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NEWS
Six Scanias for Simon
Scania is supplying Simon National Carriers with a six-pack of new V8-powered prime moversFour of the new R 560s will be used as B-doubles plying the busy Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane route, rated for 64-tonnes GCM, while the remaining two will take on longer trips from Brisbane to Darwin and North Queensland, configured as triple road trains, pulling up to 96-tonnes.
This is a significant fleet acquisition for the national operator that puts safety first in all its activities. Simon National Carriers is renowned for its 90km/h speed limit, which promotes improved road safety and fuel efficiency.
“We have long desired to supply Simon National Carriers with our product and for the past four years they have had one of our R 500 V8 prime movers on the fleet,” said Dean Dal Santo, National Sales Manager for Scania Australia.
“That R 500 was an excellent ambassador for Scania, as it performed impeccably in terms of reliability and fuel use, and also impressed with its inherent quality.
“The success of this vehicle from an operating cost perspective paved the way for us to supply more vehicles to Simon National Carriers when they came to market for more high-horsepower prime movers.
“Our total cost of ownership certainly made the difference in the consideration of which vehicles to purchase,” Dean says.
“When we demonstrated our costs over the four year contract maintenance period, the operator was very impressed. They undertook a very thorough and methodical review of all the elements involved in the total cost of ownership and came away with the firm belief that the Scania was the best option.
“In addition, these new vehicles are fitted with our state-of-the-art safety systems such as Automatic Emergency Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning and Electronic Stability Control. These will work in concert with the operator’s commitment to improving road safety for all road users,” Dean says.
Shaun Moloney, Simon National Carriers’ National Line-Haul Manager, said that the company had been committed to purchasing European trucks for many years.
“We have had a Scania on the fleet for the past four years and it proved to be a superior product. Even after 800,000km it didn’t squeak or rattle,” Shaun says.
“With the new trucks we have tweaked the final drive ratio slightly, to 3.07:1 and the fuel consumption so far has been impressive. As a triple road train, the R 560 has been recording 1.48km per litre pulling on average 90 tonnes on the Darwin run, and as a B-double in line-haul guise we are getting 2.1 – 2.6km/litre at around 52 tonnes.
“However, we have been impressed with the Maintenance and Repair Contract Scania has structured for us for this deal. The R 500 proved to be very cost-effective to run and this gives us confidence going forward.
“As a result we will be getting the best of both worlds,” Shaun says. “Great quality and improved running costs.”
The Scanias supplied to Simon National Carriers feature premium interiors with leather upholstery on the seats and a metro (low-line) bullbar on the line-haul trucks. The road trains destined for North Queensland and the Northern Territory gain a larger bar and an Icepack cabin cooler.
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Written byTrucksales Staff
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