In the recent past, a drivetrain as seen here has gained serious traction in the Netherlands and other Euro-countries. Such an axle configuration is generally referred to as an 8×2/*6 or an 8×2 tridem, where the drive axle with dual wheels sits between a steering pusher axle and a counter-steering tag axle, both liftable and with single wheels.
When compared with a more traditional 8×2 or 8×4 chassis, the advantages of an 8×2 tridem set-up are evident, namely a smaller turning radius and less stress on the tires, suspension, and pavement when cornering.
The black and still anonymous Scania has air suspension on all axles, which has become common on trucks and tractors in the top segment.
The seller of the Scania, Versteijnen Trucks, took a much better three-quarter front view picture than I did, so I better use theirs. The truck comes with the flat floor S-series tilt cab and the factory XT (eXtra Tough) ‘Mad Max Light’ package with an all-steel bumper and fenced headlamp units. The VDL manufacturing company supplied the hooklift hoist with a capacity of 25 tonnes/55,115 lbs.
Scania’s 770 DIN-hp, 16.4 liter V8 used to be Europe’s most powerful factory truck diesel. ‘Used to be’, because last year, Volvo introduced a 780 DIN-hp, 17.3 liter inline-six. When talking take-no-prisoners diesel power, torque, and displacement, there’s no hold on the Viking duo.
Just a few weeks after I spotted the Scania in Versteijnen’s showroom, De Leeuw Flipsen Metaalrecycling took delivery of the truck on October 2 and posted some pictures of their new pride and joy on the company’s Facebook site. That orange on black livery works really well!
An expressive photo of an exemplary Dutch big rig: compact, heavy, and agile. A 110,000 lbs combination must never be unwieldy, otherwise it’s considered a ‘combinatio non grata’ in any town, yard, site, or industrial area. Not to mention that any driver would hate the thing profoundly.
Impressed by the beauty of this truck. Scania never disappoints us, the sound of its V8s is something fabulous.
Did Volvo ever make a V8 for its truck series?
Yes, the B36AV, used from 1952 to 1966.
😀
For clarity, that was a 3.6 petrol for their lightest range! Liked a drop of gravy, so a Perkins (earlier Ford?) Diesel was offered as an option.
Engine was originally developed for the big ‘Philip’ car that never went ahead.
If Dutch big rigs are compact, heavy, and agile, are American rigs big, simple, and unwieldy? Not sure if they could be considered light as the opposite of heavy.
Say this exact combination would drive around in the US, what would be its gross weight rating? It also depends in which state, I guess?
The Scania is rated at a legal maximum gross weight of 36 tonnes (79,400 lbs), the trailer itself -judging by the rear tandem’s axle spacing- is rated at 30 tonnes (66,100 lbs). But such a combination as a whole is 50 tonnes/110,000 lbs max. (legally), so there’s that.
Set forward front axle – long nose conventional – long wheelbase – long everything with one steering axle at the front – simply won’t work here, as opposed to the US. Completely different circumstances.
US “Bridge laws” are for weight distribution, the farther apart the axles are the heavier the weight allowed (to a point). Steerable or single/dual tires don’t matter. US trucks look bigger but are generally slightly lighter. https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/publications/brdg_frm_wghts/bridge_formula_all.pdf
Thanks for that link! The ‘formulas’ are quite simple here: max. 11.5 tonnes for a drive axle, max. 10 tonnes for a non-drive axle (the latter also applies to trailers and semi-trailers). Steering and/or liftable doesn’t matter, as long as the axle spacing is at least 180 cm. A factory tandem, no matter the configuration, is max. 19 tonnes axle weight in total (because < 180 cm axle spacing).
Not enough axles to exceed 50 tonnes here, short drawbeam 6 wheel trailers like that are brilliant to reverse it would need a 4 or 5 axle trailer to gain a H plate here and tandem drive single screw trucks get stuck on wet hills.
From a US POV I don’t understand how Europeans can back up full trailers. Semis are easy but full trailers have an extra pivot (the pintle), you must need some really sensitive fingers on the steering wheel there. It’s clear why they want single drive axles but I’d hate those “dead” (unpowered) axles in the rain too.
Full trailers with three axles are very much alive and kicking in NL. Just leave it at home when there’s only one container to haul (in the article’s case). These are mostly coupled to a straight truck with three axles, which will do for the 50 tonnes national weight limit.
Liftable tag axles were invented in the cold and slippery north, way before the arrival of air suspension. Slightly lifting the tag axle for more traction on the drive axle; 6×2 tractors are actually very common in Scandinavia.
The best of two worlds? A tandem with a liftable and disengageable rearmost drive axle, as offered by Volvo, Scania, and Sisu (the latter from Finland).