If you have spent more than an hour in my company, especially after hours or on a weekend, you will know I am pretty fond of a beer, and regard my regular trips to my local liquor barn as something to be savoured.
But then one of my sons posed the question, ‘how does the beer get from the brewery to the shop, so you can drink it?’, which led me to think whata great subject for a road test, delivering beer …
As it turns out, it is one of the toughest jobs I have ever undertaken, mainly because every pallet carton is accounted for, so you don’t get to take work home with you … bugger!
What I did discover is Brisbane operator Eventrans have a number of contracts delivering to Liquor Land and First Choice outlets throughout Queensland, and they had recently taken delivery of a pair of Scania P380 8x4 rigid curtainsiders, complete with onboard scales and the ability to pull a dog trailer on the really busy runs.
So, after a couple of phone calls to boss Craig Marriott, the deal was done, and I was told to be at the depot at 6am Wednesday morning, as we would be heading north to the Sunshine Coast, with a full deck.
LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING
As anyone who has ever walked around an 8x4 can tell you, here is no such thing as a good looking one, functional yes, rugged, definitely, good looking, no chance, must be something about that extra steer axle behind the cab, just puts the whole perspective out.
Despite that, the P380 has one advantage, the base truck is actually pretty easy on the eye, and once you get above the axle line, that is what you see.
Just walking towards the truck the eye is drawn to the deep U-shaped grille, flanked by a pair of snorkels diverting air around the corners of the cab.
As with most modern designs, the P-Series cab is actually raked slightly backwards, at about 5 degrees, rather than being a straight up and down design, which would offer the aerodynamic performance of a besser block.
This curvature continues over the roof up over the sloped windscreen, while a sunshade hangs out over the top of the window, easing the burden for the driver, with an air deflector also available to push the slipstream up over the top of the body.
With the grille and FUPS-compliant bumper finished in a hard wearing grey, the P380 is immune to minor bumps and scrapes, but with a truck as manoeuvrable as this one, that shouldn’t really be an issue anyway.
The doors are big and wide, with a full 90 degree opening, while there is a bit of a step from ground level to the bottom step it is not uncomfortable, particularly with the two grab rails that make up the three recommended contact points for entry and exit.
Overall, the cab exterior comes across as high quality, with top class finish on the paint and the close, even, panel gaps that are the indicator of a well-built vehicle.
With most work during daylight hours, the Eventrans trucks passed on the lowslung driving and fog lights, however the large H4 headlights recessed into the corners of the cab structure throw a fairly respectable pool of light down the road, as well as warning oncoming cars of your presence, in case they missed the four metre high gargantuan as it rolls along the blacktop.
While alloy wheels are an option Eventrans also stuck with the pressed steel wheels for the P380s, and in fact they work well, giving the twin steer a purposeful look, reminding people it is a work truck, not a show pony.
Other touches around the truck include LED indicators, 1000 litres of fuel capacity, a toolbox on the right hand side, easy access to the curtain release and tensioner, and rails down both sides for the curtain buckles.
CALL THIS A WORK STATION?
After making the climb up into the cab, the first impression is one of order, with switches and dials kept to a minimum, and the ones that are used give the feel of a lot of work to get their position right for optimum driver ergonomics.
The driver scores an ISRI air-suspension seat, which, in concert with the cab air suspension, guarantees a smooth ride over even the roughest of roads, not a bad idea when you are carrying that much glass in the curtainsider.
As one who spends more time driving computers than trucks and who is a long time removed from the factory and warehouse floor, my posture often leaves a lot to be desired, however chiropractors everywhere rejoice at the sight of me.
The seat in the Scania, however is the cure for all ills, with adjustable lumbar support and this delightfully upright driving position which just draws the body in and holds it in the most comfortable, yet anatomically correct, position for long or short haul driving.
The big steering wheel is height and reach adjustable, just flick the little lock switch at the left front of the column, and then push and pull until you are happy with the result, then lock it back up.
In front of the driver are large dials for the speedo and tacho, with smaller dials for temperature, fuel gauge and brake pressures, as well as screens for the engine management and vehicle monitoring systems.
While not everyone agrees with these screens, I am a bit of a fan, rather than overload the driver with a mass of dials that must be scanned every few seconds to look for abnormalities, the screen is programmed to immediately flash a warning light to the driver of a reading goes out of normal parameters, as well as then bring the offending display up in front of the driver.
There is also the option to programme favourite displays, so that if you really want to see the second-by-second air pressures, that is what the screen will run for you.
Personally, I find that I am able to spend more time concentrating on what is happening in my mirrors and on the road around me, without being worried the engine is about to explode.
To the driver’s right are rocker switches for the air suspension and headlights and hazards, as well as door mounted switches for the power mirrors and windows, which brings up one complaint, there is no driver’s side spotter mirror.
While the passenger side enjoys both long and short views down the truck, as well as a ‘look down’ mirror for parallel parking, the driver’s side gets the single main mirror, and that is all, despite having blanks for a spotter to be fitted at the factory.
The Eventrans guys had fitted a small aftermarket unit, however this was nowhere near as good as the factory unit on the left side door, and a real disappointment after the otherwise high standard of the truck.
The steering wheel itself is a classic European multi-function unit, with thumb controls for the stereo and telephone, while the base of the wheel scores the dual cruise control functions.
Yes, you read right, dual cruise controls, one for highway cruising, and another for what is effectively a hill descent control which the driver sets on the approach to a steep hill, and then you can sit back and let the computers use a combination of gears, retarders and brakes to maintain the selected speed, while you concentrate on getting the perfect line through the next corner.
Left of the driver are the ‘comfort’ controls, for the AM/FM/CD stereo, airconditioning and cabin lighting, all important, but not crucial, so they are grouped together, inboard of the park brake release.
The wheel itself has two stalks, one left and one right, the right stick has the gear selector, manual up/down shift control and the multi-stage retarder, which is quite possibly the most effective, yet the quietest, I have ever driven.
On the left is the indicator and windscreen wipers, all within easy reach should they be needed in a hurry.
Sadly, not everything is Disneyland-perfect, with two other issues that need addressing, one being the incredibly slippery surface of the vinyl between the seats and the rear storage space.
While it is a nice big open space, ideal for holding manifests, work diaries and other important paperwork, the reality is it is slipperier than a patch of yellow ice and acts as a launching pad for said important documents, to the point regular driver Dave Baildon lays a beach towel across the space, then puts his books on top of that.
The other gripe is more serious than it sounds initially, with the two cup holders placed at the rear of the storage bin, so that to reach your tall butterscotch latte requires the whole body to be angled around, with the predictable result that the truck suddenly begins to drift left as your remaining hand drags the steering wheel around in concert with the rest of your body.
If Scania can fix those items, then it could potentially have the most-user friendly cabin on the market in Australia, and one which drivers will be lining up to drive, it is that good.
BABY YOU CAN DRIVE MY TRUCK
After managing to arrive just a few minutes late, courtesy of too much traffic trying to use one bridge across the Brisbane River, I joined driver Dave as he did his daily pre-trip inspection, which brought forth more praise for the P-Series, as he demonstrates how just one latch flicks the grille skyward, allowing easy access to the oil, water and brake fluids.
Flip the grille back into place and the bottom half drops down to become a step, for quick, easy and safe washing of the windscreen, complete with a hand grip to ensure you do not slip.
With the checks complete, it was a case of ‘OK, just start her up, then back into the dock while they finish loading with the extra orders’.
While the P380 uses the 12-speed automated manual OptiCruise transmission, it retains a clutch pedal for starting in first or reverse, as well as coming to a dead stop after driving.
The pedal is lightly sprung, which makes for easy take offs without creating ‘clutch knee’ which often happens in heavy clutch pedal situations, so balancing between the clutch and the park brake requires minimal practice to get it right. Eventually…
Standing next to the truck while the forkies finish loading up gives the next example of the work done by Scania in reducing the noise levels of the DC12 six cylinder engine.
Instead of being drowned out, driver Dave and I are able to hold a normal conversation, as he outlines which route we will be taking that morning, and any problems we may encounter with traffic along the way.
Taking my seat behind the wheel once we were locked and loaded, it was a case of clutch in, select ‘D’ on the column stalk, park brake off, ease the clutch out, and away we went, whispering our way through the yard as the OptiCruise selected second gear.
Reaching the main gate, where we stopped for a right turn, I received a swift reminder that thee clutch was for starting AND stopping, with the truck stalling as the revs fell too low.
Chalk up one for embarrassment, and a patronising look from Driver Dave.
Trust me when I say, for the rest of the drive, I never needed a second reminder about using the clutch when we stopped, that one is with me for life…
Once we were mobile again, I quickly realised how well sorted the P 380 is, with Dave saying the twin steer can take some getting used to, as it changes the pivot point to further back than a regulation single steer axle.
For some reason though, I found myself immediately in tune with the steering and had no problems at all picking the correct lines as we headed north along the Gateway Motorway.
Hitting the 100km/h zone almost immediately, I found myself experimenting with different approaches, getting settled into the rhythm of the road and swapping jokes with Dave, that is how relaxing the P-Series is to drive, you just fall into step with it.
Without any prompting I discovered the cruise control on the bottom of the wheel and dialled up a comfortable 99km/h, which had the tacho sitting happily at about 1400rpm, right in the engine’s ‘green zone’ for economical driving.
With a relatively clear road ahead, it was easy work to thread the heavyweight rigid among the slower traffic, which included a mix of other trucks and smaller vehicles, the steering was just heavy enough to ensure you were getting feedback on where the wheels were pointed, without being tedious or cumbersome, while remaining light enough for parking and reversing into loading docks.
Picking up some heavier traffic after the Bruce Highway merge, there were a few opportunities to try out the multi-stage Scania Retarder, which proved to be possibly the most impressive single item of hardware.
While there was no need for a panic stop at any time, knowing that the Retarder was capable of washing off huge amounts of speed in virtually no time at all meant that an attentive driver can get away with hardly using the brake pedal.
In fact, in a conversation at the end of the day, boss man Mariott says they have an older model Scania, with the same retarder, that has clocked up 900,000 kilometres without a brake pad change…
More importantly, if it was an emergency, knowing that not only are there disc brakes on each axle but you also have ABS, EBS and anti-skid, plus the retarder to help keep you out of an accident, is a very reassuring feeling.
With the cruise control maintaining a steady 99km/h as we wound our way north, the next thing to notice was the impressively low noise levels in the cab, not just from the engine, but road noise in general, as well as a lack of wind noise, despite the fairly impressive frontal area of the cab-over design.
Taking the Caloundra exit exposed the P380 to a copuple of nice long downhill descents, usually ending in a roundabout, which proved an excellent opportunity to test out the retarder.
With barely a hiss audible in the cab, our speed feel away from the posted 100km/h down to the new limit of 60km/h, and then down to a more appropriate 35km/h through the roundabouts, all without needing any assistance from the wheel brakes.
As we neared our first drop of the day, the well-sorted steering came into its own, with council roadworks forcing us to take the long way into the shopping centre and then an angled reverse into the dock, which Driver Dave recommended be done in two goes, to ensure the truck was straight for easier unloading.
With the Scania airbags able to be locked into a single height, to compensate for the reducing payload as we offloaded multiple pallets with the Anteo electric tailgate.
With a load of empty pallets for the warehouse it was back on the highway and heading south to reload for our next run.
Over the course of the day we did two more runs, working a full 10 hour day, including two loads with a dog trailer, bringing our GCM up to the 42-tonne mark.
Despite all the extra weight, the P380 performed flawlessly throughout, and no time felt as though it was over-worked.
There was always plenty of usable power from the engine, with 1900Nm of torque between 1100-1350rpm and peak power of 280kW at 1800rpm, while the combination of the Retarder and disc brakes took care of the stopping, and the airbag suspension meant we were literally floating on air throughout the day.
The only flaw to come from the driving experience is one I have with a number of trucks, and that is a blindspot to the left approaching T-intersections, caused by the combination mirrors, however this has yet to prove disastrous, and I would rather have excellent rear vision and a blindspot I can make adjustments to eliminate.
JUDGEMENT DAY
Just like Arnie, as far as this truck is concerned, ‘I’ll be baarck!’, the P380 is an all-round exceptional performer, not perfect, but certainly a lot closer than some of its rivals.
While my professional opinion is important, or I wouldn’t be here, the feedback from the drivers says it all, after the pair of P380s had been in service for about a week, the drivers had dubbed them Daisy 1 and 2, on the basis that when you drive them, you finish the day feeling fresh as a daisy, and I am inclined to agree.
After finishing my day’s efforts, I drove home to have a shower and eat dinner, then I took my 13-year-old son to see live wire punk rockers Green Day, and spent two and a half energetic hours on my feet singing and dancing to Billy Joe and the boys, and then driving home, all made possible by a comfortable, easy-going, yet hard-working truck that left me fresh and relaxed after a big day’s work.
The final word should really go to fleet owner Craig Marriott, when we were discussing the truck at the end of the day, he let slip he is looking to purchase more of the P380s for a new contract, you don’t do that unless you are satisfied with the truck’s performance.
SPECS
- Make/model: Scania P380 8x4 Rigid
- Engine: Scania DC12 13 380 six cylinder, four valves per cylinder,
- Emission control: Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR)
- Emission level: Euro 4
- Power/Torque: 280kW@1800rpm/1900Nm@1100-1350rpm
- Transmission: 12-speed Scania Opticruise automated manual, with clutch pedal for first and reverse.
- GCM/GVM: 33,200kg/60,000kg
- Good points: Outstanding cab comfort, impressively low noise levels, incredibly effective Scania Retarder
- Bad points: Lack of driver’s side spotter mirror, slippery finish to work space vinyl, cup holders way out of reach and sight
For full specifications, see the latest edition of Truck Search magazine or www.newtrucksearch.com.au.