“Six-Foot Behind the Bull Bar: Breaking Ground with the 770hp Scania Beast”
6 Foot Behind the Bullbar - Real Trucks. Real Roads. Real Stories.Show Notes
Strap in as this week’s episode of Six‑Foot Behind the Bull Bar tears into the cutting-edge world of heavy haulage, showcasing the mighty Scania R770 V8 in action. We dive into the story behind D&P Solutions' R770 8×4 prime mover and its custom 5R8 Linkwing trailer — and why this duo is shaking up Australia’s megaproject logistics scene From its ferocious 770hp, 16.4‑litre V8 engine churning out 3,700 Nm of torque, to the slick 16‑speed Opticruise gearbox with multiple reverse gears — every spec is a testament to engineered might and clever design. We unpack how hub‑reduction tandem drive axles, diff locks and advanced traction systems let this rig haul road‑headers up steep grades and through mud without drama We also talk fuel economy, decoding how this monster averages between 1.2 km/L to 1.4 km/L on long hauls from Brisbane to Sydney — a big deal when you’re hauling 130‑tonne loads across remote terrain Plus, we’ll discuss why owner Deirdre Young describes the R770 as a “hamburger with the lot” — featuring built‑in shower, Starlink, fridge and generator — and why it took more than two years to perfect every detail before delivery. Tune in for: A technical deep dive into R770’s V8 power and emissions‑compliant Euro 6 setup How diff‐lock, traction control, hill‑hold and retarder systems work together to keep this giant in control Tales of Australia’s tunnelling boom and what it’s doing for heavy haulage operators Behind‑the‑scenes of spec’ing one of the most capable Scania rigs in the Southern Hemisphere Ready for horsepower, engineering brilliance, and haulage stories like no other? Jump in six‑feet behind the bull bar and let’s roll. 👉 Be sure to visit roadtrains.com.au to read the full stories and check out photos of the trucks featured in each episode.
More from 6 Foot Behind the Bullbar - Real Trucks. Real Roads. Real Stories.
How does AIR CTI help Warral Maldon move more than 7,000 beehives across Victoria for the annual almond pollination season? In Episode 18 of 6 Foot Behind the Bullbar, roadtrains.com.au join fifth-generation beekeeper and Warral Maldon Managing Director Lindsay Callaway to explore the extraordinary logistics behind one of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest movements of livestock. From remote apiary sites in Victoria’s sandy Big Desert to almond orchards near Robinvale, Warral Maldon’s trucks must carry millions of bees across bitumen, gravel and deep sand. Lindsay explains how the Australian-made AIR CTI central tyre inflation system allows drivers to adjust truck and trailer tyre pressures from the cab, improving traction, reducing track damage and protecting their unusually sensitive freight. We also hear how Warral Maldon coordinates more than 7,000 hives, 70,000 frames and 200 apiary sites, and why reliable road transport is so important to Australia’s almond pollination industry. This episode of 6 Foot Behind the Bullbar is proudly sponsored by AIR CTI. Read the full story at www.roadtrains.com.au
Scania has entered the concrete game with the new Super 11 P350 concrete agitator, and this is not just another truck with a barrel on the back. In this episode of Six Foot Behind the Bullbar, Howard Shanks looks at Scania’s new 11-litre five-cylinder Super engine, the G25CM 14-speed gearbox, low-rev torque, tare-weight savings, roll stability, safety technology, 360-degree camera system and real-world performance around batch plants, urban streets, roundabouts and tight construction sites. Read the full feature with images on Roadtrains.com.au: Scania Super 11 concrete agitator review. The Scania Super 11 agitator marks an unexpected move into one of Australia’s toughest vocational truck markets, where payload, stability, driver access, visibility, backup support and fuel efficiency all matter. So, has Scania simply joined the concrete truck market, or has it arrived with something that might genuinely shake up the old order? Let’s climb six foot behind the bullbar and find out.
Some stories don’t age. They just keep rolling. In this episode of Six Foot Behind the Bullbar, we head back more than twenty years to Northwest Queensland, riding alongside legendary livestock operator Owen Schmidt as he takes a Kenworth T650 and triple Haulmark road train into Kilclooney Station to load cattle. This is not a story about polished trucks or perfect roads. It is about the reality of livestock transport in one of Australia’s most unforgiving regions. Dust that hangs in the air. Tracks that barely qualify as roads. Equipment built not to impress, but to survive. You’ll hear how Owen and his wife Liz built Schmidt Transport from a single truck into one of Queensland’s respected livestock operations, why durability mattered more than appearance, and how trailers designed decades ago are still working today across the north. This episode captures a moment in time when road trains were simply tools of the trade, and the men and women who operated them did so without fuss, recognition, or margin for error. Because out here, reliability was not a feature. It was survival.
Forkin’ Good When the truck carries its own forklift, delays disappear — and a business is born. In this episode of 6 Foot Behind the Bullbar, host Jason Jordan sits down with Fork2U founder Peter McCormack to uncover how a former Melbourne firefighter built one of Australia’s most versatile pallet delivery fleets using Scania P420 rigid trucks and rear-mounted Manitou telehandlers. Operating from Melbourne’s outer suburbs, Fork2U moves more than 3,000 pallets per week across construction sites, airports, infrastructure projects, and urban delivery locations where conventional trucks simply can’t operate. Peter shares how a simple idea — putting a forklift on the truck — transformed pallet logistics by eliminating delays, improving efficiency, and creating a fully independent delivery solution. This episode explores the real-world performance of Scania P-series trucks in demanding urban freight applications, including fuel economy, Opticruise transmission efficiency, twin-steer payload advantages, and the importance of reliability in high-pressure delivery environments. Peter also reflects on lessons learned from his 31-year firefighting career and how those principles shaped his approach to business, fleet management, and customer service. If you’re interested in trucks, transport logistics, Scania performance, Australian trucking stories, or the people behind modern freight operations, this is a rare inside look at a fleet built on solving problems and delivering reliability. Subscribe to 6 Foot Behind the Bullbar for authentic Australian trucking stories, road transport history, heavy haulage features, and behind-the-scenes interviews from the people who keep Australia moving. For the full story and photos visit www.roadtrains.com.au
On this very special archival episode of 6 Foot Behind the Bullbar, we rewind the clock more than twenty years to an original Outback Road Train video, filmed deep in the Gulf Country of Northwest Queensland, where Deason’s heavy haul driver Craig Oldham prepares to move one of the largest wheel loaders ever transported on Australian roads. Filmed by Howard and Tommy Shanks as part of the original Outback Road Train DVD series, this episode follows Craig and his 200-tonne-rated Kenworth T904 as it hauls a massive 102-tonne Komatsu WA900 loader across 1,200 kilometres of remote outback highway. From sunrise at a Royal Flying Doctor emergency airstrip near Gregory Downs, through the historic towns of Cloncurry, Julia Creek, Richmond and Charters Towers, this is Australian heavy haulage in its purest form. You’ll hear the original soundtrack recorded in the cab and along the roadside, capturing the authentic sounds of a Caterpillar-powered Kenworth at work. Hydraulic module trailers, bush repairs, fuel stops, tyre fixes, and the constant challenge of moving oversized loads across one of the harshest environments on earth. This is not a recreation. This is the real journey, as it happened. For the full story, photos, and technical insights, visit roadtrains.com.au If you enjoy real Australian trucking stories, be sure to follow 6 Foot Behind the Bullbar on Spotify so you never miss an episode.