WELCOME

WELCOME TO ISSUE 30 OF DAF DRIVER MAGAZINE!

The transport industry is changing fast, and DAF Trucks is changing with it. The big news in this issue is the launch of the DAF XD range of medium/heavy distribution trucks, replacing the popular and long-running CF models.

Publisher - Matthew Eisenegger

CHANGING TIMES

Launching these trucks, DAF clearly recognises that operators aren’t just competing against each other for customers any more, they must also compete for drivers. This means that the XD not only off ers the ultraeffi cient Paccar MX-11 engine and improved ZF TraXon transmission which give both excellent operational effi ciency and driveability, but they also off er drivers a degree of space, amenity and comfort previously only found in premium long-haul trucks. And this has been done without compromising accessibility and ease of use.

The truck is also pretty ‘future-proof’, with a combination of a greater glass area and a Corner View system, and the option of a full camera-based electronic vision system. This is good enough to get the truck a Four Stars rating in the London Direct Vision Standard, allowing it to operate in the capital without modifi cation for years to come.

Do the bigger cab and extra tech make it heavier than its predecessor, in a market where maximum payload is often critical for operations such as tanker and bulk freight?

It seems not: depending upon spec, the XD can actually save 40kg on the previous model. Find out more in Andy Stewart’s excellent write-up which starts on page 32.

We also feature two operators who have built much of their success on DAF trucks. Barry Proctor Services has grasped the advantages off ered by the XG range of long-haul trucks and has added four drawbar outfi ts and a tractor unit to its Potteries-based fl eet. The trucks also feature a new livery, refl ecting the arrival of the next generation of the Proctor family in the management team. See for yourself, starting on page 38.

The 12 DAF LFs run by Italian and Spanish tile importer Minoli may be a bit less eye-catching than the Barry Proctor fl eet, but the role they play in the company is vital given the importance that the company gives to prompt and accurate delivery of its large UK-held stocks of high-quality product. And the company’s importance to DAF was highlighted when it was chosen to take delivery of the 500,000th truck to be built at the Leyland Trucks Assembly Plant.

That was a signifi cant milestone for the British automotive industry: and for fans of British automotive icons, we’ve also taken a retrospective look at the Aston Martin V8. This car fi rst appeared in 1977, which older readers will remember as another time of great change, with uncertainties and disputes very similar to today’s. Turbulent times for sure, but the iconic AM V8 embodies a style and grace that makes us remember the good things that were produced then and can still be enjoyed now.

Here’s hoping 2023 will see times change for the better, too.

The Bigger Picture

Look out for the dynamic QR codes in this issue of DAF Driver magazine. Simply open the camera on your mobile device and point it at the code, then sit back for some exciting additional content.

CONTENTS

p6

p12

p27 p18

FEATURES REGULARS

6 Barry Proctor Services

New DAFs, new livery, new ideas but the same company ethos

12 Aston Martin

50 years on, would Aston Martin’s fi rst V8 leave you stirred, not shaken?

18 Driver Challenge

Could UK fi nalist Colin Court bring the trophy home?

27 DAF XD Launch

The truck range you’ve been waiting for

33 DAF XD Impressions

We join Andy Stewart on the road in the XD

3 WELCOME

It’s another action-packed issue

26 SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

Put your observation skills to the test!

39 SIMPSON SAYS

Driver facilities - needed by drivers, but when will we get more?

52 TRAINER’S NOTES

116123. You never know when you might need it

53 MEET THE TRAINERS

Chris Cotton is your man in the Midlands with Greenhous DAF

38 Minoli

Tiles are Minoli’s business. A fl eet of DAFs ensures they reach the right place at the right time

p32 p52

p40 p53

EDITORIAL

Publisher: Matthew Eisenegger Managing Editor: John Kendall Designer: Harold Francis Callahan

Editorial Address: Commercial Vehicle Media & Publishing Ltd, 4th Floor 19 Capesthorne Drive, Eaves Green, Chorley, Lancashire. PR7 3QQ Telephone: 01257 231521 Email: matthew@cvdriver.com

ADVERTISING

Advertising Sales: David Johns Telephone: 01388 517906 Mobile: 07590 547343 Email: sales@cvdriver.com

DESIGN

Art Editor: Harold Francis Callahan Telephone: 01257 231521 Email: design@cvdriver.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Ronnie Hitchens John Kendall Jack Sunderland Chris Russon KarlHopkinson Mandy Wannerton Richard Simpson Aston Martin Andy Stewart

PUBLISHER

Commercial Vehicle Media & Publishing Ltd, 4th Floor, 19 Capesthorne Drive, Eaves Green, Chorley, Lancashire. PR7 3QQ Telephone: 01257 231521

NOTE

The publisher makes every effort to ensure the magazine’s contents are correct. All material published in DAF Driver magazine is copyright and unauthorised reproduction is forbidden. The Editors and Publisher of this magazine give no warranties, guarantees or assurances and make no representations regarding any goods or services advertised in this edition. DAF Driver magazine is published under a licence from Commercial Vehicle Media & Publishing Ltd. All rights in the licensed material belong to Matthew Eisenegger or Commercial Vehicle Media and Publishing Ltd and may not be reproduced whether in whole or in part, without their prior written consent. DAF Driver Magazine is a registered trademark.

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