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WELCOME TO ISSUE 35 OF DAF DRIVER MAGAZINE!
With the nights drawing in and the busiest time of year approaching, we are pleased to offer a good overview of the past, present and future of transport.
Publisher - Matthew Eisenegger
CHANGING SEASONS
First of all, for as long as I have been in the industry, I have been repeatedly told that the days of the owner-driver and small-fleet operator are over.
Well, we are pleased to offer features on one of each: BH Cecil & Sons is now on its fourth generation as a small family-owned fleet, while university graduate Stephen Burgess ignored his father’s advice, turned his back on corporate life, and took over his old truck to become an owner-driver himself.
Both these concerns now run top-of-the range DAF trucks, and clearly didn’t get the message that they should have gone out of business years ago!
As DAF continues to enjoy its position as market leader in the UK, it’s worth thinking back to the days when it was a niche newcomer, and wonder how it rose to today’s dominant position. This issue explores two of the key factors that have seen it rise to the top through very tough times.
The first of these is good customer service. Anyone who can remember the days when the market was dominated by the big British manufacturers will no doubt be able to recall the inherent unreliability of their products and the abysmal support offered to operators. Even quite small fleets didn’t just have full-time workshops fighting desperately to get the fleet
turned out every Monday morning, they also had a dedicated ‘wrecker’ to recover the trucks that inevitably failed to return on a Friday afternoon. DAFaid, which made sure that every DAF dealer treated every DAF operator as a valued customer irrespective of who had supplied the truck, was responsible for a seismic shift in service standards. You can read about how this was achieved on page 24.
But good service will only get you so far. You also need a good product. Perhaps surprisingly the real hero of the story of DAF’s UK success, was a legacy product from Leyland Truck & Bus: the little Roadrunner ‘puddlejumper’.
Often overlooked, this truck was one of the rare times for British industry when a brilliant product was launched on the back of a brilliant marketing and advertising campaign, and met a genuine demand.
That product’s successor is still designed and built in Leyland today. And you can read about how, in its latest incarnation as a zero-emissions vehicle, it successfully participated in the 2024 Greenfleet EV Rally this Summer.
The start of the next chapter of DAF’s success story in the UK? Oh yes.
Enjoy the issue!
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.
FEATURES REGULARS
6 CRIMSON CRUISER
Owner-driver’s DAF-driven success story
12 REFLOATING THE AIRSHIP
Think of it as a flying truck, yes really
18 EV RALLY 2024
DAF returns to the Greenfleet EV Rally
24 SEVERN HEAVEN
A fresh catch at Blakeney’s BH Cecil
32 50 YEARS OF DAFAID
Groundbreaking support put DAF on top
38 LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMP
Roadrunner: the British truck that saved DAF
3 WELCOME
Changing seasons see Matt in a reflective mood
50 SIMPSON SAYS
Longer vehicle life is the key to electric success
51 SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
Win a DAF model truck
52 TRAINER’S
NOTES
Mandy reminisces about her dear old dad
53
MEET THE TRAINERS
Ben Adams of Watts Truck & Van, South Wales
INFORMATION
EDITORIAL
Publisher: Matthew Eisenegger
Managing Editor: Richard Simpson
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
Karl Hopkinson
Mike Humble
Simon Peters
Dan Pullen
Mandy Wannerton
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.
If you are not going to keep this magazine for future reference please pass it on or recycle it.
CRIMSON CRU
Reproduced with the kind permission of Truck & Driver magazine
Many thanks to Seacon Terminals for use of the company’s facility at Northfleet
Photographs: Dan Pullen
‘Never be a lorry driver’. The words of Oliver Burgess, father of Stephen, the third generation Burgess at the 100-year-old Westerham-based haulier, and custodian of this rangetopping DAF XG+ 530 three-axle tractor. Stephen heeded his father’s plea, but, after Oliver passed away in 2012, and to continue his father’s legacy, Stephen hit the road.
ISER
& Son Ltd.
G.Burgess
o be honest,” says Stephen, “I’ve told my son, Louis, the same thing. For an owner-driver these days, it’s a very, very tough business. My father had the same view,” he says, “but I wasn’t going to turn my back on the transport industry completely.”
Committed to a career in transport, Stephen did, in fact, pass his category C+E at the age of 21 (six weeks after his birthday) after successfully completing a maritime degree in international transport at the UWIST college – now Cardiff University – in Wales. True to his father’s wishes, however, he took-up a traffic clerk position with Marley Transport, part of Marley Roof Tiles, for whom his father was sub-contracting. He
progressed as Transport Manager at the company’s Peasmarch branch near Guildford. “It was important I had the driving qualification”, says Stephen, “it gives you credibility in the traffic office.”
Even more transport office experience was gained as Distribution Shift Manager at Hays Distribution working at Tesco’s RDC at Snodland, Kent. Stephen’s most senior role came as Operations Manager for Beck & Pollitzer Engineering where he spent 12 years.
“When dad died,” says Stephen, “I felt it was time to make a change and I really wanted to go it alone and be my own boss. I wanted to carry on his legacy, so I went straight into my dad’s ’08-plate DAF XF105.”
“Thecabissimply second-to-none,” heboasts, “itreallyisatop-ofthe-rangetruck.”
That’s ‘Handy’ G.Burgess & Son Ltd,. was established in 1923 by Stephen’s grandfather, George, with an American Peerless lorry and was involved in shifting sand and ballast. Son, Oliver, joined immediately after World War II with an ex-American forces International Harvester truck which he converted to right-hand-drive! A brandnew Leyland Comet 90 tipper was acquired in the mid-50s which was also converted, this time into a tractor unit! (Exactly how he did it, DAF Driver isn’t too sure, but we can only marvel at the sheer endeavour).
After a succession of models from famous old brands including Leyland, Bedford, and Albion, a new Scammell Handyman was acquired in 1965 and, we are delighted to report, GUL
132C still sits in Stephen’s yard in Westerham – though, it must be said, it’s looking a little unloved.
“I’d love to restore her,” adds Stephen, “When? I don’t know, but it would be a dream to see her in all her glory again.”
Ill-fated Fodens
The equally famous Foden marque entered the scene in 1988, although it endured a somewhat ill-fated history with Burgess. The first 4400 Caterpillar-powered machine was stolen in ’91, followed by a replacement which, sadly, suffered the same fate! A third 4400 was up next, again with CAT-power, although the motor was swapped-out for a Cummins power-plant, uprated to 400bhp by the engine manufacturer in
West Thurrock. The block developed a crack in 2004 and the truck was replaced by a Mark I Foden Alpha.
“I remember asking dad why on earth he opted for 400bhp,” recalls Stephen, “and he simply replied, ‘because I can!’. I thought to myself, fair enough! Dad had Fodens for many years and they were a damn good, British-built truck. I have fond memories of them,” he says.
The Alpha was replaced with a Cummins-powered Mark II Alpha which performed well, and was only replaced when Euro-3 emissions legislation prohibited use into London – by which time, Foden had ceased production and a sideways move to DAF, Stephen says, “seemed an obvious and natural progression.”
“Dad bought a pre-owned XF 460 Space Cab, which I replaced with an ex-demo XF Super Space Cab in 2013,” he says. Then followed a new Euro 6 XF in 2016 and a facelift model in 2018, both painted in my dad’s original crimson colour.”
DAF – a few teething troubles
We come bang up-to-date now with Stephen’s latest acquisition, DAF’s mighty XG+ FTG 530 6x2 tractor, acquired through DAF main dealer, Channel Commercials in Kent. Stephen’s was one of the first off the production line at the Leyland Trucks assembly plant in Lancashire and it came with a few teething problems.
“It was, and still is, a magnificent looking machine,” admits Stephen, “that XG+ cab is the best in the
business and it’s a joy to drive. DAF has always had such a great reputation for reliability, so you can imagine my disappointment when the gremlins crept in soon after I bought it in 2022. I know it’s no secret that there have been some injector issues with the New Generation DAFs,” he says, “and I have to say my truck suffered a good deal of downtime as a result. For an owner-driver, of course, it’s a worst-case scenario.
“I’ve also had some grief with the Digital Vision System [DAF’s digital mirror replacement equipment] which kept going off. And, I soon noticed the chassis was corroding, too.”
Happy ending
“I think the truck had sat outside for several months at Leyland awaiting components after lockdown, but DAF sorted that out with no quibbles and the truck received a full chassis repaint. The injector problem was, finally, fixed 12 months ago and it’s been trouble-free ever since. The camera issues were resolved early on. While the experience was unwelcome,” he says, “I’m not sure I would have enjoyed the same outcome from any another manufacturer. DAF and Channel Commercials have been nothing short of brilliant and they’ve supported me 110%.”
Happily for Stephen, he had chosen a manufacturer, and a dealer in Channel Commercials, that was prepared to take it on the chin and go the extra mile. DAF Driver is delighted to hear that owner-drivers can receive the same high levels of support that are afforded to the big, high-profile companies – at least from this truck maker.
‘Because I can!’
Today, Stephen is well-chuffed with DAF’s flagship motor. “The cab is simply second-to-none,” he boasts, “it really is a top-of-the-range truck.”
Which begs the question, why did Stephen spec such a seemingly over-the-top piece of kit? “Because I can!” smiles Stephen, echoing his father’s purchasing rationale. “Yes, 530 horses may seem excessive for a truck which predominantly operates out of the east coast ports into and around London,” he says, “but just knowing I have all that power under my right foot is what it’s all about. On the odd occasion it is called into action, it pulls like an absolute train.”
Stephen’s truck certainly looks the part too, a fact acknowledged by 80% of voters in DAF’s popular ‘DAF of the Month’ Facebook competition earlier this year. Stephen’s truck was viewed by 3000 drivers, truck enthusiasts and other DAF followers, with his cumulative votes total seeing his XG+ emerge as ‘DAF of the Year’ 2023.
There’s more good news for Stephen on the fuel economy front with his XG+ hovering around 9.5mpg, representing an 11% improvement on his previous XF 530. Stephen tells us this is particularly impressive given he often pulls wide trailers and abnormal loads.
FORS to the fore
G.Burgess & Son is a FORS Gold Accredited Operator, and a big advocate of the scheme, and joining-up appears to have been a genuinely beneficial move for the business. Embarking on his FORS journey in 2014, Stephen progressed to FORS Silver in 2016 and earning top level FORS Gold status in January ’23.
“I’m happy to admit,” concedes Stephen, “my FORS accreditation has allowed me to enjoy regular work. My principal business is with Alphatrans, now part of DFDS, and almost all drops are in and around London to all the major construction projects. Increasingly, site rules state that hauliers must be FORS accredited. I recall taking an abnormal load to a BSKYB site near Chiswick and FORS Silver was the minimum requirement. It was a battle to get tipped and it prompted me to embrace the scheme.
“FORS has definitely allowed me to keep busy,” Stephen says, “and FORS Gold has even opened up some new business opportunities.
Stephen is also a FORS Practitioner, which entails passing a series of FORS training modules covering a range of fleet management disciplines, which can be tailored to the individual needs of a specific operation. The safe driving course was particularly enlightening for Stephen. “Actually getting on a bike and seeing a truck from a vulnerable road user’s viewpoint really highlighted the dangers they face,” he says, “There’s an obligation for all road users to adopt a safety mindset, and FORS is really good at promoting that.
“I think it’s important too for owner-drivers to keep up with the latest legislation, just as the big fleets do, and the FORS Practitioner course has given me a great insight into current trends – for drivers as well as transport professionals. The course modules were quite tough,” he adds, “and it meant some time away from work, but it’s definitely been worth it. I have a genuine qualification which would come in very handy indeed if I should ever want to go back into the office.
UP, UP AND
Words: Steve Banner Photographs: Hybrid Air Vehicles
Could airships be due for a revival as a viable means of transporting freight and passengers over long distances? Hybrid Air Vehicles reckons so.
AND AWAY
Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) has developed an innovative airship for the 21st century called Airlander 10, which has already completed a number of successful flights. With a hull almost 100m long containing non-flammable helium, it can carry ten tonnes, stay in the air for five days at a height of up to 20,000ft, and has a range of over 4,500 miles, says the Bedfordshire company.
The helium provides 60% of the lift Airlander 10 requires. The balance is delivered by the passage of air over the hull and by what is known as vectoring engine power.
In other words, it has engines that can be used to provide lift-off so that it rises from the ground in the way that a VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) aircraft such as the Harrier jump-jet does. The combination of these three elements explains why it is referred to as a hybrid
Once it is in, the air the buoyant lift of helium reduces the amount of fuel that needs to be burned just to keep Airlander 10 in the sky, says HAV. Most of the airframe’s weight is countered by the helium’s buoyancy.
As a consequence, Airlander produces around 75% less CO2 than roughly comparable aircraft in similar roles, which means it has less impact on the environment.
Its environmental impact will be reduced even further in the not-toodistant future says the company.
At present, power comes courtesy of four engines that burn jet fuel. From 2028 onwards, however, two of these engines will be replaced by electric motors, says HAV, creating a hybrid aircraft that delivers a 90% CO2 reduction.
The next step will be to displace the remaining engines with electric motors, creating a zero-emission aircraft by 2030.
Drawbacks?
With a maximum speed of just over 80mph, Airlander 10 is far slower than a modern airliner. However, it does not need a long runway in order to take off, and it can fly point-to-point.
In other words, it could rise up vertically from the centre of one city, and drop down vertically in the centre of another. Furthermore, its low flight speed and the way it is constructed
means that passengers – it can carry up to 90 – experience very little vibration.
An aircraft could deliver air freight far faster, but would pump out a lot more CO2. Airlander offers a low-carbon aerial alternative, and is faster than sea freight.
HAV Chief Executive Officer, Tom Grundy claims: “It’s designed to allow customers to rethink the skies.”
Made from laminated fabric, the craft’s aerodynamic hull accommodates multiple ballonets – compartments filled with air – as well as helium. They
help to maintain the hull’s internal pressure as the helium expands and contracts in line with changes in altitude and temperature.
The pilots can adjust the ballonets, which gives them extra control.
If the hull suffers damage and is punctured in several places then it is reassuring to know from HAV that helium leaks very slowly. Under such circumstances an automatic pressure management system will kick in which should allow Airlander 10 to fly to a base for repairs and helium replenishment.
Once the Airlander 10 reaches cruising speed its two forward engines are shut down to reduce fuel usage, emissions, and noise. It can be safely landed using any two of its engines.
What is more, it can take off and land safely in up to 30 knots (55 km/h) of wind, says HAV. Unlike conventional large aircraft it is not cross-wind restricted, and can simply turn into the wind and take off in any direction.
Light and durable carbon fibre is used to construct the major rigid
components of the craft, including the fins and the module that carries the payload.
The control system employs fibre optics rather than traditional copper wires. As well as weighing far less, they are resistant to lightning and electromagnetic interference. What’s more, they offer higher data transmission rates.
HAV’s next step will be to build Airlander 50, with the ability to
shift up to 50 tonnes of cargo and a range of almost 1,400 miles with its maximum payload onboard. If used to carry people it will be able to transport up to 200 passengers.
If asked to fulfil both roles then it will be able to move, say, six 20ft ISO containers and 48 people. HAV believes that its lack of need for a runway will make it ideal for anybody who needs to deliver equipment to a remote mine or humanitarian aid to a part of the globe devastated by an earthquake.
A fully-electric Airlander 50 could be available by 2033, reducing CO2 emissions by 1.15kg for each tonne of freight compared with a standard cargo plane.
Over £120m has been spent on developing Airlander 10, including grants from the British government and the European Union, and significant investment from the USA’s Department of Defense. The business is working with the department on the development of zero-emission defence logistics and
the electrification of Airlander using hydrogen fuel cell technology.
HAV aims to build 24 Airlanders a year at a factory in Carcroft Common, Doncaster, and deliver the first examples to customers in 2028. It says that a number of potential operators have already expressed firm interest, including regional airline Air Nostrum.
While Airlanders can claim environmental credentials, it should perhaps be noted that the helium they
rely on is a completely non-renewable resource. Produced way underground through the natural radioactive decay of elements such as uranium, it seeps to the Earth’s surface and gets trapped in pockets of natural gas, from which it can then be extracted.
HAV doubts that we will run out of it any time soon, however. It points out that there are at least 50 years of known helium reserves based on current consumption levels: – and 600 Airlanders would account for just 1% of annual helium consumption.
LEADING THE CHARGE
EV RALLY 2024 REPORT
Words: Amy Carter
Photographs: Mark Ballantyne and DAF Trucks
In 2023, DAF Trucks took part in its first Greenfleet EV Rally. On that occasion, the theme was the five capital cities of the UK and Ireland. The EV Rally has become the highlight of the EV and sustainability calendar since its inception four years ago. Such was the success of last year’s event, we decided to take things one step further, entering not one but two vehicles in the 2024 A to Z Greenfleet EV Rally.
The first vehicle is our tried and tested workhorse 19-tonne LF Electric. With its 250kW single speed motor and 282kWh (254kWh useable) Lithium FerroPhosphate batteries (LFP), this vehicle has successfully completed the 18-month long BatteryElectric Truck Trial (BETT) which saw 20 similar 19-tonne electric LF models put into service with local councils and the NHS supply chain around England. It then went on to take part in the 2023 EV Rally, completing the five-capital challenge without missing a beat. This year, in new livery designed to depict DAF’s electric journey, the truck was readied to take on an even bigger challenge, over 1400 e-miles around Britain.
The second vehicle is the TRP parts VW ID. Buzz van with its 77kWh battery, single speed 204 PS motor and rear-wheel drive. This vehicle was kindly loaned to us by local dealer Brian Currie Ltd and is one of a growing fleet of electric vans being used by the DAF Dealer Network.
First thing on Monday 1st July, we set off from our base in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire to the rally start at the AA headquarters in Oldbury, Birmingham. The truck was already there, having spent the night on charge at Motus DAF in Halesowen, parked strategically to show off its flanks with the DAF EV journey timeline incorporated into the Rally livery. The excitement from each of the teams was palpable and you could really feel the energy from everyone taking part.
Looking around the makeshift paddock (AA headquarters staff car park), we could see Team AA, with their traditional yellow vehicles and black AA logos. Team Europcar fielded four vehicles this year in their corporate bright green colourway and team National Grid brought a diverse fleet ranging from a prototype van to an electric 4x4, and even an Everatti Porsche 968 electric conversion.
Aside from the DAF LF electric, there was only one other truck entered this year, the Daimler Trucks e-Actros
600, a prototype on loan from Daimler Trucks AG. At the other end of the vehicle spectrum was the Zero Motorcycles Inc. DSR/X Black Forest Edition electric motorcycle ridden by Sam Clarke of Gridserve. With all the teams revved up on coffee and snacks, we formed our start positions for the off. Over 40 electric vehicles all made their way out onto the busy roads of Birmingham, heading for the M5 northbound to the first checkpoint.
It is important to note that the rally was originally designed to showcase car and van technology and the later addition of heavy trucks means that not all the checkpoints are truckfriendly, largely due to access. Additionally, trucks are limited in top speed and on days where there are a lot of miles to cover and multiple checkpoints, we as a team had to make the decision to divide and conquer, sending the smaller, faster more agile van to checkpoints that were less suitable for the truck while allowing the truck to press on to the further reaching checkpoints to
Gridserve Ferrybridge Service
ensure that we could make the final checkpoint and hotel stopover point at a reasonable hour.
Day 1 – Birmingham to Carlisle (258 miles)
After fighting our way through the rush hour traffic of Birmingham, at times wondering what on earth we had got ourselves into, we made our way north to checkpoint 1 at the Harris Maxus headquarters, Liverpool, for a wellearned coffee stop.
Next, after a stop at Leyland Trucks near Preston, both vehicles headed further north to Bowness-onWindermere, checkpoint 2 at the jetty museum. After more caffeine and lots of cooing noises from the team at the breathtaking views across lake Windermere, we were on our way to checkpoint 3, Cockermouth. It was at this point that things took a slightly tricky turn. On the direct route through Ambleside, there is a 7.5t weight limit meaning we had to backtrack and, after a little head scratching, take the longer Kirkstone pass route alongside Ullswater. A one point we took a left
turn onto a road that wasn’t even wide enough for a white line to divide it, let alone have room for a 19t truck and the occasional passing car or van. We carefully manoeuvred the truck some 14 miles along this winding road before making it back onto an A-road much to our relief. By the end of day one the truck was low on energy, having covered more than 150 miles on a single charge. The team, also low on energy, needed a pint, some grub and a good night’s sleep. After parking at Motus DAF Carlisle, the truck would be charged early next morning.
Day 2 – Carlisle to Sheffield (285 miles) Seagulls are evil…Fact. As my colleagues were plugging the truck in to charge at an ungodly hour of the morning, there, perched majestically on a lamp post above the charger, was a very big seagull. Just as they looked up, the seagull opened the bomb doors and they both received what is considered to be a lucky splattering. After much cursing and swearing and a trip to the toilets in Starbucks for a freshen up, we were on our way. First stop, over the border to Gretna Green, not the famous
blacksmiths forge, the services (not so glamourous).
Next stop was in Washington, and here we skipped the checkpoint, instead visiting a Fastned hub that we had used in last year’s rally. While the chargers and canopies were all very good and easy to work with the truck, the site lacks any amenities. On our travels we have encountered this issue on many occasions. Sites devoted to fast charging and efficient vehicle space management, but the fundamentals overlooked. The nearest toilet at the Washington hub for example, is a tenminute walk away in a local ALDI, and that is a disabled toilet which you must ask permission to use. For disabled and vulnerable users, particularly late at night, this site is not adequate.
Onwards to Hartlepool, then Drax power station near Selby, North Yorkshire. A long day so far, but none of the squeaky bottom shenanigans of day one, in fact the roads were very kind to us. A few more stops and we reached our target, Daimler Trucks’ used truck centre near Sheffield.
DRAX Power Station Gretna Green
Chassis Cab Cambridge - the start of day 4
Dinner a la Exeter Services
Wind power near Leighton Buzzard
Daimler hosted a BBQ and being a competitor, in the spirit of the rally and camaraderie, we graciously accepted. Having parked the truck, I resisted the temptation to let all the tyres down on the rows of tractor units spread across the car park, instead opting to eat my bodyweight in finger food at the buffet. This concluded day two of the EV rally.
Day 3 – Sheffield to Cambridge (366 miles) The longest day (on paper) of the rally, stretching over 360 miles. The checkpoints spread from Sheffield across to Scunthorpe, Grimsby, Norwich, Diss, and finally Cambridge. Of course, the truck needed two full charges to see it through this mammoth task and they were handled efficiently and quickly at an EV Power charging station just off the M180 with a second charge at DAF Dealer Ford & Slater in Norwich, which now has a new-installed 180 kW charger. In readiness for the following day, we had a final overnight charge at Chassis Cab Cambridge taking advantage of the LF’s AC charging capabilities to use an 11kW AC charger normally used for cars and vans.
Day 4 – Cambridge to Exeter (315 miles) First stop of day four, a cheeky McDonald’s at Royston services. Next up, South Mimms services on the
dreaded M25. Checkpoint 3 took us to Leighton Buzzard. This is a new facility where two wind turbines provide power directly to charge cars, vans, trucks, and buses in a purpose-built location. Amenities are also provided making this one of the most impressive checkpoints of the rally. After a short charge and some networking, we headed to our headquarters in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire to use our 180kW PACCAR rapid charger and collect another member of the team.
From DAF HQ we worked our way south to Exeter, taking in the new Oxford superhub charging facility by Fastned. Sadly, our progress was hampered by an accident on the A30 which delayed many of the teams by an hour or so, but we all made it safely to Exeter, and an opportunity to charge the truck at Exeter services. It seems everywhere in Exeter closes early so dinner was provided courtesy of Burger King (fine dining). It also gave me an opportunity to give the truck a once over, checking her for leaks, damage and anything that needed attention. Unsurprisingly, apart from a small amount of shrubbery that was jammed in the spoiler from our semioff-roading experience in the Lake District, she was in tip-top shape.
Day 5 – Exeter to Chester (265 miles) The final day of the rally only had two official checkpoints before the finish. The first in Hay-on-Wye was again not exactly truck friendly. After several miles of single track, fold-themirrors-in driving, we reached the checkpoint. Charging was handled at an Instavolt site nearby in Whitneyon-Wye, a local campsite and canoeing centre. While the truck was recharged, so were we, by the banks of the Wye eating a delicious lunch and basking in the sunshine. By the time we reached Cheshire, the final pitstop looked unlikely due to time constraints, so we pushed on to the finish line at the LEX Autolease headquarters, Chester.
The EV rally is by no means easy, whether you are driving a Tesla or a truck, an electric motorbike or an AA van. It is five days of gruelling driving across many miles, showcasing the capabilities of EVs but also the expansion and challenges of the UK’s charging infrastructure. We, as a team, drove home on Saturday morning in almost silence, exhausted from the task. We have laughed together, worked together, showed up for our colleagues and helped other teams, understanding the importance of collaboration. And would we do it all again? Absolutely!
SEVERN HEAVEN
Words: Ronnie Hitchens
Photographs: Karl Hopkinson
DAF Driver has featured plenty of beautifully turned-out trucks in these pages before, but is BH Cecil & Sons’ latest XG+ 530 6x2 tractor the most beautiful of them all? Very possibly. We headed out west to Gloucestershire to get up-close and personal with the company’s latest masterpiece.
Paul Cecil, fourth generation boss of the Blakeney-based operation, doesn’t do things by halves. L800 CEC is just his latest creation, and follows a ’21-plate DAF XF which DAF Driver featured in Issue 25. The new truck, however, replaces an ’04-plate DAF XF95 with two-million kilometres on the clock which, Paul says, has been ‘almost totally fault free’. Paul’s intention is to completely refurbish the 95 – including a chassis respray – and return it to its original pristine condition that it left the production line.
The new XG+ is quite simply stunning, inside and out. The truck matches the electric-green and red colour combination of the rest of the Cecil fleet, with paintwork applied by Haydon Autospray in Radstock, and featuring bespoke and exquisitely
rendered artwork courtesy of the hugely talented Adam Hayden.
The truck’s lines are also greatly enhanced by extensive cab and chassis fabrication, designed and fitted by Paul Cecil’s own in-house side business – Cecil’s Truck Styling Ltd. –including side-skirts, chassis in-fills, roof-mounted sign-board, exhauststacks and, best of all we think, that achingly cool rear-end. Paul says the relatively recent new business venture has already turned around half-adozen fabrication projects on behalf of customers, with work booked-in well into the autumn.
Fisherman’s friend Adam Hayden, arguably the truck industry’s premier spray-paint artist, certainly accepted a challenge when he took on this particular commission.
Seen from afar, the results are impressive enough, but, only up close can you truly appreciate the quite extraordinary level of detail. DAF Driver has always been a fan of Adam’s work, especially his gift for faithfully reproducing facial expressions, which can be a stumbling block for many a spraypaint artist – Adam, though, really gets the faces spot-on!
The XG+ cab is adorned with historical images from the local fisheries centred around the Severn and Wye rivers, with a nod to the characters who used traditional techniques to fish for salmon and elvers (young eels). The scenes featured on the cab are notable for their intricate detail, including a great deal of netting and basketwork which have been reproduced to a remarkably high level of skill.
The Severn & Wye Smokery (see box-out) is one of Paul Cecil’s principal customers, and has been for more than ten years, and he told us the Gloucestershire-based company is thrilled with the truck. “I really wanted to embrace some local history,” said Paul, “and at the same time give the truck a timeless quality – the artwork is never going to look dated, that’s for sure. The smokery has been an excellent customer of ours. We bring fresh product into the smokery and then we distribute finished product to destinations throughout the UK and Europe.”
Nighty-night
Almost all the vehicle movements out of the smokery take place at night. Severn & Wye Smokery maintain that crowded roads mean that day-time movements are just too much of a gamble against stringent deadlines, especially as their customers include some extremely demanding chefs at some of the UK’s leading hotels and restaurants.
As a result, logistics have been radically altered, with night-time deliveries proving a far more reliable way to hit those time-critical deadlines, while at the same time taking traffic off the road during the day. BH Cecil’s contribution, they told us, is absolutely key and the consistently high-level of service that Paul provides is a reflection of its own high standards.
Paul has a variety of other customers, of course, served by a fleet of six trucks. The opportunity to expand further has always existed, although Paul has resisted the temptation, “The operation is thriving,” says Paul, “the relatively small fleet is very manageable and that’s how I like it. It means I know all our customers very well indeed and I find it’s the best way of maintaining high service levels.”
Shoes off!
While the truck looks undeniably spectacular from the outside, the interior is arguably even more impressive. Paul handed over the vehicle to Netherlands-based bodywork and cab conversion company, Sjaak Kentie Truckspecials, who have given the cab interior a complete – and we really do mean complete – makeover. After crawling all over the cab (with our shoes removed!), we couldn’t find anything that hasn’t been changed or upgraded. Everywhere is cream with red highlighting, with the luxurious aroma of leather filling the air.
All surfaces have been colour-swapped, creamcoloured leather adorns the seats, with tufted leather replacing the standard roof-lining and rear walls, and bespoke embroidered logos featured on the seats and steering wheel. Hand-made cupboards replace the upper bunk. Even the switch-gear and inlays have been replaced with specially produced red composite materials. This is extremely highquality craftsmanship, with the overall effect not dissimilar to opening the door to a posh five-star hotel suite.
Grubby finger mark
Of course, it’s utterly spotless, and we couldn’t help feeling that an errant grubby finger mark on any of the surfaces would send anyone into a frenzy of cleaning. That said, Paul is not at all obsessed with maintaining a showroom finish. “It’s still a working truck,” he says, “it’s still got to earn us money and that means it’s out in all weathers. It still gets dirty.”
We were surprised to learn that, in fact, it’s not even Paul’s truck! That responsibility falls with his cousin, James Davis. “He’s basically the brother I never had,” confesses Paul, “and he and I run the business day-to-day. And, yes, he does spend a fair amount of time keeping it clean!”
Typical of small truck operations like BH Cecil, it’s a family affair and Paul’s mother, Myra, works behind the scenes on
administration. “Me and James work together up-front,” says Paul, “but mum is the backbone of the business.”
And the winner is…
No stranger to showing off its trucks, BH Cecil & Sons can often be seen at some of Europe’s leading truck shows. Most recently, L800 CEC flew the flag for the UK at the massive Truckstar show in Assen, Netherlands – Europe’s biggest truck show. 2,200 trucks and 57,000 visitors descended on the northern Dutch town in July, along with some of Europe’s most incredible trucks, all looking to pick up the big prizes. But it was Paul Cecil’s XG+ that scooped the principal silverware, including first in the ‘Build-Up of Truck’ category, first in the ‘Show Truck’ category, first in the ‘Cleanest/ Best Polished’ category, and ‘Best in Show’!
“Iremembermy dadhavingthree DAF95Space Cabsin1996.”
Behind the scenes
BH Cecil & Son has been a DAF customer for decades, and Paul Cecil is very clear on the reason why. “Aftersales support,” he says, definitively, “It’s purely down to service. We have a brilliant partnership with Motus Commercials in Gloucester, and also Avonmouth, and the service teams are exceptional. In fact, the service guys represent the best sales tool for the DAF brand
over and above any sales rep! We have a great relationship with the service department, and I know that they’ll do everything in their power to ensure we’re looked after.
“Although we have one Volvo on the fleet, we’re DAF through-andthrough. Always have been. We originally had Leylands,” says Paul, “then Leyland DAFs. I remember my dad having three DAF 95 Space
Cabs in 1996. I remember it vividly because the salesman handed me a model truck – I was 11-years-old.”
Dare one ask?
So, how much has been spent on bringing the XG+ up to such an unbelievably high level of specification? And to take these trucks all over Europe to show them off? “No comment,” was Paul’s predictable answer!
You shall have a fishy
‘Smoking’ was originally a technique used to preserve fish in the absence of commercial refrigeration, and it hasn’t changed much since medieval times.
The Severn & Wye Smokery near Westburyon-Severn is one of the UK’s most respected and successful purveyors of the art of smoking and curing fish. Only with top-quality raw product can you expect top-quality end-product, and the company goes to great lengths to select its fish at source. After filleting, the fish is then cured in sugar and/ or salt, depending on the desired end-product, and then dried. It’s then smoked over smouldering oak, for anywhere between four to 18 hours, again depending on the desired flavour before being matured, sliced, packed, and distributed to all parts of the UK and Europe courtesy of BH Cecil & Son.
DAFAID: 50 YEARS TRANSPORT’ - AND
Words: Simon Peters
Photographs: DAF Trucks
‘A great product is one thing. What really makes the difference is the support manufacturers give when there’s a problem out on the road ...’ Whoever said that probably worked for DAF.
YEARS OF ‘SERVICE TO AND COUNTING ...
It’s a mantra that’s been at the heart of the company’s ethos ever since the early 1970s. Back then, DAF’s strapline was: ‘DAF Trucks. Service to Transport.’
They were exciting times. Road transport was expanding fast to support new markets and new business opportunities. Borders were becoming little more than staging posts right the way across Europe. New
routes were opening up as far away as the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and the Eastern Bloc. And on-the-ball manufacturers were strengthening their dealer networks to cope with this new demand.
After all, these were the days when the operator was pretty much on his own if there was a breakdown on the road. Many still ran their own workshops, so they had the choice
of sending someone out to fix it themselves or making direct contact with a specialist near the scene of the problem to go and fix it. The former was time-consuming and expensive; the latter was inevitably risky. In the words of Iain Sherriff, the then Editor of Commercial Motor: “The vehicle recovery sector is not regarded as the acme of honesty and efficiency.” And the challenges simply multiplied if the vehicle was abroad ...
For DAF, keeping the wheels turning and trucks on the road has always been what it’s all about. So in 1973, it launched International Truck Service (or ITS) to help operators overcome exactly these kind of issues ...
ITS provided a one-call emergency linkline between drivers, operators and service outlets wherever they might be. Run by DAF people from the company’s Eindhoven HQ, its aim was simple - to get any stranded DAF back on the road within 24 hours, no matter what the problem or where it was. By liaising with DAF’s country subsidiaries and their respective dealer networks, ITS helped customers overcome things like language barriers and payment problems to get trucks back on the road as fast as possible. Remember: this was a time before computers, mobile phones and satellite communications. And the service was free ...
Times were exciting here in Britain too. Despite a tough economic climate, the new nationwide motorway network had already started to revolutionise the way we travelled and did business. Road transport was overtaking rail as the lifeblood of modern commerce, and with Britain joining the EEC in 1973, fresh opportunities for exports were opening up across Europe and beyond. DAF entered the UK in the early 1970s through the DAF car importer at High Wycombe. But trucks were the core product - so in April 1973, DAF Trucks (GB) opened its doors in nearby Marlow under the leadership of David Mansell, previously CEO of engine manufacturer, Cummins’ European Division.
David was a truck man and people person, someone who understood the importance of relationships, trust, and the need for the highest levels
of customer service if DAF was to succeed. And with that in mind, he set about building a team of people and dealers that shared his passion. Most importantly, he wanted people who were committed to DAF’s ethoshis ethos - of service and supporting transport operators, and by the end of 1973, there were already more than 500 DAFs in operation on British roads.
One of David’s first appointments was Neville Grandison. A keen pipe smoker with a big laugh and lively mind, Neville was called to a meeting with Wien Lennards in Eindhoven in December that year. The reason? To learn from DAF’s legendary Head of Service worldwide about the progress of ITS to date.
On the flight back, Neville was full of ideas of how he could mirror the initiative here in the UK. Problem
was, with limited DAF volumes at the time and with good product reliability, creating an in-house UK version of ITS was simply not - at the time - practical on a cost-to-use basis.
But what about doing it in conjunction with one of the established national organisations?
‘Brilliant!’, thought Neville - so in February 1974, he arranged a meeting with Viv Campbell and Ron Meddes of the Automobile Association as the obvious partner. They too were excited with the idea - proposals and costs were considered, and a tentative start date of 1 April 1974 was even put forward. But senior management of the AA didn’t share their foresight - they were not so convinced and as a result, the idea came to nothing.
But nothing stands in the way of a great idea - and a month later, Viv Campbell left the AA to work for one of its competitors, the Car Recovery Service Club. Still feeling the DAF idea was workable, she and new boss Alec Woodford contacted Neville and DAF’s
new Service Director, Peter Cutmore, recently joined from Leyland Trucks, and by early July, discussions were sorted and a proposal agreed.
The service was to be run by Car Recovery as if it was within DAF Trucks - indeed, there was to be no mention of Car Recovery at any stage. Like ITS, it would be operated as a telephone linkline between drivers, operators and DAF’s UK 22 main dealers and 10 service dealers to get any DAF truck, British or foreign, back on the road fast.
Stickers would be placed in the cab of every new DAF and distributed widely through dealers. Like ITS, it would be run through one central telephone number (01-574 3658) and be free of charge ...
And the name of the scheme would be DAFaid.
It was all systems go! DAFaid started life on 5th August 1974 from Car Recovery’s offices in Hanwell, West London with a full campaign to promote and launch the scheme just before
September’s Commercial Motor Show at Earl’s Court.
And it was an immediate success. In just the first week of operation, there were eight calls to the central number. By year end, calls had peaked at 17 calls a week and a cumulative total of 133 calls had been received overall.
Of course, one of the biggest challenges at the time was ensuring payment for any repairs needed. Sod’s law says that trucks usually break down miles from home base, so DAFaid would be asking a DAF dealer to go fix a truck belonging to a company they did not have a trading relationship with. To get around this, DAF came up with a ‘Guarantee of Payment’ system whereby DAFaid would call the ‘home’ DAF dealer for an authorisation or GOP for work to be done on that customer’s truck. The repairing dealer would then invoice and be paid by the home dealer; and the home dealer would invoice their customer. Result? Work immediately done, truck back on the road and stronger relationships between the dealer and customer!
By the end of 1975, calls were running at some 10 to 15 per week with a total of 463 for the year. And this rose even higher to 687 calls in 1976, with the 1,000th DAFaid call taken on the scheme’s second anniversary: 5th August 1976!
It was early 1977 when DAFaid moved up yet another notch. With David Mansell promoted to Marketing Director of DAF worldwide, a new Managing Director arrived at DAF Trucks (GB) like a whirlwind! This was Phil Ives, a longterm industry man who’d been Number Two to the legendary Jim McKelvie at Ailsa Trucks, the man who launched Volvo trucks and buses in the UK.
Like David Mansell, Phil believed passionately in customer service and had been impressed by what he’d learned of DAFaid. He realised that DAFaid was actually one of DAF’s greatest sales tools, so he set up a Ceefax (Ceefax was the world’s first teletext information system, launched by the BBC in 1974) screen in DAF’s Marlow reception highlighting all the breakdowns that were live in real time. That way, visitors to the company could see not only what DAFaid were doing to help them, but also how quickly the trucks were getting back on the road. It was a stroke of genius - visiting customers loved it! - and in 1977, DAFaid calls doubled to 1,349.
But who were the users? Remember that these were still relatively early days for importer brands with British makes dominating the truck market. In 1972, 94.6% of all trucks bought were British, and this had only fallen to 90% by 1976. Leyland, Ford, and Bedford held 70% of the market alone! So those using DAFaid were in so many ways innovators themselves - and they included many famous names, hauliers and own-accounts, some of whom have now been lost to the mists of time. They included MFI, Kwikasair, Ridham Freight, C.W.Vick, Concorde Express, and Sandwich & District Growers. Others included Cabmont, John Evans, Humber
McVeigh, Entress, Brain Haulage, and Lloyds of Ludlow. And one famous name who still buys DAFs today - John Lewis/Waitrose who invested widely in 2200 and 2300 DAF tractors right from the very early days.
Of course, DAFaid was the first such scheme to be offered by manufacturers here in the UK. But only just - because a few short months later, Volvo launched Action Volvo. This was run by themselves from their premises in Irvine, Scotland in conjunction with Group 4 Total Security and was similar in format to DAFaid. It focused on delivering roadside repair, recovery and parts support, but did not initially apply to foreign trucks transiting the UK. By the end of 1977, it was running at some 300 calls per year.
Unsurprisingly, Car Recovery offered their services to other manufacturers too - and by mid 1977, they were hosting Scania Lifeline, Mercedes Emergency, Renault Help and the only British manufacturer scheme at the time, Foden Service, as well as their own-brand Truck Aid. Others had realised the importance of roadside support too, and by 1977, there were two independent schemes in operation: BRS Rescue and National Breakdown & Recovery. Like Car Recovery, National Breakdown hosted several manufacturer schemes including Magirus Deutz’s MAG-NET, MAN’s MAN-Link, FIAT Rapid Recovery and Bedford Roadcall. Leyland launched their own Linkline scheme in November 1979.
DAFaid: it was the first and has been accepted by almost all in the industry as the benchmark for operator support schemes here in the UK. Working alongside ITS, it set the standard for all to measure up toand became the most visible example of DAF’s total commitment to the very best in Customer Service.
And nothing’s changed. Indeed, DAFaid has never stopped innovating ever since.
Because this was just a beginning ...
DAFaid Adverts Iconic ads from the mid-90s focussed on the dedication of the DAFaid technicians to put customers first.
LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMP
and
Words: Mike Humble Photographs: DAF Trucks Bill Pitcher @ The Leyland Society Russell Swift @ Russ Swift Ltd
The Roadrunner name appeared on a Top 40 hit, a motorcycle tyre and, most enduringly, on the Leyland truck that lit a fire under the 7.5-tonne market
Original launch poster, brochure
TV campaign driven by Belgian stunt driver Gilbert Bataille
As British Leyland entered the 1980s, it became clear that the hoped-for success of the T45 truck project wasn’t going to be forthcoming. After years of being starved of investment to prop up BL’s car manufacturing, the state-owned enterprise’s Truck and Bus Division had at last been permitted by the Government of the day to develop the T45 range to counter the success of continental manufacturers, such as Volvo and DAF.
In fairness, this lack of success was down at least as much to general economic woes across Europe as any shortcomings with the product. Good reviews from the press and positive praise from the bigger fleets that ran pre-production T45 Roadtrains for evaluation, counted for little as the market for heavyweight tractor units collapsed across Europe. The hoped-for turnaround that the T45 was supposed to bring to Leyland’s fortunes failed to materialise.
Instead, the company stumbled its way into the next chapter of its struggle for survival.
But Roadtrain had been just the first phase in the structured launch of the T45 range, with the smaller and lighter rigid Cruiser, Constructor, and Freighter models following.
There had been some plans to replace the lightest trucks in the ‘old’ Leyland range: the Terrier and Boxer; but finances were not forthcoming. The best that could be done for the moment was a slimmed-down Freighter, but at the non-HGV end of the product line (7.5 tonnes), the ancient Terrier still prevailed, looking distinctly outdated alongside its sleek and aerodynamic T45 stablemates. Leyland toyed with the idea of a beefed-up 3.5-tonne Sherpa as a contender at 7.5-tonnes, as Ford had done with the Transit-based A-series, but Leyland’s plans never got further than a styling mock up.
A boom in demand for 7.5-tonners made Leyland desperate to get a product in place to replace the Terrier. This segment of the market was starting to really expand and in 1981 Ford launched the all-new Cargo family, which, just like the T45, was designed to eventually cover the whole of the truck offering from 7.5 tonnes to heavy-duty. The Cargo, styled by Ford’s Patrick Le Quement quickly became a runaway success despite being based on the outgoing D-series underpinnings. It was sleek, stylish and just as fresh looking as the T45 had been when launched and even offered a factory-built sleeper cab option right from the word go.
Spurred into action, Leyland reacted by developing its own lightweight rigid chassis under the codename C44. Coventry-based Motor Panels, which produced the T45 cab, once again asked Ogle Design, the company behind the T45, to come up with some design proposals.
Pre Production 698 Roadrunner on lab test Suspension rig at LAP
Back in the 1970s, when Leyland and Motor Panels were developing the T45, Ogle’s Chief Stylist, Tom Karen, had built up a very strong working relationship with Leyland Engineer, Keith Hemmings.
Sadly, Keith passed away after a brief illness and his post was filled by Bill Lowe who, armed with new computers and experience with design software, decided Leyland would have a go at designing a new cab for a smaller truck in-house. The proposed Karen design for the lightweight cab was very radical for its time, with extensive use of composite materials and a huge glass area that guaranteed an impressive level of forward vision for the driver.
Leyland and Motor Panels rejected the Ogle proposal on the grounds of cost and difficulty of manufacturesomething that Tom Karen bitterly disagreed with right up to his dying days. Another key reason for rejection was that progress was so quick when it came to development, by the time
the cab designs proposals were put forward, the actual chassis design was almost settled. The Ogle design is said to have required the repositioning of the engine and gearbox, which would have caused service access problems should a turbocharged engine be used.
The Leyland design was simplerlooking, but clearly of the T45 bloodline. As many parts as possible were carried over from the existing British Leyland parts bins. Items such as the brake and clutch pedal box assembly, cab doors and hinges were from the T45, while the Lucas headlamps were ‘borrowed’ from the Austin Maestro! Even the passengerside fresh air vents were shared with numerous BL offerings from that era.
Power came from Leyland’s Bathgate-built ‘98’ series engine in six-cylinder format carried over from the Terrier in either ‘NV’ (109bhp) or derated ‘DV’ (97bhp) forms. The promised turbocharged 6.98 ‘TV’ with 137bhp was suggested as an option, but never appeared. Roadrunner’s
transmission was also carried over from the Terrier, using a five-speed Turner gearbox and Leyland drive axle. Development was rapid as advanced IBM simulation software turned out more accurate than predicted.
Some thought went into the naming of the vehicle and after consideration Leyland went for Roadrunner. Spelled as one word, Roadrunner avoided any conflict with Warner Brothers who owned legal copyright of the two word ‘Road Runner’ brand.
Marketing the truck became the next task to undertake and those of a certain age are sure to recall the epic TV advert and strapline - ‘The Toughest Truck on Two Wheels’. Leyland secured the services of Belgian stunt-driver Gilbert Bataille to drive the truck up onto two wheels. Technical changes demanded by him included fitting anti-roll bars and uprated springs all round for greater stability, and locking-up the differential.
Great play of this was made in promotional material including brochures, posters, keyrings, and pens. Nothing like this had ever been seen in truck marketing before.
Everyone within Leyland Truck and Bus was given an opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Roadrunner to prove how easy it was to drive. Former Leyland Engineer and Bus Plant Manager, Ken Hargreaves, said: “They sent a prototype truck round some of the Leyland plants to give staff a chance to sample it. The office girls, backroom staff or anyone who had a driving licence for that matter, was given the opportunity to drive a Roadrunner. Many just couldn’t believe just how easy and effortless it was to drive.”
The Roadrunner was signed off as good to go in summer 1984 and at the
International Motor Show in October the same year, Leyland had a most impressive stand at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre with the launch receiving much positive coverage in the trade press.
The Roadrunner certainly gave the Ford Cargo a bloody nose and made Bedford’s recently updated TL range look even more antiquated than it already was. However, new rivals were setting up their stalls in an attempt to steal Ford and Leyland’s thunder. Mercedes-Benz caused a sensation with the ‘LN’ cab 814 truck in the same year. It was much more expensive and failed to have as good a body/payload capacity as the Roadrunner (almost five tons with the Leyland) but it had superb build-quality and refinement. Also, it enabled Mercedes to offer anything from a small panel van right up to
a max-cap tractor unit to please companies that liked to have one manufacturer for their whole fleetmatching Bedford and Ford.
Leyland had decided at the start of the decade that no more engine development work would be undertaken. In 1983, the in-house TL12 engine option on the Roadtrain was deleted. Now engine options on the Roadtrain were from Cummins with the N14, and later the L10, with Rolls-Royce providing the 12-litre Eagle unit as an alternative. Leyland’s other engines such as the 98, 400, and TL11, continued to be offered on other products, but the company was looking around for the best proprietary diesel engines on the market at the most competitive prices to buy in.
Cummins had been developing a new high-speed diesel engine with
Initial interior from 84 - 91
45 box special edition - Faclifted 45 series with Ltd pack and high roof sleeper
The finalised proposal for project C44 styled by the late Tom Karen Director of Ogle Design in Letchworth. The design was rejected on the basis that the screen area was too large and would make the build complicated and expensive.
Leyland WE Roadrunner - Experimental electric Roadrunner built by W-E (Kenning Group)
agricultural machinery manufacturer Case as early as 1982, and by 1984 the ‘B series’ engine was already proving itself to be one of the finest diesel engines in production. Leyland was buying in large numbers of 10 and 14-litre Cummins engines, and its Bathgate plant was due for closure with the ‘98’ series engine produced there being long overdue for replacement. Cummins and Leyland entered a partnership where the 5.9-litre ‘B series’ engine would be adapted for road haulage, and this would be ideal for use in Leyland’s lightweight trucks.
Engineers from both companies set about ‘Leylandising’ the Cummins B series unit and some incredible tests and development took place to ensure total quality and reliability. The engine had to pass a number of critical milestones before sign-off
that included 1,500 hours of bench testing to simulate 100,000 miles of truck operation. Around 1000 hours testing at loaded power and torque took place, and a punishing 500 hours of over-fuelling and over-speeding with 10-minute idle periods to exaggerate thermal loading. A pilot built of 15 engines undertook these laboratory and road going tests - all passed with flying colours.
In order to achieve the lowest cost per unit, Leyland initially used spare capacity at its own engine plant and foundry to cast certain key components for Cummins. Items such as connecting rods, exhaust manifolds and crankshafts were supplied directly from the Spurrier plant in Leyland. It is also worthy of note that the expected quality met, and often surpassed, those required when outsourced parts were randomly
tested in quality inspections by Cummins at Darlington, before final assembly. As a fitting tribute to the engineers at the Leyland technical centre, this engine has since gone on to be the most-produced diesel engine in the world.
The improved Roadrunner was launched in 1986, featuring the new Cummins engine badged as the ‘Leyland 300 series’. Power options were 120, 130, and a turbocharged 145bhp option. Other revisions included an uprated clutch on 130 upwards engines, smarter trim with better sound insulation, and an allnew braking system on the front axle featuring ventilated discs that proved to offer over 60% longer life than the outgoing drums. Soon after, Leyland offered a factory-made sleeper cab option and longer-range fuel tanks for operators who took their vehicles
further afield. Despite an uncertain future, with the Government looking to hive off Leyland Truck and Bus from state ownership, the stand at the 1986 Motor Show was truly massive and the most impressive yet, with staff brimming with new-found confidence.
Not a great deal changed for the Roadrunner in 1987 after the takeover by the Dutch to form Leyland DAF. The company now offered a range of vehicles from a small panel van right through to Special Types heavy-haulage trucks, and in one fell swoop, Leyland DAF became the most complete and largest truck builder in Europe. Obviously, there were casualties where ranges from either side of the Channel had been duplicated and by 1988 Leyland had dropped its last in-house diesel engine - the TL11. All engines were
provided by Cummins, DAF, or Perkins, and the various ‘named’ model ranges were gradually given numbers to simplify marketing overseas.
For 1992, the Roadrunner went through a major number of revisions and developments to keep it fresh. It was now rebranded as the Leyland DAF 45 series, with some minor panel alterations to the front giving a group-wide three-bar grille, and the deletion of the kerbside front window. The electrical system was uprated to 24 volts and offered double-pole wiring options to enable the truck to be kitted for ADR operations. Interior improvements included a much better Bostrom seat, nicer carpeting, improved door seals and sound insulation, and minor detail improvements to the facia including revised instrument calibration, and a
soft-touch dash and steering wheel. On an engineering level, the most noteworthy improvement on the 45 series was a new five-speed ZF gearbox to replace the agricultural Turner unit. This new gearbox also benefited the driver with an airassisted clutch and improved shift pattern. In fact, the gearshift action was so smooth and positive that it bettered some cars. Allied to an improved ZF power steering system, the 45 series was not only a delight to drive, but in some cases good fun too. Engineers also reworked the brake pedal valve to reduce the rather snatchy nature of the footbrake when the truck was unladen. Their efforts were awarded with 1992’s Fleet Truck of the Year award, beating competition that included Mercedes-Benz.
A great deal of Leyland DAF’s good fortune was built on the Roadrunner
“Mr Montego” Russ Swift performing for an Ever Ready Corporate Event
or, as it was now known, the 45 series. The European recession which caused the collapse of Leyland DAF in 1993 could have brought an end to production at the Leyland factory. However, thanks to the UK market for light to medium weight trucks remaining fairly buoyant at that time, a successful management buyout ensued. Backed by a consortium of bankers and led by Directors, John Gilchrist, Stewart Pierce, and John Oliver, a £27 million pound takeover took place in June 1993. This secured the jobs of over 700 Leyland workers and kept the business going with only minimal disruption, but behind the scenes things were often fraught with the management battling against rival bids.
The 45 series carried on as did the dealer network. More product slimming took place and the Washwood Heath van business down the M6 in Birmingham passed into the hands of another buy-out led by Alan Amey, forming LDV.
So, from summer 1993, Leyland DAF now solely concentrated on the production of light to heavy weight trucks. The final facelift for the Motor Panels T45 cab came in 1995 with a revised front, new dashboard, improved ventilation, and an allnew high-roof sleeper cab option offering 30% more interior space than the previous model. Power unit and driveline details remained unchanged albeit with minor revisions for power and emission criteria. The 45 series
using the original cab continued until the introduction of the new LF series of 2001.
But the success of the Roadrunner/45 from 1984 to 2001 saved the Leyland assembly plant in its dark hours of 1993. Following the takeover of DAF Trucks by PACCAR, the Leyland plant now serves as the only British factory building mainstream trucks following the demise of rivals that once included Bedford, Ford, ERF, and Seddon Atkinson. The future’s looking good for DAF and if things continue as they do, DAF and the UK Leyland assembly plant will soon be enjoying 30 years of UK market leadership.
And that’s certainly something to celebrate.
Early 698 flat bed Roadrunner
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The new factory assembled complete DAF hub kit is the perfect choice for your DAF truck.
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TAKE A LONG VIEW
By Richard Simpson, industry pundit
Although still just a tiny fraction of the UK market, the take-up of electric trucks is rising fast. Even though they only took 0.5% market share last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the increase in volume was over 53 per cent.
And that’s a trend that can only continue: it has been suggested that electric truck volumes will increase by an average of 70% per year from 2020’s figures to 2026.
That has a massive impact: both good and bad, on the transport industry.
Good because of reduced running costs and exhaust emissions. But bad because truck operators, already running on the thinnest of margins, are going to have to pay more for vehicles that can do less than their diesel equivalents, both in terms of distance covered and payload carried.
As one truck operator told me: “I’m not sure how I can make a vehicle that costs three times as much and is half as productive as what I have now work for me.”
But a mate of mine who has worked in both the truck and coach sectors, reckons he’s seen it all before, in the 1980s when British coach operators transitioned from cheap lightweight vehicles built on Bedford chassis to heavyweight vehicles using premiumquality continental drivelines.
“At the start of the 1980s,” he reminded me, “a 10-year-old coach was ‘old’. By the end of the decade, a 10-year-old coach still had almost half its working life left ahead of it.”
Those first continental coaches had seemed eye-wateringly expensive, and then as now, British coach operators tended to work on an ownership model
when it came to vehicle acquisition. Outright purchase was no longer possible, but the more expensive coaches from Europe were acquired through hire-purchase or leasepurchase finance which spread the cost over a longer period.
Operators would essentially expect the coach to cover its acquisition costs during the finance period, and then make money once it was bought and paid for. The incentive was to keep the vehicles on fleet for as long as possible, exploiting the superior quality of their high-specification drivelines. Their actual age was disguised by the use of ‘private plates’.
It may well be a similar story when electric trucks are introduced into fleets in large numbers. Most electric trucks operations are still at the experimental or ‘project’ stage. Operators backed by manufacturers and government are trying the vehicles in different applications and building up a user case for their wider adoption.
Perhaps we should follow what the coach industry did all those years ago. Modern trucks tend only to stay with their first owners for three to five years: just long enough for their warranty and R&M contracts to run out. After that they are chopped in for new: the very complexity of these vehicles, particularly their electronic engine, transmission and emissionscontrol systems makes them into potential financial timebombs, to say nothing of the prospect of having to change major mechanicals such as clutches and turbos.
But battery-electric trucks should last longer and be more reliable. Their electronics and mechanicals are actually simpler than those of a modern diesel, and are not subject to anything like the vibrations and temperature fluctuations. Plus, there is
no emissions control system, because there are no exhaust emissions!
While battery capacity does decline in use, they should still be functional for eight to 15 years. So, the truck costs three times as much, but should last three times longer, and not require nearly so much unscheduled workshop attention, to say nothing of reduced running costs of electricity v diesel.
There’s another side to the equation too. A rather darker side. The residual values of British trucks have long been supported by healthy demand for older vehicles from markets in Africa. But trucks now reaching ‘export age’ are a good deal less attractive to these buyers than they were: on the one hand their sophisticated electronics are seen as a potential Achillies’ heel in Africa, and on the other Chinese manufacturers are making increasing gains in these markets.
A truck salesman recently confided to me that while the UK new truck market had been held up by supply issues until last year, it was now being choked by a surplus of used stock that UK operators didn’t want (too old), and exporters were reluctant to take on (too complex). That’s for now. But as zero-emissions quotas on the sale of new trucks start to bite (as they already have in the van market), demand for those used diesels may return.
All of which suggest that long term, the truck market will look more like the coach market. Operators will buy a vehicle for life, and perhaps cascade it down to less demanding work as the batteries decline. Finance routes that lead to outright long-term ownership will be taken over shorter contracthires. And operators will be far more interested in monitoring the long-term mechanical health of their vehicles than they are now.
Your chance to win fantastic prizes every issue
HOW TO WIN:
The prize in this edition is a 1:50 scale DAF XF FT 4x2 tractor plus 3-axle trailer, for one lucky winner. Simply spot and mark the four differences on the images above. Once completed, either cut out or photocopy and post to DAF Driver magazine, 4th Floor, 19 Capesthorne Drive, Eaves Green, Chorley, Lancashire, PR7 3QQ Closing date: Friday 8th November 2024
Terms & Conditions: The winner will be notified within 30 days of the closing date either by letter,telephone or email. All entrants will be placed in a hat and selected at random by a third party. No money alternative will be offered. The winner’s name and county will be displayed in the next issue of DAF Driver magazine.
Winner from last issue: Cheri Menelaws, Kent. Winner’s details to appear in issue 36 of DAF Driver magazine
Mandy Wannerton is the DAF Press & Demonstration Driver
A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE MEET MANDY
Irecently lost my dad and going through some of the pictures he’d accumulated over his years of driving to foreign climes, has had me reflecting on all the sound advice he gave me. For most of his working life my dad worked in plant or drove trucks. He did some serious miles over the years travelling to Iran, Iraq, Saudi, numerous African countries, in America as well as countries closer to home, and most of it with maps and no phones, let alone mobile ones. He got to see some amazing sights and met and formed lasting friendships with great people along the way. There was no roadside rescue where they went. They had to take spares, tools, winches and everything in between to keep themselves and others moving. Much of the time, the roads they travelled were either mud or sand. As for facilities, once passed Istanbul you were on your own with a jerry can and a wood fire. Washing? Many-a-time the only “washroom” available was
the local watering hole where the local herdsmen would bring their livestock to drink. When he first started driving, way back when, some of the trucks still had wooden floors! It could take him three days to get to Scotland, no sleeper cabs, just boards across the seats or, if he was lucky, his boss would pay for a night’s lodging. How times have changed!
Dad was proud to be a driver and an early pioneer. When my brother and I were kids, Dad would be away for weeks at a time and the only contact would be via Telex once a week. Mum would drive into the local town to pick these up. Some weeks there would be no message meaning that, wherever Dad was, there was no means of communication. Dad had one of the first 2800s and I would make this my playhouse when he was home, both my brother and I loved spending school holidays with him out on the road, no wonder we ended up driving ourselves!
When we later ran our own trucks, we would often double-man on the longer journeys, and I learned a lot from Dad in that time. He taught me that no matter how far you go down the wrong road, you can always find a good, safe place to turn to get back on the right track. He taught me to be assertive with the size of the truck you were driving, but never aggressive, and that if ever unsure of what you were driving into, then get out and walk the road; far better to do that than drive in blind and get yourself into a right old pickle. Great trucking advice and for life in general. His words of wisdom have kept me out of trouble on many an occasion.
This got me thinking, what’s the best advice you’ve been given or given whilst driving? Got a pearl of wisdom?
Be safe! Mandy x
My brother Will and I with my dad
My dad’s 2800
This Bulgarian truck had suffured brake failure on steep mountain roads
The famous Londra Camping truck stop in Istanbul
Volvo F12 belonging to Planthaul who my dad drove for
MEET BEN ADAMS
DAF now has Dealer Driver Trainers based across the country to help hand over new and used vehicles and we thought it would be good to get to know some of them a little bit better! In this edition we talk to Ben Adams, the DAF Dealer Driver Trainer at Watts Truck & Van in South Wales.
Q: When did you first join Watts and what was your first job there?
A: I first joined Watts in April 2001 as a Technician having moved from Scania.
Q: What did you want to be when you were at school?
A: At school I always wanted to be a Firefighter, I managed to scratch this itch when I worked as a retained Firefighter for eight years alongside working for Watts.
Q: When did you take your LGV licence?
A: I passed my LGV test back in 2004. Wow 20 years! I do feel old!
Q: What do enjoy most about your role?
A: I really enjoy the variety of my role. One day I could be discussing a new vehicle quote with the owner of a company, and the next delivering and handing over a new vehicle. No two days are the same.
Q: Do you have a top tip for a driver getting their new DAF?
A: I would advise any lucky driver getting a new DAF to put some time aside for the driver familiarisation training. The time will be of benefit in getting the best out of the vehicle.
Q: What car do you currently drive and if money was no object, what would you have?
A: I currently drive a Tesla Model 3. If money was no object, I’d probably be driving a Lamborghini Huracan.
Q: What other responsibilities do you have within your role at Watts Truck & Van?
A: I currently work a dual role in new and used truck sales as well as driver training.
Q: If you weren’t doing this, what would your ideal job be?
A: I watched a documentary recently which followed a Search and Rescue pilot based in Zermatt, Switzerland. What an exciting and rewarding job, I think that would be pretty cool
Ben is a keen Triathlete and has competed in several Ironman Triathlons. Next up he’ll be competing in Ironman Portugal then next year attempting to Escape from Alcatraz taking on the swim from Alcatraz Island back to San Francisco Bay raising valuable funds for Velindre, a local Cancer Charity.
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