up inside the cab. And when you pull the curtains closed you have complete privacy,” he says. “At the end of a 700 km day, I feel like I could easily do another 300 km,” he says. “I feel more relaxed and happier at the end of a shift. “I have a mate in Adelaide, who like me, started in American trucks, but now he drives a Scania R 620, and he says: ‘Mate, why didn’t we switch to these years ago?’ “The Retarder is amazing. They put out more hp than the engine, and I very rarely use the service brakes. “We’re getting better journey times with the V8s, they are more fuel efficient, and rev lower than American engines. And with that adaptive cruise, you’re doing it easy sitting on 100, and if the truck in front backs off, your truck backs off automatically. It’s amazing,” he says. “It is a change to the way you drive vehicle, and because you don’t have to change gear all the time, and the adaptive cruise keeps you a safe distance apart, there’s more time to position the vehicle and plan your braking. It makes the working day easier. “But until you get in it, you wouldn’t believe it. I even told my friend in NZ who moves stock he should drive one. “If I were to buy my own truck, I would buy a Scania now, but 12 months ago I would never have believed I am saying this now.”
West Coast pioneers
40 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
s
new fleet
Sadleirs also runs its own telematics programme for fleet management, now integrated with Scania’s Optimise programme, in order to efficiently manage vehicle performance and driver behaviour. “These are the real keys to cost-effective performance and ensuring safety. All the vehicles are tracked, and their position is displayed on wall-mounted screens at our Safety Operations Command Centre in Perth, where we are constantly monitoring driver behaviour,” Matt says. “We can see where vehicles are located, current road speed, etc., and the realisation of this information is another feature of the close collaboration between Scania and us,” he says. “This monitoring functionality shows each driver’s fuel efficiency. Drivers are
curious to know how they rate against their colleagues. We have regular pre-drive briefings where fuel efficiency is discussed, and of course we take into account variables such as headwinds, road works or congestion, which can influence specific results. “Most of the drivers view the data positively, and are keen to achieve good scores from the on-board systems. “Our customer likes the fact we have this level of transparency in our operations. “As we look down the road we expect Scania will continue to innovate with technological solutions. We don’t see Scania just as the supplier of hardware, but as an integrated part of our business. The efficiencies Scania can provide us with help us to be more competitive as we seek new business opportunities,” he says.
Tough road conditions are standard fare on WA’s northern thoroughfares, and distances between towns, fuel and water can be vast.
www.scania.com.au
N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 41
testimonial
Photos: Byford Equipment
Cream
of the
crop
I
Garth Hutton, top, stands in front of his new Scania and Byford trailer set. Extendable drawbar provides flexibility.
magine having a business, with
guarantee of work every day of the year. Garth and Briana Hutton, owners of Wynyard Transport have exactly that, with their fleet of Scania trucks carting milk the length and breadth of Tasmania. But it is not without its challenges. Wynyard Transport is a third generation; family-owned and operated business with roots back to 1949, when Jack Hutton (Garth’s grandfather) established AJ Hutton Transport, a general carrier and livestock specialist. Fast forward to 2008, when Jack’s grandson Garth and his wife Briana bought the business they still operate, collecting milk from over 130 farms in north and north west Tasmania and delivering it to the processing factories of Cadbury, Murray Goulbourn and Tasmania Dairy Products. While this accounts for 70 percent of the business, the the
line hauling of refrigerated packaged milk and fresh milk distribution makes up the remaining 30 percent. “The business has been built on excellent service,” Garth says. “It has a true pioneering spirit and we are always willing to take on new thinking, technology and equipment to keep ahead of the opposition.” One example that Garth has worked on for the past 3 years is a self-steering tri-axle dog trailer with a unique dolly and extendable drawbar that maximises milk collection efficiencies, enhanced manoeuvrability and reduces tyre wear. Devised in association with Byford Equipment under PBS regulations, and pulled by a new Scania 8x4 Twin Steer G 480, the drawbar extends from 1.5 to 4.3 m, which allows the axle load to be varied according to the payload. The front barrel capacity is 15,000-litres while the rear can carry up to
42 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
testimonial
Devising an innovative solution to Tasmania’s winding narrow roads and mass limits has helped Wynyard Transport create a perfect Scania-powered efficiency enhancer. 30,000-litres, with the drawbar stretched to create a maximum vehicle length of 25.3 m. If the load is up to 55.5-tonnes, the drawbar stays retracted, but extends as the weight increases to the maximum of 67.5-tonnes, run effectively as B-double under the Higher Mass Limits regulations, while also meeting Tasmania’s bridge limitations. Carting milk from the farm to factories may sound easy enough, but presents a myriad of challenges. The first being the daily temperature, together with the distances from farms to factories and the time of day the collection takes place. Garth’s schedulers use an intricate temperature chart, to accurately calculate these factors to ensure the milk is delivered to the factories at the right temperature. There are other factors to contend with, such as the different collection times and www.scania.com.au
varying milking volumes at each farm, depending on the season. There’s also a lot of stress on equipment with the mud and dust on the farms, the water and chemicals used at the factories to clean the trucks at each arrival, vat washes every 48 hours and with the tanks being rigid and many off-camber roads, a lot of stress is put through the chassis. As Garth says, “You have to be flexible, have plans A to Z ready to go at a moment’s notice and constantly keep delivering excellent service.” To achieve that, Wynyard Transport relies heavily on its fleet of Scanias that have been an integral part of the business for almost 25 years. The start of the relationship was with a 113 model that Garth’s father Ian, bought from Laurie Kelly in the late 1980s and they’ve never looked back.
Then came a V8-powered 143 in 1993 that’s still in use by Wynyard Transport. It’s covered in excess of 1.5 million km and still going strong. It’s Ian’s pride and joy; he considers it ‘his’ truck and still drives it a few days each fortnight. In addition to the 143, Wynyard Transport’s all Scania fleet consists of an R 500 V8, which has travelled over 1.0 m km, a P 420 that was part of the acquisition of the Betta Milk contract and moves the packaged milk and a 1-year-old R 560 V8 that transfers milk, between Cadbury plants in the north and south of the state. The latest edition to the fleet is the 8x4 G 480 rigid that was purchased to maximise productivity and profitability. Garth explains his choice; “We pull 67.5 tonne and all the drivers love it. I’ve never had a complaint. Eighty percent of the time it is loaded from one processor to another and works around the clock. It’s a high capacity, high productivity vehicle, so if we have a problem we’d have to get 2 trucks to replace it, therefore it’s vital it is on the road all the time.” For Garth, the standout features of the Scanias are comfort, reliability, fuel economy, and the outstanding support from Scania Australia. Having direct contact with Scania Australia is a big tick as any questions or issues can be answered and resolved directly with Scania. “We have a great relationship with Scania, Jason Grech and Ian Butler. Their product knowledge is great and so is their service,” Garth says. He’s confident the V8-powered Scania B-doubles will do 1.0 m km easily with only routine maintenance. “They just keep going. I’ve never had an engine problem with a Scania.” Garth uses the data from the Scania Driver Support system to help his team of 30 drivers improve their performance. With 3 drivers per truck and able to see each other’s data, there’s a good deal of friendly competition with the benefits being lower operating costs. The Scanias add profitability to the bottom line of Wynyard Transport thanks to their excellent fuel economy and lower maintenance costs with features like the engine retarder that dramatically increases the life of the service brakes. From a safety viewpoint, the ergonomic cab steps allow safe ingress and egress from the all steel, comfortable and spacious cabin. Scania and Wynyard Transport have enjoyed a long and fruitful partnership covering millions of trouble-free kilometres together across the state of Tasmania for nearly 25 years. As Garth Hutton says: “They never miss a beat.” N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 43
testimonial
Containing costs The search for efficiency and predictable running costs has led a growing Queensland container transportation business to Scania’s door.
Photos: Mark Horsburgh
A
ndrew “Scuzzy” McSweeney owns
ScuzzTrans, a container transport company based in Brisbane Ports and Casino in northern NSW. It’s a family business, which employs his wife, Helen and son Chris and his sister Renee. ScuzzTrans has been running for 6 years, built on Scuzzy’s 30-years of industry knowledge and it specialises in moving shipping containers via side-loaders and drop-trailers. ScuzzTrans offers packing, unpacking and container storage. Initially, the business invested in a fleet of Sterling prime movers towards the end of that brand’s life in Australia. Now the Sterlings are being successively replaced by Scania G 440s and an R 560 V8 has just joined the fleet to pull b-double skels. The G-series trucks haul double and single skels (including lightweight and retractable models) and mezzanine deck tautliners. With 20 trucks and 25 drivers and a
total complement of 35 staff all up, Scuzzy is responsible for a big group of people and takes running his business very seriously. “I know the exact cost of every vehicle per km,” he says. “We keep a close eye on fuel and the Scania Driver Support readout in the dash is helpful encouraging the drivers to be efficient.” The search for improved running costs led Scuzzy to Scania’s door. With Scania’s long reputation for reliability and impressive fuel economy, as well as driver aids for encouraging fuel-efficient behaviour behind the wheel, and the quality, comfort and quietness of a Scania cab, the choice was easy. “I keep track of how far the trucks travel and what they cost. I forecast my costs and I know where I need to be at all times,” he says. As a result, the switch to Scania was a logical one, especially with the benefit of the Scania Maintenance and Repair programmes, which allow Scuzzy to know exactly, up front, his monthly maintenance costs. It gives him the ability to predict his outgoings and control his cash flow effectively.
44 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
testimonial
“Knowing my costs allows me to win better business. With cost per km under control I know whether a job we are offered will actually earn me or cost me, which means I know which jobs are worth doing. “We’re covering around 300,000 km per year per truck, running 24 hours a day, 6 days per week. Now I am at the stage of buying 3 or 4 trucks a year from Scania, gradually replacing the Sterlings. “I have chosen Scania for reliability and service, both in terms of ongoing maintenance and the sales service I have received from Scania. It has been excellent,” he says. “I have been working with Chris Bolton at Scania in Brisbane. Now when I need I truck I call him up and he knows the specification I want, and he can put an order together for me straight away. “We reviewed the whole market and chose Scania to supply the new trucks. “Initially we tried 3 Scanias and they impressed. Chris and his team bent over backwards for us and they still do. When we www.scania.com.au
ordered the new trucks, Chris even loaned me 3 trucks until my new ones arrived. “The Maintenance and Repair programme is awesome. It takes all of the worry of maintenance away from me,” he says. “Scuzzy has become a very good customer of Scania in Queensland,” says Chris Bolton, New Account Manager for Scania at Richlands. “He is turning his fleet over to Scania, he keeps careful control of his costs and he has figured out exactly what specification he needs for his job moving containers around. “With our Maintenance and Repair programme we are able to tailor a package that meets his needs and his budget, helping him to keep his trucks on the road as long as possible. “We are very pleased we have been able to supply him with his first V8, as well. The R 560 will give him plenty of power to pull double containers around, giving him better run times and therefore service his customers more efficiently,” Chris says.
Family affair: Chris, Scuzzy and Renee, above, in front of their latest Scania. Above left, some of the ScuzzTrans fleet of Scanias.
N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 45
testimonial
Photos: Paul Kane
Switching to Scania from American trucks means huge savings on fuel for Perth-based Craig Agar Haulage.
Express route to fuel savings
“I
couldn’t believe the savings,” says
Craig Agar who runs a small express freight transport company based in Perth’s southeastern industrial corridor. By design, he has just 3 prime movers pulling single or B-double trailers to 3 locations, Busselton and Bunbury, south of Perth and Geraldton north of the WA capital. His main customer is LogiWest Express, a growing operator with similarly located regional tentacles that split the loads from Craig’s trailers across Bunbury, Busselton and Geraldton, using their own final mile vans and a large network of sub-contractors. After many years in the transport business, following in his father’s footsteps, Craig has found a work/life balance that pays the bills and lets him work at a job he loves. Now the books are in better shape too because the yard contains 2 immaculately presented Scania G 480s, albeit briefly, as the 6x4 prime movers are on the road most of the day. The Agar Haulage fleet still contains
one remaining American, though its days are numbered. Craig leases Vawdrey and Krueger trailers and plans for the next sets to be fitted with EBS, roll stability and disc brakes. He believes the discs offer greater security because they are better at pulling up the combination in a straight line irrespective of the road’s camber. Once a die-hard American truck buyer, Craig finally decided to give Scania a try after a collection of irritations, but the one thing he could not believe was how much fuel he was able to save just by switching to Scania. “I went from 46.7-litres/100 km in the American truck to 32.9-litres/100 km in the Scania. Pulling the same trailers, at the same weight, over the same route, usually 60-tonnes all up,” he says. “That’s a saving of around $41,000 for the two Scanias over the course of a year, or $200,000 over the 5-year life of the vehicles. “I literally could not believe it,” he says. “Now I am thinking about all that money I spent on fuel on the other trucks over the last 5 years that I could have been saving.
“Initially, I talked to Keith Berwick at Scania in Kewdale and he took me for a drive. I did my homework and bought a G 480 6x4 with which to pull the B-double or single trailers. After the first month we did the fuel numbers and it was hard to believe, but 3 months later I bought a second Scania. The third truck has only a year to go on its lease and a Scania will replace it,” he says. “I have also been very impressed with the Scania aftersales team,” he says. “When the truck was new I noticed a strange noise at cold start-up that quickly went away, so I took the truck to Scania and spoke to the guy on the desk at Kewdale. He stopped me halfway through the explanation, and diagnosed exactly what I was hearing. He explained it immediately as a flap in the muffler that closes when the truck is cold to speed up the warm-up, again to save fuel. “Then a while later, one of the trucks was out in the middle of the night and the driver noted a red warning light on the dash. He called the Scania Assistance number and was amazed to talk to someone after just a few
46 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
testimonial Brett Andrews of LogiWest Express and Agar Haulage’s driver Wayne Ellery, below, have been surprised and impressed by the Scania’s performance.
minutes who could pinpoint exactly where the truck was located, and he was also able to remotely identify the problem, and come up with a workaround, which meant the truck could be safely driven back to town. “I only found out the details the next morning when Tracey phoned from the Kewdale branch to say the replacement parts – a sensor and a part of the wiring loom – were ready to be fitted to the truck and asked when I was bringing it in. “I was amazed, because all the driver had told me the night before was that it was ‘all good’. “The Scania dealer fitted the parts immediately and the truck was back on the road with no lost time. I was amazed at the service. I have not had service like that before,” Craig says. “My drivers were a bit sceptical about embracing Scania trucks until they drove them. Wayne Ellery, who has been with me for 4 years, drove one and was impressed by the comfort and the quietness and the low down torque. www.scania.com.au
“We have learned about using the Scania’s low revving torque and not driving foot-flat. With the American truck we were cruising at around 1750 rpm but the Scania is under 1400 rpm. We cruise at about 97 km/h,” Craig says. He also discovered the Scania Driver Support function that rates the driver’s efficiency. “I set the benchmark for the drivers and told them there was a decent prize to be had for beating the benchmark, and within a few days the efficient mark had been beaten. In fact, both drivers have managed to score a 100% result, which makes me happy because they are driving the trucks in the most efficient manner. “The drivers now love the trucks and Wayne in particular is very focused on keeping the truck spotless inside and out. “Another benefit we have discovered is the Scania Retarder. It is very efficient. I am sure that you could easily headbutt the windscreen if you weren’t strapped in, if while driving bobtail, you were to pull on the lever too hard. After a year’s driving on the Bunbury route, the brake pads are still at 98%, that’s after 130,000 km,” Craig says. “Another benefit is that I am servicing the Scanias every 3 months not every month which is what I was doing with the American truck. Both services cost about the same money so I am saving a significant amount there as well. “I send the trucks back to Scania every 100,000 km for them to carry out a thorough service, as I am very much in favour of preventative maintenance. My mechanic does the intermediate services. Every Monday I go over the trucks and trailers to ensure they are all in perfect condition.” The truck that drives to Geraldton every day makes one return journey per day of around 800 km, while the Bunbury truck makes two round trips of about 700 km all up per day.
“Since we switched to the G 480, the truck’s torque means that we get the Geraldton trip done in about 12 hours not 13, because hill speed is not so impacted. That’s good for the driver for fatigue, and good for keeping our customers happy, and I am saving $21,000 a year on fuel from that truck. “My simple business strategy is work smarter not harder. We run Monday-to Friday and we aim for a work-life balance. My Dad always said that in the transport industry, the race is won at the fuel bowser not tearing along the highway,” Craig says. N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 47
bus news
Photos: Charlie Suriano
Squeezing through narrow streets with parking both sides of the road is a constant challenge for STA drivers.
Less is more
Lining up at the North Bondi terminus, right, the STA short bus shows off its single side exit door. Inside, the crisp, bright interior is comfortable, with two spaces for wheelchair passengers. Above, cathing the bus to the worldfamous surf beaches is a popular past-time for Sydneysiders. 48 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
bus news
Necessity is the mother of invention. So when the State Transit Authority in New South Wales needed a shorter bus with no loss of capacity, Scania and Bustech found the solution to drive away the Bondi blues.
T
he topography and
of Sydney’s famous Eastern suburbs is particularly challenging for bus operators at any time of day or night, any day of the week. This is especially so on weekends, when there are even more parked cars as residents stay home, and sun-lovers descend on the famous beaches in their thousands. Add to this the Eastern suburbs’ particularly ancient and uncompromisingly geography
Operations and Infrastructure; Ian Satchell, Manager, Fleet Operations; Eric Graham, Regional Traffic & Services Manager, Eastern Region; and Simon O’Callaghan, Project Fleet Coordinator, Fleet Management – along with their Scania chassis supplier and Bustech body builder – conceived a suitable solution: The Scania K 280 UB 4x2, an 11 m long bus, with seats for 39 and 34 standees. “We needed a more manoeuvrable bus that provided a comparable capacity to the vehicles we were replacing,” Ian Satchell says. The wheelbase of the standard bus was shortened, while the front overhang is identical to the regular city route bus, and the rear overhang slightly shorter. Only one row of seats was removed. Inserting a single door exit midway along the chassis assisted the shortening process, but according to
N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 49
s
www.scania.com.au
narrow streets, packed with older housing stock, skimpy footpaths, and little if any offstreet parking, and the challenge of guiding a full-size city bus through the jam-packed streets becomes intense. So how to convey up to 70 passengers serenely along these choked routes? Without any prospects for wider junctions and intersections to cope with the turning circle of a standard 12.5 m bus, and the STA unable to fund civil works of this scale, and no possibility of widening the historic winding routes or adding extra bus lanes, the solution lay in more nimble vehicles. The STA team of Michael Reardon General Manager, Fleet
bus news
s
STA short bus team (l-r) Michael Reardon, Eric Graham, Ian Satchell and Simon O’Callaghan.
the STA team has not impacted on the disembarkation times. The shorter wheelbase delivers a tighter turning circle, but by leaving the front section of the vehicle untouched, drivers immediately feel at home when they slide behind the wheel. “We need to be able to avoid clouting the kerbs to prolong tyre life as well as deliver a smooth ride for customers, and we have to thread our way through the maze of parked cars. This is particularly difficult on weekends when people are at home and their cars are on the street,” Ian explains. There are no standing zones at most junctions and some clearways and priority stopping zones to provide the bus drivers with a sporting chance of getting around the corners and through the streets while keeping to the all-important schedule. “On-time running is obviously important. The schedule is designed to allow drivers to accelerate smoothly and unhurriedly for passenger safety and comfort. We frown on early running but no one ever missed a late bus,” Ian says with a smile. Patronage rates are high all through the day, and close to capacity much of the time, so the vehicle’s Euro 5 Plus EEV powertrain must cope with fully-loaded departures and stops at very frequent intervals. The transmission must cope with vicious stopstart duty cycles, as must the air conditioning. “One of the best results of this renewal programme is that the new buses have air conditioning, something the 25-year-old buses we replaced had lacked. They are also wheelchair accessible with space for two chairs,” Ian says. “A typical run in the Eastern suburbs requires a stop every few hundred metres,
Less is more and when the doors open it places a heavy load on the A/C. The idle time averages out at 44% due to the nature of the traffic and the many stops,” he says. “Unlike outer suburban services, we’ll be opening the doors up to 30 times in about 5 km.” In the planning stage the STA expected the new Scania powered buses with their higher output engines and the addition of heavy-duty air conditioning would consume more fuel than the older vehicles, but in fact this has not been the case. The consumption is identical. “We were impressed by that,” Ian says. Following a tender process that considered a multitude of options, Scania was selected as the chassis supplier for the 27 Bustech-bodied 11 m-long, 73 passenger buses delivered in the 2015 financial year. Most of the fleet has travelled 25,00030,000 km in the first year, the first of an anticipated 25 years grinding through the Eastern suburbs’ traffic. Average speed across the fleet of 185 vehicles housed at the Waverley depot is low double digits, though the range is quite wide. “One of the benefits of the 11 m bus is that we can use it anywhere in the STA region,” says Eric Graham. “The capacity matches that of the 12.5 m bus, so it can run routes in other suburbs and the drivers need no special instruction,” he says. “So we can use the bus more broadly. However we keep only the 11 m Scania buses at Waverley, to avoid the situation of a driver hopping into a 12.5 m bus thinking it is an 11 m bus, which could have unfortunate repercussions.” “The 11 m project has been a success
based on the criteria of running costs on fuel, the instant acceptance of the drivers and technicians, the smooth ride and the positive feedback from passengers,” says Ian Satchell. “In addition, our maintenance staff are already familiar with the Scania running gear and maintenance requirements,” he says. “We have been very pleased with the initial quality of the Bustech body. Their quality assurance is good and the buses were able to almost immediately enter service after delivery. That was a welcome bonus, and in service they have proven to be durable. “The interior pressed metal panels with bubble finish is also used on the backs of the seats and is attractive and vandal-resistant, which helps keep the buses on the road longer,” Ian says. “We also like the window design that provides a 1-hour window swap-out in the event of a breakage, unlike bodies with flush glazing that need time off the road to allow the glue to cure. “The white LED destination board was selected after consultation with agencies for the visually impaired. These destos really stand out,” Ian says. The buses also feature a series of closed circuit security cameras inside and out, as well as on-board fire suppression systems “Scania’s pre-sales bus department worked closely with Bustech to ensure the finished vehicles were of a very high quality and will provide robust performance and high levels of reliability,” says Trevor O’Brien, National Manager Government Sales for Scania’s Bus and Coach. “Our Scania workshop at Prestons in Sydney ensured a reliable pre-delivery process that resulted in on-time, on target deliveries,” he says.
50 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
after sales
Fixed Price Repairs now available
S
cania introduces Fixed Price
over a wide range of common wear items fitted to a broad range of early and late model trucks. The Fixed Price Repair concept comes with competitive pricing and uses only Scania Genuine or Service Exchange replacement parts. The advertised price includes all parts, labour and consumables required to do the job, and uniquely, the repair work and parts come with a 2-year factory-backed warranty, giving truck operators additional peace-ofmind. The Scania Fixed Price Repair programme covers repairs to brakes, clutches, starters and alternators as well as cab suspension. Trucks covered by the programme include current and recent P-, G-, and R-series trucks as well as older 4-series variants. “The Scania Fixed Price Repair concept means customers pay one simple, competitive price and enjoy the known quality of a factory-owned workshop,” says Sean Corby, Repairs
www.scania.com.au
Scania National Manager, After Sales. “The pricing for the job is advertised up front so there are no nasty surprises for the customer at the end of the day. “Because Scania offers the quality of a fully-integrated and in-house engineered product and understands all of its components intimately, we are able to calculate exactly how much time each repair should take in the workshop. “We are including Scania Genuine Replacement parts, or Scania Service Exchange parts where relevant, in order to help keep the cost down for the customer. The Scania Service Exchange concept is well known and appreciated by our customers and is a very efficient way of refurbishing components and bringing them back to as new condition, while offering a meaningful saving over the price of a new part,” he says. “We have taken the guesswork out of repair estimates. Fixed prices will appear in our published price list. Your Scania dealer will be able to advise the cost when you call up to book in a vehicle for a repair.”
Sean says that if the technician working on a specific Fixed Price Repair job notices other components that require replacement or repair, the customer will be advised straight away, helping to reduce downtime if further work is authorised. “I believe that a key benefit to all operators will be the 2-year warranty on our repairs. That’s a huge point of difference for the customer and something non-authorised repairers can’t match. It’s proof Scania is willing to stand behind its parts and its service,” Sean says. The Scania Fixed Price Repair programme is available to all Scania trucks not covered by Scania Maintenance and Repair programmes. “Fixed Price Repairs mean better workshop planning and more accurate delivery times. That means better, more responsive service, assurance of parts availability, and higher uptime for our customers,” Sean says. Contact your local Scania branch for more details or call (03) 9217 3300 for more information. N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 51
bus news
Photos: Charlie Suriano
52 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
bus news
M
etro Tasmania celebrates its 60th
anniversary in 2015. The largest urban services bus operator in the Apple Isle has 155 buses based in Hobart, 48 in Launceston and 15 in Burnie, of which 204 are Scania. Now the fleet has added 11 further lowfloor city route buses to the fleet, 9 of them to be based in Burnie replacing older vehicles. The 11 imports from the mainland started their lives in the service of the Australian Pacific Airports’ long-term car park as shuttles at Tullamarine. In 8 or so years they have clocked up around 600,000 km each, bringing passengers to and from the terminals, but with the arrival of a new fleet of N-series Scania buses, the Airport owner was keen to move the older buses on. Metro was only too pleased to take up the opportunity, as Ian Ward, General Manager Infrastructure and Engineering Services of Metro explains:
“It’s not often the opportunity to purchase pre-owned buses in this condition and specification comes along. “These buses are ideal for our fleet, being low-floor and offering wheelchair access. “We needed additional wheelchair access buses and these will bring our fleet to more than 50% compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act. “We also needed buses with aluminium bodies for the Burnie routes because corrosion is a problem on that coast, so these Volgren bodied buses were ideal. “The Burnie-based buses will do about 43,000 km a year and as we consider these buses to be halfway through their working lives (as per typical Tasmanian city bus use profiles) we believe they represent good value for us. “Overall across Tasmania we have had stable passenger patronage for some time in Tasmania, but despite the task being unchanged, budgets, as ever, are tight. “So by purchasing these 11 buses at an acceptable price, we get good bang for our buck.”
Nine of the Scania buses are L 94 UB low floor models, employing a 230 hp 6-cylinder engine driving through a 5-speed ZF automatic transmission, using a hydraulic retarder. The last two deliveries were based on the later K 230 UB chassis. This specification is very similar to that of many in the existing Metro fleet, though some of their older buses are still going strong. “We have N 113s from 1991 and 1992 still in service,” Ian says. “They don’t miss a beat. Our relationship with Scania goes back to 1988, and some of the buses on the fleet have more than 1.4 million km on the clock. Those haven’t even had the engines replaced,” Ian says. The refurbished airport buses are the first buses Metro has acquired pre-owned, and Ian Ward says he would be keen to consider further purchases of this nature if the right vehicles come up, but he says that happens very rarely. We would expect to get another 10 years out of them. “These ex-airport car park buses are almost like new. They have been reliable in service and we know Scania to be reliable as well.”
Second Life
After 8 years driving round the long-term car park at Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport, 11 Scania buses get to stretch their legs in Tasmania. www.scania.com.au
N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 53
bus news Life on the buses Ian Ward isn’t the longest servicing member of the 60-year-old Metro business, that’s Warren Pinner, based in Burnie who is getting one of the refurbished buses with which to celebrate his 50 unbroken years of service. Still, Ian has clocked up more than 36 years with the bus company, having started as an electrician in the workshop, before
here less than 10 years, and we have some
working his way up to the executive team.
drivers, workshop and administration
“It’s a good place to work, obviously,” he
employees who have been with the
says.
company longer than I have. Michael has
“Most of the executive team have been
When the orange buses arrived in Tasmania Metro’s preferred body repairers, Havnadip Bus Repairs refurbished them. “The refurbishment programme will take 4 months in total with each of the vehicles undergoing upgrades over 5 weeks. Havnadip put on four staff to complete the programme and it has gone well,” Ian says. Aside from changing the tyre size to one offering greater sidewall – and also ground clearance – from the low profile rubber the buses turned up wearing, there hasn’t been much to do mechanically. “We gave them a 20,000 km service and they are ready to get to work,” Ian says. “They have been maintained to manufacturer’s specification and they appear to be in good order. “Inside, we removed the luggage carriers and extruded aluminium sheeting from the floor and added in 10 new McConnell’s seats, and we have recovered all of the 39 seats in our corporate colours of dark blue base with multi-coloured pattern. “The seats for priority passengers such as infirm, elderly or pregnant are identified by a red seat fabric, and we added a second wheelchair parking area, that also has spring-
been with us for 20 years as well.”
loaded flip-up seats to be used when there are no wheelchair users on board. “We have also fitted a closed-circuit TV monitoring system from DTI, which includes a forward facing camera and one over the entry door. The camera data is downloaded automatically when the buses return to the depot and it is very handy to resolve claims regarding driving behaviour or events that take place on the road,” Ian says. “We have also added a protective plexiglass shield around the driver. There’s also the Greencard ticket reader as well, which now accounts for 70% of fares payments, with cash making up the rest. “On the outside we have repainted the entire body in our corporate white body with yellow nose cone, and there will be advertising added in service, either along the side, or as a full body wrap as the advertisers require,” Ian says. “We have also had Scania’s Bus Driver Development team in to train our driver trainer Department, and we found that very useful,” Ian says. “Overall we’re really looking forward to integrating these ex-airport buses into our fleet and giving them a valuable second life.”
Bus driving improver Michael is one of the company’s driver trainers and assists in putting 370 or so drivers through refresher courses each year. When new drivers join they are assessed regularly through the first year and then have an annual inspection. Michael puts the skills and tips he picked up from Tony Finneran and Alana Mountfield, Scania’s Driver Development
“We remind them all that their cargo
trainers, into the mix of suggestions he
is people, and could be their own family
passes on to his drivers, to limit harsh
members.”
acceleration and braking and to help them
Michael came to Metro from the retail
preserve the working lives of the vehicles.
world, and was based near the depot in
“It has an impact on eco-driving as
Moonah that has operated for 30 years.
well. We talk to them about fuel efficiency,
“There’s a good atmosphere and
defensive driving, on the job safety as well
drivers can have flexibile working hours, so
as our code of conduct,” Michael says.
the job suited me,” he says.
54 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
dealer news
Photos: Paul Kane
Supporting
S
teve Scott has been running
Mechanical Repairs for the past 10 years since his business partner Kip Kuiper retired. In 2004 the business moved into premises purpose built to Kip & Steve’s design in Currong Street, close to the centre of Esperance, yet far enough away to have plenty of space to work comfortably. The premises house 7 work bays (3 of which are drive-throughs), a spacious reception area, parts warehouse, as well as a huge dirt apron out front to hold a dozen road trains if necessary as well as parking space for C-trains down the side of the building. Steve started out as a diesel mechanic and worked for a local farm machinery dealer before starting the current business with Kip in 1986. With 12 staff on the books and 8, including himself, on the tools, the workshop fairly buzzes with trucks undergoing every type of attention from routine servicing to major component repairs. Kip & Steve’s
www.scania.com.au
hard workers
The multi-franchise workshop looks after some well-known names and with Scania having 35% of the local market there is no shortage of vehicles requiring routine servicing. The Esperance Freight Lines fleet would comprise the largest customer with 2 trucks per week in for servicing under their Maintenance and Repair contracts, as well as the 4 newest South East Petroleum prime movers. These would be some of the hardest working Scanias in Australia, with many being V8 powered prime movers pulling 3 trailers on a regular basis at around 115-tonnes gross. In addition, there are 22 TrasWA 53-seater Volgren bodied, Scania chassis-equipped coaches on a maintenance contract. Each week one of the coaches is booked in for a major service at the workshop. “The bays are full everyday, it doesn’t stop,” Steve says. “Usually it is quiet at harvest time because the trucks are all out working, but there’s been a rush recently, partly because of the wet weather giving operators the chance to get their trucks serviced.
“We do all types of repairs, wheel alignment and even engine and gearbox rebuilds. “We have been a Scania dealer for 28 years and we would regularly see 40 or more Scania trucks through the workshop in a typical month. Aside from the bigger fleets there are many customers around here with small numbers of trucks, and farmers like Scania too. Although the big fleets might do small services themselves, the smaller fleets wouldn’t be able to justify an in-house workshop so we’ll get that work. “We have 26 Esperance Freight Lines trucks on Maintenance and Repair contracts and 4 from South East petroleum and a handful of others too, so that gives us a guaranteed flow of work each month,” Steve says. In addition to servicing the needs of the local Scania fleet, the workshop provides emergency support for Scania customers traversing the Nullarbor on their way to Perth or Adelaide, although the famous truck-stop of Norseman is a healthy 200 km to the north of the beachside Esperance. N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 55
Scania Service Directory New South Wales/ACT Scania Prestons 16-18 Lyn Parade, Prestons nswbranch@scania.com.au 02 9825 7900 Scania Newcastle 1 Enterprise Drive, Beresfield nswbranch@scania.com.au 02 9825 7940 Albury Border Truck Repairs 33 Catherine Cres, Lavington bordertruck@bigpond.com 02 6040 5500 Bathurst Johnson’s Towing & Mechanical 85 Sydney Rd, Kelso admin@jtmc.com.au 02 6332 5511 Canberra Glover Mechanical & Breakdown 101 Underwood Street Oakes Estate glovermechanical@bigpond.com 0429 650 147 Coffs Harbour K & J Trucks (Truck Selling Dealer) 1-3 Isles Drive North Boambee Valley kjtrucks@kjtrucks.com.au 02 6652 7218 Dubbo Hall’s Transport Repairs 10 Richard Ryan Place Dubbo hallstrepairs@bigpond.com 02 6882 6060 Lismore Laurie Predebon Truck Repairs 42 Bruxner Highway, South Lismore admin@lptr.com.au 02 6622 0336 Port Macquarie North Star Motors 48 Uralla Road, Port Macquarie mark@northstarmotors.com.au 02 4980 0655 Tamworth R.C. Barber & Son 21 Denison Street West Tamworth Service@rcbarber.com 02 6765 9266 Wagga Wagga NJ’s of Wagga (Truck Selling Dealer) 301 Copland Street Wagga Wagga njrepairs@bigpond.com.au 02 6971 7214
Wollongong Dwyer’s Truck Centre Cnr Springhill Rd & John Cleary Place Coniston colinc@dwyerstruckcentre.com.au 02 4251 6720
Northern Territory Darwin Diesel Contract Services (Engines) 14 Farrell Crescent, Winnellie dieselcontract2@bigpond.com 08 8984 4568 Darwin Vanderfield Cnr Stuart Highway & McKinnon Rd Pinelands darwin@vanderfield.com.au 08 8932 4200
Queensland Brisbane Scania Richlands 149 Archerfield Rd, Richlands Richlands.service@scania.com.au Richlands.parts@scania.com.au 07 3712 8500 Pinkenba Scania Pinkenba 213 Holt Street, Pinkenba Pinkenba.service@scania.com.au Pinkenba.parts@scania.com.au 07 3712 7900 Bundaberg Sullivan Horan Services 23 Sheridan Street, Bundaberg sullivan.horan@gmail.com 07 4151 8622 Cairns RSC Diesels (Truck Selling Dealer) 29-31 Ponzo Street Woree info@rscdiesels.com.au 07 4054 5440
Gladstone Curtis Transit Trust (Marine Service) 3 Rooksby Street, Gladstone tbourke@transitsystems.com.au 07 4979 7000 Gladstone Outcall Mechanical 1 Anson Close, Gladstone admin@outcallmechanical.com 0429 794 002 Gold Coast Advanced Truck Service & Spares 83 - 87 Dover Drive, Burleigh Heads admin@advancedtrucks.com.au 07 5520 3977 Mackay Mackay Truck Parts & Repairs 2 Central Park Drive, Paget David@mackaytruckparts.com.au 07 4952 3722 Rockhampton Tibbs Fleet Services 19 Somerset Road Rockhampton admin@tibbsfleetservices.com.au 07 4933 2211 Salisbury DA.MET (Australia) 42 Precision Street Salisbury info@damet.com.au 07 3277 3111 Toowoomba (Truck Selling Dealer) Spann’s Truck Repairs 64 Carrington Rd Toowoomba info@spanns.com.au 07 4634 4400 Townsville Hi-Way 1 23-27 Langton Street Garbutt admintsv@hi-way1.com.au 07 4727 5200
South Australia
Cairns McLeod Engineering (Engines) 50 Aumuller Street Portsmith admin@mcleodengineering.com.au 07 4035 1364
Scania Adelaide 218-234 Cormack Rd Wingfield adelaidebranch@scania.com.au 08 8406 0200
Dalby West Dalby Ag Sales 62 Yumborra Rd, Dalby mail@westdalbyagsales.com.au 07 4662 5616
Mount Gambier OGR Trucks 203 Jubilee Highway West Mount Gambier admin@ogrtrucks.com.au 08 8725 7999
Emerald David Lowery Diesel Repairs Lot 2, 32 Cotton View Rd Emerald david@dldr.com.au 0419 273 095
Port Lincoln West Coast Diesel Service 32 St Andrews Tce, Port Lincoln wcdiesel@sa.chariot.net.au 08 8682 1753
Port MacDonnell Ashbrook Diesel (Marine Service) 14 Elizabeth Street Port MacDonnell ashbrookdiesel@bigpond.com 08 8738 2028
Tasmania Launceston C & I Transport Repairs 430 Hobart Rd, Youngtown admin@citransportrepairs.com.au 03 6344 7944
Victoria Scania Campbellfield 212-216 Northbourne Rd Campbellfield csrcampbellfield@scania.com.au 03 9217 3300 Scania Dandenong 2/66 Greens Rd Dandenong South csrdandenong@scania.com.au 03 9217 3600 Scania Laverton 125-129 Boundary Rd Laverton csrlaverton@scania.com.au 03 9369 8666 Bairnsdale Livingstone Truck Repairs 726 Main Street, Bairnsdale neal@livingstonetrucks.com 03 5152 1100 Bendigo TTW Truck and Bus 6 Waterson Court, Golden Square mark@ttwtb.com.au 03 5447 7272 Echuca Rich River Truck Repairs 26 Hume Street, Echuca richrivertrucks@bigpond.com 03 5482 3799 Geelong PJ & T Motors 311-319 Portarlington Rd Moolap pjt@pjtmotors.com.au 03 5248 4466 Koroit Allansford Truck and Trailer 230 Ziegler Parade, Allansford anthony-pts@hotmail.com 0429 320 420
56 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
Mildura Mitchell Truck Repairs 363 Benetook Avenue, Mildura mitchels@hotkey.net.au 03 5023 2538
Albany Alex Burns and Co 145 Chester Pass Rd, Albany alexburnsco@westnet.com.au 08 9841 2533
Morwell M & J Stewart Motors 111 Alexanders Rd, Morwell enquiries@stewartmotors.com.au 03 5134 4359
Esperance Kip & Steve’s Mechanical Repairs 21 Currong Street, Esperance kipandsteves@westnet.com.au 08 9071 2411
Shepparton Taig Bros 6 Wheeler Street, Shepparton reneen@taigbros.com.au 03 5821 9811
Fremantle CHES Power Group 236 Barrington Street Bibra Lake nick.esler@chespower.com.au 08 6144 3111
Wangaratta Robinson’s Truck & Coach Maintenance 45-47 Gibson Street Wangaratta rtcmaint@bigpond.net.au 03 5722 3644 Warracknabeal Brunt Truck Repairs Cnr Henty Highway & Gardner Street Warracknabeal brunttruckrepairs@bigpond.com 03 5398 1244
Western Australia Perth Scania Kewdale 527-529 Abernethy Rd Kewdale csrperth@scania.com.au 08 9360 8500 Bunbury Scania Bunbury 12 Proffitt St Bunbury csrbunbury@scania.com.au 08 9724 6200
Geraldton Kelly’s Truck & Marine Service 314 Place Rd, Geraldton admin@ktms.com.au 08 9964 3444 Kalgoorlie Kalmech 2 Brinsden Road, Kalgoorlie workshop@kalmech.com.au 08 9022 2011 Kalgoorlie Prime Power Engineering (Engines) 8-12 Epis Street, Kalgoorlie sales@primepowereng.com.au 08 9021 8899
Karratha Double R Equipment Repairs 2493 Collawanyah Road Karrartha karrartha@dblr.com.au 08 9185 2699
Scania Emergency Dealers Directory New South Wales
Western Australia
Griffith City Truck Repairs 1056 Bridge Rd, Griffith noelene@citytruckrepairs.com 02 6962 5216
Broome Broome Diesel & Hydraulic Service 4 De Castilla Street, Broome bdhs@bigpond.com.au 08 9192 1330
Queensland
Kojonup Sebbes Mechanical Services 19 Thornbury Close Kojonup sebbes@sebbes.net 08 9831 1595
Goondiwindi Country Link Mobile Mechanical Service (Engines) 14 Boodle Street, Goondiwindi country_link@bigpond.com 07 4671 4222 Goondiwindi MacIntyre Mechanical Service Lot 11 Racecourse Rd Goondiwindi macintyr@bigpond.com 07 4671 3569 Gympie Gympie Truck & Bus 26 McMahon Rd, Gympie cardal@bigpond.com 07 5482 8545 Mount Isa JD Bradbury 178 Duchess Rd, Mount Isa john.bradbury48@gmail.com 0429 193 397 Roma Vanderfields 137 Raglan St, Roma roma@vanderfield.com.au 07 4622 2222
Kununurra Top End Motors 28 Bandicoot Dr Kununurra service@topendmotors.net.au 08 9168 2207 Newman BMS Field Service Specialists 59 Laver Street, Newman newman@bmsfieldservice.com.au 08 9726 2991 Port Hedland BMS Field Service Specialists 110 Ironore Street, Wedgefield pilbara@bmsfieldservice.com.au 08 9726 2991
Northern Territory Alice Springs Van Luenen Diesel 31 Kennett Court, Alice Springs vanluenendiesel@bigpond.com 0418 897 721
South Australia Bordertown Tatiara Truck & Trailers 4 McLellan Street, Bordertown admin@tttbt.com.au 08 8752 0077
Wizards up for a ‘three-peat’
S
cania’s NSW ‘Wizards of Aus’ Top Team The Wizards of Aus comprises Frank Muscat, of skilled workshop experts is on for a Logan Hoser, Chris Nobbs, Benn Jeffery and Phil ‘three-peat’ having won its Regional Final Sage, under the watchful eyes of National Technical in China and now progresses to the World Final Support Manager Jason Grech and his National in Sweden in December to defend its 2011 and Technical Support colleague, Steve Watson. 2013 victories. “All of us at Prestons Branch are delighted Top Team is Scania’s bi-annual internal battle with the performance of this very experienced of knowledge and wits, with 1600 workshops Wizards of Aus team,” said Michael Weber, Scania across the Scania world competing. Regional Executive Manager for NSW, following Scania Top Team requires excellent product the Regional heat’s win. knowledge and technical competence, the ability “Not only have they all been involved in to swiftly diagnose and rectify mechanical issues, winning Top Team previously, but they have work according to set procedures with regard worked very hard to maintain their edge. to safety, as well as most importantly, work as a The Wizards of Aus were successful “We look forward to them repeating this in team against the clock as well as rivals. in the Asian regional competition. Sweden.”
www.scania.com.au
N o 1/2016 • SCANIA EXPERIENCE 57
back page
The 3D revolution In the 1940s, Scania design engineers relied on drawing boards to design the company’s products. Today, cutting-edge 3D printing technology is allowing their modern counterparts to quickly and simply test prototypes and new solutions.
B
ehind the glass in
that looks a little like a pizza oven, a receptacle is sweeping back and forth over a flat surface distributing thin layers of fine-grained plastic powder. As each new layer is deposited, a laser passes over the powder bed, seemingly cutting tracks in the material. We’re in a basement at Scania’s Research and Development division, where two large “printers” are working at capacity to supply the company’s diverse range of research development projects with three-dimensional models and prototypes. The technique is called additive manufacturing and it’s the industrial equivalent of the 3D printers that are now starting to appear in consumer electronics stores. Back in the 1940s, things were done very differently. In those days, the engineers working in Scania’s engineering department would stand bent over their drawing boards, which were the most important tools within product development. As a Scania newsreel from the 1940s put it, “You can safely say that there is no detail in a Scania Vabis product that is left to chance. It is thought through, something
even experienced, on the drawing board.” New opportunities for “experiencing the product” were created by the computer revolution of the 1980s. Design engineers were able to use CAD programs as a tool for producing drawings, developing products and designing in a three-dimensional space. CAD programs are still central to Scania’s operations and have been greatly refined since the 1980s. However, the design engineers now have a valuable complement to the computer: three-dimensional printouts. The basic technology for additive manufacturing has been available for almost 20 years, but now the method is really
Printouts take up to 40 hours Scania uses the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) method of additive manufacturing. The technique involves using specialised software to build up a CAD model in layers 0.12 mm to 0.15 mm thick. A batch of parts, in which several prototypes are printed out at the same time, is 500 mm high and takes between 30 and 40 hours to complete.
beginning to take off. Scania is increasingly using the new 3D technology to print out parts and components, and in some cases models of entire engines or cab components in plastic. Niklas Lind, is Head of the mechanical workshop at Scania. “The fact that it’s now easier than before to produce prototypes that you can pick up, twist and feel is a huge advantage,” he says. “We then use the models for things like function testing and wind tunnel testing, as well as for test mounting of new components in existing parts. And sometimes we have a purely visual focus – we need to see how a component feels and looks.” The next technological leap after plastic modelling is printing out in metal and eventually making real parts made of metal. “We’ve already produced a number of print outs in aluminium and stainless steel,” Lind says. “But we can’t yet print out large parts, and these parts can’t really replace the real parts. But the metal models are nonetheless a step towards being able to print out real components. Three-dimensional printing in metal is going to be happening more and more often.”
58 SCANIA EXPERIENCE • N o 1/2016 www.scania.com.au
YOU
SCANIA
ACHIEVE SIGNIFICANT FUEL REDUCTIONS.
GREG GOODCHILD GREG’S MEAT TRANSpORT
“Scania driver training is excellent. A guy who’d been working here for 26 years did the course and straight off his fuel economy was 10% better.”
So contact your local branch or authorised dealer to find out how a Scania Total Transport Solution can work for your business. Victoria
New South waleS
QueeNSlaNd
weSterN auStralia
Scania Dandenong Tel: (03) 9217 3600
Scania Newcastle Tel: (02) 9825 7940
Scania Pinkenba Tel: (07) 3712 7900
Scania Bunbury Tel: (08) 9724 6200
Scania Laverton Tel: (03) 9369 8666
K&J trucks, Coffs Harbour Tel: (02) 6652 7218
Spann’s trucks, Toowoomba (07) 4634 4400
NJ’s of Wagga Tel: (02) 6971 7214
rSc diesels, cairns (07) 4054 5440
Scania Campbellfield Tel: (03) 9217 3300
South auStralia Scania Wingfield Tel: (08) 8406 0200
Scania Prestons Tel: (02) 9825 7900
Scania Richlands Tel: (07) 3712 8500
Scania Kewdale Tel: (08) 9360 8500
YOU
SCANIA
HAVE FUEL, POWER, RELIABILITY.
KEN ZAMBONETTI FLEET OPERATOR – ZAMBONETTI TRANSPORT
“With the V8’s we can run at a good steady pace and collect good fuel results at the end of the day.”
So contact your local branch or authorised dealer to find out how a Scania Total Transport Solution can work for your business. Victoria
New South waleS
QueeNSlaNd
weSterN auStralia
Scania Dandenong Tel: (03) 9217 3600
Scania Newcastle Tel: (02) 9825 7940
Scania Pinkenba Tel: (07) 3712 7900
Scania Bunbury Tel: (08) 9724 6200
Scania Laverton Tel: (03) 9369 8666
K&J trucks, Coffs Harbour Tel: (02) 6652 7218
Spann’s trucks, Toowoomba (07) 4634 4400
NJ’s of Wagga Tel: (02) 6971 7214
rSc diesels, cairns (07) 4054 5440
Scania Campbellfield Tel: (03) 9217 3300
South auStralia Scania Wingfield Tel: (08) 8406 0200
Scania Prestons Tel: (02) 9825 7900
Scania Richlands Tel: (07) 3712 8500
Scania Kewdale Tel: (08) 9360 8500