Over the past six months, I’ve already highlighted multiple heavy vehicles that were on display at the yearly September truck show held in the east of the Netherlands. Here’s one last colorful impression of last year’s East Side truckers party.
Robby Wout keeps the curtains closed in his 2019 Scania S520 V8 4×2 tractor. But then again, it was warm and -evidently- the sun was shining bright(ly).
2022 Iveco S-Way 420 6×2*4 flatbed truck and machine transporter with a walk-in cargo box and air suspension on all axles, the cab, and the seats. The truck is powered by an FPT Cursor 11 engine (as in 11.1 liter displacement).
FG Transporte from Germany showcased a duo of Scania 4×2 tractors. On the left an R530 V8, on the right a taller 520S V8 (and not only because of its more raised roof). The letters BOR on the license plates tell us that the hauling company hails from Kreis Borken in Nordrhein-Westfalen.
Kroon is heavily involved in the manure business, nevertheless, these two DAFs are spotless. The 2024 XG+ 530 FAN (6×2*4 truck chassis) on the left is sitting next to a 2023 XG 530 FT (4×2 tractor chassis).
A very orange 2022 Mercedes-Benz Actros 2663 6×2/4 tractor. Owner Maathuis opted for the truck maker’s biggest and most powerful turbodiesel, the 15.6 liter OM 473 with 625 DIN-hp.
2016 Scania R410 6×2*4 truck with a swap body. Normally, a truck like this tows a close-coupled, center-axle trailer. And note the old-school steering wheel, adjusted (tilted) to a carlike position.
The self-proclaimed ‘bison of the road’, a 2000 Scania T144 V8 Longline 6×2 tractor. It’s quite a beast, I cannot deny.
2025 DAF XG 480 FT 4×2 tractor in the outstanding color scheme and livery of the Jan Bakker transport company (with more than 200 heavy vehicles, so definitely not an owner-operator).
2006 DAF CF 75.250 4×2 container carrier with a Nooteboom portal arm system. A skip lorry, as the English say.
New vs old, the DAF XD-series superseded the CF-series in the summer of 2022. The 4×2 container carrier next to the CF is a 2024 XD 340 FA, powered by the 10.8 liter MX-11 engine.
2019 Scania S650 V8 6×2*4 truck with a temperature controlled body and a Dhollandia slider lift.
Now 650 DIN-hp may sound like overkill for a straight truck, but such a powerhouse rarely comes alone, when rolling down the road during working time (courtesy of Hermus International).
Two legendary Volvos from the early nineties, these F16 Globetrotter 4×2 tractors. In 1987, Volvo surprised the trucking world with the introduction of the all new, 16.1 liter TD160 inline-six turbodiesel with a maximum power output of 470 hp. Till then, the truck manufacturer’s biggest engine was the 12 liter six-cylinder in the F89/F12 cabovers and the conventional N12.
2015 Volvo FH16 6×2 wrecker. The predominant color on Dutch recovery vehicles and wreckers, regardless their size, must be bright yellow.
2013 Volvo FH 8×4 wrecker, all the equipment was built by De Groot Techniek BV. Check!
Another commercial vehicle with a legally required color scheme and outfit, Johnny Bolk’s 2024 Mercedes-Benz V-Class pilot van for escorting special and heavy on-road transports. The Benz is powered by a 1,950 cc, twin-turbo diesel, good for 237 DIN-hp. Adequate power on tap, to say the least.
Speaking of the Bolk family, they are always present with multiple vehicles. Here’s a 2023 Volvo FH 6×2/4 tractor.
Impressive, Bolk’s 2024 Volvo FH 8×2*6 Wide Spread flatbed truck with a Palfinger knuckle boom crane. A straight truck with four axles, rated at a legal maximum gross weight of 41.5 tonnes (91,500 lbs). That’s more than a typical transeuropean ‘big rig’.
Ending today’s series of easterners, posing at the 2025 show edition. A magnificent, 2023 Scania S530 V8 6×2*4 box truck. Driver Martijn, I guess.
Nice compilation, thank you!
You’re welcome!
Nice rigs, but the Scania T144 looks oddly proportioned to me, the hood is too stubby for the sleeper length. Here’s new US made Volvo VNL for comparison, and a Peterbilt could have an even longer nose
I noticed the T144’s nickname and the warning sign on the Bolk tractor are in Italian, do these operatoors do a lot of long distance work?
Those Bolk rigs do go international for sure, but I guess Hoitink’s T144 nickname is only in Italian because it sounds good. Or the owner just loves Italy. Anyway, it’s a nice variaton on Scania’s own ‘King of the Road’ theme, which doesn’t sound Swedish at all to me…
The T-series Longline from that era was a post-factory job by Laxå Special Vehicles (they’re still in business and do jobs for Scania). Obviously, you can only use such a Longliner as a work tractor when combined with a short semi-trailer because of the overall length restrictions.
On a related note, the Dutch Vlastuin company (known for their Scania and Volvo cabover-into-conventional conversions) also build stretched Scania cabovers these days.
I’m puzzled by the different look of the wheels between tandem rear axles. It appears many of the tandem axle trucks have a dual wheel setup on one axle and a single wheel setup on the other axle. Is that the reason?
The article’s truck and tractor drivetrain descriptions explained:
-A traditional 6×2 chassis usually has dual wheels on the liftable tag axle.
-A 6×2/4 chassis has a steering and liftable pusher axle with single wheels.
-A 6×2*4 chassis has a (counter-) steering and liftable tag axle with single wheels.
Pusher axle: ahead of the drive axle(s).
Tag axle: behind the drive axle(s).
Yes, a lot of these trucks are 6×2 with normal looking dual wheels on the drive axle and either singles or smaller dual wheels on the other axle. The red Scania conventional has a tag axle that is lifted in the photos and the Bolk cabover tractor has a pusher axle. US trucks are generally 6×4 so both rear axles are drive axles and some trucks have a liftable pusher axle ahead of the rear bogie
Right, the only vehicle with dual drive axles in today’s collection is Vorgers’ Volvo 8×4 wrecker.
Note that Sisu, Volvo, and Scania can offer factory 6×4 and 8×4 chassis with a liftable and disengageable (rearmost) drive axle. And once again, the Scandinavians lead the way in heavy trucking. Which they have been doing since the fifties/sixties, basically.
The front ends of DAF and Scania trucks are surprisingly similar.
Very impressive! I am amazed at the preponderance of 6X2’s with liftable tag axles, even on a heavy wrecker.
Legal maximum axle weights of rear tandem set-ups in NL in tonnes :
6×2: 11.5 (drive axle) + 7.5 (tag axle) = 19 (41,888 lbs)
6×2/4: 7.5 + 11.5 = 19
6×2*4: 11.5 + 7.5 = 19
6×4: 9.5 + 9.5 = 19
Any form above can never exceed 29 tonnes (63,934 lbs) GVWR, in which case you’ll need a 10 tonnes front axle. Regardless wheelbase or truck or tractor. So from a pure gross weight point of view, it all doesn’t matter.
In Europe, a 6×4 or 8×4 drivetrain (often combined with planetary drive axles) is only, really only, used for super-heavy-duty jobs. Think logging, construction site work (dump trucks/semis, concrete mixer trucks, crane carriers) and heavy-haulage. Heavy wreckers too, yet 8×4 drivetrains are the most common in the top segment of that business.
Great to see the Bolk trucks – it’s the one Dutch trucking firm that I’m familiar with (aside from seeing them in your posts) due to the younger Mr. Bolk’s musical career. One of the trucks and an escort vehicle are on the cover of his album “Convoi Exceptionnel.” I actually have an album of Dutch trucking music, and have a few of his songs on it. Great road-trip music!
I like the “Bison of the Road” Scania. What a huge truck – “bison” is certainly fitting.
And those are the cleanest manure trucks I’ve ever seen. Equivalent trucks in the US don’t look like that after a few weeks in operation.
Hahaha, thank you! I had never heard of Johnny Bolk until you mentioned him when I posted a Bolk Volvo FMX tractor, back in October 2023. Last year, I just had to take pictures of that Benz pilot van the minute I saw the letters JB on the van’s big roof display. By the way, you just might be the only person in the US who has an album of Dutch trucking music…
Regarding Dutch trucking firms, maybe you also know Mammoet (Mammoth), the heavy haulage and lifting company. They’re globally active, North America included: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammoet
Actually, I haven’t heard of Mammoet – looks like quite a company (and a neat headquarters building too). Interesting that they’re active in North America; I’ll keep an oog out for them!
Mammoet Texas (USA HO), 2017 photo collection:
https://www.alexmiedema.nl/2017/04/20/willem-sonnema-mammoet-usa/