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A jury of 25 commercial vehicle editors and senior journalists from across Europe awarded the Scania S-Series the prestigious International Truck of the Year Award at the 66th IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover, Germany, last month. Already a favourite with transport managers thanks to its innovative new design and cost efficiency, the Scania S-Series beat off stiff competition from its closest rivals - the Mercedes-Benz’s Actros and Iveco’s recently-launched Stralis XP-NP. The International Truck of the Year Award Now in its fortieth year, the IToY is the truck industry’s most prized award. Voted for by trucking journalists from across 25 European countries including Britain, France, Belgium, Spain and Italy, the award is given to a truck released in the last 12 months which meets the IToY’s strict criteria. The award body says it is looking for the truck which “has made the greatest contribution to road transport efficiency, based on several important criteria including technological innovation, comfort, safety, driveability, fuel economy, environmental ‘footprint’ and Total Operation Economy (TOE)”. Originally set up in the UK in 1976 by the editor of Truck Magazine, Pat Kennett, the rules for the winning truck have evolved over the years, but what remains the same is the impartiality of all the judges. The award today is still based on professional analysis and personal test experience, with each journalist assessing how the nomination performs out on the road. The Scania S-Series What’s so special about the Scania S-Series? Well, according to the judges Scania has built on the technical achievements of its current range to create the next generation of trucks with improved cab aerodynamics, ergonomics, drivability, performance and safety. Some of the highlights pointed out by the award judges included the shorter gear-changing time of the automatic Opticruise gearbox and the performance of the latest in-line six-cylinder 13-litre SCR-only 500hp engine. The result, according to the judges, is enhanced fuel efficiency on a vast range of different road conditions. Improved driver vision and comfort (thanks to the new flat floor) and reduced C02 emissions were all also cited as reasons for awarding Scania the prize. The Scania Euro 6 engines can now run on hydro treated vegetable oil, potentially cutting C02 emissions by up to 90 per cent. But it was the S-series’ tailor-made fleet management and service offering which really pleased the judges, something Scania is able to offer thanks to its 200,000 connected vehicles already out on the roads. Why Is This Award Significant? Awards may come and go, but the reason the IToY is such an important marker for transport managers looking at what’s on offer out there becomes obvious when you consider the previous winners: the Iveco Eurocargo in 2016, Renault Trucks’ T in 2015 and Volvo FH in 2014. Each one of these truck ranges has gone on to become a firm favourite with transport managers thanks to their innovative design, economy and performance. We can only assume that the Scania S-Series will now follow suit. Author Plate Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Haulage Exchange provides services for matching transport managers and drivers with available haulage jobs. Over 4,000 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.
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