Cookers and Scania Deliver the Good Oil

Cookers has added a Scania P 360 rigid to its fleet, combining fuel efficiency, driver comfort and an impressive array of safety technology for demanding regional delivery work.

Key Points

• • • Cookers has added a Scania P 360 rigid to its fleet for regional cooking oil deliveries across Victoria.
    • Early fuel results are already outperforming comparable trucks operating on similar routes and carrying similar payloads.
    • The truck combines Scania’s advanced safety and driver assistance systems with a comfortable, all-round air suspended cab and chassis.
    • Scania Driver Support and Fleet Management provide detailed information on driver performance and fuel efficiency.
    • Servicing will be scheduled according to engine hours because of the extensive idling and PTO operation required to transfer oil.
    • The successful introduction of the first Scania could lead to additional P-series trucks joining the Cookers fleet.

Cooking oil is one of those things most people rarely think about, right up until the deep fryer runs dry halfway through a Friday night dinner rush.

Keeping Australia’s commercial kitchens supplied with fresh oil, while collecting the used product before it becomes somebody else’s environmental headache, requires considerably more organisation than simply turning up with a drum and a cheerful disposition.

It demands a specialised transport operation, reliable equipment and trucks capable of squeezing into inner-city streets originally designed for a horse and dray and which, in many cases, appear to have resisted the march of progress ever since.

For Cookers, which distributes new cooking oil and collects used oil from businesses across Australia, continuous improvement is a fundamental part of the operation.

“We aim to be one per cent better, every day,” says Matthew Weinert, National Fleet Safety and Compliance Manager for Cookers.

That philosophy has helped shape the company’s latest fleet addition, a Scania P 360 rigid configured for regional Victorian deliveries.

While much of the Cookers fleet consists of medium rigid trucks working urban routes, the new Scania will spend its working life covering considerably greater distances. Based at Derrimut, it will travel throughout regional Victoria, with its driver regularly spending the working week away from home.

That makes reliability, safety, comfort and fuel efficiency rather more important than a shiny grille and an impressive collection of chrome accessories.

“We have just put a new Scania P-series into the fleet to handle some of our regional deliveries,” Matthew explains.

“The driver will be away through the week in the truck, so reliability and safety are critical. We have already seen during its first few weeks on the road that the truck is returning impressive fuel figures.”

Getting the Best from the Scania

Soon after the truck entered service, a Scania driver trainer visited Cookers to help its driver understand the vehicle’s systems and achieve the best possible performance from the new P-series.

The training included the correct use of the Scania Retarder and an introduction to the onboard Scania Driver Support system, which provides real-time feedback on driving performance.

“Our driver enjoyed the experience and found it very informative, particularly learning how to use the Scania Retarder and understand the Scania Driver Support scoring system,” Matthew says.

Driver training is only one part of the equation. Through the Scania Fleet Management portal, Cookers can monitor fuel use and driving performance, providing the company with a detailed picture of how the truck is being operated.

“Using the Scania Fleet Management portal, we’re able to track his driving performance as well as fuel efficiency,” Matthew says. “The level of detail provided is exceptional.”

The early fuel figures have been particularly encouraging, especially considering the engine is still settling into its working life.

However, measuring fuel consumption in a Cookers vehicle is not quite as straightforward as comparing kilometres travelled with litres used. A significant proportion of the truck’s working day can be spent stationary, with the engine idling and the power take-off operating the pumping equipment used to transfer oil.

As a result, Cookers will schedule servicing according to engine hours rather than kilometres.

“Because we spend a lot of time idling and running the PTO to pump oil in and out, we’re scheduling servicing on an engine-hours basis,” Matthew explains.

“We will service it at between 900 and 1,000 hours through the Scania Repair and Maintenance programme, which gives us full transparency over our running costs.”

Cookers has also been able to compare the Scania’s fuel consumption with other vehicles working similar routes and carrying comparable payloads.

“The Scania’s fuel consumption is significantly better,” Matthew says.

“We expect it to come out in front by a good margin over 12 months, covering around 100,000 kilometres as well as all those idling hours.

“It works out to thousands of dollars in fuel savings, which is obviously good financially, but it also means we’re burning less fuel and producing fewer emissions.”

In other words, the truck is consuming less diesel while delivering cooking oil, a pleasing example of keeping both the fuel bill and the environmental footprint from becoming unnecessarily greasy.

Comfort Where It Matters

Fuel efficiency may keep the accountants cheerful, but it is the person sitting behind the wheel who must live with the truck every day.

For a vehicle covering long regional routes, cab comfort and ride quality have a direct influence on fatigue, driver satisfaction and operational safety.

“Everyone who has driven the Scania so far loves it,” Matthew says.

“It’s comfortable, quiet and roomy, with excellent ergonomics. With all-round air suspension, the ride is very pleasant whether the truck is laden or unladen.”

Cookers sources its fresh cooking oil locally under controlled conditions to maintain consistent product quality throughout Australia. The company’s delivery system allows customers to receive regular top-ups while used oil is collected for recycling, reducing the packaging and waste traditionally associated with supplying commercial kitchens.

The new Scania will support this operation across regional Victoria, where the distances are greater and the consequences of breakdowns, fatigue or delays can become considerably more serious.

“The truck will be doing decent kilometres, so we need it to be safe, reliable and comfortable,” Matthew says.

“This Scania will be based at Derrimut and will cover vast distances across the state.”

Safety Without Compromise

When Cookers began looking for a replacement regional truck, the company wanted access to the latest safety systems rather than treating them as expensive decorations on an options list.

The Scania is equipped with side curtain rollover airbags, a driver airbag, lane departure warning and a suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, including Advanced Emergency Braking.

“When we were looking to replace our existing truck, we wanted the very latest safety features,” Matthew says.

“Scania provides side curtain rollover airbags, a driver airbag, lane departure warning and Advanced Emergency Braking.

“As I understand it, Scanias are fitted with the same size brake package across the range, which is reassuring. The truck also has downhill cruise control and the Retarder, which can slow the vehicle without relying on the service brakes or selecting a low gear and over-revving the engine.”

The Scania Retarder is particularly valuable in regional operation, allowing the driver to control speed on long descents while preserving the service brakes for when they are genuinely required.

Visibility is equally important because Cookers’ drivers do not simply travel along highways and pull into beautifully proportioned loading bays. Many deliveries take place behind restaurants and commercial kitchens, where access can involve narrow laneways, tight corners, parked cars, bins, loading docks and occasionally architectural decisions that make very little sense from the cab of a truck.

Scania’s large windscreen and carefully positioned mirrors provide the driver with a clear view around the vehicle while reducing blind spots at intersections.

“The visibility is excellent,” Matthew says.

“That helps improve safety for everyone and reduces the likelihood of damage to the vehicle, ultimately resulting in less time off the road.”

Built Around the Job

The P-series has been configured specifically for Cookers’ intrastate delivery work.

Its 360 hp engine provides the power and torque required for the regional terrain it will encounter, while the all-round air suspension delivers a smooth and controlled ride.

“Scania has configured the truck to meet Cookers’ exact requirements for intrastate delivery,” says Scania Key Account Manager Tevfik Onguc.

“The 360 hp engine provides plenty of power and torque for the terrain it will cover, while the all-round air suspension provides a very smooth ride.

“These features will help reduce driver fatigue and contribute to the safety of the driver and other road users.”

For Cookers, durability and uptime remain central to the purchasing decision.

“We’re looking for durability and minimal downtime because our customers rely on us to deliver,” Matthew says.

A restaurant can survive many things, but discovering there is no oil for the fryer just as the evening rush begins is unlikely to improve anybody’s mood.

A Relationship Built on Support

Matthew says Cookers established a strong relationship with Scania Victoria from the beginning.

Scania representatives took the time to understand the company’s operation, its regional delivery requirements and the demands placed on the vehicle.

“We established a very strong relationship with Scania in Victoria right away, through the Account Manager and Jarrod Hegarty, Scania’s National Sales Manager,” Matthew says.

“They came to see us and could visualise what we were trying to achieve. Nothing was too much trouble.

“We now have Tevfik Onguc looking after us as Key Account Manager, and his knowledge is exceptional.”

Matthew was also impressed by the experience and longevity of Scania’s staff.

“What I liked about the Scania team was that many of them have been with the business for a long time,” he says.

“I felt I was dealing with a reputable company that values its staff, and it shows that these people genuinely care about the brand.

“The service has been excellent throughout the process. If I have a question, I know who to contact for advice or assistance. I can make one call and get an answer.”

Cookers also values dealing directly with a factory-owned Scania branch.

“The branch is a subsidiary of Scania, so we’re effectively talking directly to the factory,” Matthew says. “You don’t get passed from one organisation to another.”

During the truck’s pre-delivery process, Matthew visited Scania’s Campbellfield facility and met members of the team responsible for completing the local specification and integrating the truck with its body and operating equipment.

“The people working on the truck were dedicated to doing the job properly,” he says.

That attention to detail appears to have paid off.

“Cookers’ experience with Scania has been very positive, and we aim to ensure that continues,” Tevfik says.

Judging by the performance of the first Scania, it may not remain the only griffin-badged truck in the Cookers fleet for long. Further P-series models are already under consideration, potentially including vehicles dedicated to used oil collection.

“Scania anticipates providing Cookers with further examples of the versatile P-series in due course,” Tevfik says.

For now, the new P 360 is delivering exactly what Cookers asked for: improved safety, strong fuel performance, driver comfort and dependable regional capability.

Or, to put it another way, it is delivering the good oil without burning quite so much of the expensive black variety along the way.

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