Safety with Scania's XT construction truck
10 JUNE 2019
Scania has solutions for all kinds of applications in the construction segment. However, the company’s new XT construction truck brings safety to another level, with its broad range of features and its reliability.
The construction industry is all about tough challenges, especially for drivers. It may be the time pressure or the construction site environment, with narrow spaces to contend with when the truck is reversing to deliver its load, or soft and muddy areas to negotiate without getting stuck. Then there’s the other traffic to worry about, too. Through all of this safety is a paramount concern.
The new Scania XT construction range fulfils legal safety requirements. These include upgraded versions of the AEB (automatic emergency brake) and LDW (lane departure warning) that work on this type of vehicle, where sensors help the vehicle brake for traffic ahead, or warn if the truck is heading towards another lane or off the road.
“Next to the legally-required functions, there is a broad portfolio of safety options that customers can choose from, which is a big advantage,” says Henrik Andersson, Product Manager, Construction.
Since construction vehicles are driven on ordinary roads and in challenging off-road conditions, it is important to make suitable adjustments for reaching optimum performance in any environment.
One of the biggest advantages of XT is the improved visibility from the driver’s seat. This means that when the truck runs from the gravel pit or from work in a demanding terrain to deliver its load to a construction site, it is going to an environment that in many cases is not adapted to such vehicles. That usually means poor visibility.
But, in the new truck’s case it is different, as Andersson explains: “We have lowered the dashboard and the lowest points of the side windows. We’ve reshaped the mirrors and A-pillar and moved the driving position forward and closer to the side door, to improve the direct vision of the driver.”
Scania has long worked with safety systems such as cameras to adapt vehicles to different environments where people, cars and transports must share the same space. “A lot of the time between loading and unloading is spent on busy or urban roads, which is something we need to consider,” says Andersson.
Meanwhile, the option of Scania Opticruise maximises the driver’s ability to focus on traffic and the area surrounding the vehicle. The new gearbox is updated with a layshaft brake and updated software, which makes it possible to quickly change gears up or down. Improved traction in combination with the off-road mode means there is less risk of getting stuck, important for safety in the construction industry. The Scania Opticruise gearbox can be ordered with Scania clutch on demand, which means that a traditional clutch pedal can be used whenever the driver wants to be in full control, for example when using a hooklift to load a container. When the clutch pedal is not used, the gearbox works as a standard Scania Opticruise gearbox, including all fuel-saving and comfort features.
Enhancing the vehicle’s safety, a side curtain roll-over airbag is also available. This feature is triggered when there’s a risk of a vehicle rolling over because of a combination of speed and tilt angle, an especially important option for those who are tipping material or where the centre of gravity is high at standstill. Mixers are another application that benefit from this feature, where the centre of gravity is high at speed.
The driver environment is also something extra-ordinary: The cab is brand new. One option that makes the driver’s daily work easier is a body side step in the cab that provides a safe way to inspect the load on the body. “On the whole, the driver will experience a more spacious cab that is ergonomic and safe in all aspects,” says Andersson.
With the range of safety features and reliability in XT, Scania’s construction customers can be confident that it will take them between destinations in a timely fashion – quickly, safely and profitably.
