EXPERTS’ OPINIONS
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TOP 10 HEAVY
TRUCKS
Best of the bunch
Playing with
the big boys
CM rounded up a team of industry experts to give us a rundown of their aLL-time favourite heavy trucks
Nicolas Tractomas
One of the highlights of a
decade-and-a-half in truck writing was the opportunity to drive a €1m Nicolas Tractomas straight off the production line. It was only an 8x8, though, as the serious 10x10 version is a rare sight even in the factory, located just south of Paris.
The example I drove was one of over 20 destined for Rotran, the specialist transport subsidiary of the South African state energy company Eskom.
Styling isn’t a high priority, and its bizarre appearance is the result of a standard Renault Kerax day cab perched above the massive chassis. It doesn’t need a sleeper because the rear of the chassis carries an accommodation module the size of the average portable site office. Its numbers are as impressive as its appearance.
The engine alone, a V12 Cat C27 Acert, delivering 951hp and 4,342Nm, weighs 2,946kg dry. The radiator holds 200 litres, and the 1,000 litres of diesel will last a whole 100km day as it hauls up to 600 tonnes at a normal cruising speed of 10-15km/h. Colin Barnett (editor, Truck & Driver)
Scania R620
According to Ian Wright, a driver with Harlow-based CJ Pryor Group, the
Scania 620 is a huge favourite with drivers who deliver heavy loads.
Wright says his firm’s version of the tractor unit – fully plated at 150 tonnes, and producing 620hp from its 15.6 litre V8 engine – is the ideal machine for moving plant and construction machinery.
He considers the 620 to be a very smooth truck, which will run like clockwork without any problems all day long even going up the steepest of hills.
He explains: “It also gives you complete confidence when coming down hills, thanks to its fully automatic gearbox and responsive brakes.
“Quite simply, it’s the best truck I’ve driven.” Wright believes that part of the Scania’s appeal to drivers is the level of comfort inside the cab.
He adds: “It has twin bunks, a fridge freezer, and a 15-inch flat screen television – just what every driver wants.” Ian Wright (CJ Pryor driver)