V8 Pride: Twin Scanias pave the way

kscarbel2 · March 2, 2017

Owner/Driver / March 2, 2017

The Scania R730s owned by Elio Palermo and Tony Roussos are almost identical. Is 730hp overkill? We don't think so!

Melbourne asphalt carriers, Elio Palermo and Tony Roussos, both love the power of a V8 engine.

Until recently Elio satisfied his V8 obsession by driving his 1988 Mack Super-Liner II. He is glad his friend Tony convinced him to add a 2016 Scania R730 to his small fleet.

"I never test drove it," says Elio, who lives in Wallan, Victoria. "I just went with my gut feeling, and seeing how good they’ve been performing in the game."

When Elio ordered his R730 from Scania Dandenong, he knew Tony was waiting for his own new R730 to arrive. Trusting his friend’s experience with the brand, Elio requested the same specifications as the truck Tony had ordered.

That’s why the two Downer subcontractors, who operate separate businesses, have almost identical rigs.

Both R730s pull new Trout River live-floor trailers and cart asphalt for Downer. They are painted the same shade of silver, which complements the Hardox steel trailers. But the rigs are not entirely identical.

Elio’s prime mover has his business name, ‘Bluemack’, written on the side and ‘Majestic Mover’ written above the doors. Tony has his name on the doors, griffins painted on the sides and ‘King of the Road’ above the front windscreen.

"It is king of the road," says Tony whose business Suarez Nominees is based in Clayton.

"I’ve come up against nothing that can pass it at this stage."

Both Scanias cart sand and stone into Downer’s Bayswater and Summerton plants. And they carry asphalt to road construction sites throughout Melbourne and as far as Gippsland and Shepparton, Victoria.

Elio admits 730hp is ‘overkill’ for this kind of work: "I just thought I’d go out there and get the biggest on the market."

Tony agrees the V8 has more power than he needs, but says he bought the new R730 to reward himself for 20 years of hard work.

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