Truck and driver UK TruePDF april 2019

APRIL 2019 / £3.95Classroom to Class 1: Jess on joining the family business Stralis 570XP: Iveco flagship gets to work Scania R580 V8: Ponsonby’s Golden Griffin TOP-SPEC TIPPING!. TRUCK

APRIL 2019 / £3.95

Classroom to Class 1: Jess on joining the family business

Stralis 570XP: Iveco flagship gets to work

Scania R580 V8: Ponsonby’s Golden Griffin

TOP-SPEC TIPPING!

Dutch Master:

20-year-old Scott’s CF stunner

Manufacturers of Stainless Steel Exhaust Systems

Offi cial suppliers of DINEX and KLEERS products. Any TRUCK, Any SHAPE, Any SIZE

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Main cover photograph

Truck & Driver is published by

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Any material, words and/or photographs

submitted to T&D will be considered as

intended for publication

TrucknDriver Dougie Rankine

Editor, Truck & Driver

YOUTH, EXPERIENCE

Welcome to another fully-loaded issue of T&D We’ve crammed in 10 full features for

you this month, plus all the usual regulars If the DVSA pulled it in, they’d do it for being overloaded Much of the issue is dedicated to the new generation of drivers and we’ve plenty of old-school truck action, including a look back to 1970 and what it was like to pass your HGV test back then Everyone, after all, was a newbie once!

We hear all the time about the great UK Driver Shortage and how with an ageing workforce the problem will only get worse Hauliers of all sizes need to attract new blood, which isn’t easy given the cost of getting an HGV licence and the fact that a lot needs

to be done to improve the image of the industry – one of the top phrases in the media this year is ‘nuisance lorry drivers’ Health & safety rules preventing drivers taking their children out in the lorry during holidays – perfect work experience – don’t help, either.

So, we went out and spoke to a variety of people; big hauliers, small hauliers, training companies and a mix of drivers From apprentices to people who’d simply always liked the look of driving and others who were born into the family business And you know what? There are a lot of positive stories out there, plenty of people who enjoy their work and believe passionately in what they do I compiled pages and pages of notes, speaking

to people both in person and on the phone, and a lot of good stuff is happening The trouble with apprenticeships and funding schemes is that they’re only dotted about here and there; they need to be nationally available and easily accessible The RHA has announced places for 250 new apprentices, but that’s a drop in the ocean The haulage sector has paid in

£150 million to the Apprenticeship Levy but taken out only £10 million

Although faced with a lot of adversity and negativity in the mainstream media, the transport industry is full of great people (yes you, you’re awesome) I really enjoyed putting this issue of

T&D together and I hope you enjoy reading it.

With Sandy Arthur in his Scania Topline, talking about training, the driver shortage and going back into transport

20 Latin Love-in

Two weeks spent working at the wheel of an Iveco Stralis 570XP is enough evidence for Bob Beech that the products from this Italian maker are underrated

40

40 Flavin of the Month

Livestock trucks are 10 a penny in Ireland – but Flavin’s Volvo FH16 750 Tridem rigid and drag is a rare beast

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60

28

May issue on sale

Truck & Driver April 2019

REGULARS

6 Your Place

Spotted – the new T650, the most talked about

truck of 2019; RIP Jim Gill and Middle East

veteran Bob Carter; Great Danes on the beet;

plus Shunter of the Month and Picture Post

16 From the Sharp End

For lowly paid truckers, the huge hike in property

prices over the past two decades has hit hard

49 Next Month!

A full-page rundown of what to look forward to

50 Scenes from the Road

Our regular series depicting terrific trucks carrying out everyday life on the blacktop

58 Letters

Alex Saville’s fascinating and alternative view to

that given in January T&D on the industrial action

by drivers and the public sector in the late 1970s

98 The Blunt End

This month’s tale of driving, daring and disaster:

a boss encounters a truly calamitous character

6

76 Cover story

Y0UR PLACE

Welcome to our section devoted exclusively to your contributions This is the place if you have any pictures you want to share Anything from weddings to funerals, children to dogs, truck shows to road runs, amusing or serious, we would love to see them If it’s your favourite shunter or your child’s drawing, send them in The only rule is that they should be truck related Please email your

contributions to dougie.rankine@roadtransport.com or post them to Your Place, Truck & Driver,

DVV Media International, Sixth Floor, Chancery House, St Nicholas Way, Sutton SM1 1JB

New T650

spotted!

Sent to us by Mark McCrory, these fantastic

snaps are of probably the most talked about

truck of 2019 – Mar-Train’s next-generation

right-hand-drive T-cab, which has just hit the

road Mark captured the Scania while it was

sitting waiting at Belfast docks, en route to

Immingham Mar-Train Heavy Haulage is

based in the city of Lisburn, Northern

Ireland, eight miles south-west of Belfast

TRUCK & DRIVERAPRIL 20197

In Your Place this month

8 Shunter of the Month 10 Great Danes 12 Lockerbie love-in

Obituary – Jim Gill

Truck & Driver reader Jim Gill (1941-2018) was taken on his final

journey to Chilterns Crematorium, Amersham by the 1950

Leyland Beaver of Vintage Lorry Funerals

Jim had a lifelong passion for lorries and started on a coal

round He worked for a number of companies in the area before

putting his own fleet, J W H Gill Haulage, on the road, which

worked for Pearce Waste Paper in Finway, Luton Jim was forced

to give up driving owing to ill health

Jim’s daughter Jacky requested that a folded sheet, secured

with old rope, be positioned at the rear of the Beaver’s deck The

cortege left Tring, travelling via Wendover and picking up the A413

Many vehicles were bunched behind the Leyland and at the

start of the dual-carriageway a number of cars flashed past the

vintage lorry at 70mph After that, nothing, as apparently a truck

driver wanted to show his respect by straddling both lanes Jim’s

family would like to thank this driver for his thoughtfulness

Jim is deeply missed by his daughters Jacky and Kay and all

his many friends Jim’s final wish was for his ashes to be

TEK Seating is the UK’s biggest independent vehicle seat distributor for the OEM and aftermarket, supplying a wide variety of quality driver seats

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Grammer’s Kingman (above) and (below) its MSG 90.3

See us at the

CV show on Stand no:

4G106

Connor’s quest

We ran out of space to include these pics in the feature on page 70

This is Connor Caldwell, who at 18 years old is out driving trucks

already for Augean, combining driving with work in the transport

office The photograph right of the yellow MAN shows Connor as

a boy out with his dad, who is also a lorry driver

Y0UR PLACE

ERFs are popular as shunters as they’re simple and tough This one looks to be in pretty good nick too Gareth Reece sent us the picture and he writes:

“While reading through the mag during

my 45-minute break I thought I should nominate our V-registration EC11 for the

‘Shunter of the Month’ section in T&D It’s the last of the old wagons we have in the yard with a 16-speed ’box

“As a C driver,” Gareth adds, “I’m always happy to jump in the old bus and get some C+E practice in the yard.”

SHUNTER

OF THE MONTH

Certas Energ has opened a new bunker

refuelling site in Holyhead, North Wales The

site is the only dedicated HGV-refuelling

facility on the island of Anglesey

Featuring a high-speed refuelling system,

which dispenses fuel at a speed of up to 120 litres per minute, it allows up to four HGVs

to refuel simultaneously The refuelling bunker is located alongside the existing Roadking truckstop, which opened in May

2015 and provides high-quality amenities for hauliers, including affordable overnight accommodation, a 24-hour bar/restaurant, male and female shower facilities, a coin-operated launderette and on-site security

New fuel bunker for Holyhead

A PACCAR COMPANY DRIVEN BY QUALITY

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Y0UR PLACE

Great Danes on the beet

International driver and author Mat Ireland

sent us a selection of pictures from Denmark

We’ll let him explain

“The sugar beet campaign in the UK lasts

from around October until March but in

Denmark it doesn’t run as long With only

two processing plants located in the south of

the country, in Nykøbing Falster and

Nakskov, the Danish campaign runs from the

middle of September until January

“However, by using a four-axle trailer they

can run at weights of 56,000kg and, running

a ‘link’ combination (truck, dolly and another

trailer), they can carry 60,000kg Using a

standard truck and trailer, they can hit

weights 12 tonnes more than in the UK

“On 26 September 2018, heading for Copenhagen, I happened to be having a 24-hour break on the small island of Bogø in the south of the country While parked there, something unusual happened

“The police shut down the ferries from Germany as well as the road network while they hunted down a Swedish-registered car containing three suspects – so my parking area was filled with trucks, mostly working on sugar beet, the season for which had just started The closure went on for several hours while they tried to locate the suspects Alas, it turned out to be a false alarm I took the opportunity to snap a few of the trucks on their unexpected break!”

Y0UR PLACE

RIP Bob Carter

Sadly we have to report the death, on 10 January, of haulage legend Bob Carter (above right), following a battle with cancer

He died at the age of 80

Eldest grandson of operator William Carter, famous for its green trucks, he grew

up in his father Les’s transport business Bob was a pioneer of overland haulage to mainland Europe and the Middle East in the 1970s with his company Trans UK Haulage Bob wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and learnt his engineering skills

in the British Army’s Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME)

He leaves daughter Jane and two sons, Chas and Jimmy Bob, a true gentleman of the road haulage industry, will be sorely missed by all who knew him His colourful life is recorded in a book by Mat Ireland (pictured left below with Bob), You Call We Haul published by Old Pond

Organised by the Solway Vehicle Enthusiasts Club, a vehicle gathering and road run will be taking place over the weekend of 27/28 April, based out of Lockerbie Truckstop

On Saturday there’s a run from 4-5pm and entertainment in the bar that night The main gathering kicks off at 10.30am on Sunday

Free admission for spectators and exhibitors!

For details, contact organisers Len

Greenwood on 01387 240098 or Billy Glendinning on 07803 371707.

Training expansion for Peter Smythe

Peter Smythe has acquired Darren Shaw

Training of Dronfield “We were given the

opportunity as Darren was moving out of the

area,” explains Peter “This acquisition

broadens our local coverage to include South

Yorkshire and further into Derbyshire Peter

Smythe Transport Training has been operating

since 1985, is NVDIR-registered and had the

very first private driving test centre in the UK.”

Based in Sutton-in-Ashfield,

Nottinghamshire, the company operates a

purpose-built training centre featuring its own workshops and two reversing areas

Backing up the team of fully qualified and registered instructors is a fleet of modern vehicles, and new ones are added each year

For many years, Peter Smythe Transport Training has offered residential courses to candidates living more than 70 miles from the training centre “At any one time, there are a number of candidates staying with us,”

concludes Peter

Lockerbie

love-in

@TheCVShow Get your FREE ticket Register today www.cvshow.com

2019

THE

CV SHOW 30 APRIL - 2 MAY • NEC • BIRMINGHAM

THE UK’S LARGEST COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SHOW

The showroom for excellence

One event Three days Build your industry knowledge at The Commercial Vehicle Show

2019 in an interactive way Explore the latest products and developments in the show halls

and discover the dedicated Cool and Workshop zones.

The Commercial Vehicle Show 2019 is the showroom for excellence, providing an ideal

opportunity to network and engage.

Visit us at the NEC Birmingham, Tuesday 30th April – Thursday 2nd May 2019.

Send T&D your photos of interesting trucks and we’ll pay £10*

*In the form of a high street voucher, exchangeable anywhere

PICTURE Send us your photos! POST

For digital images, set your camera to its highest-quality setting and email them to

dougie.rankine@roadtransport.com only and not to any of our other email addresses If you send prints (we

would rather you didn’t) and want them returned, add your name & address to the back of each one Please

don’t send prints taken from digital images Send your prints to: Dougie Rankine, Picture Post, T&D, DVV Media

International, Sixth Floor, Chancery House, St Nicholas Way, Sutton SM1 1JB

NOTE: The photographer owns the copyright to his or her submission All material submitted to Your Place/

Picture Post is on the understanding that T&D retains the right to use it again, possibly in other formats, in the

future Also, T&D cannot be responsible for material mislaid or lost in the post.

MURRAY SCOTT, Scania G-series Highline : Murray snapped this Wm & D Murray of Kintore, Aberdeenshire 8x4 rigid and its caravan cargo navigating a roundabout

DAVID HENNING, Actros 2563 GigaSpace : David is the proud driver of this superb Mercedes, which has scooped a lot of silverware at shows recently No wonder, it’s mint!

‘BOABY’ PULLAR, Daf CF Ate: Robert Summers of Buckhaven,

Fife runs this tidy CF, ‘Kingdom Starlifter’, pictured loaded

with timber on a warm sunny day at the firm’s yard

Each month the sender of the ‘star’

picture will also receive a superb 1:76-scale modern truck model, from Oxford Diecast, that retails at around £18.95 See the full range

of models on the website

oxforddiecast.co.uk

STAR

PHOTO H

IAN ATHOME, Renault Range-T tipper: “Peter Small

Transport’s Renault T460 The picture was taken in our

yard in Hertfordshire at the end of a night shift”

TRUCK & DRIVERAPRIL 201915

Picture Post

The best of this month’s readers’ snaps

RICHARD ARMSTRONG, Scania R-series Topline : This R580 V8

belonging to Cartwrights Waste Disposal Services of

Telford is delivering lime to a field near Crewe, Cheshire

PAUL O’CALLAGHAN, Volvo FH500: Denis J Downey of Donoughmore, County Cork, Ireland’s 15-plate FH, photographed by Paul on a fine day in the countryside

THOMAS ELLIS, Foden 3275 : This Foden six-wheel skip lorry, ‘Brooklyn Alfred’ , is still working hard across the Black Country – seriously rare these days and a great catch by Thomas It’s dedicated ‘In memory of Jeff & Mary’

STAR

PHOTO

£30 WINNER

H

FROM THE SHARP END

Paul Godby

Truck driver

Compare property prices with those

in 1998, figure in current pay and,

argues Paul Godby, it’s not difficult

to fathom why drivers are unhappy

October 1998 I was 23 and my then girlfriend and I

bought our first home – a three-bed semi in a Suffolk coastal village for £48,500 At the time I drove an FL10 on general dock work for DFDS, Ipswich; my guaranteed weekly hours were 50 plus overtime but I often averaged 71 hours per five-day week

My girlfriend, now wife, worked in a children’s home on

a zero-hours contract, working ‘pool shifts’ The building society wouldn’t take her income into account as it wasn’t guaranteed, so the mortgage was agreed based on my wages alone At the time it was still common practice to use the borrower’s income x 2.5 as the lending limit We saved up a deposit of £3000, so around 6% and a few months later we had the keys We were over the moon, our own home at last!

And now?

Fast forward to the present day… Clearly house prices have risen in the last 20 years; the same-style house in the same road is currently on the market for £190,000 Using the same borrowing framework, a 6% deposit would be £11,400

The ‘2.5 x income’ lending limit would require an annual income of £71,440 – I don’t claim to be an economist but

I’m confident that there aren’t too many drivers on containers or ro-ro trailers pulling in that sort of salary.Think of it as a snapshot of the real value of a driver’s wages: £71,440 for 12 months; £5953.34 per month;

£1373.85 each week; £274.77 a day over five days.The hourly rate of pay? Legally, as I understand it, it must average 48 hours maximum per week, regardless of the company’s reference period In truth, most trampers are still knocking out around 71 hours every five days For the sake of this exercise, however, we’ll err on the side of

‘legal’ and divide £274.77 by 9.6 hours, bringing the required hourly rate, to satisfy the lending requirement and buy the aforementioned three-bed semi, to £28.63

Tax to consider too

To demonstrate enough income to service a mortgage, however, I can only assume that this hourly rate must be net of tax to qualify for the mortgage to buy a three-bed semi in a popular Suffolk coastal village A modest dwelling, not a five-bed detached house with a double garage on an executive development

“But you weren’t limited to 48 hours per week in 1998,”

I hear you say You’re absolutely right In 1998 my DFDS basic pay was for 40 hours then time-and-a-half thereafter Our guarantee was for 50 hours, so 10 hours’ overtime was guaranteed Sadly, my payslips of that time are long since gone but, from memory, the building society wouldn’t allow talk of 71 hours per week to enter the calculation.I’ve a feeling it was capped at 60 hours per week so, to be more realistic, let’s call it a 60-hour week – resulting in

£22.90ph take-home that our 2018, 23-year-old lorry driver and prospective home-owner needs to earn

Thank you for bearing with me so far Using the above jumble of calculations and historical perspective, I have a fairly good idea as to why the haulage industry has for the last decade or so been struggling to hire and retain ‘proper’ lorry drivers – the pay’s crap

To spend the week up the road with all the rules, regs, lack of secure parking, awful food, diesel thefts, load thefts, gas attacks, anti-social behaviour from other road users, the decline of camaraderie between fellow wagon drivers and

be remunerated to the tune of about £8ph is scandalous

Is it too much of an expectation for a professional lorry driver to be able to buy a modest home to live in, if only at

weekends? Should house prices be used as a benchmark for wages? Yes Why do we all go to work? What is the biggest cost of living? Your home

Were everyone able to afford to buy their own home, then I’m confident society’s mood would alter for the better Being stuck renting a three-bed semi leaves you without a dog in the fight Why bother, when you’re working 60 to 70 hours each week with nothing to show at the end of it? Not a difficult equation really, is it… l

Being stuck renting a three-bed semi leaves you without a dog in the fight

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A TRUCK SHOW WITH A DIFFERENCE

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Don’t miss all the action throughout the weekend, with Team

Maximum Lock showcasing jaw-dropping precision driving

skills plus Red Dragon monster truck rides, opportunities to

get behind the wheel of an HGV or US rig, drift truck demos

and the legendary Convoy in the Park caravan smash!

There’s plenty for children of all ages to enjoy We’ll be

showing kids’ movies on the big screen throughout the

weekend, and daredevils can try their hand on the inflatable

assault course and climbing wall Look out for Scalextric

racing, circus performances and roaming kids’ characters too!

The entire venue will be crammed with one of the UK’s biggest gatherings of spectacular show trucks displaying stunning liveries, including incredible

artwork and sparkling chrome.

Our best-ever Saturday night music line-up features Queen tribute act Freddie and the Mercurys sending the crowd ga ga and rock outfit U2 2 churning out hit-after-hit, plus two hours of side-splitting stand-up comedy in our big top tent

Leading truck manufacturers including Scania, MAN, Mercedes and more will join the convoy, displaying their latest state-of-the art models for visitors to browse.

ROAD TEST

LATIN

opportunity to put the current

top-of-the-range Iveco Stralis

570XP through its paces for a

couple of weeks, and a lingering

memory is the storming performance

of the 13-litre engine Over the years

plenty of criticism has been directed at

the manufacturer’s products,

especially the quality of the cab

interiors, but few drivers who have

actually got behind the wheel ever

complain about the way they perform

In the current Cursor engine

line-up are 9-, 11- and 13-litre variants,

with overhead camshafts and, except

on the lowest ratings,

variable-geometry turbochargers, which

increase engine power and torque at

low revs and maintain the output

throughout the rev range Apart from

performing well, the Iveco engines can

give good fuel consumption and, if

maintained properly, are reliable

The latest XP versions have further

refinements to the engine and

driveline to both improve efficiency

and to lower fuel consumption

A true test

We used the truck on a variety of work

pulling a range of trailers, including

fridges, curtainsiders, double-deck

trailers on night trunk and a day or two

with a step-frame, moving machinery

We covered most of the UK south of

the Pennines and had a trip up into

the Ardennes in Belgium And before

anyone says that the Stralis is now

built in Madrid, the parent company

is still based in Italy and the truck’s

DNA is still firmly Italian

The Iveco twin-steer is by far the

most popular choice for UK operators,

and the second steer axle on the Stralis

has been hydraulically operated –

lighter in weight and with fewer

wearing parts – for many years; Iveco

led the way with this innovation Above

40km/h the steering is ‘locked’ in the

straight-ahead position but has a

variable steering angle down to 15km/h

and full steering below this point, which

is ideal for low-speed manoeuvring

Our truck had single-leaf steel

suspension on the front axle and full

air on the rear bogie, with the usual

weight transfer to aid traction and full

lift on the second steer Most Stralis

British drivers often give Iveco a bum rap Bob Beech puts a Stralis 570XP on

a variety of work for two weeks and climbs out of the Hi-Way cab smiling

TRUCK & DRIVERAPRIL 201921

Iveco Stralis 570XP

Words: Bob Beech / Images: Tom Cunningham

LOVE-IN

ROAD TEST

tractors have a smooth ride without too much roll, achieving this fine balance with relatively soft suspension and anti-roll bars on each axle.Our truck had 385/65 super-singles

on the front steer and 315/70 tyres on the rear bogie, along with Dura-Bright aluminium wheels

Highest ever output: 570hp

The 11-litre Cursor is the most popular choice in the UK, rated at

420, 460 and 480hp, along with the new gas-powered 460 option, while the 13-litre is now offered at 510 and 570hp, the latter being Iveco’s highest ever output Above 40km/h the maximum torque for either rating is not that exceptional at 2300 and 2500Nm respectively, but it is developed over a wide rev range.The 570 maintains 2500Nm from 1000rpm right up to 1605rpm This gives the unique performance

Fact focus

Make & model: Iveco New Stralis AS440S57TX/P XP 6x2 twin-steer tractor

Chassis: 4000mm wheelbase (3800mm optional) GVW 24,500kg/GTW 44,000kg

Steel front suspension plated 8000kg, fully air-suspended rear bogie plated 17,200kg,

385/65R22.5 tyres on axles one and two, 315/70R22.5 on axle three Meritor

single-reduction drive-axle with diff lock, 2.64:1 ratio standard (others available) Polished

aluminium wheels, 500-litre fuel tank, 50-litre plastic AdBlue tank

Engine: Iveco Cursor 13 Euro 6c 12.88-litre six-cylinder in-line with overhead camshaft

and common-rail fuel injection, SCR emissions control Optional EcoSwitch to optimise

performance, Iveco engine brake

Power/torque: 570hp @ 1605rpm, 2500Nm @1000-1605rpm

Gearbox: Iveco Hi-Tronic (ZF TraXon) 12TX 2620, 12-speed automated with manual

override, direct-drive top gear, eco-roll, rocking mode and low-speed manoeuvring mode

Brakes: EBS-controlled air operated discs with Hill Hold, ABS and ASR

Cab: Hi-Way high-roof sleeper with four-point air suspension, four external lockers, full

air-deflector kit, roof-mounted Stralis light bars, air horns, auxiliary air-conditioning,

additional driving lamps, sun-visor Leather seat trim, single bunk (80cm wide), overhead/

underbunk storage, coolbox/fridge Manual air-con (ATC optional), electrically-operated

front blind, side-window curtains Iveconnect multi-media system: CD player, radio, phone,

satnav, interface for other devices

Fuel consumption: Overall over seven days, 8.99mpg (at 26-44 tonnes gross)

TRUCK & DRIVERAPRIL 201923

Iveco Stralis 570XP

characteristics of the Cursor range,

where there is an even flow of power

through the rev range and the engine

and transmission make full use of this

to give better than average

performance The variable-geometry

turbocharger also boosts the

performance of the engine brake by

increasing the gas flow through the

engine at lower engine speeds; this is

an important point, as the relatively

high overall gearing of modern trucks

has tended to reduce the effectiveness

of many engine brakes

Iveco has championed the

SCR-only emissions control system from

Euro 4 onwards and now a number of

competitors, including Scania, have

followed this lead EGR has proven to

be quite troublesome in the long term

for many manufacturers, resulting in

turbocharger, valve and cooling

problems Although Iveco has now

started to use EGR on the two XP

high-efficiency versions of the Stralis (11-litre 480 and 13-litre 570 engines), the company claims that the system is used merely to optimise fuel consumption and plays no part in controlling emissions

The XP range includes a system of Smart auxiliaries where the

compressor, alternator and power steering pump operate only on demand, thereby reducing fuel consumption; a high axle ratio is also part of the package Our truck was also fitted with EcoSwitch – which gives reduced-speed running and a revised gearshift pattern to boost economy – but it was turned off during our time with the truck and we were able to run at full speed

GPS-controlled cruise control comes as part of the full range of electronic control and safety systems fitted to most modern trucks

The standard ZF TraXon 12-speed automated transmission, which replaces the AS-Tronic auto, has, with its revised software, much-improved clutch control and a new, more sensitive control system

Both gear ratios and modes are selected via the dash-mounted buttons and changed manually via the right-hand steering column stalk

Previously, high-power Stralis models had overdrive top ratios which saw them drop out of top gear on most motorway hills to increase engine revs Now, the 570 has a direct-drive top gear, allowing the engine to rev a bit more; our truck showed 1450rpm at 55mph

Performance and driveability

We expected a decent level of performance from the 570 Stralis and

we certainly weren’t disappointed

Like previous versions, the truck has a real feeling of get up and go from the moment you first get behind the wheel It is exceptionally lively almost regardless of the weight behind it, even

at 44 tonnes The revs build quickly from 1000rpm and the gearshifts are fast and almost seamless, acceleration not really tailing off right up to the maximum limited speed

While the engine note could never

be described as inspiring, there is a pronounced turbo whistle as the revs

rise, along with a very subdued roar that heralds the next gearchange

There is no turbo lag whatsoever and

if you floor the throttle the truck does its upmost to achieve the maximum velocity for the given situation, the TraXon gearbox playing a big part in this, the changes being smooth and rapid From a standstill the Stralis picks up drive straight away and the starting ratio engages as soon as the gear control button is pressed Low-speed manoeuvring and changing between forward and reverse are now much improved As good as the mighty I-Shift is in many respects, drivers of previous-generation ZF automated gearboxes need to try the new model before voicing an opinion

Hill-climbing is equally impressive, the engine digging in well as the revs drop but the transmission quickly downchanging to increase revs if left

to its own devices, as if it’s

Various work was undertaken over the fortnight with the 570XP, including fridges (left) The 570hp 13-litre Cursor engine is exceptionally lively throughout the rev range, and the optional auxiliary air-con (above) was brilliant in the heat

programmed to try and defeat most gradients by climbing them as quickly

as possible We covered quite a few cross-country routes that would test 16-litre engines producing

600hp-plus, one being the climb up Crickley Hill on the A417 near Gloucester, a good test of any truck at

44 tonnes The 570 dragged a fridge trailer fully laden with milk up the testing gradient in 7th at 24-25mph

The engine and transmission software allow the engine to rev quite freely rather than, in pursuit of premium economy to the detriment of journey times, keeping the motor growling away at low revs Even the GPS cruise control is programmed to allow the engine to rev a bit; we tried

to override it on some long motorway hills a couple of times by changing up manually but the system knew better and dropped down a gear because it read that the hill was getting steeper

The truck performs well on motorway hills too, especially with its direct-drive top gear It holds onto top gear longer, achieving really good journey times without pushing the truck

Held its own against an R580

Although after a few days we were well aware that the Stralis was definitely punching above its 13-litre weight, we were surprised when we ran with a Euro 6 Scania R580 The big V8 most definitely has a big torque advantage – something like 450Nm, which would be decisive in hilly country – but the Stralis more than held its own in the give and take of normal terrain and traffic

The Iveco easily pulled away from the Scania from standstill at full weight and this was achieved in standard automatic mode, our colleague reluctantly admitting that he was surprised by how well the Stralis went and that he had to use hill/

performance mode to keep up with it

A long climb on the A303 past Ilminster proves the point Most 500hp 44-tonners are down to 6th or 7th gear on the steepest part of the climb; the Stralis held onto 8th but was back

up to 10th as soon as the gradient eased and was still accelerating hell for leather until we had to back off for the sharp bend at the top

A 13-litre engine working this hard does generate quite a bit of heat, and

we did notice the temperature gauge move about 15˚C on big hills It soon dropped back when the fan cut in and

it didn’t rise again no matter how long the hill was, but keeping the radiator clean will be a workshop priority as the truck gets older

The engine brake is very effective right through the rev range, holding the fully laden outfit on most motorway hills You can set the engine brake to come in at just 1km over the cruise control setting, the transmission dropping one or two gears to get the revs up to 2100-2200rpm, and this is enough to avoid overspeeds on most hills On steeper A-road hills it is possible to regulate the engine brake

ROAD TEST

Twin-steer Iveco

tractor is easily the

most popular choice

for UK operators

Ride is smooth and

there’s little roll

A 13-litre engine

working this hard

does generate quite a bit of

heat, and we did notice the

temperature gauge move

about 15˚C on big hills

TRUCK & DRIVERAPRIL 201925

Iveco Stralis 570XP

via the manual control, which handles

most of the on-road braking but can

get a little jerky at very low speeds

The standard brakes themselves

work well enough but initially they

seem a bit dead and could do with

more feel at the pedal

The ride and handling of the Stralis

is superb, helped by the relatively

low-mounted cab There is little roll and

the truck floats over the worst road

surfaces, while the steering is also

commendable Initially it seems too

light but it is actually very positive

with lots of feel, enabling you to steer

right to the edge of the road with full

confidence This was made clear on

some really bad roads in the Ardennes,

the combination of smooth ride,

excellent steering and superb handling

meaning we were able to make really

good progress on roads that with other

trucks literally shake you from the seat

Living with the Stralis

The basic cab shell is now almost 25

years old, but much has been done to

update it over the years The latest XP exterior styling has changed the look

of the truck considerably; the black panel nicely complements the silver cab and the deep visor and LED roof bar give it a more modern look

Three wide steps, decent grab handles and a door that opens fully make it easy to get behind the wheel and the optional leather seats are comfortable, with plenty of adjustment

in all directions, although the driver does sit quite high in relation to the controls; lighter individuals might struggle a little The facia sweeps around the driver without hindering cross-cab access A small step has to

be negotiated to get to the centre of the cab but the floor has been reinforced and no longer sags when you stand on the nearside section, and there is plenty of headroom

The steering column doesn’t adjust

as much as in some competitors but

we found it easy to get comfortable

Vision is good in all directions, the mirrors being well placed with a

decent gap between the main and wide-angle heads, and although the electric adjustment facility is comprehensive it’s a bit fiddly to use

The control layout is easy enough to follow and well marked, although some controls are partly obscured by the wheel Also, the main light switch and the diff-lock are identical and on either side of the wheel, which could

be an issue for some

Low-speed mode

Low-speed mode is selected by holding down the clearly marked forward or reverse gear control buttons, which work well despite being

a bit of a stretch The handbrake dash light requires the lever to be pushed right home when parking otherwise it issues a warning

The dash display is comprehensive but the graphics are quite small; the optional digital speed display in mph should be standard for this market

Dashboard components seem well assembled, with few rattles, and most

An Italian view

Colleague and good friend Gian Marco

Fieschi (right) now lives in the UK and has

spent a number of years driving for British

companies Prior to this he worked for

operators in his native Italy, driving all over

Europe “I drove quite a few older Ivecos for

a number of years They were all an

improvement over the previous model and

the engines were invariably very reliable but,

as in the UK, the cab interiors were fragile; a

lot of the plastic fittings broke, the curtain

clips in particular Also, the electrics gave

problems on the older models

“Things improved quite a bit with the

second-generation Stralis, but Iveco always

took a long time to update the design and fix

the faults on the older models

“Many smaller Italian operators are very

loyal to both the brand and their local dealer

The older generation like the fact that the

designs do not change a great deal, that the

basic cab design has remained the same

Loyalty to a product that has served you well

is understandable, and imported trucks only

really started to appear in Italy in the late

’70s Iveco still has a large share of the

market and listens to its loyal customers.”

Marco took the Stralis 570XP for a brief drive “The cab interior is definitely better built and quite well laid out I like the leather seats and the dashboard is much improved;

it feels quite solid and most of the controls are close to hand The gearbox is a big improvement and very smooth; in Italy I had

an early Stralis with the manual gearbox and

it drove well

“There is plenty of room to move around

The engine note is the same – we say the engines sound like a coffee machine – but it

goes really well, it would be good to try it for

a week or two The ride is extremely smooth and the engine brake is good The footbrake still feels a bit dead, although the brakes work well enough

“Otherwise, it drives very well; Ivecos have definitely improved The manufacturer might

be a bit slow to change, and that suits many Italians, but they also say that if Scania hadn’t started selling trucks in Italy in the

’70s we would still be driving the old Fiat 682 with the split-windscreen cab!”

ROAD TEST

of the surfaces in front of the driver are of a decent quality, but some other fittings are a bit flimsy Overall, the standard of Iveco cab interiors has definitely improved, which should help driver perception, but rivals have set the bar a bit higher

User-friendly info system

The combined radio/navigation/

information system works well and is relatively user-friendly Pairing a phone is simple but it has to be done quite regularly and with the truck at a standstill Quite a few USB points are dotted around the cab but more standard power points for chargers and other kit are required The Smart electrical charging system charges the truck’s batteries at between 18 and 32 volts when it re-engages, which might cause issues with some equipment

Cab storage is exceptional The overhead lockers are a bit small but easy to access and there are plenty of other storage areas – under both seats, beneath the centre console, in the dash and doors, almost everywhere – and the exterior lockers are deep, with reasonably wide apertures An option

of storage lockers on the rear wall would be useful with the single-bunk layout of our truck

Our Hi-Comfort set-up was wide and relatively long, just the right height to sit in, but we found the bunk

a bit too hard and would probably invest in a mattress topper

The electric front blind works well

and the side curtains now have plastic clips to hold them in place, but full curtains would probably be better and

a little more durable

The optional auxiliary conditioning was brilliant in hot weather, making sleep possible on the warmest of nights It does consume a fair amount of electrical power, but fortunately the automatic control system shuts it down if power levels become critical Our truck’s manual air-con, rather than the optional automatic temperature control, proved efficient but the full-house system would be more in keeping with the specification of the truck

air-The Stralis comes with a small fridge-freezer beside the driver seat, but curiously this model did not have the full-size fridge under the bunk, only a cool-box A decent centre floor mat would be a worthwhile addition.The interior lights are effective but

a bit complicated to operate; a dimmer switch would be preferable

Conclusion

The Stralis 570XP is an interesting truck It goes like a train, gives reasonable fuel consumption and is comfortable to both drive and live in

It still has a few small issues but is far better than many would imagine.There are strong rumours that in the near future we will see a new Iveco truck range with a brand-new cab If this is up to the standard of the rest of the truck, it will be some machine l

Comfy leather seats are an option, interior storage is generous

and driver visibility is good TraXon 12-speed auto is standard

• Improved towing

• Fewer gear changes

• Smoother driving experience

• Shorter journey time

• All vehicles are custom tuned

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SCANIA V8 CALENDAR TRUCKS

A crisp paint job and shiny packaging makes for a mouth-watering feast Michael Phillips tucks in…

WONDER

GOLDEN

The Scania

Golden Griffin

The limited-edition – just 50 examples – Scania

Golden Griffin is instantly recognisable by its striking

gold livery, which was designed by Scania’s in-house team

of stylists Available only with Scania R-series Streamline

Topline cabs, each Golden Griffin carries a plaque bearing its

unique limited-edition number

The choice of available V8 engine outputs was 580 or 730hp,

although model numbers 1 and 50 in the range were both

equipped with Scania’s 730hp power unit

Each vehicle could be specified as a 4x2, 6x2, 6x2/2 or

6x2/4, and Scania’s luxury Griffin pack was fitted as standard

In addition, each vehicle was equipped with three luxury Scania

packages – Black Leather V8, Prestige and Driver – assuring

the owner and driver the ultimate in terms of specification,

comfort and safety

A wide range of active and passive safety features, including

Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control and Advanced

Emergency Braking were also fitted, and each truck featured

what at the time was a state-of-the-art entertainment system

TRUCK & DRIVERAPRIL 201929

R580 Golden Griffin, Mike Ponsonby

Words: Michael Phillips / Images: Bryan Winstanley

circles, the Ponsonby name is one of the industry’s great success stories The exploits of various family members have been well documented

by the transport press over the years, and this article – which features the Scania V8 gracing the month of April

on the 2019 T&D calendar – focuses

on Lichfield, Staffordshire-based

M A Ponsonby Limited

Mike Ponsonby, the firm’s MD, is a third-generation member of the haulage dynasty that began when his grandfather moved from County Donegal to Birmingham back in 1944;

he married in 1947 and Mike’s father was born in 1949 Starting off in removals before progressing to general haulage, grandad Ponsonby would influence his descendents to follow in his footsteps Passing away in 1996, he was held in such regard by grandson Mike that the gleaming Scania V8 you see before you now was named in his honour: ‘Letterkenny Lad’

It’s a fitting tribute, for you would

be hard pressed to find a better example of a concours-condition truck, the Ponsonbys being renowned for quality, an attribute that can be traced all the way back to the standards set by the clan’s founding father

Best truck out there

For Mike Ponsonby, a major part of the success story is the family’s association with Scania “Let’s be honest,” he says, “they’re the best truck out there The uptime is second

to none, our drivers love them and we always get good residuals Although I’m MD, I’m also hands-on; I drive myself so I know what’s what

“My father bought his first Scania back in 1982 and their appeal, performance and reliability has endured to this day Today I run eight V8s, ranging from 520 to 730 horsepower What’s the best thing about them? They let us get the job done, and that’s what I’m all about

“To all those people who harp on about fuel economy, I’d say what about getting the extra load on because of the time you’ve saved and the reliability of the V8? That helps you look after your customers better,

SCANIA V8 CALENDAR TRUCKS

Hands-on MD Mike

Ponsonby (right)

says his Golden

Griffin is the perfect

truck “All our V8s

are high-spec, but

this one has

something extra”

TRUCK & DRIVERAPRIL 201931

R580 Golden Griffin, Mike Ponsonby

M A Ponsonby Limited

M A Ponsonby is an unashamed fan of the brand – it operates an all-Scania fleet of 10 tractor units and two rigids The tractors haul the firm’s fleet of 22 trailers, which include low-loaders, stepframes and flats The firm’s work is mainly in the construction industry, for which it undertakes plant, machinery and equipment moves It also works for the Environment Agency on various land-management operations, and runs both nationwide and into Europe

“We did six trips to France and Germany in January alone Our Euro operations are highly specialised, so the foreign vehicle

operators aren’t into it,” explains Mike Ponsonby

and that is what really counts.”For a working truck, GG14 MAP, the M A Ponsonby vehicle we’re looking at here, is exceptional Replete with custom toolbox, exhaust stacks, lights, beacons, air horns, a leather-clad interior with heated/cooled seats, TV/DVD, microwave, coffee percolator and a fridge-freezer, it’s a truck to die for

“All our V8s are high spec, but this one has something extra,” says Mike

“It’s a Golden Griffin, the edition model Scania produced to celebrate its 50th anniversary in the

limited-UK back in 2014 The fact that it is in this condition is down to its driver, Lee Worsey He keeps it in pristine order and has done since day one

“You would never know that it goes onto building sites every day of its life – Lee deserves a huge amount of credit for looking after it He’s away four or five nights every week, spends Saturdays cleaning it, and it really is still like new four-and-a-half years on – it’s exceptional

Golden opportunity

“Regarding the Golden Griffin itself,

as soon as I heard Scania was producing something special to commemorate its golden anniversary,

I said, ‘I’m having one!’

“It was limited to just 50 trucks Scania let you choose which number you wanted, and I went for number

30 We did the deal in May 2014 and when it arrived I spent four or five months preparing it for the road

“It’s plated at 80 tonnes gross train weight and, to be classified as an STGO category 2, we had to fit a subframe on the chassis in order to

SCANIA V8 CALENDAR TRUCKS

Scania shrank the

livery to make it fit

GG14 MAP is kept in

pristine nick by

driver Lee Worsey

spread the weight across it and add strength It went into service in September 2014 and since then it’s never been a moment’s bother We’ve just repainted the chassis, so now it’s ready for the next four years

“As well as hauling machinery and plant, the truck is a regular at shows, including Truckfest Peterborough, Gaydon and Convoy in the Park, where we’ve won Best Fleet for two years on the trot That’s something I’m really proud of, and I’m sure the Golden Griffin is a contributor to that.”

All in all, it sounds as if Mike Ponsonby has found his perfect truck, not to mention the perfect driver to go with it! But if he could improve anything about it, what would his message to Scania be?

Turn up the V8 volume

“That’s a tough one,” says Mike

“After all, it’s pretty special already, isn’t it? The only thing I would say is that it would be nice if they gave us the V8 noise back, as this truck is very well insulated inside

“But then again, they’ve done that, haven’t they? I remember reading they’ve backed off the insulation in new-generation Scanias because the field testers said they wanted to hear more of the V8 So it’s great to know Scania listens to its drivers!” ●

Hop Farm, Kent Hop Farm , Kent

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DRIVERS’ LIVES

YOUNG

Make/model: Volvo FH 8x4 T-ride,

100-tonnes GCW

Engine: D13K540, 13-litre six, Euro 6c

Power: 540hp @ 1400-1800rpm

Torque: 2600Nm @1000-1400rpm

Gearbox: 14-speed manual with

retarder and hub reduction

Company: Dynes Auto Services

TRUCK & DRIVERAPRIL 201935

Robbie Powell, Volvo FH recovery vehicle

Words: John Challen / Images: Nigel Spreadbury

The ‘youth of today’ often come in for a bit of stick, but many of them, like recovery truck driver Robbie Powell, are fighting back by letting their work do the talking

Powell play: Robbie is just 23 years old but you’ll find him at the wheel of this magnificent

FH recovery truck that’s worth £400,000-plus

DRIVERS’ LIVES

We can all recall being asked

“What do you want to do when you grow up?”

Many will have had some maybe over-ambitious ideas about becoming an astronaut, professional footballer, racing driver or an actor, but ask these same people the same question when they leave school and you’ll probably not get a straight answer

But there are young ’uns who have known from the minute they can walk and talk what they want to do and who

go out of their way to make sure they get there Whatever the influence or reasoning behind their decision, they are fixed on the prize – which certainly helps the process of getting there

Dream job

Meet Robbie Powell – one of a breed

of this latter group of young workers who are doing their dream job and absolutely loving it!

Robbie is a 23-year-old from Kent and driver of a Volvo FH recovery truck for Dynes Auto Services in Bexleyheath Not a bad gig for a youngster, but then he’s done his apprenticeship – literally – and more

“From a very young age I always wanted to work on cars or trucks or actually any vehicle I could get my hands on,” says Robbie “I was fascinated with fixing them I might spend more time driving trucks these days, but I still love to get under the bonnet or chassis to fix them.”

Robbie’s love of vehicles stems partly from his father, who used to have a garage, where Robbie would help out – whether his dad wanted him to or not!

“It’s definitely in the blood,” reckons Robbie “I’ve also been involved with Motocross from a young age and love working on bikes General repairs and maintenance was really good fun to

me from a very young age – I’ve always liked the challenge of making something work again.”

qualifications but it wasn’t until a few years later that the recovery driver seed was planted

“When I was 20 I went to a recovery show and saw demonstrations of rollovers and how to retrieve the vehicles Back at the office, I asked the boss if it was something that I would

be able to do in the future and he agreed, encouraging me to have a go,” recalls Robbie

“At that point I was a technician on the Dynes fleet, but the guys

supported me through my Class 2 and Class 1 truck licence qualifications and Hiab training and then I got my chance to get into the recovery truck.”

Fortunately a friend of my dad’s knew my boss here He got

me the job, so I didn’t really need to look anywhere else As well as being a great place to work, it’s really convenient for me too, because I live only 10-15 minutes from the site

Wind the clock back seven years to where the story of this modest but very talented young man began

Almost as soon as he could get out of school, aged 16, Robbie went straight off to work for Dynes

“I knew what I wanted to do, so it was just a matter of finding somewhere

to go,” he explains “Fortunately a friend of my dad’s knew my boss here

He got me the job, so I didn’t really need to look anywhere else As well as being a great place to work, it’s really convenient for me too, because I live only 10-15 minutes from the site.”

Starting out in the workshop, Dynes put Robbie though all the necessary

Robbie Powell

(right) started with

the spanners in the

Dynes workshop but

was soon asking the

boss if he could

have a go at

recovery himself

TRUCK & DRIVERAPRIL 201937

Robbie Powell, Volvo FH recovery vehicle

Recovery is a pretty specialised business and there’s a lot to learn – and as well as knowing what to do, Robbie says it’s

imperative to know what not to do He’s particularly grateful to

the training manager at Dynes Auto Services, Paul Cloke

Having started rescuing stranded

vehicles at 21 – and with ADR

training and qualifications also under

his belt – Robbie hasn’t looked back

since and certainly wouldn’t change a

thing “I’m really pleased with how

things have gone for me I love driving

the truck and get a real buzz from

recovering big vehicles.”

Range-topping Reuben

Vehicle-wise, Robbie has worked his

way up through the Dynes fleet,

starting out on the ‘skateboard’

3.5-tonne flatbeds, moving up steadily

through the larger vehicles and finally

onto the range-topper, a 67-plate

Volvo FH 32-tonner worth £400,000

called ‘Reuben’ It has an impressive

top boom that allows pretty much any

vehicle to be rescued – if it’s

approached in the right way

The latter point is something that

Robbie picked up on through his

training and also through the help and

guidance of those around him within the company “The most valuable lesson I’ve learned in vehicle recovery

is to take your time when loading

“If you rush things, it could end in disaster or at least with big problems

Fortunately, I’ve not been in any of those type of situations, but I’ve heard lots about those who’ve made really big mistakes and lived to regret it

“We talked about it in the training for driving and operating the vehicles, where they teach you not only about

what to do, but also what not to do,”

Robbie recalls “So, don’t cut corners,

do take your time and always think about what you are doing and why If you try and speed up the job, it will often take longer.”

Robbie is the first to admit that he couldn’t have got to the position he is

in without the support and guidance

of Dynes Auto Services He singles out training manager Paul Cloke for particular praise

Often seen heading up to London

to rescue stranded buses for Transport for London, or to tippers that have got into trouble at the roadside, Robbie has seen a lot in his limited time spent recovering vehicles But there is one instance that sticks in his mind as the most memorable

Military manoeuvre

“We were once called away to rescue

an army truck Dealing with one of those vehicles is a lot different to a typical truck recovery, but I enjoyed the challenge,” he says

“The first thing to remember is that you have to manage them differently from a standard truck, in terms of where to lift and how In that example, there was a gearbox fault and the vehicle needed towing away, so we had

to ensure that it was done in a safe and timely manner

“The pickup point is different and

as they have an eight-wheel-drive configuration, there are more moving parts to be disconnected before you can move the vehicle You have to lift them up in a different place on the vehicle – they are not like a standard operator’s truck.”

More techniques learned by Robbie

on the job relate to recovery of vehicles stuck in precarious situations

“Pullouts from ditches or where vehicles are stranded in a difficult position are interesting – you have to get the truck hooked correctly and pull them out in the right way,” he explains “It is much harder than a general breakdown where a component has failed.”

As you might gather from the above, there is no ‘normal’ day for Robbie Ready to leap to action when

he gets the call, the 23-year-old says

he attends around three or four shouts

a day and it could be Kent or Sussex

or central London, a fairly large area

to cover This workload means there are times during the day when he has

to return to the yard – which really isn’t a problem for Robbie

“When I’m not driving, I’ll get stuck into any trucks that need to be fixed or seen to,” he admits “I’ll wash

and clean Reuben inside and out because it’s my pride and joy A couple of other people have driven it, but it’s mainly me behind the wheel.”Despite his youth, Robbie’s time at Dynes is longer than many people spend at one company Has he thought about moving on?

Headhunt failure

“No, I’ve never been tempted or looked elsewhere I’ve been headhunted, but I’ve said no,” he explains “There is a lot of loyalty because of what the company has done for me and how it has supported

me, but also I see no reason to go elsewhere I love the people, I love the company and I love what I do.”Having witnessed him behind the wheel of Reuben and also at the boom controls, Robbie is clearly talented But he’s ambitious too, and has big plans for the future – eventually “I can see myself staying here for a while, still doing recovery work, which is what I love,” he admits “There is a lot

to learn and I’m very keen to do that Maybe in the future I’ll decide to set

up my own business, but at the moment, I’m very happy where I am I’m young enough not to have to make those sorts of big decisions yet.” ●

LoCITY ROADSHOWS

FUELS IN ACTION | Beyond ULEZ

• Ride and drive opportunities avaliable

• See the latest alternatively fuelled vans and trucks

• Hear from leading operators using alternative fuels in their fleets

NEW FOR 2019

RIDE & DRIVE

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will start in London on 8 April 2019 This is part of the Mayor of London’s long term aim for London to be a zero emissions city by 2050 If you operate commercial vehicles in London then you need to be

aware of the new emissions standards.

Fuels in Action will help prepare you for the future and to make the right decision for your fleet.

Kempton Park Racecourse, Sunbury on Thames, TW16 5AQ

20 March 2019 | 08.45 - 16.00

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Livestock trucks might be legion in the Republic of Ireland, but this FH16 750 Tridem wagon & drag with Houghton Parkhouse bodywork is a pretty rare beast