The contract, which covers a period of 13 years, also includes training of the army’s mechanics, who will repair and maintain the trucks during operations in the field and on international assignments. Under the terms of the agreement, the Dutch army gains access to most of Scania’s 50 workshops in the Netherlands.
The agreement covers the 555 multi-wheeled trucks that Scania has delivered to the Dutch military over the past 12 months. The four-axle trucks are fitted with 420-horsepower 12-litre engines driving all four axles to ensure good off-road ability in demanding terrain.
It was in November 2003 that Scania secured the contract to sell 555 trucks in fierce competition from Europe’s leading truck manufacturers, making this the company’s biggest-ever military order outside Scandinavia. The final decision was made after exhaustive testing by the Dutch army under a variety of climate and terrain conditions.
Scania is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications, and of industrial and marine engines. A growing proportion of the company’s operations consists of products and services in the financial and service sectors, assuring Scania customers of cost-effective transport solutions and maximum uptime. Employing 32,000 people, Scania operates in about 100 countries. Research and development activities are concentrated in Sweden, while production plants are located in Europe and South America, with facilities for the global exchange of both components and finished vehicles. In 2005, revenue totalled SEK 63.3 billion and net income amounted to SEK 4.7 billion.