Thirty years of cabover progress, presented in one of the finest color schemes I’ve ever seen. BD Logistics’ pride and joy, a retired 1989 Scania 3-series 6×2 and a 2023 ‘Next Gen’ 6×2/4 tractor in its prime (a prime mover, as the Aussies say). Both were singing the Södertälje Vee Eight ballad. Performed live on stage, of course.
What a marvelous view! From left to right on the lower end of the grille it says: 14 liter displacement, 3-series, Medium-duty chassis, V8 engine (turbocharged and intercooled), 450 DIN-hp maximum power output.
Scania’s 3-series, unveiled in 1987, was clearly an evolution of the previous 2-series. Especially the interior got a major upgrade and for the first time, a Scania was available with a factory raised roof, though to a lesser extent than the raised roofs of the contemporary Volvo Globetrotter and DAF Space Cab.
Besides the M-chassis, the Swedes also offered the H- and E-chassis, Heavy-duty and Extra heavy-duty, respectively. It speaks for itself that heavy haulage specialists opted for the E-chassis with the most powerful V8, the 143E-500, offered as cabover and conventional.
Fast forward to modern times now with the Next Gen series of Scanias, introduced in 2016. These are definitely still speaking the same design language as the previous generations.
At the September show, BD Logistics put their 2023 R530 V8 (16.4 liter nowadays) 6×2/4 tractor on display.
The hauling company went all the way with a customized interior. Cozy to the max! Note that the upper end of the steering column, with an old-school steering wheel, is tilted forward for easy cab entry and exit. This is certainly not its on-highway driving position.
A 2023 Pacton semi-trailer for transporting shipping containers is coupled to the Scania. It can carry 20ft, 30ft, 40ft, or 45ft containers. There are six axles in total, which means 50 tonnes (110,000 lbs) gross weight rating for sure.
The 45ft, refrigerated shipping container on the semi-trailer is rated at a maximum gross weight of 34 tonnes/74,960 lbs. That’s not just a wild guess, it says so on the right cargo door. When fully loaded, the whole combination weighs around 49 tonnes. Perfect, the rig and container are simply made for each other.
Behind the rearmost axle, the semi-trailer is extentable. And retractable, naturally. Trailer manufacturer Pacton also offers triple-extendable container chassis: at the front, in the middle, and at the rear.
On a related note, the heavy vehicles of many self-respecting transport companies are also available as high-quality, 1/50 scale models, offered and made by WSI and Tekno.
Here’s BD Logistics’ 1989 Scania 143 6×2, as seen at last month’s show.
And this is their 2022 S520 6×2/4 tractor (both models made by WSI). Even the li’l Michelin fellas weren’t forgotten…
…see, here’s the real thing, spotted in September 2023. This prime mover has the S-cab with a flat floor, which is Scania’s top model for trucking first class.
In a next episode of ‘talkin’ bout my generation’: the Van Doorne Bros.
If you want a truck, buy a Scania. The simplest equation in life.
These people know the meaning of making good heavy trucks.
Comes with their history. Transporting heavy loads under harsh conditions (roads, winter weather), not to mention the hills and mountains in Scandinavia. The same also applies to Volvo and Sisu (Finland).
And let’s not forget the good ol’ Swedish (in)famous cab crash tests. No one in the world built stronger cabs than Volvo and Scania. Fully made of steel, of course. Saving weight was not high on the priority list.
Nice pairing; it really shows off the evolution of their products.