Tick, tock, truck. Scania has taken on the toughest challenge of them all—the race against time as devised by TBWAStockholm. A challenge that involved 14 trucks having to keep track of every second. Literally. At a deserted airfield in the middle of nowhere, Scania set out to create a gigantic clock made out of trucks—one that would run for 24 hours straight. 

When you operate in long haulage transport, being at the right place at the right time can make or break your business. This is why Scania put its new generation of trucks and services through the toughest test of them all—time itself. The process of setting up the world’s first clock consisting entirely of trucks required 14 trucks, 90 drivers and 750,000 square feet of deserted airfield. The gigantic truck clock “ticked” away for a full 24 hours starting on Sept. 20.

The trucks that made up the clock faced a variety of difficulties depending on which clock hand they were forming. The trucks that made up the second-hand had to drive on a round track in a perfect circle every 60 seconds for 24 hours. The inside truck had to maintain a constant speed of 13 km/h, while the outside truck had to hold a constant speed of 53 km/h. For the trucks making up the minute and hour hands, the challenge was to ensure a perfectly synchronized sequence of starts and stops. 

In order to maintain a correct, even speed while minimizing fuel consumption, each truck had to be carefully managed depending on their position in the clock. Scania fleet managers in the control tower were able to keep track of all the trucks and constantly monitor the status of each vehicle to avoid unexpected stops and keep wear and tear to a minimum. The drivers played a key role in ensuring that the whole operation worked smoothly. 

The clock was filmed using five different cameras, which allows viewers to switch between different angles on the scaniaclock.com website. Visitors to the site could also learn more about the project and the new generation of Scania trucks and services. 

The clock was set up to prove that regardless of whether you are hauling grain or fuel, transporting timber or building a 750,000-square-foot clock, Scania can always offer a solution tailored for any business.

A short film showcasing the feat was directed by Patrik Gyllström of B-Reel Films.

Credits

Client Scania Trucks Staffan Arvas, head of marketing communications. Agency TBWAStockholm Kalle Widgren, executive creative director; Alexander Fredlund, André Persson, Lina Franzon, Stephanie Moradi, creatives; Anna Bergström, producer; Håkan Engler, planner; Christian Styffe, graphic designer; Robert Schelin, executive client director. Production B-Reel Films Patrik Gyllström, director.

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