Capital Equipment News September 2019

COVER STORY

A new Scania NTG R560 is proving to be the blueprint for the long-term success of a Rustenburg-based long-haul fleet operator, MJ Energy. The NTG R560 strikes a healthy balance between power, productivity and fuel efficiency, three key parameters that have influenced the company’s decision to standardise its entire long-haul fleet with the new model, writes Munesu Shoko. BLUEPRINT FOR LONG-HAUL SUCCESS

MJ Energy took delivery of its Scania NTG R560 in July this year.

H aving started as a tipper truck contractor in 2008 – at the height of the global economic meltdown – running some second-hand tippers at mines in the Rustenburg area, MJ Energy survived the tide of one of the toughest business cycles in history to establish a sustainable trucking business. In 2015, the company broadened its horizons with the addition of a long-haul fleet to its transport services portfolio. That year, the company bought its first Scania G460, and never looked back. Today, the fleet has grown to six Scania units, and counting – comprising three G460 and two R580 units, as well as the newest member of the family, the NTG R560 purchased this year following the introduction of the new range locally. Manny Fernandes, owner of MJ Energy, tells Capital Equipment News t hat the Scania fleet runs between Rustenburg and Durban, hauling boxed chrome from the mining province to the Durban harbour. Return loads from Durban vary from hardware to general groceries, among others. In a very short space of time, the NTG R560 has proved to be the blueprint for the long-term success of MJ Energy’s long-haul transport business due to its operating economy, based on driver comfort, power, productivity and most

importantly, lower fuel consumption. “This is a super truck for this sort of application. I am in the process of trading in the three G460 units for three NTG R560 trucks,” says Fernandes. What makes it tick? Everyone who is in the long haul transport business in South Africa will concur that the Durban route is a roller coaster characterised by undulating, winding roads, following the steep topography. The R560 is proving to be the ideal truck for the given terrain. According to Fernandes, the Scania V8 truck flattens the road, with seemingly endless torque, maintaining momentum whatever the load or terrain. “There are several reasons why we want to standardise the fleet with the NTG R560. Firstly, it’s the performance of the truck, and secondly, the productivity that stems from both driver comfort and performance. More importantly, it’s the amazing fuel consumption figures that we have recorded thus far,” he says. In terms of performance, Coenie Kaufmann, sales representative at Scania South Africa, explains that R560 is powered by a 16-litre V8 Scania engine delivering 560 hp, allowing the truck to discharge more than enough power to conquer the tough terrain. On the other hand, the old generation G460 comes with

a 13-litre straight six engine, delivering 460 hp. “The extra power on the NTG R560 means that the truck can easily negotiate the tough terrain with full loads. In terms of time, we have seen time savings of up to an hour travelling between Rustenburg and Durban, mainly because the truck has the power and performance to take on the undulating road,” says Fernandes. From a fuel consumption point of view, Fernandes reports that the diesel consumption on the Durban route with a tautliner trailer unit is considerably lower on the NTG R560 than with the old generation model – and even surpasses OEM projections. When it launched the NTG, Scania promised up to 5% better fuel efficiency compared with the previous range. “We have seen up to 12% fuel savings on our R560 compared with the old generation truck. This is a significant saving, which equates to the instalment on the truck,” he says. Increased productivity For years, Scania has been championing its operating economy approach with great results for fleet owners. According to Kaufmann, there are three cornerstones of operating economy: the driver, the vehicle and the services behind them. These are all areas of focus on the new NTG R560. From a driver perspective,

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