Proud to be a Mud Carter

In-depth

26 May

Mud Carter. Some hate the name and others take pride in it.

The way I see it you’re driving a big rig. Full stop! Should what you haul define you? Of course not. Have a look through trucking photos and there’s plenty of truck and dog pics to rival anything put out by the likes of the Klos boys – and that’s high praise indeed. Truck and Dog combos come in all shapes and sizes, and are fronted by every truck model you can imagine.

Scania has had plenty of success in the field and has recently upped the ante with its new G540XT Tipper and Dog.

Denoting 540 horses (and 2,700Nm of torque), the six cylinder SCR-only XT rides on an elevated chassis for superior ground clearance, with the steps well placed for easy access to the cab. Taking into account the terrain in which the truck will spend its working life, the Scania is equipped with quarry and construction site-friendly features that protect the lights and the front of the vehicle, supported by a 150 mm protruding steel bumper with integrated tow-hook, as well as a front under bumper bash-plate.

Scania introduced the XT range in late 2018 and has had a good deal of success with the range. The 540 builds on that success by introducing the most powerful 6 cylinder donk in their arsenal. The 540 hp engine adds 40 extra horsepower and 150 Nm more torque to the previous six-cylinder flagship - which continues to be offered.

As with the 540 hp engine fitted to Scania’s intra and interstate haulage prime movers, in the 540 XT, the 2700 Nm of torque (available between 1000 and 1300 rpm) out-muscles its closest rivals by 100 Nm, which means hauling up an access ramp out of a quarry or out of a construction zone is made that much easier, as well as prompting smoother acceleration away from the traffic lights in built up areas.

The engine majors on low-down driveability, with the torque to make shifting loads uphill seamless.

This engine is ideally suited to operations where there is a high demand for power and driveability, and where front axle weight is critical. The inline six-cylinder engine saves around 300 kg over the front axle compared with the Scania V8s which have been very popular with tipper operators to date.

The boosted output from the previous 500hp comes courtesy of Scania’s XPI fuel injection and a new ball-bearing fixed geometry turbocharger which delivers more useable grunt. There’s also new friction-reducing coatings on pistons, rings and bores, increased compression rates and higher cylinder pressures, the adoption of smart auxiliary pumps, and modified inlet and exhaust manifolds. Exhaust software control and updated after-treatment also contribute to the overall fuel savings.

Scania claim reduced fuel consumption of up to 2.5%.

Drive is through a Scania GRSO905R overdrive 14-speed gearbox, with ratios selected via the Scania fully automated Opticruise gearshift, and braking is assisted by the Scania R 3500 Retarder. The G 540 XT is fitted with a class-leading cooling package for hilly terrain and heavy loads.

On the safety front Scania continues to be at the forefront with a high level of active and passive safety systems. Side curtain roll-over protection airbags and a steering wheel-mounted airbag as standard. Further advanced safety features include advanced emergency braking (AEB), electronic stability program (ESP), lane departure warning (LDW), adaptive cruise control (ACC), driver and passenger seat belt pretensioners, auto hill hold, and LED head and taillights.

Glass behind the B-pillar is a plus and Scania should fit this to all their products as standard in my view – pun intended.