It's Here! - CablePrice

TRACK & WHEELThomas Wolf drivesmostly insideSwitzerland, haulingvehicle componentsto factories.Wolf, who is employed by haulierGuyan AG Shiers in Switzerland, hasbeen assigned to test a Scania R 620over a two-year period to evaluate itsnew functionality and the cab’s interiorfittings. His opinions are conveyed toScania’s development engineers, who reevaluateand adapt the product.Today Wolf is meeting Johansson atScania Schumont AG, a dealershipin the small village of Rüthi. Here,with livestock grazing nearby, Wolfand Johansson can converse withoutinterruption.Johansson asks whether the bed in the cabalso works well as a sofa, and Wolf sayshe is satisfied with it. He usually uses it tosit and read or watch TV. But of course itwould be good to have some sort of backcushion.“At first I thought the coffee maker felt alittle unnecessary, but considering that alittle cup of coffee along the road todaycan cost nearly three euros, I have used itmore than I thought,” Wolf explains.He drives mostly inside Switzerland,usually hauling vehicle componentsto factories, building materials toconstruction sites and consumer goods togrocery chains. When Wolf’s boss askedhim if he wanted to be a test driver, he wasboth surprised and pleased. He had workedat the company for less than a year.“This assignment is an honour,” Wolfsays. “It shows that my boss hasconfidence in me.Wolf’s co-workers were of course a littlejealous when he was given exclusive useof a new Scania R 620. He could keephis things in the truck and could even useit on holidays. No one else was allowed36I was pleasedto be asked to bea test driver. Thisassignment is anhonour.”Thomas Wolf, test driver for Scania,Guyan AG Shiers, Switzerlandto drive the top-secret truck or even sitinside it to check out the interior.Out on the roads, it has also been a littletough at times.“I have to say no when other driverswant to peek inside the truck,” Wolfsays. “I have tried to give them a credibleexplanation without seeming peculiar.”Although the cab looks quite normal, thetruck has some new functionality andinterior features. A trained eye quicklysees the differences – for example, theadaptive cruise control system.“When I’m asked why I have it in an oldtruck, I usually say that my boss thoughtit was a valuable extra investment,” Wolfexplains.The intensive dialogue between the fieldtest engineer and the test driver has beeninvaluable, and Thomas Wolf has beenkey to shaping the driver interface in thenew combination instrument.“Gaining the acceptance of end users –drivers – before we launch our products isan absolute requirement,” Lars Johanssonsays.3questionsto:Lars Johansson, fieldtest engineer, ScaniaWhat requirements must a hauliermeet in order to participatein a field test?“It is paramount for the haulier anddriver to observe strict confidentiality.Then they must be prepared toset aside time for testing. All observations,opinions and faults are tobe reported. Driving logs must bekept up to date. We also requirethat the driver is available for interviewsduring certain workshop visits.Finally, neatness is important.”Are hauliers taking a risk whenthey accept a field test truck?“Because it’s a prototype, there isalways a risk that something won’twork perfectly from the start. Weavoid involving hauliers that are sosmall that they are dependent onall trucks. The truck may be forcedto stand still for a few weeks forupdates. We are extremely carefulabout explaining this when we startthe collaboration.”What is required of you?“Total flexibility is a must. I adaptmy test truck visits to the hauliers’operations. The drivers are usingour test trucks commercially, andtheir customers demand that goodsarrive on time. For various reasons,the driver might be unable to showup on the day we have scheduledfor an appointment. I must eitherbe able to change my airline ticketor quickly arrange another meetingin the region and stay there anextra day.”