On March 5, Scania completed the first customer deliveries of its NEXT ERA heavy truck at its dedicated delivery center. As a new tractor series developed on the Traton Modular System, this heavy truck, precisely tailored to the mainstream demands of China's long-haul transport market, officially began its journey toward large-scale market adoption. Master Wang from Suzhou, Anhui, is among the very first transporters in the country to take the wheel of this new model.

　　With over 30 years of experience in the freight industry, Master Wang has always been a loyal user of domestic heavy trucks. He was accustomed to the cycle of "driving a truck for three or four years, and when minor issues start to appear, selling it and replacing it." However, just after the Spring Festival this year, he replaced his vehicle with a Scania NEXT ERA heavy truck – a model that cost nearly RMB 200,000 more than his typical budget.

　　Having spent half his life in line-haul logistics, this seasoned driver knows the numbers better than anyone. What exactly convinced Master Wang to choose the Scania NEXT ERA heavy truck?

Real-World Data Shows Significant Fuel Savings: 30L/100km, and Still Improving!

　　Master Wang has long been engaged in cold-chain line-haul transport. On outbound trips, he carries frozen meat products like chicken, duck, and goose from the Anhui and Jiangsu areas to Chengdu, Sichuan. For return trips, he loads fresh fruits like Harumi mandarin from Sichuan, using the "green channel" to transport them to Jiaxing and Shanghai. Both cold-chain and green-channel transport share one critical requirement: speed. The cargo is high-value and demands strict timeliness; the truck cannot afford to break down on the road.

　　Over the years, persistently high fuel consumption and rising maintenance costs have continuously squeezed his profit margins. When Master Wang first learned about the Scania NEXT ERA heavy truck last year, he was initially hesitant. He admitted, "In the past, when people mentioned Scania, they always thought it was a truck only large logistics companies could afford. A solo operator like myself rarely considered it." What truly convinced him was a real-world comparative test.

　　In December last year, Master Wang was invited to participate in a field test of the Scania NEXT ERA heavy truck as a pioneer customer. He drove his own heavy truck alongside a Scania NEXT ERA test vehicle, hauling the same weight of cargo for the entire route from Anhui to Sichuan.

　　"After the trip, the numbers showed my original truck consumed around 35 liters per 100 kilometers, while the Scania NEXT ERA needed only about 28 liters – a saving of 6 to 7 liters! Over a year, I'd save tens of thousands of yuan just on fuel. Plus, with the first three years of free maintenance, the extra RMB 200,000 investment can actually be recovered comfortably in just two or three years."

　　Now, Master Wang has just completed his first transport mission with his Scania NEXT ERA. Even though the new truck hasn't yet gone through its break-in period and the system maps haven't fully recorded routes (meaning the CCAP active predictive cruise control isn't fully activated yet), he still achieved a displayed fuel consumption of 30 liters per 100 kilometers on the hilly Sichuan-Shaanxi route. He is extremely satisfied with this performance.

Superb Tuning: Powerful Performance, Low Driving Threshold

　　Beyond fuel economy, long-haul journeys also severely test a vehicle's power and handling.

　　Master Wang's previous truck had 630 horsepower. In contrast, his Scania NEXT ERA, while rated at 500 horsepower with a peak torque of 2550 Nm, has delivered a driving experience that genuinely impressed him.

　　Thanks to the TD13 engine based on the Traton Common Base Engine (CBE) architecture, paired with a self-developed automatic transmission, the entire powertrain of the Scania NEXT ERA is deeply matched and integrated, delivering both ample power and low fuel consumption.

　　Master Wang recalled, "With my previous truck, when climbing a slope or overtaking, if I floored the accelerator, it felt like the vehicle was just slowly moving along. Sometimes, a downshift would come with a noticeable jolt. But the Scania NEXT ERA is completely different. When you need to overtake urgently, stepping on the gas unleashes a powerful surge. And its gear shifts are incredibly smooth – you can't even hear the shifting. The tuning is on a completely different level."

　　In terms of handling and safety, driving a large vehicle is often difficult due to the challenges of controlling braking distance and steering under heavy loads. The Scania NEXT ERA makes all of this simpler. "The steering wheel is not heavy at all and is remarkably precise. With the EBS system on the trailer, even a light press on the brakes brings the truck to a steady stop. Even when fully loaded with 40 or 50 tons, it feels as stable as driving a small car."

　　Master Wang believes this effortless driving experience addresses a key industry pain point: the difficulty in finding and retaining drivers. "Cold-chain logistics now demands paying high salaries to attract experienced veteran drivers. Beginners simply can't handle the job. But the Scania NEXT ERA has a very low threshold. Even a newcomer can drive this truck as safely and fuel-efficiently as a seasoned veteran."

The Cab: More Than a Workspace, It's a Comfortable Home

　　For a long-haul transporter like Master Wang who often drives solo, the cab is his mobile home. The Scania NEXT ERA's attention to detail in this area has completely won over this discerning veteran driver.

　　Master Wang shared a subtle but highly practical observation: "Take the steering wheel's limiter, for example. This truck can turn its steering wheel to a greater angle than my previous ones. Reversing a trailer into a loading bay is always the biggest headache. My old truck often couldn't make it in one go and needed several back-and-forth maneuvers. With this truck, the extra steering angle allows me to back it in smoothly in one attempt – it saves so much trouble."

　　In terms of visibility, the Scania NEXT ERA features an optimized A-pillar design that significantly reduces blind spots. Furthermore, the vehicle uses exceptionally well-tuned leaf-spring suspension. Master Wang noted, "The shock absorption is even better than my previous truck's air suspension."

　　What's more, even the in-cabin Bluetooth system pleasantly surprised him. He said the call quality on his previous truck was so poor that he "couldn't even use it until the day he sold it," whereas the Scania NEXT ERA delivers clear, crisp call quality, which he compared to "pretty much the same as a small car."

　　Most satisfying for Master Wang were the thoughtful fold-out table and the factory-reserved space for a parking cooler. "I'm from Anhui. When I go to Sichuan, I can enjoy spicy food, but when I deliver in places like Shanghai or Nanjing, I can't adjust to the local flavors. So, I often cook at home and keep the dishes in the truck's fridge. Now, with the Scania NEXT ERA, I can cook and eat right in the cab. It's a real pleasure. These designs truly show a deep understanding of our long-haul drivers' real needs."

Real Results Drive Reputation: Higher Investment, Better Long-Term Returns

　　Since switching to this Scania NEXT ERA, Master Wang has frequently drawn the attention and curiosity of fellow drivers on the road. They are full of questions and often skeptical.

　　"When I tell them I'm saving six or seven liters per 100 kilometers, they don't believe me; they think I'm bluffing. Just last night, a few friends called specifically to ask me what fuel consumption the truck is actually delivering. I told them to wait until I finish this trip and I'll show them the data." Faced with doubts about fuel economy, he remains calm and never argues, because the real-world data speaks louder than any debate.

　　Beyond the initial satisfaction, Master Wang is looking forward to each subsequent trip. Once the truck is fully broken in and the system has accumulated enough data to fully activate the CCAP system, the Scania NEXT ERA will be like having a tireless "veteran driver" assisting his drive – making it even more effortless and further reducing fuel consumption.

　　Furthermore, on his next trip, a Scania NEXT ERA driving instructor will accompany him for the entire journey. On his actual operational route, the instructor will teach him how to maximize the vehicle's performance. This kind of full-lifecycle follow-up service gives Master Wang great peace of mind.

　　Master Wang revealed that within his hometown circle of cold-chain operators, the genuine reputation of the Scania NEXT ERA is already spreading. "Before this, two or three colleagues had already placed orders following my lead. Now, there are many more people around showing interest in this truck."

　　"Since I'm paying for this, it must deliver that value and experience; it has to bring me satisfaction." For a driver like Master Wang, who has been in the transportation business all his life, the goal has never been prestige, but a better livelihood. He also believes that as more Scania NEXT ERA trucks hit the roads nationwide, his peers will naturally come to understand the true capabilities of this vehicle.