Cool, Calm And Collected
Gale force winds, fuel queues and unhappy truck drivers welcomed Scania’s R440 Euro 5, standard fleet spec tractor north of the Border for its Scottish road test. John Henderson took the diplomatic route staying quiet and contented in the comforts of its Highline cab and reports back on a day of challenging conditions. EN ROUTE by car to the Abington start point for our Scottish test of the Scania R440 6x2 tractor, I had the gut feeling that it would be a trying day. Despite close prior examination of the official Met Office website, the wind was gusting to levels greater than forecast and this would surely hit our fuel figures for the much anticipated run of the first EGR equipped Euro 5 truck to grace our challenging route. Things got no better after meeting Andy Sharples and his immaculately prepared rig in the lorry park either, as a ten truck queue for the fuel pumps meant that our regular departure time window would also be compromised. Once aboard the comfortable and well insulated Highline cab we watched with interest as the diesel situation deteriorated further, with some drivers criticising others for sitting too long at the pumps, whilst inside others were buying additional coffees, snacks and the like. Reluctant to join the fray, I decided that a detailed interior inspection of the inside of the big Swede was the first order of the day and after a good look around, we were able to fuel up without incident and be off, having lost just around 20 minutes. Scania’s R series cab comes in four different size guises. Starting off with the smallest Day form, buyers then have a choice of Sleeper, Highline and Topline versions. Our variant was the second top option, but by no means was it second best and the space available in the Highline is truly impressive, with the low engine cover still allowing a six footer like me to stand up straight and move around with relative ease. Finished in a soothing mixture of blue and tan colours, there’s plenty of storage on offer and even in the basic fleet finish, it’s a place that most drivers would be happy to call their weekday home. I particularly liked the well designed clipboard and mini briefcase which cleverly slots into the fascia area above the windscreen and is ideally placed right in front of the driver. Much has been said about Scania’s bottom bunk arrangement with its folding cushions and personally I don’t have any issues with it. I’d be interested to hear what a wider section of regular users think of this set up, as I’ve spoken to some drivers in the past who don’t bother with the moving seats and cushions procedure at the end of their shift and just sleep in the top bed, because it’s an attractive alternative. As we’ve come to expect from this renowned manufacturer, all the main controls and switches are within easy reach, with the dashboard mounted handbrake lever and the steering column stalk Opticruise switch, freeing up valuable floor space around the driver’s chair. After some quick and easy adjustments of the air seat, together with the height and angle of the steering column I finally hit the road, much relieved to have kept clear of the aforementioned melee. Once up to cruising speed on the M74 the steering system immediately came under examination, as the road’s geographical altitude meant that our combination was constantly being buffeted by very strong gusts of wind. Loaded with test weights, the curtainside trailer and tractor unit tipped the scales at 43.86 tons and although this ballast helped to reduce the effects of the blasts, constant corrections of the wheel were required for the first 20 miles. The Scania standard steering wheel is fairly large, but offers great feedback and it only takes a few minutes to become comfortable with its graduation and movements. A second steered axle enhances the handling experience further and delivers a much appreciated extra stability through a vast array of turning situations. Progress northwards was hindered somewhat by large groups of HGVs all bunching up nicely with the ‘speed limiter effect’, so I eased back a shade to find some clear air and turn my attentions to the capabilities of the new 13 litre Euro 5 engine. This six cylinder, in-line unit meets Euro 5 emissions standards with two way EGR technology, so there’s no requirement for the blue stuff. Available in 40hp increments from 360 to 480, our 13 litre unit produced 440hp at 1,900rpm and delivered a useful 2,300nm of torque between 1,000 and 1,300rpm. A new variable geometry turbocharger and XPI common-rail fuel injection are the headline features on this power plant, which moves up one litre in cubic capacity from its Euro 4 predecessor. Developed in collaboration with Cummins, XPI represents extremely high pressure injection and operates around 2,400 bar as opposed to the 1,800 bar of most other types. Tilting the cab of the R440 at one of our planned stops, revealed a superbly installed piece of engineering which, as per this builder’s norm has ‘hot and cold component sides’, along with six independent cylinder heads. On the road the new engine is responsive, quiet and super smooth in operation. Looking on paper at the 300rpm main torque band, I initially thought more gear changes may be the order of the day, but this was not the case. Scania’s engineers have done an exceptional job in matching the GRS0905 gearbox to the engine’s output and when matched to the Opticruise automated gear change system, it all makes for a magnificent ensemble. Coupled to a single dry plate clutch with wear protection, time and again during the drive I was impressed by the intelligence of the ratio shifts and the associated software really lets the engine lug down, then executes seamless, quick changes in what to me seemed just the right places. There’s been a fair debate across the industry about Scania retaining a clutch pedal, which in fact is only used for starting away, stopping and slow manoeuvring. To be honest, I’m not bothered by its presence and you soon get used to the requirements of its occasional use. However, if they did away with the left foot lever tomorrow, I don’t think anyone would raise an eyebrow. Top gear in the truck is an overdrive with a ratio of 0.80:1 and one shift down in 11th it is 1.00:1 direct drive, which means that cruising at 40mph on A class, two way carriageways is usually done in the latter cog. Staying with the driveline and behind the valuable second steer unit is an R780 rear axle with a ratio of 3.08:1. As Transport News’ Scottish test route is reputedly the hilliest and most challenging of the UK’s transport media road trials, I felt this ratio was perhaps better suited to more level ground operation than our climb and descend circuit of the central lowlands and southern highlands. But, of course, there are no doubt plenty of factory options available in the final drive department to suit every buyer’s own requirements. In the first sector of the test, after leaving the Dunblane roundabout and heading north east, I finally got some respite from the strong winds which were now pushing us along nicely from behind towards the first two hill climbs. With 10hp per ton on tap, I was not looking for any record breaking performances on the gradients, just good solid work-like progress. True to form the Scania grafted away on the Cairnie Brae and Balmanno timed ascents, dropping to eighth and ninth gears respectively on each brae. The resultant times were expectedly just a shade slower than other 450hp motors I’ve tested, but we still arrived at Kinross services with a journey time of two hours and two minutes, which is bang on the accepted norm for a maximum weight articulated combination. This stop is also the first comfort barometer of the day and I climbed down the three wide steps from the Highline cab feeling fresh and physically untroubled. Sunshine and temperatures around 17°C welcomed us into the Fife loop, albeit still tempered by the aforementioned blasts of air. After spending the morning on wide carriageways, this part of the run puts positioning into a much sharper focus with some pretty narrow sections between the M90 and Auchtermuchty. The Scania scored top marks in said category as the low windscreen and door glass lines, offer brilliant visibility around and in front of the cab. The low mounted rear view mirrors contribute further to the cause, affording clear views on the approaches to junctions and roundabouts.v Talking of circular intersections, we suffered a five minute delay at the Collessie junction due to road works controlled by traffic lights and convoy vehicles. To help my fuel economy figures, I shut the motor down whilst stationary in the sizeable queue. The crests and cambers of the Kingdom also put the suspension to trial and the R440 had the usual steel/air set up, with semi-elliptic front leaves being assisted by a pair of air cushioned rear units. Double acting telescopic shock absorbers are fitted to all three axles, alongside a front anti-roll bar and pneumatically lifting centre bogie. No news is good news, as far as handling reporting goes and the Scania soaked up any road condition thrown at it with consummate ease. The Bridgestone R249, 295/80 R22.5 tyres all round delivered sure footed road holding throughout the run. True to form for the day, we could not leave Fife without another couple of challenges and heading west on the A92 from Kirkcaldy we were subjected to the full head-on force of the metrological airstream and then a short hold up followed at the Forth Road Bridge southbound approach to allow an escorted load to clear the crossing safely. Busy, but moving, best describes the M8 approach and the Edinburgh City Bypass as we headed for the final sting in the tail section of the R440’s trial. Unusually for the day, we enjoyed a clear run along the challenging A702 and the Scania worked hard on the climbs away from Hillend. Good momentum on the braes was maintained by the quick speed of the Opticruise changes and these shifts could be driver encouraged in the correct places by subtle graduations in throttle pressure. This useful feature is of huge benefit on this complex road section, as often there is no flat road between up and down hill sections, with the result that some automated vehicles struggle to see or sense what’s happening ahead. It’s also a time when you appreciate a good sized foot well, such as in the Scania R cab, as the right foot moves frequently between the throttle and brakes. At several times during our day out, long hill descents run straight into villages with 30 or 20mph speed limits. The down slope and subsequent narrow roundabout into West Linton is probably the worst of its type on route and a good marker for measuring retardation levels. Our test truck featured ventilated, dual circuit full air discs all round and these are ably helped by a blended engine brake which is air activated and operated by the initial first millimetres travel of the centre pedal. This duo of slowing mechanisms proved extremely capable of anything that was asked of them during the day and were never stressed. For other more strenuous applications, Scania also offer a factory fitted hydraulic retarder and an electronic stability programme (ESP) on the buyer’s tick list. So despite the fact that I had more obstacles than usual on a day’s evaluation, before I knew it we were on the home straight after exiting Biggar and heading back to a thankfully now quieter service area. The build quality and operation of the Scania R440 is peerless and even in the standard fleet specification it’s one mighty impressive truck. This excellence in engineering rubs off on the driver too and installs a quiet confidence when driving, or indeed avoiding queues and situations of stress! For operators wishing to avoid AdBlue, Scania’s Euro 5 range will prove an attractive option and together with the Swedish manufacturer’s long held reputation for bullet proof component construction and longevity of chassis this should make the latest incarnation of the ever popular R series a must for many existing and new customers.