MANMagazine Truck 02/2016 United Kingdom

02/2016 

Great Britain 

A true MAN among transporters 

The new 

MAN TGE


04 

08 

06 

STORY SPECIAL: IAA 2016 

MAN presented an innovative product and 

services portfolio at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 

2016 trade show – including the new MAN TGE. 

CONTENT 

04 On the roads of the Arctic Zone 

Interview with the Norwegian truck 

driver May-Wenche Figenschau 

06 Globetrotters 

For adventurers: MAN action mobile 

08 MAN at the IAA 2016 

All truck highlights at a glance 

14 The new MAN TGE 

World premiere in Hanover 

16 Purely powerful! 

The new generation of Euro 6 engines 

19 Novel concepts for networking 

the transport world 

MAN advances the digitalisation process 

22 Revolution in the slipstream 

Platooning: a solution for the future 

26 On location 

News from the British MAN market 

34 In the land of ice and fire 

Underway on Iceland’s glaciers 

Great Britain 

Performance up. Consumption down. 

The new MAN TGX. MAN kann. 

We present you with our best tool against cost pressure on the road: the new MAN TGX. With drive tuned ideally for 

efficiency and performance, you can gain even more from every single drop of fuel: more distance, more torque and 

power, more reserves. Because we have invested no end of expertise in it and incorporated a whole range of 

improvements such as MAN EfficientCruise ® and MAN EfficientRoll, LED daytime driving lights, light and rain sensors 

and also a new infotainment system. Find out more about the best MAN TGX of all time at www.truck.man 

MAN kann. 

© Richard Kienberger, thehaeusgens.com, Michel Devries/MAN, Max Kratzer 

MASTHEAD 

MANmagazine is published twice a year in 16 languages. PUBLISHER MAN Truck & Bus, Stefan Klatt (V.i.S.d.P.), Dachauer Straße 667, 80995 Munich, Germany EDITOR IN CHIEF & PROJECT MANAGER Joachim Kelz, 

Tel.: +49. 89. 1580-1175, magazin@man.eu, www.man.eu EDITORIAL GREAT BRITAIN Verity Cullum, Judith Sanders PUBLISHER C3 Creative Code and Content GmbH, Heiligegeistkirchplatz 1, 10178 Berlin, Germany 

www.c3.co HEAD OF CONTENT UNIT Klaus-Peter Hilger EDITORS & AUTHORS Yasmine Sailer (resp.), Kirti Letsch; freelance authors: Beata Cece, Richard Kienberger, Marcus Schick INTERNATIONAL EDITORS 

Patricia Preston (resp., freelance editor), Caroline Evans, Asa C. Tomash PROJECT MANAGEMENT Sara Austen-Schrick GRAPHICS Igor Clukas, Andrea Hüls, Micheline Pollach, Marika Simon, Irina Pascenko (freelancer) 

PHOTO EDITORS Elke Maria Latinovic, Samantha Taruvinga COVER Michel Devries/MAN PRODUCTION C3 Creative Code and Content GmbH PRINTING Gotteswinter und Aumaier GmbH, Joseph-Dollinger-Bogen 22, 

80807 Munich, Germany REPRODUCTION permitted with reference. Any changes must be coordinated with the editors. ADVERTISING SERVICE Zeitzeichen Vertriebs GmbH, Radka Neumann, Tel.: +49. 8323. 9984630, 

radkaneumann@zeitzeichen.de COPYRIGHT ©2016 MAN and C3 Creative Code and Content GmbH 

26 

03


MY MAN 

On the roads of the 

Passionate driver: 

May-Wenche Figenschau 

received her truck driver’s 

licence three years ago. 

Arctic Zone 

May-Wenche Figenschau is working as a 

truck driver in the Tromsø region of northern 

Norway. After many years as a taxi operator, 

she got her truck driver’s licence in 2013 and 

today is one of two female truck drivers 

working for the transport company Pedersen & 

Sonn AG, which owns a fleet of 62 commercial 

vehicles. 

Ms Figenschau, which truck do you 

drive? Mine is an MAN TGS with a D26 

engine. The 8 x 4 dump truck with automatic 

transmission was delivered just last year, 

meets the Euro 6 standard and features an 

automatic transmission. 

You work north of the Arctic Circle and 

therefore often drive on snow and ice. 

What makes this a different experience? 

The most important factor is to remain calm 

and not to become frenzied, for it actually 

happens time and again that especially the 

tyres on the front axles won’t obtain enough 

grip and will start to slide. 

What are the special challenges for your 

truck? In my vehicle, I transport slag from a 

tunnel construction site. As the time frame is 

rather tight, we load as much as is technically 

feasible – with the total weight then exceeding 

50 tonnes. That’s permitted because we don’t 

use public roads and might merely cross a 

few. Considering the overall load, the many 

potholes on the off-road paths are fairly 

daunting, but the MAN suspension absorbs 

the impact really well. 

En route at the polar circle: The MAN 

TGS also handles snow and ice 

conditions in a reliable fashion. 

© Richard Kienberger 

What must a truck driver in northern 

Norway be mindful of? The critical factors 

are the weather and the road conditions, and 

we also must look out for the many elk and 

reindeer when on the road. Yet we’re used to 

that up here in the north. 

What do you particularly appreciate 

about your MAN vehicle? I’m very happy 

with my truck. Ergonomics are great, the 

driver’s seat and steering wheel can be 

adjusted perfectly. I’m not especially tall, 

which poses a problem in many other trucks. 

In addition, the MAN has an awesome sound 

system. That’s a good thing in this line of 

work, for you normally sit alone in your cab. 

When you look back, what would have 

been the most remarkable experience 

you’ve had as a truck driver so far? I 

remember it like it was yesterday. We were 

working on the Sørkjos Tunnel. The temperature 

dropped to 0° Celsius that day, so the 

ground was very slippery. Just before reaching 

the hill summit where we were supposed to 

dump our load, there was no moving forward 

any more. I therefore had to manoeuvre that 

heavy truck backwards down a steep, icy 

slope, with my heart racing as I did, of course. 

In that situation, I was very grateful for my 

MAN, because it can handle even such intimidating 

conditions. 

04 

05


GLOBE- 

TROTT ERS 

THE FREE AND INDEPENDENT exploration of 

the world’s most remote corners is a lifelong 

vision harboured by many. Daniela and Stephan 

Wirths in Saalfelden, Austria, offer the solutions 

to make this dream come true. Together with 13 

employees, the two owners of the company 

Action Mobil build exclusive all-wheel motor 

homes on MAN chassis – the perfect vehicle for 

adventurers and world travellers. 

Each and every truck is manufactured 

strictly to order, ranging from a modest 

two-axle vehicle with a basic configuration, 

up to a 12-metre-long luxury wheeler with 

540 hp, floor heating and even an integrated 

garage for a compact car. “The quality and reliability 

of the undercarriage plays an 

important and, literally, carrying role,” says 

Stephan Wirths. “In terms of a body built by 

Action Mobil, the chassis must be a perfect 

match, meeting very high standards. Neither 

the mechanics nor the electronics of vehicles 

on an MAN basis have ever disappointed us.” 

The Wirths team is especially proud that 

their conversions have passed the stringent 

testing processes of MAN’s production team 

and are therefore MAN-certified. This distinction 

is also appreciated by customers such as 

Tina and Jakob Haeusgen, who are currently 

touring Australia on board their expedition 

vehicle, “Aloisius”: “This is already our second 

MAN and we have always been very happy with 

the durability of the frames, the design and the 

driving comfort. The international dealership 

and service network was also a decisive factor 

– for safety comes first,” recounts Jakob 

Haeusgen. The Action Mobil with an MAN TGM 

18.340 4x4 BB chassis was “always our biggest 

dream, for it’s tantamount to high-quality 

workmanship, innovation and many decades 

of experience,” raves Haeusgen. 

Strong companion: The MAN TGM named 

“Aloisius” is currently touring Australia 

with its owners, Tina and Jakob Haeusgen. 

© thehaeusgens.com 

45 000 

kilometres 

was the distance covered by Tina 

and Jakob Haeusgen while trucking 

through Australia with their MAN. 

06 

07

IAA STORY SPECIAL 


640 hp. The 640-hp performance class with 

the new MAN D38 engine had previously been 

reserved for the heavy-duty transport version 

and is available for almost all variants of the 

MAN TGX D38 with the new generation of 

engines. With the new D38, MAN offers additional 

performance categories of 540 hp and 

580 hp – and thereby adds 20 hp to both 

versions. Furthermore, the D38 engine already 

achieves its maximum of 3,000 Newton 

metres of torque even at low engine speeds. 

Optimised for fleet operations, the new D26 

offers a performance range from 420 hp to 

500 hp together with low dead weight and 

reduced fuel consumption. In all new D38, D26 

and D20 engines, MAN applies a novel and 

more reactive catalyser material for the SCR 

system. Thus, combustion and the after-treatment 

of exhaust gases are optimised, resulting 

in further lowered consumption levels. 

In combination with the new versions of 

MAN’s TipMatic gears, which come with individually 

adjusted driving programmes for all 

MAN at the IAA: 

Top performance with three world premieres 

MAN presented a stateof-the-art 

truck range at the 

IAA Commercial Vehicles 

2016 trade fair. Next to 

digital products and 

services, the focus was 

on engine innovations, 

transmission functionality 

and design. 

W 

ith more than 200 000 

visitors the MAN booth at 

the IAA trade fair (held 

from September 21-29 in 

Hanover, Germany) was 

one of the most visited 

ones of the show. This was no surprise, as it was 

the first IAA where MAN presented itself as a 

strong part of the VW Truck & Bus GmbH. On 

an area of 10 000 sqm MAN featured three 

world premieres – the TGX 18.640 PerformanceLine 

Edition, MAN TGE and the new 

NEOPLAN Tourliner – and presented for the 

first time the new brand RIO, a digital cloud 

based platform, which wants to revolutionize 

the future of freight transport. 

One of the absolute highlights in the truck 

sector was the world premiere of the new 

MAN TGE product series. With a maximum 

admissible total weight of 5.5 tonnes, this light 

commercial vehicle completes MAN’s comprehensive 

product portfolio. The TGE is principally 

designed for light distribution operations 

and crafts and trade businesses (more 

about the TGE on pages 14-15). 

ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT AT IAA 2016 certainly 

was the engine programme, which has been 

optimised in a number of ways. The new 

engines already meet the Euro 6c exhaust 

standard, resulting in significantly improved 

fuel consumption along with enhanced performance 

and vehicle dynamics, coupled with 

customarily high reliability. Customers can 

now choose from an engine portfolio with 

14 performance levels, ranging from 150 hp to 

© MAN 

World premiere: The new MAN TGE 

draws lots of visitors to the exhibition 

stand. The light transporter rounds out 

MAN's product portfolio. 

In the spotlight: The MAN MAN 

TGX PerformanceLine with 640 

hp was the star of the show. 

purposes, the MAN series feature highly 

efficient, economical and environmentally 

friendly drive trains. The new gear functions 

are consistent in functionality, available for all 

12-gear systems of the new TG generation and 

are organised in five different gear switching 

programmes. The FLEET programme has been 

optimised for fleet vehicles in the longdistance 

transport sector. As it permits solely 

automatic gear changes during normal 

driving operations, FLEET is deliberately 

designed for fuel-efficient driving. In contrast, 

the PROFI gear shifting configuration allows 

for manual gear changes at any time, with the 

kickdown function for accelerated shifting 

down also generally active. PROFI allows experienced 

drivers who have undergone MAN 

ProfiDrive training to harness the efficiency 

potential of their vehicles even more effectively. 

The OFFROAD programme is designed 

for driving on unpaved roads. The gears shift 

quicker and at higher engine speeds, with 

manual gear changes optional at any time. 

With delayed switching, OFFROAD allows for 

maximum performance on ascents, while 

effectively utilising engine brake power on 

descents. With the COLLECT programme, 

MAN offers a gear software system that has 

08 

09



New brand icon: From now on, all 

TG production series vehicles 

will feature the chrome bar with the 

MAN lion highlighted in black. 

been specially optimised for waste collection 

vehicles. Oriented towards the deployment 

conditions of vehicles with tail or side loader 

structures, the gear shift strategy is tailored to 

extended stopping intervals with activation 

of the auxiliary drives and frequent starts. 

The EMERGENCY programme is specially 

designed for emergency vehicles. Gears 

change quicker and at higher engine speeds, 

offering rescue staff maximum acceleration 

potential of the vehicle when on an emergency 

mission. Whereas FLEET and PROFI are 

standard gear programmes for normal driving 

operations, OFFROAD, EMERGENCY and 

COLLECT are auxiliary programmes that are 

available alongside normal driving mode and 

can be selected by the driver to meet specific 

deployment conditions. 

THE NEW EDITION of the EfficientLine 

concept was another highlight exhibited at 

the IAA. The TGX EfficientLine 3 combines all 

technical and aerodynamic fuel saving 

measures in a single truck, featuring yet 

again improved fuel efficiency when 

compared to its predecessor. To back up this 

claim with facts and figures, an MAN TGX 

18.500 4x2 BLS EfficientLine 3 tractor trailer 

and a TGX 18.480 4x2 BLS EfficientLine 2 went 

on a test run throughout Europe. The tour 

comprised six stages over a distance of nearly 

4,000 kilometres covering six countries. On 

the topographically demanding sections of 

the route, the new anticipatory Efficient- 

Cruise Tempomat was able to demonstrate its 

entire efficiency. In the new generation, it 

comes combined with the EfficientRoll freewheeling 

function. This takes effect on fairly 

gentle inclines or slightly hilly route sections, 

when the gears switch into neutral to completely 

utilise vehicle momentum without 

any drag losses. The German technical inspection 

authority TÜV Süd accompanied the 

trip, and certified that in comparison to its 

predecessor model, the new TGX EfficientLine 

3 accomplished a consumption savings rate of 

6.35% due to its more efficient drive train. 

In terms of design, MAN was showcasing 

the TG series starting with 7.5 tonnes at the 

IAA 2016. As a trade mark, the lion logo hereby 

comes to the fore. Placed on the chrome bar 

above the radiator, the MAN lion now stands 

out more sharply against the new high-lustre 

black background. The logo also makes a 

Savings package: The TGX EfficientLine 3 

combines all technical and aerodynamic fuel 

saving features in a single truck. 

© MAN 

4 000 

kilometres 

is the distance travelled across Europe 

by an MAN TGX EfficientLine 3 and a 

MAN TGX EfficientLine 2. This trial run 

proved the once again enhanced 

efficiency of the new model as compared 

to its predecessor. 

New steering wheels: Recessed 

grips and the MAN lion on the 

impact absorber enhance the 

value of the steering wheel. 

Classy interior: The limited special 

edition of the MAN PerformanceLine features 

a rather outstanding design inside. 

10 

11


Powerful and economical: The new 15.2-litre MAN D38 

six-cylinder in-line engine already achieves a torque of 

between 2,700 and 3,000 Nm at speeds of merely 900 rpm. 

stronger appearance in the cab and now 

adorns the impact absorber of the steering 

wheel. In addition, the TGX and TGS have 

received newly patterned cooling air inlets. 

Aerodynamically optimised radiator fins now 

give the front a compact and contained appearance. 

As of the IAA 2016 date, the new 

exterior design will be standard in all new 

TGX and TGS lines that meet Euro 6 exhaust 

standards. All TG models now present a bright 

and sophisticated appearance, brought about 

by warmer colours with new materials and 

seat covers, stylishly complemented by the 

succinct design of the steering wheel. The 

recessed grips of the new standard steering 

wheels offer outstanding handling ergonomics 

during driving. The driver’s workplace in 

all models is also upgraded by a new infotainment 

system, automated headlight control 

and wiper sensors. 

Another notable highlight of the IAA – 

and not just in design terms – was an 

exclusive special edition of the new TGX D38 

with 640 hp, which is limited to 100 vehicles. 

This PerformanceLine Edition features exceptional 

design extras both inside and out, with 

its top-end engine capacity showcasing 

maximum performance on the road. 

AN IMPORTANT ISSUE regarding After Sales 

was addressed at the IAA 2016 with the presentation 

of the MAN Original Oil. These 

engine, axle and gear oils have been especially 

customised for MAN vehicles and offer 

supreme quality with regard to efficiency, 

performance, protection against wear and 

tear and prolonged service life of the truck. At 

the same time, the usage of MAN’s Original 

Oil reduces overall operating costs, as it 

permits a service interval of up to 140,000 kilometres 

and a distance of up to 850,000 kilometres 

for diesel particulate filters. MAN 

Original Oil will be obtainable in many 

European countries as of early 2017. 

Also premiering at the IAA 2016 was the 

new portfolio of MAN TopUsed purchase warranties 

offered for both the drive train and 

the entire vehicle. The new portfolio offers 

suitable products for MAN TopUsed trucks, 

including vehicles with a D38 engine, as well 

as for MAN and NEOPLAN tour coaches. Three 

different terms are available, extending over 

either six months, one year or two years. The 

novelty aspect in these purchase warranties 

is the elimination of any deductible for the 

drive train throughout the total time period, 

while the deductible for the entire vehicle is 

reduced to 20% throughout the whole term. 

The age of the vehicle is no longer a criteria for 

closing a warranty agreement, but rather 

complemented by a suitable warranty 

extension offered on the basis of the vehicle’s 

mileage. The new TopUsed purchase warranties 

can also be combined with an individual 

service agreement and are available since 

1 October 2016. 

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, MAN turned the 

spotlight on new approaches to networking 

the transport world during the trade fair. A 

dedicated area focusing on innovation and 

digitalisation topics illustrated prospects for 

future digital services and offerings that 

customers can use to optimise their logistics 

processes and monitor commodity flows 

more efficiently on the basis of intelligent 

networking. More information on the subject 

of digitalisation is on pages 19-21. In Hanover, 

MAN also presented new solutions for 

eMobility. 

640 

horsepower 

are available for almost all MAN TGX 

D38 variants coming from the new 

engine generation – and not just in 

heavy-duty transport models. 

© MAN 

12



Much stowage space: In its 

largest version, the box-type 

van offers a load volume of 

18.4 cubic metres. 

The new 

MAN TGE 

The vehicle class previously starting at 

7.5 tonnes will now begin at 3.0 tonnes 

of admissable total weight: With its new 

TGE, MAN is putting a light commercial 

vehicle on wheels that will set forth to 

find users primarily in distribution 

traffic and construction businesses. 

Ergonomic design: 

The instrument panel is distinctly 

structured. Robust fabric in high-end 

MAN quality ensures durability. 

From 3.0 to 44 tonnes: With a 

weight span of 41 tonnes, MAN 

advances towards becoming a 

full-range provider while finding 

the right answer for every 

transport need. Conceived as a 

flexible tool for professionals, the new 

MAN will primarily cover the smaller jobs in 

logistics and construction businesses. 

Yet other sector-specific demands made by 

trade or passenger transport will also 

become new fields of application for the 

small motor truck made by MAN, when 

dealing with transport loads up to 5.5 tonnes 

of admissable total weight. 

MAN clearly applies its leading role and 

experience in the building trade and 

transport construction to the MAN TGE as 

well, while offering to customers not only its 

established competence in the light commercial 

vehicle segment, but also by lending 

support in finding specific solutions for their 

line of business. It is also certain that the professional 

support expertise anchored in truck 

know-how, as well as a wide range of other 

services, will set standards in the TGE 

segment and will enthuse its audience in the 

long run. This would especially include customer-friendly 

support around the clock. 

OVERALL, THE MAN TGE offers two wheelbases, 

three roof heights and likewise three 

vehicle length choices. Other than the closed 

box-type van and glazed hatchback, additional 

chassis with single or double cabins that 

come as a standard order with platform body 

also enhance the bodywork range. There is 

much variety in offered drive trains as well. 

5.5 

tonnes 

of admissable total weight is the punch 

packed by the new MAN TGE. In the MAN 

vehicle lineup, it covers the transport 

class of 3.0 to 5.5 tonnes. 

© Michel Devries/MAN 

Depending on the admissable total weight 

between 3.0, and 5.5 tonnes, a choice of front 

drives, all-wheel drives and rear drives is part 

of the configuration range. The maximum 

stowage volume of the closed box-type van 

amounts to roughly 18 cubic metres, while the 

performance of installed TDI engines cover a 

tight arc from 75 kW/102 hp up to 130 kW/177 

hp. Always included is the Emergency Braking 

Assistant (EBA), which will monitor traffic 

participants ahead and actively supports the 

driver in case of any sudden pattern changes. 

In addition, a telematics system provides information 

on logistics and services via 

numerous parameters. 

Generally speaking, the new MAN TGE 

wows with best TCO values. An optimised 

cost-benefit ratio and low depreciation trends 

also reflect outstanding efficiency and value. 

Xxxx This is a blind caption Xxxx 

please Best handling: text. But not The more balanced as 4 

chassis lines. Xxxxx offers Xxxxx maximum Xxxxx comfort Xxxxx 

with high load xxxx reserves. Xxxxx 

14 

15



Next generation: The MAN plant in 

Nuremberg produces the new 

Euro 6 engines for trucks (right) as 

well as for buses (left). 

diagnosis, or OBD), which indirectly entails 

further emissions reduction. “This was, and 

still remains, a challenging project, requiring 

teams from engine and transmission development, 

from construction, from vehicle integration, 

and from process and project management 

to work hand-in-hand since the second 

half of 2014. Nearly 100 MAN employees from 

a broad range of disciplines participated in this 

endeavour,” reports Weiskirch. 

AMONG THE MANY MAN SPECIALISTS was 

Thorsten Oberpenning, Project Manager D2x 

Engine at MAN. The mechanical and automotive 

engineer was significantly involved in 

PURELY 

POWERFUL! 

The new Euro 6c emissions standard for commercial vehicles 

takes effect in 2017. Developers at the MAN engine plant in 

Nuremberg have raised the performance and efficiency of the 

next engine generation to a new level. 

© Florian Generotzky 

Important station on the 

assembly line: The 

pre-assembled cylinder head 

is set into the crankcase. 

“Our target: 

reduce emissions 

and enhance 

performance.” 

Thorsten Oberpenning, Project Manager 

D2x Engine at MAN 

B 

arely emitting a sound, the 

engine leaves the final stage on 

the D2x assembly line at 12:58 in 

the afternoon. A plexiglass door swings shut. 

Transported by lift and a conveyor belt, the 

aggregate is on its way to the testing area, 

where all engine functionalities must prove 

their worthiness on the bench. Around 250 

engines roll off the line every day at MAN’s 

plant in Nuremberg, with 70% built as 

compliant with Euro 6 regulations. Today is a 

little different, however. Fitted into the daily 

production schedule, the first Euro 6 engine 

from the next generation has just marked its 

premiere: an assembly process under routine 

line conditions. This rather significant occasion 

is duly applauded by Dr Christian Weiskirch, 

Head of the Engine Performance and Emissions 

D2x department, and his team. “This is the 

result of two and a half years of extremely 

intensive development,” explains the engineer 

Weiskirch. The goal: refining Euro 6 technology 

to comply with the next step, the Euro 6c 

standard, which will become mandatory in 

Europe as of January 2017. 

One of the key points contained in the regulation 

is that new measurement procedures 

will analyse the low emission values in real 

driving conditions and not just on the test 

bench. The “6c” step once more lowers the 

threshold for self-monitoring (onboard 

and responsible for the innovation process 

throughout the entire project phase. “Euro 6c 

is yet another major technological challenge,” 

elaborates Oberpenning. “The idea is to even 

further reduce CO2 emissions of already very 

sophisticated engines. At the same time, it 

was important to us to keep increasing efficiency 

and thereby guarantee stable emission 

values for up to 700,000 kilometres of road 

performance.” Using the new portable 

emissions measuring system (PEMS) allows 

for monitoring CO2 emissions during 

operation. “We managed to improve the performance 

of the D26 engine by 20 hp, and its 

torque by 200 newton metres, while demonstrably 

maintaining stable, low emissions,” 

says a satisfied Oberpenning. Due to this 

optimised torque, the engine now requires 

markedly fewer interposition changes to 

either reach or maintain full torque performance. 

“This increases the driving comfort 

considerably,” explains the project manager. 

And last but not least, the “500” goes back on 

the door of the D26. The hp figure has 

remained an important factor for truck and 

bus operators. Achieving the project goal to 

lower fuel consumption by about 2.5% is no 

less significant. “Cost and performance-conscious 

shipping companies and fleet 

operators simply love to hear that,” knows 

Thorsten Oberpenning. 

What can now be exactly expressed in 

precise figures and performance values 

actually emerged from a distinctly challenging 

innovation process for the developers. “The 

complexity of the tasks increased significantly 

16 

17



“All specialist 

departments 

worked in tandem 

for Euro 6c.” 

Dr Christian Weiskirch, Head of Engine Performance 

and Emissions D2x at MAN 

Detailed work: An MAN employee 

applies assembly fittings to a 

connector in the pre-assembled 

cylinder head. 

as we moved closer to the Euro 6c level. To 

achieve our ambitious targets, everyone 

involved had to think outside the box from the 

onset and further intensify communications 

within the team. Whether production, procurement 

or controlling: Everyone actively 

contributed ideas and plans to enable the 

necessary parallelisation of these processes,” 

reports Weiskirch. The REACH regulation 

decreed by legislators, for example, mandates 

that main and big-end bearings must be 

composed of lead-free materials in future. The 

engine interior now reacts much more sensitively 

to the tiniest impurities and original dirt 

from the manufacturing process. The result is 

an entirely new assembly procedure. “We now 

build the engine interior under clean-room 

conditions and deliver it as a completely preassembled 

and closed system, cleanly packed 

in foil, directly to the assembly line,” explains 

Oberpenning. 

CONSIDERING THE MANY DETAILS and sophisticated 

performance traits of the new 

engine generation, it is almost a pity that the 

new Euro 6 unit looks practically identical to 

its predecessors at first. One noticeable 

feature is the circular ribbed housing in the 

engine front, which conceals the speed-controlled 

coolant pump. “It enables a demandactuated 

pumping of coolant. This innovation 

substantially contributes to engine efficiency 

and thus fuel savings,” states Oberpenning. 

When less coolant is needed, such as in longdistance 

travel mode for example, the 

required mechanical output of the water 

pump can be reduced by 80%. This is a benefit 

for both truck and bus transmissions. “We 

emphasise the commonalities of truck and 

bus engines. An extensive parity range of 

data and components allows us merge the developments 

in the bus and truck segments in 

an optimised fashion,” states Thorsten 

Oberpenning. Both engines were displayed at 

the MAN exhibit area at the 2016 IAA Commercial 

Vehicles Fair in Hanover. Visually, the 

bus engine merely differs by a flatter oil pan, 

several applied alternators and generators, as 

well as a projecting air-conditioning compressor. 

Obviously, bus interiors require a much 

higher climate-control effort than those of 

trucks. According to Oberpenning, the development 

results are “innovative standards of 

the highest level”. And the entire team is 

already certain: “This new generation of 

engines is a milestone on the way to a great 

future, for both MAN and its customers.” 

Unit check after endurance run: The 

newly developed engine generation is 

tested here – and approved of. 

The MAN development team (left to right): Thomas Binzer (Head of Engine Construction for the D20/26 

Series), Dr Christian Weiskirch (Head of Engine Performance and Emissions D2x), Thorsten Oberpenning 

(Project Manager D2x Engine), Stefan Scholz (Head of Engine Preseries Centre) 

2.5% 

fuel savings 

is the lowered consumption rate of the 

new engine generation – with enhanced 

performance and increased torque. 

© Florian Generotzky 

© MAN 

Novel concepts 

for networking the transport world 

In order to advance the intelligent management of 

logistics processes, MAN has developed a new digitalisation 

strategy that includes transport chain parties as 

well as data providers and users. Their interexchange 

creates a networked eco-system, which greatly 

enhances efficiency within the transport industry. 

Today, a multi-faceted range of 

information gathered on truck 

deployment can already be 

mirrored digitally. Not only are 

driving times and resting periods 

of drivers registered, for example, 

but the vehicle’s technical operational data is 

also stored. Transport companies can 

continuously monitor their load conditions, 

including the state of refrigerated goods. Fleet 

management systems and GPS applications 

18 

19



offer the option of tracking route data and 

distance profiles, all the way up to individual 

loading and unloading stops during a tour. 

This creates a multitude of advantageous 

applications and services. Workshops can 

predict and plan ahead for the maintenance 

requirements of a vehicle and its components. 

Transport companies can use stored working 

hours of drivers to better manage personnel 

disposition. Precisely recorded fuel consumption 

per distance data greatly facilitates a 

much more exact calculation of the cost 

factor diesel than ever before. Recorded 

distance data also provides the basis for the 

professional training of drivers to effectively 

harness the whole efficiency potential of the 

overall truck system. With its Connected 

CoDriver programme, MAN even offers the 

option of training drivers directly on the job, 

as a trainer provides virtual attendance and 

driving advice based on real-time data. 

WHILE THE COST EFFICIENCY of single 

vehicles and vehicle fleets has remained at 

the centre of current telematics applications 

until now, the full potential offered by digitalising 

the transport industry has not yet been 

fully utilised so far. In cargo transport, 35% of 

loading capacities are still not allocated in an 

optimised fashion. Beyond individual 

transport companies, all industry players lack 

real-time information regarding available 

transport capacities and correlating exact localisation 

and deployability. Hauliers, dispatchers 

and truck drivers often possess inadequate 

information about logistics processes 

and employ a multitude of different IT 

systems, even though intelligent management 

of logistical workflows increasingly 

demands a comprehensive and integrated 

approach. This context signifies that the individual 

participants in the transport chain, as 

well as their infrastructure, ought to be more 

strongly interconnected and data be made interchangeable. 

In the light of these developments, MAN 

established a dedicated business area to 

advance digitalisation within the transport 

industry with new solutions and services. It is 

hereby essential to think more strongly along 

the lines of logistics processes, rather than in 

the established structures of a brand manufacturer, 

states Markus Lipinsky, Head of Telematics 

and Digital Solutions at MAN: “As our 

customers operate vehicle fleets comprising 

several brands, we must respond to this 

customer need and not just look through 

MAN-tinted glasses.” 

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX will also 

become a guideline when it comes to the integration 

of new partnering and business 

models. In May 2016, MAN Truck & Bus 

announced its investment in the US company 

FR8 Revolution. Based in California’s Silicon 

Valley, the start-up has developed a comprehensive 

“operating system” for an interconnected 

transport industry, which provides 

“We interconnect all partners in the 

transport chain by exchanging data.” 

Frank Tinschert, Vice President Telematics and Digital Solutions at MAN 

forwarders, transport companies and drivers 

with an integrated and transparent platform 

for load planning on the basis of real-time 

data. The open and cross-brand platform 

offers the choice of making apps available to 

all participating target audiences. With its 

stake in FR8, MAN will proactively help shape 

the digital transformation of the industry, 

gather experience and apply the know-how to 

business models in Europe. The specific 

technical basis and interfaces will also be 

defined by MAN Telematics and Digital 

Solutions. As of 2017, the requisite interfaces 

will become available for every MAN truck to 

enable the data exchange needed for 

optimised networking. 

MAN’s goal is to substantially advance the 

digitalisation process in the commercial 

vehicle and transport industry – and also, as 

the initiator of a brand-new product category, 

to occupy a leading market position. To this 

end, a completely new brand marked its world 

premiere at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2016 

trade fair in Hanover, Germany: RIO. The RIO 

brand stands for a digital cloud-based 

platform that will shape the future of the 

entire industry. 

35% 

of loading 

capacities 

are not fully exhausted today. MAN 

intends to change that through the 

utilisation and networking of data. 

© Andreas Pohlmann 

Believes in big data: At MAN, Frank 

Tinschert is responsible for the 

development of a comprehensive 

digital information platform. 

“The goal of our 

platform is real 

added value for 

customers.” 

Frank Tinschert 

“Digital Solutions” for a partnering future 

With “Digital Solutions,” MAN offers a based on capacities, not necessarily on brand. 

platform that pools not only its own services, The brand itself will become a crucial factor, 

but also those rendered by partners. Frank for example, when it comes to fuel consumption. 

Tinschert, Vice President Telematics and Digital 

Solutions at MAN, explains why the integration What are the advantages for partners in 

of partners involved in the logistics process are this cooperation? In the world of transport 

part of the core concept of new digital business and logistics, networking and collaboration 

models. 

play a defining role. When analysing global 

supply chains today, there are many participants 

and the exchange of information in this 

Mr Tinschert, what are the goals of the 

“Digital Solutions” platform? We intend to increasingly accelerating world of logistics 

create a shared platform for the participation processes and delivery deadlines is crucial. 

of different partners involved in transport Further processing this information to create 

and logistics processes. As all aspects relevant value-added services represents a substantial 

to business activities are taken into account, advantage for our partners. It enables them to 

reach customers that would have been more 

difficult to canvass otherwise. Thus, the cooperation 

also offers sales-related benefits to the 

partnering parties. 

To what extent has the partner network 

already been developed? We are at the very 

beginning of expansion and therefore remain 

consciously open. Every customer should use 

the applications contained within the platform 

that are suitable for business and the intended 

purpose. We strive to find as many partners 

from different business areas as possible who 

have understood that an island approach is no 

longer a good solution. Only then will we 

create added value for both the customers and 

our own marketing processes. When looking 

further ahead, added economic value is also 

this creates added value for customers. This created by better utilisation of infrastructure 

open standard is unique in the commercial and by seriously addressing topics such as 

vehicle industry. 

urban access via electric mobility. 

Which factors drove the decision to Which kind of potential can you predict 

open the platform for partners and their for the future? Such a platform provides the 

solutions? The decisive point is that fleet opportunity to not just project added value 

solutions can be only viewed comprehensively 

from a fleet perspective. Depending on the business models. One example would be the 

services, but to also develop entirely new 

fleet's focal point, there is a diverse range of so-called platooning approach, where several 

demands that far exceed the commercial trucks follow each other closely, thereby 

vehicle unit per se. When it comes to taking advantage of the slipstream. The 

transport services, it is not relevant which vehicle up front will have the highest fuel 

tractor unit is doing the job, but rather which consumption of course, so it is worth considering 

how these benefits might be shared, 

transport capacities with correlating parameters, 

remaining driving times and drivers especially when platooning takes place across 

are available. Based on that, the operator will fleets. These are the topics that we will tackle 

arrive at a decision – and first of all one that is in the years to come. 

20 

21


Experience a day with the platooning developers at MAN 

on their test trip for yourself by watching the video at 

> youtu.be/fHibsfiIrhk 

Revolution in the 

SLIPSTRE AM Digitalisation 

23 

is also having a resounding 

impact on the field of transport and logistics. 

During the “European Truck Platooning 

Challenge 2016”, MAN tested highly complex 

technologies for networked convoys on the 

roads. The demo trip was only the beginning. 

© Max Kratzer 

22


Gathered at the MAN Truck 

Forum in Munich on 4 April, 

journalists, employees and 

guests stood in anticipation of 

the starting signal, which was 

delivered by none other than 

Alexander Dobrindt. The German Minister 

of Transport had travelled to Bavaria for the 

best of reasons and announced a “milestone 

for digital mobility”, before symbolically 

pressing the red start button that would send 

two MAN trucks on a trip to Rotterdam to 

attend the European Truck Platooning 

Challenge 2016. 

The call for participation had been made 

by the Dutch government, which held the EU 

Council Presidency in the first half of 2016. 

Truck platoons of various manufacturers 

journeyed to Rotterdam in a radial pattern 

from Germany, Sweden and Belgium with the 

aim of testing platooning technologies as a 

solution for the future transport of goods. 

Dense traffic is not an obstacle: The 

platooning technology also makes 

allowances for other road users. 

The MAN developers have been working 

on autonomous driving technologies for 

several years. They believe it conceivable that 

truck platoons could be introduced in Europe 

by the year 2020. Naturally, the implementation 

depends on legal parameters, for the EU 

member states as well as partners from 

industry and transportation planning must 

first harmonise traffic regulations and legislation 

and develop a coherent and comprehensive 

system for all brands. 

The next step in this direction was taken 

in Berlin on 13 April 2016. On that day, 

Minister of Transport Alexander Dobrindt set 

off another important start signal, namely in 

the shape of a legislative draft expanding the 

legal framework for self-driving cars. It 

proposes that automated driving systems 

may assume an ever growing range of driving 

responsibilities. “Automated and networked 

“This is indeed 

a milestone for 

digital mobility.” 

Alexander Dobrindt, German Federal Minister of 

Transport and Digital Infrastructure 

Working together: (Left to right) 

Joachim Drees, CEO of MAN 

Truck & Bus, Andreas Renschler, 

CEO of Volkswagen Truck & Bus, 

and German Federal Minister of 

Transport Alexander Dobrindt 

press the start button for the 

European Truck Platooning 

Challenge. 

driving is the greatest revolution in mobility 

since the invention of the automobile,” said 

Dobrindt. “We want to put this technology on 

the roads.” And MAN is ready to supply the 

right vehicles for this challenge. 

THIS DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY opens up 

entirely new possibilities for making the 

transport industry more efficient as well as 

more sustainable. In so-called platooning, or 

networked driving in a convoy formation, the 

distance between two or three vehicles is continuously 

kept to a minimum with the help of 

state-of-the art technology. While synchronised 

driving patterns and slipstream 

benefits allow for a reduction in both fuel 

consumption and emissions of up to 10%, this 

strategy also eases the stress of drivers over 

long distances. 

Yet what about safety? During the test 

drive to Rotterdam, for example, cars were repeatedly 

squeezing in between the two 

trucks. According to Xaver Römersperger, 

who occupied the passenger seat in the 

leading truck, this is no reason for concern: 

“The system is prepared for such situations 

and automatically decouples the platoon,” 

explains the MAN development engineer. The 

articulated trucks initially make room for the 

other road user and return to their original 

platoon formation as soon as that traffic participant 

has left the gap between the two 

trucks. In addition, the computer-controlled 

vehicle reacts much faster than any person 

could. Digital technology could therefore 

effectively assist in the prevention of 

accidents, for 90% of all traffic crashes are 

caused by human error. European countries 

alone register more than 30,000 accidents 

annually. The modern advanced driver assistance 

systems (ADAS) actually make driving 

in platoon formation safer for everyone on 

the road. 

ONCE IN ROTTERDAM, the platoons were 

received by Melanie Schultz van Haegen, the 

Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment. 

“We are currently showing the 

world that we’re ready for truck platooning 

reaching beyond borders and for an entirely 

new era of mobility,” she said when greeting 

the participants. MAN project manager 

Daniel Heyes was also very pleased: “Our 

technology has proven successful over the 

long distance.” The task ahead now, says 

Heyes, is to constructively channel the excitement 

that the demonstration tour created 

among all manufacturers. “This platooning 

challenge set an example: We must take the 

next steps in automated driving together.” 

Successful final rehearsal: Daniel Heyes, 

Project Leader Platooning at MAN, 

was pleased with the Rotterdam test trip. 

10% 

fuel savings 

is the maximum reduced consumption 

level of trucks driving in platoon 

formation. This would also reduce CO ² 

emissions by the same amount. 

© Max Kratzer (1), MAN (2) 

The platooning technology 

ITS G5 antenna 

Camera 

Radar 

Lidar (laser scanner) 

Steering system 

Following vehicle 

10 m 

PLATOONING is a system for coordinating vehicles in road 

traffic, whereby two or more trucks follow another closely in a 

convoy formation by utilising technical driving assistance and 

guidance systems as well as car-to-car communications. The 

vehicle clearance amounts to about 10 to 15 metres or a halfsecond 

of driving time. All of the trucks incorporated in the 

platoon formation – making up the entire articulated truck 

convoy – are connected through a so-called electronic drawbar. 

The vehicle up front sets the speed and direction during the 

distance. The necessary guidance commands are signalled to 

the following vehicles via WLAN, which in turn return feedback 

to the leading truck. 

Leading vehicle 

Vehicle communication via WLAN (ITS G5) 

Continuous exchange of information such as: 

▪▪Status of the platoon 

▪▪Speed, acceleration and braking delays 

▪▪Approximate GPS position 

24 

25


MAN has 

the muscle 

for heavy-duty lifting jobs 

150 

tonnes 

is the weight of the trucks that support 

crane operations and are always 

fully loaded for optimised leverage. 

“The new D38 Euro 6 engine with 

560 hp was a natural choice, as 

the wide range of torque with up 

to 2,900 Nm is very impressive.” 

John Sutch, Managing Director, John Sutch Cranes 

With locations in Liverpool and 

Manchester, John Sutch Cranes 

provides lifting operations 

across a wide industry range. 

The mobile crane hire and 

machine installation 

specialist John Sutch Cranes 

operates an MAN fleet to 

support the most complex 

and challenging national 

projects. 

THE PRODUCT PORTFOLIO of MAN Truck & 

Bus UK made such a lasting impression on 

specialist John Sutch Cranes that founder and 

Managing Director John Sutch added a new 

MAN TGX 26.560 6x4 D38 to his fleet. The new 

truck is plated at 150 tonnes gross train 

weight. Sutch explains why MAN remains his 

first choice for crane support work: “We have 

eight 150-tonne trucks in the fleet and they 

are all MANs. Simply because they have never 

once let us down. Carrying the ballast needed 

for the cranes to operate, the trucks function 

as support vehicles to the cranes and travel 

throughout the UK fully loaded.” 

Supported by a highly trained operative 

staff and an in-house team that incorporates 

rigging, transport and project management, 

the crane fleet is at the centre of the company. 

“We have never been disappointed by the 

MAN crew or their vehicles. They go in at 

night for repair and maintenance and are 

ready to go back out the next morning, 

without us suffering any downtime,” lauds 

Sutch. “MAN Truck & Bus Manchester has 

provided us with excellent service for the last 

20 years, and we are still running vehicles 

that are about 10 years old. The operators like 

them and they are reliable.” MAN has enjoyed 

an excellent reputation in crane ballast and 

heavy plant and low-loader operations for a 

long time. As John Donnelly, MAN’s heavy 

haulage specialist, remarked: “The image that 

MAN has perfected makes us the first choice 

for entrepreneurs such as John Sutch when 

they are looking to expand their fleets.” 

26 

27


Showpiece carrier 

for expanding recovery firm 

Auto vehicle specialist in Worcestershire adds MAN TGL 

to its original fleet to meet growing business demand. 

Appreciated for its reliability and 

added service value, the new 

addition to AVS Recovery’s fleet 

also stands out visually. 

“This will certainly 

be the showpiece 

of our fleet.” 

Simon Chance, owner of AVS Recovery 

CAR RECOVERY SPECIALIST AVS Recovery 

sourced its first brand-new truck from MAN 

Truck & Bus UK recently. Run by Simon 

Chance together with his wife, Karen, and 

based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, AVS 

Recovery has opted for a 12-tonne MAN TGL 

chassis with a slide bed body supplied by 

transportation system manufacturer Roger 

Dyson of Droitwich. 

Chance explains his choice: “I worked for 

AVS Recovery for a number of years and was 

happy to grab the opportunity and buy the 

company eight years ago. It was a huge leap for 

my wife and I, but we diligently worked on it 

and have succeeded in building it up since 

then.” While the MAN TGL is the first 

brand-new vehicle of this size for AVS 

Recovery, the small company had been well 

acquainted with MAN’s product range: “I 

know a number of people in the haulage 

industry who run them, and they are all 

impressed by economy and reliability. Also, 

unlike some manufacturers, MAN does not 

ask for thousands of pounds worth of warranties 

before you even buy a vehicle.” 

As emphasised by Chance, this purchase 

represents a major investment for his 

company. When initially taking over AVS 

Recovery, its staff comprised just four and 

has since then grown to 12, with 24-hour operations 

and contracted to work for a dozen 

major insurance companies. “I want the 

vehicle to look right and create the right impression 

for our business. In addition I have 

spent a few thousand on lights and horns, 

just because I love my vehicles!” The TGL will 

be added to the 11-strong fleet. Simon added: 

“While still operating an older fleet, we have 

brought the vehicles up to standard, but this 

will become the showpiece of the fleet. I 

therefore also intend to show it at a number 

of events, either by itself or when carrying 

other exhibit vehicles.” 

ROGER DYSON Sales Manager Tony Rayner 

observes that the budding growth of AVS 

Recovery is due to a lot of hard work: “They 

really deserve to do well, and we were happy 

to create this personalised body for him and 

look forward to seeing it out on the road, 

whether it’s working or at exhibitions.” Tony 

Bobs of MAN adds: “Simon has clearly done a 

great deal of research before committing to 

buying the brand-new recovery vehicle for 

his business. MAN is delighted to have met 

his requirements and that he is such an enthusiastic 

ambassador for our brand.” 

Configurations for 

every customer 

Specialised-vehicle hire firm receives two upgraded and 

configured MAN TGS 35.480 8x2 rigids to meet the 

precise demands of a high-end customer. 

Responding to the specific needs 

as outlined by a customer, 

specialist vehicle firm LC Vehicle 

Hire turned to MAN Truck & Bus 

UK. It ultimately took delivery of 

two hookloader vehicles fitted 

with LX hi-roof sleeper cabs and draw bars. 

Antony Fensom, fleet engineer with LC Vehicle 

Hire, said: “Our customer Celtic Recycling 

came to us looking for a hookloader and 

trailer with a sleeper cab. We have a few older 

MAN vehicles and we knew that the TGS would 

meet their requirements for manoeuvrability 

as well as offering greater fuel economy.” 

ONCE CELTIC RECYCLING saw the offered 

specifications and possible options, the 

hazardous waste specialist entered into an 

agreement for a five-year lease. Mark Smith, 

transport manager for Celtic Recycling, adds: 

Celtic Recycling specialises in 

recovery, management and 

recycling of redundant heavy 

electrical equipment. 

“We have actually operated an MAN since 

2013 and have been very happy with it. So we 

knew the benefits and advantages of the new 

lease model.” 

Covering an area from Cornwall to 

Cumbria, 95% of the recycling and recovery 

company’s operations comprise driving on 

motorways. The new vehicles have been 

upgraded with increased engine capacity to 

accommodate running at 44 tonnes when 

pulling a drag, an air deflector kit to alleviate 

drag and improve mpg, and a larger fuel tank. 

“Everyone so far is delighted with the new 

TGS, and we are hoping that, over the long 

term, the benefits will also show in the mpg 

results. The trucks are additions to our fleet 

and have been brought in to meet the 

demands of an increased workload.” 

Steve Walsh from MAN explains that “the 

spec required a multi-axle rigid drawbar with 

the comfort, power and fuel efficiency of a 

tractor unit. Using an increasingly popular 8x2 

rear lift chassis configuration, Celtic Recycling 

now runs perfectly matched vehicles with 

reduced costs and more efficiency.” 

28 

29


All that is new 

with a powerhouse partner 

Love at first sight: When 

nephew and driver Joshua 

Hughes saw the TGX 26.560, 

he was smitten. 

NEOPLAN Select is first 

choice for operator 

MAN TRUCK & BUS UK once again benefited 

from its reputation for quality and service to 

secure a contract with Bicester-based Grayline 

Coaches. The operator has just taken delivery 

of a NEOPLAN Tourliner Select P20 and says 

MAN offers “peace of mind due to service and 

quality”. Paul Gray, Operations Manager at 

Grayline, said he was impressed with the specification 

and manufacturing quality offered 

by the new Select range: “We have operated 

MAN-powered vehicles for many years 

because of their reliability, economy and performance. 

This new Tourliner fits in with the 

rest of our fleet, and our drivers and passengers 

are impressed with the overall package.” 

“We have operated 

MAN-powered 

vehicles for many 

years because 

of their reliability, 

economy and 

performance.” 

Paul Gray, Operations Manager at Grayline 

The travel logistics expert is reassured: “As operations 

manager, I can sleep easily at night 

knowing that the vehicle can go anywhere in 

Europe and has full back-up and support.” 

Grayline Coaches not only considers the 

NEOPLAN a great product in terms of quality, 

but also appreciates the formidable priceperformance 

ratio. MAN sales executive Jeff 

Edwards, who acted as the customer liaison in 

the Grayline Coaches purchase, said: “We are 

delighted that Grayline recognises the quality 

and support services associated with 

NEOPLAN coaches.” 

The NEOPLAN Tourliner Select offers an 

impressive range of specifications, including 

53 reclining seats with three-point seat belts, a 

centre toilet, air conditioning, DVD player with 

additional monitors, refrigerator, drinks 

machine and an Eberspächer heater. 

From a performance perspective, the Euro 

6-compatible vehicle features a 12.4-litre MAN 

D26 engine, producing 440 hp, as well as an 

AS Tronic 12-speed automated gearbox. 

refrigerator, DVD player and three-point seat 

belts. The Euro 6 standard performance comes 

from a 12.4-litre MAN D26 engine producing 

44o hp and an AS Tronic 12-speed automated 

gearbox. KB Coaches owner Andy Francis 

Longtime MAN customer 

chooses an MAN TGX 

26.560 XXL Centenary 

edition truck as its first 

brand-new vehicle. 

When independent freight 

forwarder and logistics 

company Genesis 2014 

was looking for its first 

brand-new vehicle, MAN 

Truck & Bus UK was the 

supplier of choice. Manager Marcus Hughes, 

himself a devotee to the MAN brand, admits 

that he also gave in to family pressure when 

his nephew spotted his dream truck – the 

MAN TGX 26.560 XXL Centenary edition. 

Hughes explains: “As a company, we have 

always run MAN. As the business has 

expanded and grown in recent years, we 

found ourselves sourcing older vehicles from 

MAN.” Nowadays, Genesis 2014 operates 15 

trucks for its freight forwarding and logistics 

business and needed to re-evaluate fleet costs. 

The company considered running costs and 

fuel efficiency, as well as the requirements to 

meet Euro 6 standards. “When my nephew 

Joshua Hughes, who is also a driver here, 

spotted this specific truck, he knew it was 

exactly what he wanted, and we entered into a 

three-year rental contract,” recalls Hughes. “I 

like the MAN brand anyway, and he wanted a 

560, so it all worked out very well. There is no 

point in operating vehicles that the drivers 

don’t like, and all our drivers like MAN trucks. 

In fact, I have placed an order for four more 

TGX 26.480s.” 

Based in Stoke-on-Trent, Genesis 2014 has 

contracts with Amazon and Marks & Spencer 

and the new truck travels nationwide. MAN 

sales executive Paul Hollamby adds: “The firm 

has remained loyal to MAN over the years and 

it is great that they have remained with us to 

invest in their first brand-new truck.” 

To greater lengths with 

NEOPLAN Tourliner 

GLOUCESTERSHIRE-BASED KB COACHES has 

taken delivery of a NEOPLAN Select Tourliner 

from MAN Truck & Bus UK. MAN sales 

executive Jeff Edwards said: “The 13.8-metrelong 

chassis is the longest we offer and is 

certainly the longest in the KB Coaches fleet.” 

For safety, the customer opted for reversing 

and centre door cameras, while passenger 

comfort is enhanced by a fresh- water-flushing 

toilet, air conditioning, a drinks machine and 

observed: “We are very happy with the performance 

of our new Tourliner Select. It is the 

largest vehicle in our fleet, and initially we 

were a little apprehensive about its length, but 

the rear steer allows for great manoeuvrability. 

We are also impressed by the fuel economy 

of such a large vehicle.” 

13.8 

metres 

is the chassis length, which renders the 

NEOPLAN Select Tourliner the longest 

vehicle in the fleet of KB Coaches. 

30 

31


Trucks To Go for soil 

Diabolical looks, great taste: 

The newly delivered MAN TGL 

is designed to turn heads and 

deliver the thirst-quenching goods. 

Cheers 

to devilish design! 

TGL and a 12-tonne MAN TGL, the brewery 

team also liked how its local MAN dealership, 

Imperial Commercials Peterborough, cares 

for both the trucks and customer service. “All 

the vehicles promote different ales, but this 

new truck promoting our Green Devil beer is 

certainly eye-catching,” said Mashford. 

Recycling company relies on four new MAN TGS tippers 

to handle its landfill restoration business 

THE SOUTHAMPTON-BASED company Inert 

Recycling received four new TGS 35.400 8x4 

tippers from MAN Truck & Bus UK through 

the Trucks To Go scheme. The vehicles were 

provided via MAN Rental and are on a full 

repair and maintenance contract. 

Colin Donnelly, Transport Manager at 

Inert, explained that “we currently run a fleet 

of 25 tippers. Our Managing Director Keith 

Larner thought that the time was right to trial 

a new tipper model to compare performance 

against our existing fleet of 23 Mercedes 

trucks.” As the MANs were available through 

Poised for deployment: A total of four 

new MAN TGS 35.400 8x4 tippers will 

support landfill restoration efforts in the 

south of England. 

the Trucks To Go scheme, the company signed 

up for all four and was able to deploy them all 

within just two weeks. Inert Recycling also 

found itself rather impressed by the services 

provided, both by the sales team based in 

Southampton and the MAN fitters at Fareham. 

“This arrangement has proven to be a 

very good deal for us, and though we are still 

at an early stage in their promising performance, 

we are certainly looking to doing 

more business with MAN in the future,” says 

Donnelly. The trucks will be servicing Inert 

Recycling’s landfill restoration business by 

carrying contaminant-free inert soil to 

former landfill sites in the south of England. 

MAN Sales Executive Aaron Tamplin said: 

“The Trucks To Go scheme offers customers 

the opportunity to acquire ready-built trucks 

and bodies without the standard factory build 

lead times. Customers such as Inert Recycling, 

that were looking for a standard vehicle to 

fulfil their tipper needs, are thereby offered a 

fast and cost-effective solution.” 

“The time was right 

to trial a new tipper 

model to compare.” 

Colin Donnelly, Transport Manager, Inert Recycling 

NEIL GALLOWAY, Operations Director at 

Independent brewery toasts its new MAN TGL delivery 

truck, which is styled to draw attention. 

Quirky and innovative, the awardwinning 

brewery Oakham Ales 

is saluting MAN Truck & Bus UK 

for its latest flag-bearer. The 

company has recently taken 

delivery of a 7.5-tonne MAN 

TGL 8.180BB at their Peterborough base, and 

the truck is certainly making an impact with 

a striking design that promotes the popular 

and prize-winning Green Devil Indian Pale 

Ale. The vehicle is supplied on a five-year 

contract hire agreement. MAN sales executive 

Terry Mashford said: “For a growing company 

such as Oakham Ales, the contract hire option 

was the best solution to meet its business 

needs.” Already operating a 7.5-tonne MAN 

Oakham Ales, observed that “we are not 

haulage operators, so the five-year contract 

hire means that we benefit the most from our 

vehicles in terms of running costs, repair and 

maintenance. We are indeed well looked after 

by our dealer, and when we needed another 

vehicle, returning to MAN seemed an obvious 

choice.” Marketing Manager Nigel Wattam 

added: “The MAN delivery trucks are mobile 

billboards for our products, and each is brandspecific. 

The latest vehicle carries our awardwinning 

Green Devil IPA design and should 

certainly turn heads whilst on the road.” 

32 

33

34 

ICE 


Ordinary vehicles will not travel far in the arctic tundra 

of Iceland with its metre-thick ice packs and volcanic rock. 

The pioneer Addi Hermannsson therefore relies on a 

modified MAN truck to show tourists around the nation’s 

second-largest glacier. 

© Dirk Bruniecki 

IN THE 

LAND 

OF 

ICE FIRE 

AND 35


A 

ctually, it all began with the 

“Glacier Girl”. This aircraft 

crashed on a Greenlandic 

glacier during the second world war and was 

recovered through a major effort in 1992. 

Iceland native and adventurer Arngrímur 

Hermannsson was part of that initial salvage 

team, and as he was picked to lead the later 

recovery of the seven sister planes, he looked 

for vehicles strong enough to pull the wrecks 

out of the glacier. Ultimately, that particular 

salvage operation could not be financed, yet 

Hermannsson bought the trucks anyway – 

and today drives tourists around the secondlargest 

glacier in Iceland in three customised 

MAN trucks. 

ARNGRÍMUR HERMANNSSON, nicknamed 

“Addi” by just about everyone, is the very personification 

of a pioneer. Recovering the 

“Glacier Girl” isn’t the only adventure experienced 

by the 62-year-old. At the age of 18, he 

saved people out of glacier crevices; in the 

1970s he crossed Iceland on skis, and ultimately 

became the first person to drive across all of 

Greenland in an all-wheel-drive vehicle. His 

latest project is “Into the Glacier”, a tour of the 

Langjökull glacier in western Iceland. Since 

2015, Addi has been transporting tourists 

across rough terrain, snow and ice to places 

they could never have reached themselves. 

This business idea has proven quite successful: 

At least 50,000 visitors have already taken 

an Into the Glacier tour. 

The three tours offered on this day are 

also completely sold out. A group of pupils 

from the UK, families, pensioners and young 

couples from Germany, Canada, China, India 

and the United States – they all want to travel 

to the glacier despite subzero temperatures 

and an icy wind blowing today. Tightly 

wrapped in anoraks and snowsuits, they 

climb into the trucks featuring a bus superstructure 

in the back. “These MANs are 

actually registered as buses,” states Addi, 

“although they’re obviously trucks, former 

military vehicles from NATO.” The vehicles 

are spectacular: three metres wide, four 

Flexible: Adjusting to surface 

conditions, the tyre air pressure 

can be increased or decreased 

with the touch of a button. 

Captain behind the wheel: Addi 

Hermannsson preferably drives 

his MAN trucks himself. 

metres high, nearly 14 metres long and 

equipped with tyres that reach up to Addi’s 

chest, despite his impressive body height of 

1.9 metres. Just like the superstructure, the 

tyres were mounted at a later date. “Those 

were the only modifications, however,” 

explains Addi. “The MAN chassis is original – 

and that is truly extraordinary.” 

Addi climbs up behind the steering wheel 

and the journey begins – initially rather 

tamely on a paved road winding through low 

hedges. After barely a kilometre, though, the 

vegetation is already receding and the view 

opens up into a landscape that seemingly 

belongs to another planet. Dark lava stones 

and rugged rocks cover the ground, while the 

Wild country 

Iceland faces extreme weather conditions 

and many areas are difficult to reach. It 

takes more than a conventional all-wheel 

vehicle to navigate the Langjökull Glacier. 

Langjökull 

Iceland 


900 

snow-topped 

newton metres 

torque, 13 litres cubic capacity and 480 

hp: Addi Hermannsson’s MAN KAT 8x8s 

are the perfect vehicles for Iceland’s 

tough conditions. 

No roads in sight: Up on the 

glacier, the MAN vehicle is 

underway on a six-metre cover 

of snow and ice. 

glacier towers in the distance. At 

the sight of these impressions, it becomes 

apparent why Iceland is also called “the land 

of ice and fire”. The track now followed by 

Addi is anything but a road: He and his truck 

must negotiate sand, large rocks, rough gravel 

and even a riverbed filled with water. The passengers 

hardly notice. “It’s less bumpy than a 

normal bus,” says Karen from Canada, who is 

visiting Iceland with her niece Nyssa. That 

comfort is due to the eight tyres with air 

pressure adjustable as needed. Addi uses a 

smartphone app to control a system that 

releases air out of the truck tyres or pumps 

them back up, depending on the type of 

terrain. He developed the system for driving 

on snow and ice – which becomes clear as 

soon as the truck begins its ascent up the 

glacier. The 20-tonne vehicle powers its way 

up the incline, with its soft tyres gliding 

across the snow as if on skis. “The tyres are 

one important factor, but the converter and 

the differential lock are just as critical. Not to 

forget the powerful engine. All of these 

elements are needed to drive on the glacier,” 

says Addi. The torque converter allows him to 

drive across smooth, steep surfaces without 

interrupting his traction, while the direct 

force fit between the engine and transmission 

maintains the rotational speed in the right 

range. Even the differential lock coupling the 

two output shafts facilitates the drive across 

difficult terrain. “We’re up to 15 kilometres 

per hour at the moment, which is quite fast, 

considering that we’re driving on a snow 

cover of six metres,” explains Addi to his passengers 

via microphone. 

“Our trucks are 

used to extremes.” 

Arngrímur Hermannsson, member of the “Into the 

Glacier” team 

36 

37

“Only the MAN trucks can 

deliver us up to the glacier.” 

Hjalti Rafn Gunnarsson, Sales 

and Marketing for “Into the Glacier” 

HAVING REACHED AN ALTITUDE of 1,300 

metres above sea level, the passengers 

disembark to enjoy the incredible views over 

western Iceland and explore a tunnel leading 

them deep into the glacier. The ice tunnel is 

the highlight of the Into the Glacier tour. With 

a length of 550 metres and a depth of 40 

metres below the surface of the glacier, it is 

the largest of its kind worldwide. “Our guests 

enjoy the thrill of seeing a glacier from the 

inside,” explains Hjalti Rafn Gunnarsson, 

Marketing Manager of Into the Glacier. “The 

MAN trucks are the vehicles to enable this experience 

for them. They allow us to drive on 

the glacier all year round, no matter the 

weather conditions” 

And the weather in Iceland can become 

truly extreme. “A few years ago, part of the 

‘Game of Thrones’ series was shot in this area. 

The crew was out with 60 cars when a huge 

storm rolled in. They called me and I collected 

all of the 200 people with my MAN,” recalls 

Addi. There is no such thing as bad weather, 

neither for him nor his trucks: “They’re used 

to the extremes.” Björn Erlingsson, CEO of 

Iceland’s MAN importer Kraftur, certainly 

agrees: “Addi brings his trucks to us every 

three months for servicing, and they’re in top 

condition, especially considering the tough 

job they are performing.” Even the 22 litres of 

diesel Addi burns through per hour are not 

excessive, considering these conditions. 

Upon their return, the team cleans the 

trucks and Addi checks the weather forecast. 

The already strong winds have grown into a 

hurricane, so there won’t be a tour tomorrow. 

“The trucks could easily handle it, but it 

wouldn’t be so very comfortable for our 

guests,” comments Addi. “And it shouldn’t be 

just me who enjoys driving my truck, now 

should it,” he adds with a twinkle in his eye. 

BE ONE WITH HANKOOK 

Be one with your tyres, 

and the road will be one with you. 

Experience a glacier tour video with Addi 

and his MAN in Iceland at 

> youtu.be/tUA8JmwQiGg 


Made for long haul applications 

Hankook’s fuel efficient e-cube MAX series is equipped with the latest technologies 

and an innovative high-structure carbon black compound, ensuring long-lasting durability 

and safe driving while being economical and environmentally friendly. 

hankooktire.com 

38

We keep you going. 

The new ULTRA GRIP MAX tyre range 

• Up to 40% more snow grip when 

half worn 

• Up to 15% more mileage* 

* Comparative tests made by Goodyear GIC*L on size 315/80R22.5 show that: 

- the new Goodyear ULTRA GRIP MAX D offer an improvement in snow grip index of up to 40% compared to Goodyear ULTRA GRIP WTD; 

- the new Goodyear ULTRA GRIP MAX D drive tires offer an improvement in mileage potential of up to 15% compared to Goodyear ULTRA GRIP WTD. 

Actual results may vary based on, but not restricted to, road and weather conditions, tire size, tire pressure and vehicle maintenance.

MANMagazine Truck 02/2016 United Kingdom

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