Scania’s biggest Aussie truck

Scania Australia has built its biggest-ever truck designed to take on the super quads in the Pilbara

Qube Bulk, Australia’s leading mine-to-market logistics provider, will use the new Scania V8 10x8 in its PBS quad road train fleet in the Pilbara. Qube’s PBS quads are the largest on-road vehicles in Australia.

The new Scania has just been commissioned and it is anticipated that it will be able to haul up to 220-tonnes catering for further development in PBS combinations.

"We selected the Scania R 730 and 10x8 configuration to assist us achieve improved tractability and performance for PBS quad road trains in the Pilbara," says Todd Emmert, Director of Qube Bulk.

"We have designed this truck to give us the flexibility to take advantage of payload improvements under PBS now and into the future. As it stands now, a standard quad road train can pull 175-tonnes, or 200-tonnes under PBS. We anticipate that in the near future we should be able to raise this to 220-tonnes, once permission is granted by the relevant authority.

"The most important factor leading to the purchase of this vehicle was safety on the road. We have safety as a number-one priority. Safety drives performance and quality outcomes," Todd says.

The new truck will be used to haul bulk iron ore around the clock from various mine sites to the terminal at Port Hedland. The truck will be in operation six-and-a-half days a week. A one way trip from the mine can be as far as 450km, so the Scanias can be expected to clock up close to a million kilometres over the first three years of their working life on the job.

"This new prime mover will improve our productivity and efficiency and this will allow us to provide a better service to our customers, some of whom are junior miners in the iron ore export market. Boosting efficiency is critical for our clients, while for us safety is our priority," Todd says.

"One of the benefits of the higher payload is ultimately a reduction in the number of truck movements on a given piece of road. Reduced interactions between cars and trucks, and having trucks with higher levels of safety will all combine to make these roads safer for all road users," Todd says.

"We have gathered a degree of experience working with Scania on our other WA operations, pulling quad trailer combinations, so we know what to expect," Todd says.

"Scania is totally focused on safety, productivity and efficiency," says Robert Taylor, General Manager of Scania’s Mining and Resources Division based in Western Australia.

"So when Qube asked us about a vehicle that would meet these requirements we were able to draw up a plan for the R 730 10x8. This vehicle has amazing traction, and with its powerful 730hp engine, it has the heart for pulling four trailers of ore across vast distances to the terminal.

“This vehicle is the prototype for future iron ore PBS quad haulage that we hope to deploy more widely in this market as they combine safety, comfort and efficient operation for customers,” Robert says.

"The Scania R 730 is fitted up with some hydraulics and has a high-riding chassis suitable for this type of work. The 8x8 base configuration includes drum brakes all round for greater durability in very arduous working conditions,” he says.

"Scania has accumulated plenty of mining services experience in Australia and around the world and we have been working closely with many mining operators over recent times.

"What we have learned has improved the product and operational experience for our customers, and we are confident that even a million arduous kilometres of operation for Qube will not trouble this very impressive V8 powered 10x8 truck," Robert says.

Scania 10x8 specification

The unique Scania CA8x8EHZ specification includes 4700mm axle and 1450mm bogie distances.

The engine meets Euro 5 with EEV enhanced environmentally friendly vehicle specification, and can run on biodiesel. The Scania fully automated Opticruise gear change system comes with Standard, Power and Off-Road modes as well as Ecocruise.

The hub-reduction bogie-drive axles deliver impressive traction, running a 4.27:1 ratio. The fifth axle is a tag unit fitted at the very rear.

Braking is by drums all round backed by traction control, ABS/EBS, while suspension is all steel multi-leaf.

The fifth wheel is a heavy-duty Jost DR38C-1 rated to 260 kN.

Scania’s biggest Aussie truck

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