Best Tried & True Scania Trucks of the Last Decade

According to the manufacturer, the three main pillars of Scania P-series are manoeuvrability, speed and economy. The trucks are made lightweight to suit distribution operations (both urban and regional), yet tough enough to perform a range of off-road jobs. To cope with these tasks, the vehicles are equipped with high-torque engines and sharp acceleration.

And what do the drivers think on this matter? The verdict from those who make use of the P380 8x4 Rigid on a daily basis is that it is not perfect. But since perfection can hardly be attainable it would be more surprising if it was! Besides, the operators admit that this truck is a lot closer to the all-round excellence than its opponents.

Scania claims that the R-series trucks are ideal for long-haul operations as they were engineered to meet even the most demanding schedules. Another focal point is the outstanding comfort of the cabin.

If the first point is somehow questionable (as we’ve already mentioned a certain amount of scepticism about ideals), the second one is vividly true. It’s impossible to stay indifferent to the blend of comfort from leather and wood trim inside the cab. As for the operators, they approve of the offered safety level and share the convincing feel of the hydraulic retarder, which kicks in after just a quick dab on the brake pedal.

Scania’s designers developed the G-range trucks to offer powerful and adaptable solutions for the necessary kind of work: from long-haulage and distribution to the toughest off-road applications.

The third-placed G440 truck may not be really optimal for long-distance line haul, but it is absolutely practical as a round-town and an inter-urban prime mover. From the experts’ point of view, the 6x2 configuration is the best choice for this mission. In comparison with a similarly loaded and driven 6x4 version, the 6x2 offers a fuel saving of about 12%.

According to the International Truck of the Year Awards, the R-series is the most successful range in the Scania’s product line. The R trucks won the honours in 2005 and in 2010. Moreover, in 2012, the newly released Euro 5-compliant R730 became the world's most powerful truck.

However, this mighty workhorse is quite industry-specific. As it is known, battles are not won by strength alone. Still, the R730 Streamline V8-Highline Cab has gained enough respect from operators to be the vice-champion of the list.

On the global scale, the Scania truck that has so far made the most sense as a heavy hauler is the R620. Despite its smaller size, the truck is driven by the same outstanding power unit as its big brother R730, though outputting less horsepower. But this is the case when being smaller means greater flexibility.

The specialists especially praise the gearbox mounted hydraulic retarder, which has the potential to be the best retardation on a European driveline. The Scania V8 drivelines are so powerful, yet smooth and quiet that it’s easy to forget just how fast the truck is going and how much work the truck is doing.