Truck & Driver UK – July 2019

SCANIA S500 VS S650 V8

Truck & Driver July 2019^71

a deep pocket to afford one –

great if you’re selling a truck, not

so good if you are the buyer.

Driving the trucks

The chances of finding in the

same fleet the first versions of

two distinct models to hit UK

roads must be pretty remote, but

fair play to both Chris Good and

the Oswestry branch of West

Pennine Trucks for pulling it off.

Taking the 500 first, it’s hard

to believe that the new Scania

range has been about for well

over two years; the sheer number

already in service is testament to

the effectiveness of the product.

The tall cab is easy to access

and all of the controls are user-

friendly, the driving position is

first-rate and the all-round vision

is excellent. Fortunately, the

plethora of information displayed

on the dash soon makes sense

and there’s a high-quality

feel to the switches and

other fittings.

Chris operates the best trucks he can possibly afford

Driver-operator’s opinion: Chris Good

We run three trucks and I

drive one myself full-time. It’s

essential we operate reliable

vehicles and have first-rate

back up from our local dealer

and I also need to attract and

retain good drivers.

Having run older trucks

for some time, I concluded

that I had to operate the best

trucks I could possibly afford;

time lost from breakdowns

invariably hits your earnings

and can ultimately lead to

losing customers.

Much better cab

I bought a new R580 Topline

from trusted dealer West

Pennine Trucks and built

up a good relationship with

Richard Barnes, who in

early 2016 mentioned that a

completely new range was

due later in the year.

He expected an SCR-

only 500 engine and a new

flat-floor cab, so I put my

name down for the first one

available. It turned out to

be the first New Generation

Scania to be registered in the

UK and was on the front cover

of T&D. I’m not sure if it was

actually the first one in the

UK, but it was definitely the

first in service.

I was a bit apprehensive

when it turned up, but I knew

I’d made the right decision

as soon as I drove it – and the

truck has performed superbly

ever since. I anticipated a

few teething problems with

a new model but it has been

excellent, just a few issues with

the cab mountings.

It regularly does 10mpg-

plus on mixed work at 25-44

tonnes gross. We have since

had another S500 and they’ve

both averaged 9.7mpg.

I decided to replace my

R580 with a New Generation

V8 – the lure of the big engine

is strong and, as the boss, I’m

allowed just one indulgence

in life! Richard told me some

new SCR-only V8 engines were

due, so I placed an order for

the new 650. Once again, it so

happened that our S650 was the

first to be delivered in the UK.

The truck has proved to

be everything I expected

and more. You have the

superb comfort of the New

Generation range, more power

and torque than you could

ever wish for at 44 tonnes

and the real added bonus of

first-rate fuel consumption. It

is almost as good as the 500

sixes, recording an average of

9.4mpg from the start – with a

best week of 10.4mpg, almost

2mpg more than my old R580!