Scania R560 PBS Double: Review

There’s an upbeat camaraderie at Hingston Transport that you’d be hard-pressed to find in the depot of a stockmarket-floated mega-fleet. The Scania R560 PBS B-Double operator Craig Bonde, sums up the mood when he tells us: “It’s a bit like a bunch of mates working hard together.”

“All the trucks have little motifs that reflect each driver’s characteristics and passions,” Craig explained.

“The motif on this truck symbolises the night shift driver’s love of football and his team North Melbourne along with his love enjoying Boags Draught while he watches the footy. Then we have the dairy cow dressed in the football jersey for the milk we carry for Pura Milk hence the carton it’s leaning on. It’s these little things that Kerry does that make us all feel part of a big family.”

The Whitemore based operation in the Meander Valley of Northern Tasmania isn’t the sort of firm where huddled, hi-vis-wearing drivers who have an opinion on everything, complain endlessly about rumours generated by colleagues who know not (nor care not) what they’re driving or why they’re there.

“My men are all truck people; they’re all dyed-in-the-wool truck enthusiasts,” Owner Kerry Hingston informs us, “I have to say, rather proudly. I’m very lucky with each and every one of the men who works here. It’s a tightly-knit bunch of blokes who share a common interest in the job they do.”

In fact, so positive is the mood, Kerry reckons it’s also noticeable from the outside. “My men never have a problem and the customers love ’em!’ he adds.

The business traces its roots back to Kerry’s father Viv who carted livestock with a Desoto tray truck back in 1947. Yet it wasn’t till the early seventies when a young Kerry purchased a second-hand log truck that European marques entered the fleet. So, impressed with the performance and reliability of that second-hand Scania LB80 along with the service they received from the local dealer that Scania trucks became the backbone of their operation.

The diversification and growth of their business into all areas of the agricultural industry which incidentally takes them as far as Hobart in the south of the state is attributed to the prompt and reliable service they provide their clients, and their willingness to push the boundaries of service and productivity through innovative transport solutions, such as the new Scania R560 and PBS B-Double trailers.

Kerry admits he is content with growth from a one-truck owner-driver operation to where they are today, something about as big as you’d want to run on your own.

The latest Scania combination in their fleet, draws on the benefits of performance based standards (PBS) to increase productivity and efficiencies not just for Hingston’s but the dairy industry in Tasmania as well with the addition of high productivity B-Double.

Specified for PBS
Kerry Hingston had no hesitation ordering a Scania R560 to head up the new innovative PBS milk tanker B-Double. After all, Scania trucks have more than proven themselves with the company for over four decades.

With the strict PBS criteria on the overall combination length and wheelbase dimensions, the ability of Scania to tailor a shorter wheelbase version of the R560 down from the standard 3553mm wheelbase to 2900mm made the meeting the PBS requirements a simple process.

In addition, the 2 x 12-volt batteries are discreetly mounted at the rear of the R560 chassis to allow for greater fuel carrying capacity. This gives the R560 plenty of range with a total of 1030 litres of diesel with a 710-litre fuel tank on the left-hand side of the chassis and a 320-litre fuel tank on the right-hand side next to a 75-litre Urea tank.

The compact dimensions of the R560, means the combination enjoys general access with increased payload advantages. Scania is one of the few manufacturers who can deliver such a short wheelbase vehicle with high power outputs capable of comfortably pulling a fully loaded B-double.

That is in part is thanks to the 15.6-litre V8 under the cabin. Because the overall length of the V8 is much short than a traditional in-line six-cyclinder Scania has the ability to tighten up the wheelbase to suit unique applications such the PBS requirements like these.

Along with the unique features of the Scania, the Tieman Tankers are purpose built to suit the application. In order to meet the PBS requirements, the rear axle on the tri-group is steerable, which greatly improves the combination’s manoeuvrability on farm pickups and through the narrow suburban streets of Hobart.

The BPW axle is self-steering, which means that driver Craig Bonde doesn’t need to do anything to make the axle steer, he just drives the Scania as he normally would.

“Because the axle is self-steering, when I turn it into a corner the trailer follows the prime-mover more naturally,” Craig explained. “It will steer itself according to the road, load and cornering forces being encountered. So now we have gone from rather wide-spread footprint of a traditional tri-axle group to a far smaller tandem group with the steer axle at the rear. This design tends not to chop up the gravel hard stands in farms or driveways.”

“The self-steering axle is self-centring too which means its straight-line towing is similar to a traditional tri-axle trailer,” Craig explained. “The steer axle is automatically locked once they reach 30km/h and the lock releases once the road speed falls under 25km/h. Reversing the unit is also quite simple, the same as reversing a traditional B-double. Because there is a solenoid fitted to lock the axle in the straight-ahead position when the unit is put in reverse,” Craig adds.

“As an additional measure, there is a manual override switch so I can manually lock the axle in the straight-ahead position if conditions are extremely slippery, such as when it’s snowing.”

Like the Scania R560 the Tieman milk tanker B-Double boasts some high-tech features as well, including a revolutionary pumping package and the inclusion of the BPW Trailer Electronic Braking System which offers the Roll Stability Program that ‘talks’ to the Scania R560 safety systems.

The Tieman pumping packing and hydraulic hose reel can be remotely moved to either side of the truck which makes life far easier for drivers when the entrance to some milking vats demands such access flexibility. As the pumping gear has now been placed further forward on the tanker, Tieman has been able to vastly improve their pumping equipment’s flow rate.

Craig Bonde has the enviable task of piloting the Scania R560 and reckons when he first started driving an older Scania R560 a few years ago he felt a bit guilty getting paid to drive it because of how easy and comfortable it is to operate.

Craig’s lived in the north west of Tasmania all his life and been picking up milk for the past decade and a half.

Craig cites the smooth comfortable ride in the cabin along with the power of the Scania and its road handling as some of the best attributes from a driver’s point of view. He also adds that the extended service intervals mean he gets to spend more time on the road than the drivers in other marques doing similar haulage tasks.

“The visibility out of this Scania is really terrific,” Craig explained. “The air-suspension is really smooth too, and the way the cabin is sprung means I don’t get any nasty jolts, it is a truly remarkable ride.”

Another aspect that Craig pointed out was the spacious interior with ample storage space. Furthermore, under the bunk there is 600 litres of storage capacity that can be accessed through the passenger’s side door locker.

“The more time I’m behind the wheel the more money I earn and when you’re trying to save for a house that’s really important,” Craig added. “It (the Scania R560) is extremely good on fuel too. You really notice it when you’re pulled up next to other trucks at the fuel bowser and you’ve all been doing the same job.

Like many in the industry, Kerry says that keeping afloat has to be the number-one priority, and adds that moving forward with the times and new technology is the key to keeping ahead of the game and delivering economic gains to their customers.

“Our drivers are the most important part of our operation,” Kerry added. “Without their skills and dedication, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Providing them with safe and comfortable vehicle like the Scania truck just makes their daily life a little easier out on the job.”

“Over the years, Scania has worked with us to deliver solutions to our innovative transport concepts,” Kerry explained. “The addition of the new R560 PBS B-Double is another example of how Scania’s trucks have added productivity to our operation.”

Model: Scania R560
Engine: Scania DC560
Power: 560hp (412kW) at 1800rpm
Torque: 1991ft/lb (2700Nm) at 1000 – 1400rpm
Transmission: Scania GRS0905R 14-speed overdrive manual
Front axle: Scania AM 740
Front suspension: 3 x 29 Parabolic 7500kg with anti-roll bar
Rear axle: Scania RB662/R660 with X-locks
Ratio: 3.42:1
Rear suspension: Scania 4-Bag, 19.T
Brakes: Scania electronically controlled disc brakes, Scania retarder
Fuel: 1030L (1x710L L/H & 1x320L R/H)
Batteries: 24V (2 x 12Volt 225amp)
Safety: EBS with integrated ABS and traction control
Wheelbase: 2900mm
Interior: Velour trim
Seats: Premium driver's seat with armrests
Bumper: Polished Alloy Low-mounted FUPS