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• Scania is once again an independent company, separated from the Saab car and aircraft manufacturer that it joined up with in 1969. This is unlikely to make any difference to dayto-day operations—but the new setup may open the door to more fruitful co-operation in some areas of development. Scania has been particularly success over the past 15 years— the company says that over half the trucks built in that time are still on the road. It now produces trucks in five countries and assembles them in many more, so while half of its workforce is still employed in Sweden about 98% of Scania's production is sold worldwide.

Europe, which takes about 60% of production, has become Scania's true domestic market. Last year Scania was Britain's third largest supplier of trucks at 17 tonnes and above with a market share of 14%: part of that success is due to the rugged, reliable reputation earned by trucks powered by its big 14.2litre vee-eights. The Scania 143 500 6x2 tractive unit, tested by CM in August 1992, came with the 14-speed GRS900 gearbox which we judged to be Scania's best yet. Electronic technology included cruise control, cold start protection, ABS brakes and ASR traction control The drive-by-wire electronic diesel control engine management system optimised the amount of fuel and injection timing to meet the Euro-1 emission limits and reduce fuel consumption. Its fourpoint, air-suspended, high-roof Topline cab included twin bunks; the Streamline aerodynamic package comprised an air management kit and a Jost sliding fifth wheel that could be used to reduce drag by minimising the cab/trailer gap. Side air deflectors were hinged for access to the catwalk and air lines. The I43's average speed of 43.5mph was slightly slower than similarly powered vehicles we had tested but cruise control and a flat torque curve helped maintain a higher-than-average motorway speed and fuel consumption of 7.15mpg (39.51it/100km). With a full 400-litre fuel tank the 143.500 weighed in at 8.5 tonnes, which was almost a light as some 500hp-plus 4x2 tractors. Under heavy braking the front of the unit dipped, taking weight off the rear, and ABS control didn't prevent the tag axle from locking up. For those long downhill runs we found that the engine exhaust brake was particularly effective The park brake acted on both rear axles. We were impressed by , the tag axle operation: when the

vehicle was parked up with the tag raised it lowered auto matically and rose again when the engine was restarted The cab was one of the most comfortable around as it included many extras such as seatmounted safety belts and central door locking The curved binnacle really did place every thing to hand and the adjustable steering wheel ensured that the driving position was just right. Extra floor space was made available by a split lower bunk which allowed the passenger seat to be pushed right back. Full air cab suspension, combined with air at the rear of the chassis, made for a very smooth ride. The list price of almost £82,000 looked expensive in 1992 but this model's appeal was such that the 143 is still taking about 34% of the 420hp-plus market where it retains leadership. EVOLUTION

Scania entered the UK market in 1968; the 14.2-litre engine was introduced a year later. It was used throughout the early seventies in the 140 and from 1976 in 141 tractive units.

With a further model change in 1981 the truck got a new cab. A tag-axle 6x2 version on steel suspension came along in 1983 ready for 38-tonne operation R142 heavy haulage 6x4s followed on from the previous LBT double-drive tractors.

In 1988 the cab was updated with a muchimproved trim package and the 143 set the lead for others to follow with a swept-around dash. The high-roof Topline cab became available at about the same time, followed by the more aerodynamic Streamline version which went on sale in May 1991.

The 142 was equipped with a 10-speed synchromesh gearbox which was updated and strengthened to cope with the 1,4311bft of torque delivered by the 143's 470hp engine. This in turn was superseded by an even stronger 14-speed box to cope with the 500hp unit's 1,5711bft of torque.

The 143 was introduced with power options of 400hp, 450hp and 470hp. A 500hp option was added in April 1991 followed within six months by a 420hp model. Five power options for one model, all within a 100hp of eachother, could not be justified, however, and by October 1992 the choice was cut back to 420hp, 450hp and 500hp where it remains today.

Twin-steer chassis have been available with steel suspensions since 1986 but air suspension for these models with central lifting axles didn't arrive until 1992 to coincide with the 143's current engine range. The E-class 6x4s with 450 and EDC 500 units are rated in excess of 150 tonnes GCW The Tracker security system has been made standard for tractive units fitted with the 500 EDC engine and is offered as an option on other models.

Over the past 15 years some 4,500 Scanias have been sold in the UK with 14.2-litre engines, including 2,000 examples of the 143.

OPERATORS

T Cox Dismantlers is heavily involved with the decommissioning of power stations. While the company uses its yellow and blue Scania 8x4 and 4x2 skip loaders on local collection it has a K-reg 6x4 Scania 143 450 tractive unit plated at 80 tonnes to haul large items of equipment from sites at Stone, Great Yarmouth and Carrington back to its headquarters at Cannock. When the 143 is not being used with its low loader Nooteboom extending trailer it is coupled to a bulker or a flat.

Transport manager Mark Dutton says: "On average it does over 800 miles a week. There is always something for it to dc but we bought it primarily for the low-loader work which it does for about 65% of the time. There were cheaper alternatives but we had experience of Scania vehicles and had always got on well with them. A normal payload for us is between 40 and 50 tonne& It only runs one way with a full load but we are quite happy with the fuel return of about 6mpg.

"All five of our vehicles are maintained on a full service contract with Keltruck," says Dutton. "Although we have had some troubles including a broken axle casing with one of the eight-wheelers, the 143 has never failed to start and it's never broken down. It's been a dream truck—apart from leaking exhaust joints it's been trouble free. Although it makes a lot of tight turns on site and in our yard here tyre wear is good...we got 72,000 miles out of the first set of drive axle tyres.

"Warranty and backup has been good on the fleet as a whole," he adds. "That-eight wheeler was off the road for six days waiting for a casing from Belgium but as the repair took over 24 hours the dealer picked up the tab for a hire vehicle. On the other hand when vandals smashed a rear window on the 143 it was replaced within a few hours.

"We will probably keep the 143 for another two years," Dutton concludes. "Residuals are good but perhaps not as good as the eight-leggers with the hook lifts. We're most likely to sell it privately and will almost certainly replace it with the current Scania model."

Bird's Groupage is based at Oldbury, with depots in Ireland, Germany France and Spain. It specialises in carrying parts for the automotive industry in high-volume semi-trailers but also transports other dry goods and refrigerated product. Most of the 64 vehicles in the fleet are artics but it also includes a few drawbars, again at 38 tonnes.

Apart from four Volvo FH 420s the Bird's fleet is all Scania, including 28 6x2 and 4x2 vee-eight tractors which embrace all of the power options.

"I've bought Scanias since 1970," says managing director Graham Levett. "Before then! ran AECs but after Leyland took them over the dealer support wasn't there any more.Our latest 143s have the 500hp engine—the high hp is an advantage over long distances. We run five to eight vehicles to Cologne every day and the 143 500s do the journey an hour quicker than we can manage it with our 113 380s. They also give us the best fuel consumption. The 4x2 500 units give us 8.25mpg and the worst model is the 450hp version at a mile per gallon less. There is more tyre scrub with the 6x2 units which costs about 0.5mpg "Maximum payload is about 23 tonnes," he adds, "but we only need 21.5 tonnes before we bulk out; even so we specify all our trucks with a 7.5-tonne front axle. Delivery on time is crucial so reliability is very important to us. I can count on less than the fingers of one hand the number of times one of our vee-eight-powered vehicles hasn't got home. When we have broken down abroad Scania Lifeline has been very good. We're billed through the local dealer so there's no hang-up with payment.

"They cover up to 200,000km a year with double and triple manning," says Levett. "We have two that are approaching a million kilometres. Another has covered 800,000km and is still on the original brakes, but its clutch was replaced at 700,000km. We're sticklers for oil changes. Service intervals have been reduced to four weeks and we replace the oil every time. We did have an engine seize up but that was probably our own fault as we had noted that the oil pressure gauge was a bit erratic. The only other major component to fail was a gearbox after a rear seal had lost oil. Some parts seem horrendously expensive but overall they stand up well against Volvo's prices.

"Modern truck electrics haven't become the problem that we all perceived them to be," he says. "In fact the diagnostic equipment makes it easier to identify a fault than with mechanical systems. Small items such as door straps and heater cables still break—but Scania seem to have come to terms with the British driver's heavy use of the headlight flasher to signal other drivers.

"Fitting non-standard items on new vehicles, if there is a supply problem, can cause discontent among drivers especially if it's something as basic as the seat," he points out "We take particular care with our tyres. Pressures are checked every time the vehicle comes into our yard and we don't get blowouts. We use 315/80s on 4x2 tractive units and get 200,000km out of the steer axle and 250,000km from a drive axle. The scrub on the tag axle of the 6x2 reduces life to about 80,000km. The steer axle and smaller tyres on the high-cube trailers are replaced with new but we use remoulds for the drive axle and straight trailers' widesingle replacements.

"We were replacing vehicles after four years but we have been increasing the size of the fleet so we have some that are on F plates," says Levett. "After four to five years we take them off of long distance and use them for domestic operations. The cab is now one of the older and smaller ones but perhaps that says something for the quality of the product that it's lasted so long. We spec our 143s up with air conditioning, a small steering wheel, air horns, night heater, CD player and two 560-litre fuel tanks. All our drivers even have phones. Initial price becomes almost irrelevant when the high residual value and the low running cost are taken into account; our records show that the 143 500s are very cheap to run and they are very easy to sell on at the end of the day."

P and C Hamilton operates out of Girvan on the south-west coast of Scotland, with five 143 Scania and two Volvo FH tractive units, taking meat to the Continent in Gray and Adams refrigerated trailers. One of the Scanias is a 4x2; the rest run on three axles Philip Hamilton explains that he and his brother were first attracted to Scanias because of their reputation for reliability and high residual values. "The Scanias are certainly very reliable," he says. "The initial cost is high but we have noticed that the dealerships have sharpened their prices over the last years since Volvo has introduced the FH. Our nearest Scania dealer, Reliable Vehicles, is 65 miles away at Renfrew, but they come out this way twice a week and the parts counter is open till late at night" Hamilton's vehicles cover 200,0001cm a year running laden with a payload of about 20 tonnes for 90% of the time with space to spare. "Customers don't understand when we don't fill the last 10ft at the back of a 13.6m trailer," says Hamilton. "Refrigerated trailers have a high tare weight and I would like to see an early concession to operate at 40 tonnes— then at least we would be on the same footing as the rest of Europe. At 38 tonnes we find that 420hp to 450hp is sufficient for us, bearing in mind the introduction of speed limiters, and we believe that this power band gives us the best economy.

"The Scanias are returning 7.0 to 7.5mpg but the Volvo FH is returning nearer to 8.0mpg," he reports, "We bought the last two vehicles new but everything before that was secondhand. We're hoping to move into a programme where we will change them after four to five years from new, depending on condi

tion. We operate a policy of Anance and high

profile. We have NT_ ell Oft the Topline cabs and service the trucks every four weeks. I don't think there will be any great problem selling them; their appearance and the way they are maintained will speak for themselves. 1 checked the value of one of the older ones against a trade-in and we can certainly obtain a reasonable price. But I would probably sell privately as we already have interested parties."

Due to an as yet unresolved problem with lack of power and a spongy brake pedal on his latest L-reg 143 twin-steer model Hamilton has placed an order for a Volvo FH420 which will be added to the fleet this August. "If I were buying secondhand though I think I have more confidence in a Scania than anything else," he says. "I would be looking for something without any dents or scrapes with a very tidy cab and a good maintenance record without much more than 200,000 a year on the clock. On a new Scania we would specify the Streamline cab and 14speed gearbox which is £1,000 more than for the nine-speed but it has a smaller gap between the top two gears. It makes it better to drive and I think it will be more fuel efficient. Unless you specify different it comes with a very solid passenger seat which I think could be improved,

"Tyre wear on the front of the twin-steer is quite substantial," he says. "We took off two tyres after 30,000km—we would expect to get 80,000km on the steer axle with the other sixwheelers. Using twin tyres for the tag prolongs life on that axle significantly. I would be cautious about recommending the twin-steer model but as an all round truck there is very little you can fault on the 143."

DEALERS

Franchised dealer Road Trucks of Larne in Northern Ireland probably sells more high powered Scanias than any other dealer in the United Kingdom. As you might expect, its used truck stock of about 20 vehicles is dominated by Scanias.

General manager Con Marks says: "The 143 is a very popular truck in the secondhand market over here. The vee-eight engine is very reliable and the 450hp version is the most popular choice. We don't have too many 470s. From about 1990 onwards most people would be looking for air suspension. Both 4x2 and 6x2s are equally in demand, depending on the application and what's available at the time. There's a lot of fridge work and continental journeys done from over here. Just now we're finding that the 14-speed transmission is being specified more than ever on new vehicles. Customers who buy new 143s go for the top spec and that has a knock-on effect later in the used truck market.

"The residual values are high," he adds, "and we have to pay good prices for them. Age and general condition have the biggest bearing on the price. You'd expect to pay about £40,000 for a 1991/92 4x2 143 450 on air, and perhaps .£43,000 for a 6x2."

Non-franchised dealer Airflow of Foulsham in Norfolk carries a mixed stock of some 30 used trucks. When CM talked to Airflow's Neville Loome the line-up included four 6x2 143s. "We concentrate on six wheelers," he explained. "We find that they're more popular. With the Scanias we go back to the early 143s and we have some 142s as well. A lot of the parts are interchangeable until you get to the later ones, We find that the seat trim wears a bit more on the early 143s than with the 142s; as a rule we retrim the seats on the 1988 through to about 1990 models as soon as they come in. The only other problem we find with them is the front bumpers. The early ones are steel. They tend to rust and as soon as you tow them the bumper goes out of shape. We fit a fiberglass cover to them." Airflow also supplies air management kits made to match the vehicle and usually fits them to its stock of used trucks. "It improves fuel consumption and helps us to resell the vehicles," says Loome. "At the moment we have a 6x2 with a standard flat cab at £24,000; one with an airsuspended Topline cab is priced at £27,000 and we have one that we just bought back in with a high-roof conversion that we did last year which is up for sale at £29,000. All three are 1989 143s with about 600,000 miles on the clock."

SUMMARY

The big 14-litre vee-eight engine has been around long enough, in one form or another, to have proved itself as a hard working, dependable power source. The 450hp version seems to be the most common on the used truck market as the 470hp model had a relatively short run before being ousted by the 500hp unit.

The 10-speed box is reliable enough but the later 14-speeder is more user friendly and is needed to handle the most powerful engines. Initial high prices are reflected in build quality and residuals. Scania offers a wide range of extras so the ones to look for secondhand are the ones with everything on.

There may be a few minor niggles with rusty bumpers and broken door straps but new Scania 143s have a good sales record in the high-profile high-hp sector and operators don't keep coming back for more if a vehicle doesn't deliver the goods.

I:I by Bill Brock