'A Scania like this will last a hundred years' Van den Heuvel buys two heavy haulage tractors

Special transport company Van den Heuvel of Werkendam had not bought any Scania's for a few years. ´But when we do something, we do it well. So this time we went for a fat R500 6×2 with a leading axle and an even fatter S650 V8 in a 6×4 variant with hub reduction," says Bas van den Heuvel.

Van den Heuvel went for Scania both for its proven reliability, but also because the blood goes where it can't go. "There is obviously a love aspect to it as well," Bas admits. "The S650 V8 is for my younger brother Leonard. He's definitely Scania-minded and always out and about, so we wanted to do that for that. But the R500 also came after a quiet hint from driver Mart van Maastricht. "He has been driving with us for almost 17 years, is already 65 but will continue for a while. And he was dying to get one more new Scania."

Furthermore, Bas also considers the purchase of the Scania's a form of sustainability. "Because we don't drive extremely much at 90K a year, all our vehicles are getting very old, often up to 14 years. Then I do see defects coming from other brands. Not so much in the driveline, but more in and around the cab. You don't have that with a Scania. If you keep it up a bit, it will last up to 100 years!"

That long depreciation period is also immediately one of the reasons it was allowed to be a little more this time. "Certainly such a V8 with 650 hp we normally never buy. But this one also has a heavy transport inspection up to 150 tons at a six percent gradient.

Bas also thinks a Scania ex-factory is already closest to what he is looking for. "Scania has the lowest chassis in the market and can be equipped ex-factory with an innerliner for optimal strength. That five centimeters is very important to us because we pull different equipment with both vehicles. For a low loader, the fifth wheel height doesn't matter that much. But we also drive an extendable trailer with a crane on it in sheet piling, for example, or with ship hatches or polyester deck sections. There again, every centimeter of height does count."

Both vehicles have air suspension all around, and the S650 also has a 9-ton front axle. "We equipped the R500 with a pneumatically adjustable fifth wheel. With some of our equipment we then get just a little further forward and that saves in a good distribution of weight on the front and steering axles."

For Van den Heuvel, both vehicles are also a test of sorts. "For example, on both vehicles we chose Scania's Clutch on demand system. We drive a lot for hydraulic engineering, so under often very difficult and tight conditions. A centimeter in reverse often has to be exactly one centimeter. Then you want to have optimal control over your driveline. In our opinion, Clutch on Demand gives you the best of both worlds. Comfort on the road and control where it is needed. The same goes a bit for the full-air suspension on both cars. "You always have that comfort of that. But on the job site, if you need to, you can go up a little bit and that can make just the difference."

Another new development within Van den Heuvel is the arrival of two four-year maintenance contracts on the new vehicles. "Normally we service almost everything ourselves. But combined with the whole package and the purchase cost, a flexible maintenance contract became interesting. We are curious if that indeed brings some extra. In doing so, we are looking not only at the cost, but also at the peace of mind and security that a dealer can give us there."

Needless to say, the further equipment of both Scania's was also raised to great heights. Both cars received the LED package and the Driver package with leather upholstery. The 650, of course, comes with the V8 package. That one has not only crates on the chassis but also a complete crate wall behind the cab for more storage space of all the loose equipment that has to go with it. A heavy transport stern bumper, upright exhaust pipes, a set of Alcoa Durabrights and a stand cooling system finish it off.

The R500 has steel rims like almost every truck at Van den Heuvel. "We do often put a stainless steel rim ring in there: that also looks very nice and is cheaper to replace," Bas said.

The S650 6×4 tractor is equipped with a switchable Scania freewheel retarder. "That also immediately offered us the opportunity to be able to opt for ACC," Bas adds. "And that in turn gives some extra safety on the road."