After initially considering a cowboy theme, a friend suggested that the new Scania R660, operated by Linus Jalonen (24), should be painted as a tribute to his favorite TV series, “Sons of Anarchy.” Linus thought it was a good idea, because he wanted his first truck to stand out and not look like any other. In early April last year (2024), Linus picked up his Sons of Anarchy-themed Scania from the paint shop, DR Lack, where airbrush artist Dr. H, Hakan Andersson, had just completed the final touches. And the results exceeded his expectations.
“A lot of people point when they see it on the road, and many come up to me to give compliments. They recognize the series and want to take pictures,” said Linus. A third generation trucker in MJ Akeri, a trucking company located outside Varnamo in southern Sweden. The company started in 1955 on a small scale, hauling milk from local farmers to a big dairy in Bredaryd. Eventually, the milk runs were replaced by taxi and bus services. In the 1970s, then owner Helmer Bladh hired his son-in-law Markku Jalonen, who just happened to be Linus’ grandfather, into the business.
Markku took over the company after a few years and expanded its operations to include newspaper deliveries and courier services. In 2020, it was time for Markku’s son, Mattias, to take over. Under his leadership, the company has shifted focus significantly. Today, the outfit employs 35 people and operates 18 refuse trucks, managing the waste collection in four municipalities. The vehicle fleet also includes a wheel loader, three smaller transport vans, and four self-loading trucks with trailers – one of them being Linus’ new Scania.
Going to work at the company right after high school, there was never any question about Linus pursuing a different career. “I’ve been riding in the trucks my whole life,” Linus said. Before putting the new Scania to work, it needed a custom paint job and a cool interior. The truck is a 2023 Scania R660 with a 660-hp V8 engine and a Hiab 24-ton self-loading crane. The truck’s cab and sleeper have been luxuriously outfitted with button-tufted burgundy leather on the ceiling and side panels.
On the outside, fans of the show “Sons of Anarchy” will recognize seven of the main characters from the series about an outlaw motorcycle club in the fictional town of Charming, California, along with the club’s patch featuring The Grim Reaper. Linus admits he hasn’t seen all the episodes of the show, but Dr. H (the painter) has watched them several times, so he was particularly excited to paint Linus’ Scania with scenes from one of his favorite television shows.
The project took about 15 working days to complete. “It was a very fun job. Linus wanted the patch with The Grim Reaper, the club’s logo SAMCRO (Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original), and the main character Jax to be included. Otherwise, I had a lot of creative freedom.” Besides the specific requests, Hakan managed to include six more characters from the TV series including Clay Morrow, Gemma Teller, Bobby, Chibs, Tig, and Opie.
“Sons of Anarchy” is an American action crime drama television series that was created by Kurt Sutter for the FX television network. Originally aired from September 3, 2008, to December 9, 2014, the show follows the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club that operated in Charming, a fictional town in California’s Central Valley. The show was broadcast in Sweden during the same years as the USA. The series featured 92 episodes and became the network’s highest-rated show of the time. The main characters were played by Charlie Hunnam (Jackson “Jax” Teller), Ron Perlman (Clay Morrow), and Katey Sagal (Gemma Teller).
This Scania isn’t the first truck Hakan has painted – he’s done around 15 so far. However, this one has the most detailed artwork. TV series themes are quite popular among truck drivers and owners in and around the Netherlands. Hakan’s portfolio also includes trucks painted with themes from the shows “Vikings” and “Game of Thrones.”
Linus has already attended a truck show with his Scania and plans to attend more when he’s not using the truck for its intended purpose – delivering asphalt to companies and construction sites. And the fact that this Scania actually works shows a bit. “There are spots everywhere. That’s the problem with hauling asphalt, you have to wash it all the time,” Linus laughingly said. However, spots or not, this eye-catching Swedish Scania truck is turning heads wherever it goes.