Capital Equipment News May 2015

SCANIA ‘CONSTRUCTION TRUCK SOLUTIONS’ contribute to maximum uptime By Pierre Sanson

C ustomers today chase profitability by reducing operating costs, regardless of whether their business is trans- porting passengers or goods. Fluctuations in the price of fuel, one of the largest cost factors in transport, have necessitated a shift towards looking at transport in a more sustainable light. Sustainable transport is profitable transport and, based on this con- viction, Scania continuously introduces new technology and services to ensure that it re- mains at the forefront of providing customer benefits. Over a period of time Scania has developed products, services and systems that contrib- ute to its customer’s total financial position. Construction vehicles are no exception to this concept as the industry has come to rely on Scania trucks as robust, durable and ingenious solutions guaranteed to provide uptime, productivity and fuel efficiency. In an exclusive interview with Capital Equip- ment News, the Directors and Management of Scania South Africa revealed their new range of construction trucks, which is being introduced into the market and which will allow the company to further increase its footprint with additional transport solutions.

Theuns Naude, Key Accounts Manager-Con- struction, explains some of the technical aspects of the vehicles, “The new Scania construction trucks have special features to ensure their optimum performance in the field and to provide the necessary driver comfort and safety. The frontal styling in- corporates a heavy duty grill with protective mesh, a solid steel bumper which includes a 35 tonne tow pin tucked in behind the num- ber plate, and a 25 degree approach angle which is a result of the high chassis design. The choice of rear bogie ranging from 19-32 tonne, depending on the application, which incorporates high placed brake chambers and the combination of hub reduction and disc/drum brakes, ensures the new con- struction truck is well equipped for off-road conditions.” Naude expounds on the fea- tures of the new cab adding, “Cabs too are a feature of the Scania construction range with three variants for the P, G and R series models, all available in different heights and lengths. The G series cabs are particularly well suited to construction operations as they offer easy entry and exit, good close range visibility, low engine tunnel and plenty of storage space.”

“Scania works closely with its customers to ensure that the right combination of chassis, wheel configuration, powertrain and cab are matched to the job require- ment. Not only does this allow Scania to provide customers with the right specifi- cations in a cost effective way but a ve- hicle with the right specification is more efficient and has less of an impact on the environment,” says Ivan Stefanovic, Sales Director of Scania South Africa. In the Scania construction truck range, there are several wheelbase options avail- able for each axle configuration, which equates to a larger choice of bodies than can be accommodated. “As part of the solutions offered by Scania, chassis can be supplied with standard type bodies that are immediately available from our appoint- ed bodybuilders. This allows customers the opportunity to reduce delivery times by not having to wait for bodies that sometimes have a long lead time,” explains Stefanovic. “Scania has appointed selected bodybuild- ers, all approved to meet the requirements of the Scania factory and, as a result, ser- vice on the bodies forms part of the service package of the vehicle. When a vehicle goes in for service it is a one-stop shop for the complete vehicle,” adds Stefanovic

The choice of engines in Euro lll configu- ration ranges from the 5 cylinder 9 litre,

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