Scania Top Team 2026: Australian Scania Technicians Finish Second in the World
There are moments in the transport industry when a result on the other side of the world quietly says far more about Australia’s heavy vehicle industry than most people realise. Scania Dandenong’s remarkable second-place finish at the 2026 global Scania Top Team competition in Sweden is one of those moments.
Griffins picture: (L-R)
Danny Manak, Chris Chilver, Frank Jurinec, Kaelan Johnston, Bede Hutchinson
80 Countries
Up against teams drawn from more than 80 countries and over 1,600 Scania workshops and dealerships worldwide, the Victorian-based “Southern Cross Griffins” not only finished second overall, they also secured the title of the highest-performing Scania-owned workshop team on the planet.
Only the host nation, Sweden, managed to edge them out, while powerhouse trucking markets such as Germany and New Zealand were left trailing behind the Australians.
For Scania Australia, it marks another chapter in what has quietly become one of the most impressive technical success stories anywhere in the global truck industry. Prestons in New South Wales famously claimed outright world titles in 2011 and 2013, and now Dandenong has added another historic result to Australia’s growing reputation for producing some of the sharpest diagnostic and service technicians in the Scania network.
The Southern Cross Griffins team comprised captain Chris Chilver, along with Bede Hutchinson, Danny Manak, Frank Jurinec and Kaelan Johnston, a group boasting more than 100 years of combined Scania experience. Supporting the team behind the scenes were Senior Technical Trainer Neil Henderson and Product Support and Training Manager Jason Grech, while Scania Australia Managing Director Manfred Streit and Aftersales Director Stefan Weber travelled to Sweden to support the Australian outfit during the world finals.
The Southern Cross Griffins delivered one of Australia’s strongest ever results at the Scania Top Team world finals.
2026 Top Team
“While the ultimate winners were from Sweden, they were from an independent dealership, so our Aussie team is the highest finishing company-owned team in the 2026 Top Team,” said Manfred Streit.
“That makes them the best Scania-owned workshop in the world.”
Streit admitted the emotional rollercoaster of the event was almost harder to endure than the technical challenges themselves.
“The team did very well in the first round, and when the results were declared, we were the first to be announced as going through to the final four, so there was a sense of relief. After that, though, there was some nervousness overnight before the next round, and watching from the sidelines, I could feel the tension in me,” he said.
“My heart was almost beating outside of my chest.”
Anyone who has ever spent time in a modern heavy-vehicle workshop would understand exactly why events like Top Team matter so much. Today’s trucks are no longer just engines, gearboxes and grease guns. Modern linehaul equipment has become a rolling network of electronics, advanced diagnostics, telematics systems, emissions technology and safety integration that requires an extraordinary level of technical skill to maintain properly.
That is exactly what makes this result so significant.
Scania technicians work together to solve complex diagnostic challenges during the 2026 Scania Top Team World Finals in Sweden.
Test Every Aspect
The Scania Top Team competition is designed to test every aspect of workshop capability under pressure, from fault diagnostics and electrical systems through to driveline repairs, customer service, teamwork and communication. These are real-world workshop problems designed to simulate the kind of pressure technicians face every day when operators need trucks repaired and back earning money.
“The team did a great job tackling the tasks, really working well together, a tribute to their preparation and training,” Streit said.
“With this second place, Australia overall is the highest achieving national team in the history of Scania’s Top Team event, with two overall wins in 2011 and 2013 as well as several second and third place finishes.”
“It’s a measure of our overall professionalism, which of course is a great asset for us and a great benefit for our customers.”
The Southern Cross Griffins were recognised as the highest-performing Scania-owned workshop team in the world.
Live Coverage
Back home in Victoria, the Dandenong branch was glued to the live coverage as the finals unfolded halfway across the world.
Scania Dandenong Branch Manager Liz Mistretta said the achievement reflected not only technical excellence, but also the enormous commitment required behind the scenes.
“I’m very, very proud of our team. It is an amazing result,” Liz said. “It was an incredible effort from the boys. We were excited they qualified for the final four playoff on Thursday, and then to finish second in the world on Friday is even more exciting. Really, we couldn’t be prouder of them.”
Mistretta said staff and supporters gathered at her home to watch the finals unfold live from Sweden.
“I had a fair few from the Dandenong branch at my house on Friday, watching the finals live. We were really cheering for them, even from this distance. Everyone from Dandenong wanted to be there with them, and we were there in spirit,” she said. “The boys’ effort really lifts everyone at the branch, and their commitment is pretty substantial. There’s a lot of studying and training involved, and it takes up personal time, but they are just so excited to compete.”
“The result is a true testament to who they are as individuals. They wear the Scania logo with pride on their hearts”
Scania Australia Southern Cross Griffins at the Scania Top Team finals in Sweden, Puzzling out the problem.
Immense Pressure
Former Dandenong Branch Manager and current Scania Dealer Director for Queensland, Brian Morrison, also praised the team’s calmness under immense pressure.
“I watched the event live on the web, and I think I was more nervous than they were,” Brian said. “It was amazing to see their calmness and how they responded and worked through the problems they were set.”
“I can’t express enough how proud I am of their achievement and how honoured I am to have worked with them. I still can’t believe what they have achieved over the journey since those humble beginnings as a small and very dedicated team in 2009.”
For Australian transport operators, this achievement carries far greater meaning than simply another trophy sitting in a cabinet.
In an era where fleets are increasingly relying on uptime, predictive maintenance, advanced diagnostics, and rapid repair turnaround to remain profitable, having Australian technicians recognised as among the best in the world instils enormous confidence in customers investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in modern equipment. It reinforces that the people maintaining and repairing Scania trucks in Australia are operating at an internationally elite level, capable of handling some of the most advanced transport technology on the road today.
More importantly, it demonstrates that Australia’s truck servicing industry is no longer simply keeping pace with the rest of the world; in many cases, it is helping lead it.
The team at Roadtrains.com.au congratulates the Southern Cross Griffins on a remarkable result. To stand on the world stage against the best Scania technicians on the planet and finish second overall is something every Australian truck technician can be proud of.
The Scania Top Team challenge tests workshop diagnostics, teamwork and technical skills under pressure.
