Big fuel savings after buying new Scania R 520 trucks

Swedish haulier Skaraslättens Åkeri has reduced its fleet’s annual fuel bill by nearly EUR 10,000 per truck since it traded in the R 580 for new Scania R 520 trucks.

In addition to owning 31 trucks and 350 trailers, Skaraslättens also subcontracts additional services from 50 haulage companies. They jointly transport incoming goods from Asia destined for major retailers such as Ikea. On return trips, the trucks load bundles of wood for export.

V8 R 520 makes a remarkable difference
Skaraslättens maintains a policy of regularly renewing its all-Scania fleet and limits vehicle age to a maximum of three years, or 400,000 kilometres. This means the trucks are in excellent condition and still fetch a healthy residual value when they are sold on. 

“Last year, we purchased 20 new trucks. Receiving the new V8 Scania R 520 turned out to be a stroke of luck; the difference is remarkable,” says Skaraslättens’ Head of Finance, Håkan Johansson.

The V8’s power is vital, since the haulier often handles heavy 60-tonne loads of two containers. “It’s all about logistics: the bigger the operation, the more assignments can be performed,” he says.

20 percent less fuel consumption in just two years
Johansson notes that Scania said that its new generation could provide a five percent increase in fuel efficiency, and adds that Skaraslättens has easily improved upon this figure in its operations.In fact, records show that Skaraslättens’ R 580 trucks averaged 41.5 litres per 100 kilometres in 2016, which dropped to 39.2 litres the following year. With the arrival of the new R 520 trucks, fuel consumption has been reduced to just 33.1 litres per 100 kilometres; that’s 20 percent less than two years ago.

Across the fleet, that fuel efficiency translates into an annual savings of more than

EUR 300,000. “That could be the difference between make or break for a company,” says Johansson.

Driver incentives influence fuel savings
The savings are partially passed on to the drivers through an incentive programme; a portion of the hourly wages is based on driving performance.

“In my estimation, I would say that two-thirds of the fuel consumption can be attributed to the truck, while the driver can influence the remainder,” says Johansson.