Victorian family-owned fuel retailer APCO Service Stations has put Scania prime movers at the heart of its transport operations—and both drivers and management are reaping the rewards.
With 27 outlets across Victoria and southern New South Wales, the Anderson family business moves large volumes of fuel day and night, clocking up between 300,000 and 400,000 kilometres annually. For Transport Manager Scott Curtis, with nearly four decades in logistics, the transition to Scania has been transformative.
Drivers Embrace the Change
“Driver acceptance has been nothing short of fantastic. They actually love them,” says Curtis. “The drivers thought the previous European truck they were in was good, but they wouldn’t go back now.”
APCO runs six B-double tanker sets, including Scania’s G 560 and R 620 V8—one of which has already accumulated 450,000 km in just 15 months. A new R 660 V8 joined the fleet late last year and is delivering strong results on long-haul runs.
The Scania Driver Score system has also proved popular. Curtis says, “The drivers have really taken to it and they’re getting amazing scores. It’s made them even safer drivers as a lot of the scoring is based around anticipation.”
Reliability and Service Keep Trucks on the Road
With trucks operating 24/7, reliability is paramount. APCO has partnered with Scania authorised dealer PJ&T Motors in Geelong for service and maintenance support. All trucks are on Scania’s Repair and Maintenance contracts, ensuring uptime and predictable operating costs.
“The service we’ve had from PJ&T has been excellent, even out of hours,” Curtis says. “It’s been a big part of us actually ordering more trucks.”
Performance on the Road
Fuel efficiency is also impressing the APCO team. The R 620 and R 660 V8s return around 2.0–2.1 km/litre hauling 68.5-tonne B-doubles, while the standout G 560 consistently achieves 2.6 km/litre as a 57.5-tonne B-double. Another G 560 is already on order.
Scania’s features—such as the integrated fridge, idle-free air conditioning, advanced safety systems, and the Scania Retarder for safe downhill control—have added comfort and confidence for drivers handling dangerous goods.
Building for the Future
With service contracts covering up to 900,000 km, APCO will review whether to extend maintenance support or refresh the fleet at the end of each term. For now, the family-owned operator is certain it made the right move.
“Overall, the Scanias have been fabulous for us,” Curtis says. “It’s all in the box. All we add is the bull bar and some sign writing.”
Scania’s Travis Damianopoulos says APCO’s experience is typical of fuel hauliers across the country: “With such tight deadlines and the need for trucks to be delivering day after day, Scania’s proven record in this industry makes our trucks an obvious choice.”
