DAF Driver Summer 2019 – issue 17

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ISSUE 17

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SUMMER 2019

DAF DRIVER INSIDE THE UK’S #1 TRUCK MANUFACTURER

CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK FLEET AT FAMILY-OWNED DA HARRISON BOOSTED

BY DAF MIXERS, TIPPERS AND SKIP-LOADERS

ALSO:

Chris Bird

Haulier during the week; racer at the weekend

Sea into the future

Navigating the rise of Plymouth-based Princess Yachts

LATEST DAF TRUCKS NEWS • UK DEALER LOCATOR • OPERATOR SUCCESS STORIES • INDUSTRY OPINION • HEALTH AND SAFETY

DAF CF AND LF PURE EXCELLENCE

Built to last

The DAF CF and LF represent a new level of excellence in construction transport. Class-leading manoeuvrability, even with heavy payloads. Built to last, especially in challenging off-road situations. And like all DAF trucks, the DAF CF and LF offer unmatched driver comfort and easy bodybuilder-friendliness. Contact your DAF dealer for the full story or visit www.daf.com.

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DAF DRIVER SUMMER 2019

A PACCAR COMPANY DRIVEN BY QUALITY

WELCOME FROM YOUR PUBLISHER

WELCOME TO THE LATEST ISSUE OF DAF DRIVER We’ve had a lot of positive feedback about the new look magazine and are delighted that so many of you are happy with the content and style. This latest issue brings the usual mix of operator and industry stories, as well as features on companies and products close to the DAF family.

Publisher - Matthew Eisenegger

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

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sk anyone who has ever swung a spanner in a workshop and they will tell you that the most problematic component in a vehicle, is likely to be the nut behind the steering wheel.

That’s a dangerous statement to make in a magazine which is called DAF Driver so, in fairness, we’d better qualify it by saying that most problems are caused by a lack of information for drivers.

We have all no doubt heard old-time stories about the novice driver, fresh from passing his test on a little truck with a six-speed gearbox, complaining about the low speed of his first ‘proper lorry’. Not realising, of course, that if he flicked the switch on the gear lever there was another set of gears in the ‘box… but that doesn’t mean that it didn’t really happen.

The old-school approach of “Here’s your notes, there’s the keys, now off you go, up the road,” still exists in some traffic offices, although these days the driver is also very likely to have his progress and proficiency monitored by telematics, from the moment he starts the engine.

“We aren’t going to tell you how to do the job, but we are going to tell you how you should have done it after you have tried to do it,” seems to be the attitude in some places.

Stupid things still happen. We recently saw a memo from a large haulier to its drivers, written in many languages and illustrated with photographs for the hard of thinking, reminding drivers of the need to remove the pump nozzle from their diesel tanks, place it back in

the holster and put the filler cap back on the tank before pulling off the forecourt! Are things really that bad?

It seems so, but they don’t have to be, they really don’t.

The truth is that modern trucks are easy to drive: some might argue, almost too easy. But that ease of use is only made possible by sophisticated systems that require an informed driver who knows what to do, when and why, to get the most out of the truck.

All that information should, of course, be imparted on handover. But all too often, it isn’t. A new truck may look very much like the one that it’s replacing, but such is the way of vehicle development, it’s more than likely that the only common component is the cab shell!

To the person in the office, if the driver could drive the old one, they should be able to drive the new one.

The driver, is probably contending with a new engine and transmission plus a host of electronic systems that didn’t exist when their previous truck was built.

Which is why the DAF initiative of providing a free driver training voucher with each new CF and XF – and having a driver trainer at each sales dealership – is to be welcomed. It formalises what the best operators and dealers were doing anyway, which was making sure that the actual end-user knew how to get the best out of the shiny new lump of capital equipment that his employer had just forked out for.

Empowering drivers with knowledge has been seen as a sign of weakness by some employers, who prefer to keep the handbooks for new vehicles locked safely out of sight in a filing cabinet. Hopefully the DAF training voucher scheme will help bury that attitude for good.

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Welcome to ooh-AR Download our free app to your smartphone or tablet and bring this publication to life using the power of a new technology called Augmented Reality (AR).

To access bonus content in this issue follow these instructions:

• Download the ooh-AR app from the App Store (Apple) or Google Play (Android).

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CONTENTS

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DAF DRIVER SUMMER 2019

INFORMATION

FEATURES 3 WELCOME A note from the publisher on the value of getting to know your truck

10 GET TO WORK DAF Trucks’ rejuvenated construction sector vehicle range, offers more choice for operators

14 SOLID AS A ROCK The story behind DA Harrison, which started life 60 years ago, in quarrying

20 ROAD & TRACK DAF Driver talks to haulier-cum-racer, Chris Bird

26 DRIVING FORCE East Yorkshire haulier HB Holt & Sons has added three XF530s to its fleet as it continues to grow

36 MATS 2019 We go stateside to the Mid America Trucking Show, held in Louisville, Kentucky

40 TRUCKFEST 2019 The best of the best from the East of England Showground’s truck extravaganza

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REGULARS 6 CV SHOW ROUNDUP A tour of the transport industry’s annual gettogether in Birmingham

32 ON THE CREST OF A WAVE Princess Yachts is enjoying life with new yachts and international customers

43 DAF MERCHANDISE Show your appreciation for DAF’s days of old with the heritage collection

44 DRIVER CHALLENGE All of the details of 2019’s quest to find the UK DAF Driver Champion

46 SIMPSON SAYS A sideways look at the alternatives to the internal combustion engine

53 MEET THE TRAINERS The people who give us a helping hand with new and used vehicles

54 TRAINER’S NOTES Mandy Wannerton reveals details of the DAF Driver Training Voucher Scheme

EDITORIAL Publisher: Matthew Eisenegger Production Editor: John Challen Designer: Leo Gehlcken 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: Leo Gehlcken Telephone: 01257 231521 Email: design@cvdriver.com CONTRIBUTORS Steve Banner Finley Einenegger Ronnie Hitchens Paul O’Malley Richard Simpson Mandy Wannerton Richard Warner PUBLISHER Commercial Vehicle Media & Publishing Ltd, 4th Floor, 19 Capesthorne Drive, Eaves Green, Chorley, Lancashire. PR7 3QQ Telephone: 01257 231521 PRINTING MRC Print Consultancy Ltd 33 Uttoxeter Road, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST3 1NY Tel: 07764 951927 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.

SUMMER 2019 DAF DRIVER

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CV SHOW REVIEW

Diesel showdown Join us on a tour of the CV Show to find an industry prepared to face a low-carbon future with little direction from Government Words: Richard Simpson

D

AF Trucks returned to the Commercial Vehicle Show with what is thought to have been its largest ever display of vehicles at this event. The manufacturer took the opportunity to roll out a host of new chassis options, plus give show-goers a glimpse of the future with an all-electric tractor unit.

With only one other truck manufacturer present at the show, much of the focus was on trailers and bodywork

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Photographs: DAF Trucks & Richard Simpson

with plenty of innovation on display, particularly in the field of refrigeration, as the industry turns towards zeroemission solutions.

Operators are now clearly hedging their bets: the route toward zero-emissions transport is, at its best, unclear. There are suggestions from UK Government bodies, that sales of new diesel trucks should be banned by 2040, but these are not exactly running in sync with European Union requirements for manufacturers to spend vast amounts in research and development, to reduce the fuel consumption of diesel

DAF’s CF Electric tractor unit offers zero-emission, at point of use capability for urban distribution

CV SHOW REVIEW

HVO offers a drop-in low-carbon, lowemission replacement for diesel, but will it be recognised as such?

Detect See Act

Sensor data and camera image combined

DAF AT THE CV SHOW UK market-leading truck maker DAF was showing a variety of ways for operators to get the most out of the trucks they could buy today. New chassis options shown included an 8x4 tridem rigid with double-drive plus an un-driven rear-steer axle.

Other exhibits included an XF 530 rear-steer tractor unit and a rear-steer demonstrator aimed at builders’ merchants featuring a Palfinger crane and dropside body.

DAF also displayed examples from its popular ready-bodied range and a selection of approved used trucks.

Brigade’s ultrasonic proximity sensors minimise both vehicle damage and collisions with pedestrians, cyclists or objects.

Combining a Backeye® camera monitor system and up to two ultrasonic detection systems, the onscreen display module warns the driver of obstacles close to the vehicle. By overlaying 3-stage audible and visual ultrasonic data onto the camera image on the monitor, it reduces driver distractions as all information is in one view.

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CV SHOW REVIEW

DAF’s outdoor display included ready-bodied trucks and First Choice approved used vehicles

trucks by 15% in 2015 and 30% in 2030. How can that investment be justified if diesel technology must be abandoned just 10 years later?

Urban challenges

Meanwhile there is the more pressing issue of continued access to urban areas, with the rise of the low emissions Zone in cities ranging from Bath to Manchester, effectively closing them to all but Euro 6 trucks.

Currently, an 18 or 26-tonne curtainsider or box van represents a substantial investment, which may have to remain on a fleet for up to 10 years to give adequate payback. But what if, during that 10 years, the area the truck is delivering into is closed to diesel vehicles?

One possible solution is to buy a DAF, secure in the knowledge that the engine is already certified to run on a renewable, low-emissions fuel, in the form of HVO. This is a ‘drop-in’ replacement fuel requiring no engine modifications or changes to the service schedule.

But will it be enough for

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DAF DRIVER SUMMER 2019

the various local authorities, many of which appear to struggle with the idea that, even on diesel, large Euro 6 trucks actually produce rather less in the way of pollution per mile than many much smaller vans and cars?

Perhaps not: especially when many cities appear determined to shift cargo from a few big trucks to lots of little vans, with the inevitable consequences. So one way forward is to separate the vehicle’s motive power from its carrying capability and this factor, among others, is driving interest in urban semi-trailers.

These units will typically have two axles, with the second axle being either self-steering (by means of ramps that act like risingbutt hinges, connecting the stub axles to the main beam) or by a command-steered axle actuated by a link from the trailer’s turntable. This turning ability complements the already tighter turning circle of an artic, by ensuring that the trailer’s wheels closely follow the path of the tractor unit’s, while reducing tyre scrub into the bargain.

To start off with, this trailer can be used with a conventional 4x2 tractor.

But, in the event of internal

combustion engines being banned, it’s possible for the operator to continue using the trailer, but in conjunction with an electric tractor unit like the DAF CF Electric displayed at the show. It would even be possible to drop the trailer on the bay where it is being loaded or unloaded, and drive the tractor unit solo to a charging point, as it only takes 30 minutes to recharge the batteries. The tractor’s range of 100 km is more than enough for most urban distribution tasks, too.

Trailer tech

Typical of the urban trailers on offer was the one shown

by SDC, which features a turntable rear steering-axle from BPW. The show model was also fitted with BPW’s versatile load restraining system: a wise investment for many operators, given

the increasing interest that the DVSA is showing on load security in curtainside bodies.

Pollution from diesel-engine fridge units is also a problem, and Thermo King came up with some interesting solutions, including fullelectric, hybrids, dieselelectric and clean diesel.

Installing solar panels on fullsize fridge trailers, can provide an independent electric power source and reduce the need to run the fridge’s diesel engine, for example.

However, it appears that, with no real national guidance on what may or may not be acceptable in the next decade or so, many operators have decided to extend the life of older, dirtier and less efficient refrigeration equipment until some kind of clarity emerges.

Quite when that will be is anyone’s guess…

Urban semi-trailers are becoming increasingly popular, both for their flexibility and being ‘future-proof’, when compared to rigids

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The high mileage performer SUMMER 2019 DAF DRIVER

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CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES

GET TO WORK DAF Trucks has given its construction sector vehicles an overhaul, providing more choice for operators on- and off-road Words: Matthew Eisenegger Photographs: DAF Trucks

H 10

aving revamped much of the core range of vehicles, DAF Trucks has introduced new axles and chassis configurations for its construction vehicles, offering greater specification flexibility.

First up, DAF is offering a 10-tonne front axle for the CF and XF from late 2019.

DAF DRIVER SUMMER 2019

Featuring parabolic suspension with three leaf springs, this vehicle will be of interest to operators who require heavy cranes to be mounted behind the cab – for example – and it will help avoid overloading with diminishing loads.

Also new is a 7.5-tonne trailing non-steered axle with single wheels, which is 10kg lighter thanks to a newly designed die-cast axle housing. Static load capacity is also boosted to 26-tonnes – a substantial increase of 25%. This will prove a good fit for payload-sensitive work, such as shifting containers or moving building materials along with a rear-mounted crane.

FAQ and New FAW tridems DAF introduced its FAQ tridem a few years ago and it’s still a niche product, particularly appealing to those who need to go into farmyards. With good traction and a reduced turning circle, FAQ has a single driven axle where all of the other axles steer, which virtually eliminates tyre scrub and reduces damage to fragile access points. “Drivers can go in every day or every week to pick up milk or feed and not leave their mark on the farmyard,” says DAF’s UK Marketing Manager, Phil Moon.

CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES

This DAF CF 480 FAW 8x4 tridem will be just one of the new models in the range

Plus, two of the steering axles on the FAQ can be lifted when unladen to save on tyre wear and fuel, and improve ride characteristics. The rear axle lifts first, then the pusher axle (though care must be taken not to overload the front axle).

As of Q4 2019, DAF is introducing an FAW tridem chassis that features double-drive and is geared for more off-road applications. The manufacturer is particularly marketing this model at the UK concrete mixer market and it will have a GVW of 32 tonnes.

Concrete mixers have largely migrated to four axles, but this can limit access on certain sites. “There are a number of concrete mixer operators who want to go back to the accessibility they were used to with a three-axle 26-tonne, 6m3 chassis, but with the ability to deliver 8m3 of product,” explains Moon. “The FAW can provide this thanks to its impressive turning circle of 15.6m and its four-axle capacity.”

So, given the benefits of manoeuvrability, fuel economy and payload, will we see a shift towards tridems for tippers? Well, a potential downside to this configuration is the centre of the load needs to be much further back. Even on concrete mixers,

READY TO GO DAF Trucks has partnered with a handful of bodybuilders to offer ‘Ready to Go’ Construction chassis for distress purchases. Chassis include the CF FAD Construction with Boweld and Thompson tipper bodies, Hyva hook-loaders and McPhee concrete mixers. LF260 Construction 18-tonne skip-loaders with Hyva bodies are also available, alongside Bevan-bodied 18-tonne LF230 scaffold vehicles.

SUMMER 2019 DAF DRIVER

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CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES

a tridem can result in a fairly big gap between the cab and body and a pronounced overhang at the rear of the vehicle, so this needs to be considered carefully when ordering.

“If you have a conventional 8x4 with a Day Cab and the body mounted quite far forward, that’s a perfect balance,” says Moon. “If you try and put the same body and the same cab on a tridem, you’ll end up overloading the front axle. You can now spec the new 10-tonne front axle, but you may end up with something that’s not so nicely balanced.

“However, if you have a Sleeper Cab or some equipment behind the cab that isn’t particularly heavy, it may well be that a tridem starts to make sense.”

In the UK, the maximum load across the three axles making up the tridem bogie is 24 tonnes.

CF FAT & FAD DAF’s new CF FAT and FAD single-reduction driveline feature the 10.8-litre MX-11 engine (367, 408 or 449bhp), which weighs up to 200kg less than the 13-litre variant. The mainstay is still the SR1132T single-reduction tandem, although the heavy duty 12

DAF DRIVER SUMMER 2019

HR1670 hub reduction tandem can also be specified for extra heavy loads and arduous off-road operation.

The trucks sport TraXon transmissions with dedicated on/offroad software, to improve shifting characteristics for construction operations – though the 16-speed ZF manuals are still proving popular with tipper operators.

“We see about 15% of our eight-wheelers going out with a manual gearbox,” reveals Moon. “It’s not the bigger fleets or franchise operators, but there are a lot of die-hard tipper operators who still like stirring the gears. And we’ll continue to offer that as long as they continue to take such significant numbers.”

Weight is paramount in the construction sector, particularly in the concrete mixer market. A volume target of 8m3 of concrete, is the usual requirement for a 32-tonne eight-wheeler chassis and DAF reckons it can achieve it with enough comfort, to ensure operators can carry a decent sized water tank and also allow for some build-up of concrete on the chassis itself – all the while staying within the legal weight limits.

This is primarily due to two substantial phased weight reductions. The first was back in 2015, when DAF shaved 140kg

CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES

The DAF CF 450 FAQ 8x2

off these chassis; and then a 2017 update saw another quarter of a tonne taken off. Together these have made a significant dent in unladen chassis weight.

Steering clear The growth in steered axles in both tractor and rigid format, has been significant over the years, with a rearmost steering axle now an almost standard offering in a number of configurations. “If you look at our three and four-axle CF and XF rigid sales for last year, about 33% had steered rearmost axles – around 850 per annum,” says Moon.

Steered trailing axles are fitted on the FAN 6x2/4 rigid, FAQ 8x2/6 tridem rigid, the new FAW 6x4/4 tridem rigid and the FTM 6x2/4 tractor units. But DAF also offers an FAX 8x2/6 rigid with twin axles at the front, a drive axle and then a lifting steering axle at the rear. These, explains Moon, are popular in the CF variant with a crane at the back of the cab, for example.

In addition to CF cabs, FAD, FAX and the new FAW will also be offered with the bigger XF cab. Although he’s not expecting a huge shift to XFcabbed

DAF Trucks is looking to strengthen in the mixer market

construction vehicles, Moon says he feels some pressure from customers who typically mount heavy cranes and who could use a bigger cab, due to running a driver and banksman for example.

“We have customers currently who will take a CF Space Cab, but are living in the cab regularly and want something bigger,” he adds. “So the with the XF cab, they’ll appreciate being able to move about more freely, and have a lower floor with reduced engine tunnel to give the driver more space.

“And with the driver shortage, this sort of spec may help operators attract and retain better drivers,” he concludes.

The MX-11 engine, TraXon transmission and new rear axle will feature on new construction models

IN THE UK, THE LEGAL MAXIMUM LOAD ACROSS THE THREE AXLES MAKING UP THE TRIDEM BOGIE IS 24 TONNES SUMMER 2019 DAF DRIVER

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OPERATOR PROFILE

SOLID AS A ROCK

Family-owned DA Harrison has been operating from the Cumbria region for just over 60 years.

The business, founded by Alan Harrison, began its life in quarrying before moving gradually over the years to add both pre-mix and pre-formed concrete products Words: Ronnie Hitchens Photographs: Karl Hopkinson

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DAF DRIVER SUMMER 2019

OPERATOR PROFILE

SUMMER 2019 DAF DRIVER

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OPERATOR PROFILE

S

ince its formation in 1958, DA Harrison has grown a large fleet of mixers, tippers and skip-loaders, as well as a busy long-distance haulage operation. A single marque fleet for much of its recent history, over the past two years it has taken on over 30 DAFs, the latest coming in the form of eight-wheel mixers and both six and eight-wheel tippers. These vehicles join DAF skiploaders and XF 6x2 tractors that have also been taken on in the last couple of years.

Managing Director, Richard Harrison, a son of the founder, is closely involved in the business today and has overseen many important developments. These include growth into a number of large beef and sheep farms, expansion of the company’s pre-formed concrete operation, Atlas Concrete, and the subsequent increase of DAF numbers in the multi-operation fleet.

DAF due diligence “We had been very comfortable with our Scania fleet, but the boss had been hearing increasingly good things about DAF trucks from other local hauliers we know and trust,” says DA Harrison’s Transport Manger, Ray Milburn. “We also knew the local dealer, Solway DAF already and had a good relationship with 16

DAF DRIVER SUMMER 2019

OPERATOR PROFILE

it despite not buying anything from there until a couple of years ago.” Now though, the operator has 15 mixers, a growing number of tippers, 11 XF tractor units and a skip-loader. “It has all happened quite quickly in a way, but there is no doubt that it is working very well,” adds Milburn. “Our drivers are loving them, the fuel is good and the service we get from Solway DAF is second to none.”

The latest DAFs to join the line-up are four CF410 8x4 mixers with Thompson bodies. They are largely as additions, as the firm’s pre-mix concrete business grows in line with increases in building and construction locally. With much of the work for both mixers and tippers involving a tough mix of on and offroad operations, DA Harrison has been pleased with the strong build quality and traction they deliver. “We are in and out of our own quarries, our three concrete mixing sites and our prefabricating operation,” says Ray Milburn. “It doesn’t get any easier for them after that, as they are delivering to a variety of offroad sites such farms and a variety of construction projects.”

Tractors put to the test Alongside the hurly-burly of the mixer and tipper action, DA Harrison operates 11 DAF XF tractors. These are needed for the busy pre-formed concrete SUMMER 2019 DAF DRIVER

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OPERATOR PROFILE

MANAGING DIRECTOR, RICHARD HARRISON, A SON OF THE FOUNDER, IS CLOSELY INVOLVED IN THE BUSINESS TODAY AND HAS OVERSEEN MANY IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS delivering and we are largely happy with the way things are going.”

business that delivers not only across the Cumbrian region, but to all four corners of the UK. “We have 85 trailers at the moment, ranging from tippers, flats, tautliners and our 22 specialist rear-steer short artic flats designed for the delivery of our concrete products to sites around the country.”

It’s demanding work, not just for the trucks but the drivers as well, which was a major consideration for the operator in its selection of DAF vehicles.

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DAF DRIVER SUMMER 2019

Taking an overview of his developing fleet, Richard Harrison says: “We have grown by staying flexible and looking at all the options open to us. The DAFs are premium quality trucks, and that fits the way we like to operate. At the end of the day though, we also have to make a profit, so we need to get the package right when we buy them and they need to perform well once we have them on the road. The right fuel economy, reliability and driver comfort. Right now, they are

View from the old guard George Conway has been with DA Harrison for 42 years and drove one of the earliest DAFs to join the fleet, an XF510. “I really wasn’t too sure at first, but the boss asked me to try it and let him know what I thought so I was happy to do it. I guess my report was good enough, because he has bought a lot more since then,” he says. “I don’t kid myself it was just my say-so, but it wasn’t hard to give it a very good rating. That was a couple of years ago now, but even today I love the comfort and quietness of the big DAF. There’s plenty of storage, visibility is good all-round and the hot/cold seat temperature system is fantastic! As a tool out on the road, the DAF digs in well too.

It’s a 510hp, but it pulls as well as a 550hp I had from another manufacturer – and the exhaust brake on the DAF actually works really well… unlike some of them out there!”

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19

INTERVIEW

ROAD & TRACK Racing got Chris Bird into road transport and the lure of the chequered flag has never gone away

Words: Richard Simpson

I

Photographs: C.J. Bird & Richard Simpson

t was motorsport – or, to be more accurate, motorcycle sport – that was responsible for Chris Bird’s entry into the haulage business. Racing is something that is still a big part of his life, fitted in between the complexities of running a transport operation and the commitments of family life.

Bird took his first steps into trucking when he

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DAF DRIVER SUMMER 2019

needed to find a use for an otherwise redundant van that had been purchased in anticipation of a motorcycle racing contract. The contract ultimately fell through after a falling out between a motorcycle manufacturer and an oil company, but he remained determined. Bird had enjoyed the challenge of driving across Europe to international events and was soon doing the same, but with commercial cargo in the back.

INTERVIEW

The business grew and today he finds himself at the helm of a fleet of 30 trucks, predominantly DAFs, with all but five being rigids.

“We are now specialists in long-distance multidrop, which is a bit of a niche,” he jokes.

“We have the high-roof version of the CF cab on our DAF 18-tonners.” Medical equipment and exhibitions are two mainstays of the work, although a wide variety of other cargoes are carried from industrial materials to consumer goods.

“We find ourselves doing a lot of the work that larger companies can’t handle,” explains Bird. “A recent example was the delivery of the club crest to the new Tottenham Hotspur ground in London.”

On their own Joining a pallet network is not on the agenda for Bird. “The prospect of my drivers having to drag pallets weighing a tonne or more onto the tail-lift of a truck parked on a steep road does not appeal.

You have domestic deliveries of palletised goods such as building materials that really should be

handled by crane lorries.”

Bird won’t do work just to keep trucks busy and, during our visit, politely turns down one job.

“They offered a very poor rate and said it was a return load. Well, it wasn’t a return load for me, it was to be picked up just down the road from here,” he fumes.

“Here,” is a yard and warehouse on an industrial estate in the South Wales town of Llantrisant, close to the Royal Mint where, quite literally, all the money in the UK is made. Like many boys growing up in South Wales, the thing on young Chris’s mind most of the time was motorcycling – more particularly off-road racing. “Whenever we went into town, it would be straight into the newsagent to see if the latest copy of Dirt Bike magazine had arrived from America,” he recalls. The dream of tearing around under the clear blue skies of California was rather different from the realities of scrambling in the altogether more temperate (or, let’s be honest, wet) climate of South Wales, but it was nonetheless something that Chris had

Above: Hand-made exhaust, limited-slip diff: this is a serious bit of kit

SUMMER 2019 DAF DRIVER

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INTERVIEW

considerable talent for.

He was Welsh Schoolboy champion three years on the bounce and collected a couple of wins in UK National events along the way, then became the youngest-ever winner of the Welsh Adult Motocross Championship aged 17 in 1987.

He was champion again in 1988, then the following year switched to the different, but related, discipline of enduro.

Seasoned rider Enduro is arguably the toughest of all motorcycle sports, or even all sports full stop. Particularly popular in the wide open spaces of Wales, it can take various forms: from the simplest ‘hare and hounds’ where riders race for hours around a long lap of mixed terrain and the rider who has completed the most laps and is first across the line after the finish time is the winner; to the complexities of a ‘time-card’ event where riders follow a far longer course over an even greater mix of terrain, adhering to a schedule where they are

With the car jacked up, the full length of the suspension travel can be seen

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DAF DRIVER SUMMER 2019

Millington 2.5-litre engine turns out 330hp

penalised for early or late arrival at a series of check points, with the schedule getting progressively faster through the day.

So far, so difficult, but various timed ‘special tests’ are thrown into the mix during the course, where the rider will be

required to ride a short course lap as fast as possible to produce the times that will sort the winners from the losers among those fortunate enough to be able to keep to the schedule for the main event.

Imagine having to run a marathon,

INTERVIEW

The ‘weekend’ office: electronics and instrumentation wouldn’t disgrace a jet plane

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INTERVIEW

Load up, we’re going racing!

but interrupted by a sprinkling of sprint races, and you have some idea of the demands posed by this type of event.

It’s a mental challenge maintaining focus on a course that can switch almost instantly from high-speed blasts down forest tracks and across open fields, to a narrow path wending its way up and down steep woodland slopes interspersed by big rocks and fallen trees, but this is nothing compared to the physical load that it places on the body, An enduro motorcycle will weigh just over 100kg and may have an engine output of over 50bhp. There’s almost a foot of suspension travel at either end, but that won’t stop the thing bucking you off should you hit an obstacle too hard, or just tipping you over if you don’t tackle it fast enough. It is incredibly sensitive to rider inputs, an injudicious twist of the right wrist is enough to elevate the front wheel way beyond the point of no return, spit you off backwards, and then hammer you into the dirt.

Besides controlling the throttle and helping you cling to this projectile, your right hand is also charged with handling the front brake. This provides most of the retardation, but again is so powerful that anything other than the most delicate and progressive applications will see you off.

Your feet are encased in heavy 24

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armoured boots to protect them against high-speed impacts and must handle the back brake and gearchange. The boots are so rigid that you can’t really feel the pedal controls, and the angle of your ankles constantly varies as you pitch back and forth. The clutch is controlled by the left hand. It’s rarely used when changing gear, but instead serves as a traction/wheelie control device: both to moderate the stinging power being put down through the back tyre and to loft the front wheel over larger obstacles.

In short, it’s a challenge. It becomes even more of a challenge on a multi-day event, when you have only a short and limited time at the beginning and end of each day to service the bike, change the tyres, repair the damage inflicted and prepare it for another day of ‘fun’.

In the meantime, he’s also built up his business from a one-man, one-van enterprise started in 1992 to the 30 trucks and two vans of today’s fleet.

Inevitably something had to give and, in Chris’s case, it was a knee. Although the offending joint was painstakingly reconstructed, he was advised against

Competing on the world stage The pinnacle of the sport is the International Six Day Enduro: widely pitched as the Olympics of motorcycling.

It’s a struggle of attrition, with mechanical and physical failures putting most of the contestants out long before the end.

Bird represented the UK at the ISDE in 1990, 1991 and 1994, finishing a credible 14th in the 1991 event in Czechoslovakia.

He’s also racked up a couple of second places in the UK’s premier enduro event: the Welsh Two-Day.

any more enduro racing. “I’d raced all my life, and my first thought was what am I going to do instead?” he recalls.

He changed two wheels for four, and raced a Milner buggy in the British Cross Country and Competition Safari series. The Milner is a space-frame with bodywork loosely based on a Toyota HiLux pick-up truck. Bird’s example features a Ford Mustang Coyote engine mounted over the back axle. A torque tube runs to a gearbox mounted roughly where you would expect to find one on a

INCREDIBLY, THE CAR IS ACTUALLY STREETLEGAL – WELL, IT IS IN FRANCE

INTERVIEW

conventional rear-wheel drive car and power is distributed to all four wheels. He raced this car in a variety of closed course events, mostly held on forestry or MoD land.

Then he discovered the French Touts Terrain series, which offers more events, and longer, more varied courses which take in minor public country lanes that are closed for the occasion.

Four wheel drive Competing in series this required a different car: in this case, a French-built Rivet buggy. At 1035kg, it’s 300kg lighter than the Milner, and features a 2.5 litre DOHC Millington race engine, which shares bore spacings but nothing else with a Ford Pinto. Revving to 10,000rpm, it produces 330hp running on race fuel. Like many other top-spec race engines it’s built in Britain, in this case Bridgnorth, Shropshire.

It drives through a six-speed Sadev transmission, which is a constant-mesh design akin to a motorcycle gearbox.

The clutch is only used to pull-away and stop: shifts are put through under full throttle with a potentiometer attached to the sequential gear lever momentarily cutting the ignition.

The car arrived with the powertrain installed, but everything else left to do.

Most notably, the dry-sumped engine needed to be plumbed-in, and all wiring and hoses carefully routed to avoid the hand-made exhaust system, which gets to the point of red-hot at full throttle.

Consideration must be given to avoiding anything which may snag or collect mud: and the finished vehicle really is a work of engineering art.

There’s also a very sophisticated electronic driveline management system: the car goes everywhere with its own laptop. Among its features is a launch control, which holds the engine at a steady 7,100rpm so all Bird has to do is release the clutch.

Incredibly, the car is actually streetlegal – well, it is in France. When it’s racing. A very sensible rule sees the car’s race number double as its registration, and scrutineering count as an MoT test. If only this country was as enlightened.

But building the car is only the start.

Every aspect of the chassis set-up is adjustable: including geometry, suspension and ride-height; and it takes

a shake-down season to find optimum settings. Unlike professional rallying, this is a privateer sport so chances for testing are very limited.

Progress so far Bird got the car’s handling sorted last year, the season runs from May to November, and this year he has been debugging the driveline from the reliability point of view. “You have to do things like change the gearbox oil after every race. This isn’t because the oil is worn out, it’s so you can inspect it carefully for any debris. Metallic dust on the magnetic drain plug is OK, but bits of metal that look like fingernail clippings most definitely are not,” he explains.

Speed-wise, how does it compare to an enduro bike? “It’s definitely faster on a fast

track, just by virtue of its top speed, which is in excess of 100mph,” explains Bird. “But the tighter and tougher the track, the faster a motorcycle would be by comparison.”

Bird confesses that he takes an enduro bike along to events, which he uses to reconnoitre the course. He does a bit of veterans’ class motocross too.

The car requires far more intensive and sophisticated maintenance than enduro motorcycles do. In ‘normal’ use, the engine and gearbox will run about 2,000 miles between rebuilds. He hesitates to calculate a figure for the total cost, but gets some help from sponsors including DAF Trucks, dealer Watts Truck & Van, component supplier Allisport and oil company Fuchs.

“Plus, DAF trucks have the lowest cost of ownership,” he jokes.

Classy engineering is everywhere to be seen

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OPERATOR PROFILE

DRIVING FORCE HB Holt & Sons has added three DAF XF530 tractor units to its otherwise almost-single-marque fleet as its business continues to grow. The East Yorkshire haulage contractor has already been impressed with fuel and driver comfort from the 6x2 mid-lift tractors and is expecting ‘proven’ reliability from the fleet additions Words: Ronnie Hitchens

S

tuart Holt is one of three brothers, sons of the founder of the business who sadly passed away when Stuart was just 10.

Stuart’s mother Margaret and oldest brother Eddie, then only 20 himself, bravely decided to keep the business running – and did so very successfully. Years later, Stuart then started in the company as a driver, just as his brother Eddie had done before him.

In Stuart’s case, the job started from the first moment he was officially able to get behind the wheel – and he carried on for the next 30 years helping to build the business. For the last five years he has been largely office-based, operating 26

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Photographs: Karl Hopkinson

as one of HB Holt & Sons directors. His other brother, Steve, joined around the same time as Stuart as a driver before taking responsibility for the Palletforce side of the operations.

The firm now employs around 45 drivers, many of them long-serving.

“We are lucky because we never seem to be short of a driver. Whenever word gets out that we might be hiring, the phone starts ringing or people just turn up at the yard,” says Stuart. “As drivers, my brothers and I know good trucks and decent working conditions attract the right sort of driver and that is what we want.”

Driver of the day Having started talking about ‘good

trucks’, Stuart continues, saying, “We have been loyal over the years to one brand in particular and were largely very happy with it. But I attended a DAF demonstration day at Millbrook test track with our local dealer, Imperial Commercials at Hull and, as someone who still loves truck driving, was impressed with what I found. I liked the product and even won ‘Driver of the Day’ in an XF! However, I was interested mostly by the higher horsepower models, so we agreed to take our time until we could get our hands on the dealer’s 530hp demonstrator.”

With the demonstrator duly in place, Stuart and his team put it to the test on their routine work and liked what they

OPERATOR PROFILE

found. “The drivers loved it and the fuel economy figures looked promising,” says Stuart. “Both are very important to us.

And both are directly related of course, because a poor driver will get poor fuel economy out of even a very good truck!”

One of the XF530 drivers, Dan Brown, says he prefers it to his old truck. “The cab and the seat are a lot comfier. I had to stop regularly in the old truck to give my back a stretch – I suffer with a disc problem – but in the DAF I can go straight through to a routine rest period,” says Brown, whose colleague Paul Irvine, agrees. “I love it! It’s a very comfortable cab and the engine is so quiet you can hardly hear it. The power is good and there’s good all-round vision.”

Put to work Following the solid performance of the demonstrator, it was then a case of talking things through with Richard Avery at Imperial Commercials and DAF Trucks Regional Sales Manager, Martyn Shaw, to arrive at a spec and cost that made sense for all three. “We had always admired the HB Holt operation and were keen to see DAF product in its livery,” explains Avery. “We talked everything through with Stuart and realised that we needed to tailor the specification to ensure the most economical deal once the vehicles were out on the road. With Imperial’s help and the flexibility of our R&M contract packages we were able to do just that.” The XFs all come with a three-year DAF R&M package, handled

by Imperial Commercials at Hull.

Since their arrival, the DAFs have been performing well. Stuart reports that, in the very first weeks, the initial two XFs were returning “a very solid 9.0mpg, which I can tell you stacks up very favourably with other comparable vehicles on the fleet. And I have to think that can only get better and better as the drivelines bed in and drivers get used to handling them”. In fact, the two XF530s compared so favourably, a third was ordered almost immediately on the back of those first impressions.

Company driver and more-than-occasional driver, Stuart Holt.

Satisfied customers “Everyone tells me the DAF product is extremely reliable and, on top of that, the drivers are already loving the space, quietness and comfort of the DAF Super SUMMER 2019 DAF DRIVER

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OPERATOR PROFILE

Space Cabs we specified,” says Stuart. “I said earlier that I still love truck driving, so you can imagine I was keen to grab an early opportunity to drive the trucks myself. There’s no doubt the big XF delivers great performance and the Super Space Cab is a great place to work: we have always tried to buy premium quality trucks for our drivers, because they are genuinely important to us and I know personally just how tough the work can be.”

Stuart admits very happily to driving the company’s trucks at every opportunity he gets. “I like to see what our drivers are having to contend with each day and how the trucks we buy work for them and there’s no better way than getting behind the wheel,” he says. “It also allows me to see customers regularly in our routine work mode and check our services are delivering what they want.”

The arrival of the three latest DAFs now brings HB Holt & Sons fleet numbers up to 38 trucks and the operator also has some 40 trailers on the roster, many of them refrigerated models to deal with the large volume of specialised horticultural transport the operator handles. Though it fluctuates a little with the seasons, this work accounts for 28

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Stuart admits very happily to driving the company’s trucks at every opportunity he gets

OPERATOR PROFILE

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OPERATOR PROFILE

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OPERATOR PROFILE

a very important 50% of the operator’s regular business, the rest being taken up by routine haulage contracts, shifting general freight to what Stuart describes as ‘all four corners of the country’ for local businesses. Among the latter is a major national kitchen cabinet-maker, for whom Stuart’s fleet runs deliveries of finished goods out of the area in the customer’s trailers, returning with loads of raw materials for the ongoing production cycle.

WE ARE LUCKY BECAUSE WE NEVER SEEM TO BE SHORT OF A DRIVER. WHENEVER WORD GETS OUT THAT WE MIGHT BE HIRING, THE PHONE STARTS RINGING OR PEOPLE JUST TURN UP AT THE YARD Looking forward It is early days on the XFs for HB Holt & Sons to have had much more than routine inspection and service exposure to his local dealer, Imperial Commercials, though a recent auction-acquired DAF CF has been, according to Stuart Holt, “very well looked after” and the DAFaid nationwide emergency service is held in high regard within the company. “That’s good because, without naming names, there are areas of the country where, if one of our other vehicles has a problem, it’s not always too easy to get to. I don’t want drivers stuck beside the road – it’s a tough enough job without worrying about

whether they are being properly attended to if and when something goes wrong.

“These are all still basically mechanical units, though technology is creeping into them at a pace, so it is inevitable that things will go wrong occasionally,” he adds. “I don’t fret about that, but I do fret if a manufacturer’s back-up service isn’t up to the mark. I fret a lot!”

As to the future generally, HB Holt & Sons looks set for steady growth and continuing success. A family-run business will always have a slightly different ethos to a business run for the benefit of shareholders; quite apart from the strong driving tradition among the family members themselves that comes across in the thought that goes into making drivers’ lives as comfortable as possible.

Keep it clean Stuart Holt sums it all up when he says, “You can’t predict the future, just as surely as you can’t just live day-today in business. So, we try and assess what is happening in the industry and develop plans to cope with it. Right now, the environment is a major factor.

We have work that takes us into areas where there are already Low Emission Zones and others where Clean Air legislation is just starting to bite. That means we need the very latest trucks with engines that meet the demands being placed upon us. In turn, that means we need to operate sensibly to ensure we can keep the fleet modern and compliant. That keeps us all in work.”

Elsewhere the ever-growing congestion patterns threaten all hauliers, not just HB Holt & Sons.“It’s a no-win situation. If we run in daytime, we get caught like everybody else. And if we run at night, when the general public are less in evidence, the authorities inevitably have major roadworks going on, so you can’t win whatever you do,” he says with a laugh.

If that sounded a little defeatist, rest reassured it wasn’t. There was a steely twinkle in Stuart’s eye as he made the comments and, with his family alongside him and drivers who clearly like the business, there is no doubting the drive to success from this Yorkshire operator and everyone involved with it.

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COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

ON THE CREST OF A WAVE Princess Yachts is a company on the up, as customers from all over the world rush to place orders for the latest and greatest boats on the market Words: Steve Banner

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Photographs: Princess Yachts

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

G

rock slightly in the breeze.

Based in Plymouth and employing some 3,000 people across five sites in the city - Princess Yachts makes many of the components it uses itself - Princess is a major producer of luxury motor yachts; and business is booming.

At this year’s Dusseldorf Boat Show – the largest indoor event of its type in the world – the company sold 21 yachts worth a combined £38m-plus. Princess customers travelled from as far away as Australia, Mexico and Thailand to attend an exhibition that attracted a record 250,000 visitors. This year’s

ALMOST AS EXCITING AS THE R35 IS THE V60 WHICH HAS MADE HER NORTH AMERICAN DEBUT AT THE MIAMI YACHT SHOW IN FEBRUARY

▲

olden, sun-kissed sands. Gentle, waving palm trees. Deep blue sea. A cloudless sky. All viewed from a lounger on the immaculate deck of a multimillion-pound super yacht, with a drink close to hand.

Perhaps that drink is a martini shaken, not stirred - in one of the untippable glasses designed by a student at Plymouth College of Arts, who won a competition backed by Princess Yachts.

Just what you need if the boat starts to

Princess 30M has a range of 1,300 nautical miles and is powered by two MTU engines with a combined 2,637hp

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COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

Princess order book already covers 91% of the production plan, while next year’s already covers 40% of planned production. The company is now taking orders that will stretch into 2021.

Keeping things moving Much of this success is driven by an ongoing five-year £100m investment programme and a succession of new product launches. A record nine yachts were launched in 2018 while six more are due this year. “To put that into context, we launched four yachts in 2014 and 2015 combined – and ten combined over 2016 and 2017,” says Executive Chairman, Antony Sheriff. “Our aim is that every yacht will have something interesting and different to offer over its predecessor, over a competitor’s boat or as a new offering to the market.”

Part of the Princess furniture for just over three years and formerly Chief Executive Officer at McLaren Automotive, Sheriff is not afraid to embrace fresh ideas. This willingness to think outside the proverbial box is demonstrated in the new R35. Developed in conjunction with Ben Ainslie Racing Technologies (BART) – gold medal winner Sir Ben is one of 34

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the most successful Olympic sailors of all time – and automotive styling house Pininfarina (Sheriff is a Pininfarina director), it features a carbon fibre monocoque hull and an innovative AFS (Active Foil System).

The twin, independently-adjustable, carbon fibre foils sit beneath the water line, keep the boat steady and reduce drag, cutting fuel consumption.

Their optimum position is calculated automatically by an onboard computer.

The combination of AFS, carbon fibre and aerodynamic styling, that owes a lot to that of powerful cars and Formula 1, has catapulted R35 to a whole new level, says Sheriff. “They deliver enormous performance gains so far as comfort, predictability, usability and efficiency are concerned, while enabling R35 to reach speeds of up to 50 knots,” he says.

Princess product line-up Almost as exciting as the R35 is the V60 which has made her North American debut at the Miami Yacht Show in February. With an unusual deep-V hull, she can get up to 38 knots. Not everybody requires quite such a turn of speed, especially if they are cruising gently

around Bermuda or the Leeward Islands, stopping for the occasional swim. If comfort and restrained elegance are more of a priority – and you happen to have a few bob to spare – then you might want to take a look at the Princess 30M. Grossing at 162 tonne and able to accommodate up to ten people plus five crew, she is over 30m long and just over 7m wide. The hull and superstructure are made from resin-reinforced composite material, and as for the interior; think luxury.

Princess describes the flybridge, which sits above the main deck, as “invitingly vast.” It is not joking. There is room for sun loungers, sofas, a dining area, a bar and even a spa bath.

While 30M isn’t as rapid as the R35 or the V60, she cannot be described as a slowcoach. Select the most-powerful engines listed and you can get up to 27 knots. The powerplants are a pair of MTU 16V 2000 M94 marine diesels, each with 2,637hp on tap at 2,450rpm. Fuelled from a 12,200-litre tank, they offer a range of up to 1,300 nautical miles – a nautical mile is slightly longer than a statute mile. MTU is owned by RollsRoyce Power Systems. Renowned naval architect Bernard Olesinski played a key role in 30M’s design. Princess has worked with him for many years.

A glass apart And that untippable martini glass?

Launched at the Dusseldorf show, it is an example of Princess’s willingness to get involved with off-beat initiatives that should nevertheless appeal to its customers. Andres Boraita won the design competition. “His work on this project stood out immediately,” says

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT Kevin Jenkins, Plymouth College’s Product Design and Innovation Programme Leader.

“Within a day of visiting Princess Yachts, he had developed six different viable solutions to the problem,” Jenkins continues. “He developed new skills across almost every area of the college, learning wood-turning to create one of his moulds for metal casting to create the pewter base.

“From sketching concepts digitally and designing prototypes for 3D printing in the Fab Lab Plymouth, to working alongside technicians in the glass studios blowing hot glass into a plaster mould, every aspect of the design required a new skill,” he adds. “Andres collaborated with specialists in each area to get the job done.” The glasses will be produced as a gift set for Princess’ customers.

Princess is well aware of the fragility of the marine environment. It has been working with the Marine Conservation Society and the National Marine Aquarium to replace old moorings with new eco-friendly helical moorings in Cawsand Bay and Kingsand Bay, not far from Plymouth. The new moorings allow environmentally-important seagrass meadows, that host seahorses and are breeding grounds for cuttlefish to recover, after damage caused by traditional mooring methods which use chains that drag along the seabed. The new moorings use small buoys that hold the chain away from the bed and help link it to a larger mooring buoy.

Says Princess Marketing Director, Kiran Haslam: “We’re proud to be able to support a pioneering initiative that will give the seagrass beds an opportunity to repair themselves.”

Above left: At this year’s Dusseldorf Boat Show, Princess sold 21 yachts Above right: The flybridge on the 30M has been described by Princess as ‘invitingly vast’ Above middle: Premium materials feature inside and out Princess yachts, including American walnut Below bottom: The engine room on the 30M SUMMER 2019 DAF DRIVER

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MID AMERICA TRUCKING SHOW

AMERICAN DREAMS

We travelled out to the US to have a look at the Mid America Trucking Show (MATS).

Here’s a taste of what Louisville, Kentucky had to offer Words: Matthew Eisenegger Photographs: Finley Eisenegger

Inside the 80 inch sleeper

Show stopper! The all-new Peterbilt 579 UltraLoft, complete with blackout exterior package.

Drivetrain PACCAR MX13 rated at 510hp coupled to the PACCAR 12-speed automated transmission

T

he Mid America Trucking Show, now into its 48th year and attracting over 70,000 visitors from more than 60 countries, is almost a cross between the CV Show and Truckfest. Predominately aimed at the owner and employed driver market, MATS also offers visitors three full days of seminars, including topics such as ‘How Untreated Health Conditions Cost Drivers and The Industry’, and even ‘Commercial Vehicle Motor Inspections’ presented by the KSP 36

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(Kentucky State Police).

Drivers are also invited to enter their pride and joy in the PKY Truck Beauty Championship held on the outside exhibition area. Now in its 30th year, the championship – named after the founder of the show Paul K Young – attracts trucks from all over the U.S. and is a real must-see experience.

Manufacturer support Although only two major truck manufacturers chose to exhibit – namely Peterbilt and Kenworth, which are seen as the preferred choice for owner-

operators in the US – both PACCAR brands really do push the boat out and use MATS to showcase their headline products.

Peterbilt showed off its all-new 579 UltraLoft with the blackout exterior package, a Model 567 Dump truck; an on-highway Model 567, a Model 389 low roof sleeper and a Model 389 high roof sleeper.

Peterbilt’s stand also highlighted the Red Oval used vehicle program.

“Peterbilt remains the drivers’ truck of choice and the Mid-America Trucking Show is an ideal venue to showcase

MID AMERICA TRUCKING SHOW

The all-new Kenworth W990 with the 76 inch Mid-Roof Sleeper, owned by US trucking giant Fleernor Bros Above: PACCAR’s all-makes brand TRP is proving popular in the US

our best-in-class products to drivers and owner operators,” said Peterbilt assistant general manager for sales and marketing, Robert Woodall. He told us: “In addition to the superior styling and design of the trucks on display, Peterbilt also highlighted the PACCAR Powertrain, including the MX engines, tandem axles and the PACCAR transmission, all of which provide the power and performance to handle any job.”

Kenworth also had a lot to shout about by displaying its full breadth of trucks, including the recently-introduced W990 76-inch Mid-Roof Sleeper. According

to Kurt Swihart, Kenworth’s marketing director: “We’re showcasing three W990s – two fully decked out with 76in midroof sleepers, and another specced as a heavy haul day cab. The W990 carries on Kenworth’s long tradition of offering the ‘Driver’s Truck’.

“It’s the new look for owner-operators and fleets that want a contemporary interior with comfort features, combined with the look and feel of a long-hood traditional truck. It’s the best of both worlds,” he added.

Interestingly the PACCAR MX-13 engine features very highly in both brands.

Artistic additions As you would expect at a driver-based show, there was a wealth of products to adorn your ‘rig’ with. Chrome exhaust stacks feature highly on the accessory list, with suppliers offering stacks with a 10in diameter.

Issues surrounding the US trucking industry are virtually identical to the UK, two of the major ones being an ageing driver profile and rates of pay. Not only bright and shiny accessories were on show but also offers of better jobs for more cash, courtesy of driver recruitment businesses.

More from the show overleaf

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MID AMERICA TRUCKING SHOW

A monster of a Peterbilt 379

Immaculate interior for a working truck

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NOW IN ITS 30TH YEAR, THE CHAMPIONSHIP – NAMED AFTER THE FOUNDER OF THE SHOW PAUL K YOUNG – ATTRACTS TRUCKS FROM ALL OVER THE U.S. AND IS A REAL MUST-SEE EXPERIENCE

MID AMERICA TRUCKING SHOW

Not sure if it’s a ‘Pete’ or a Kenworth on this allblue de-badged beauty!

SUCCESS IN THE U.S.

You can’t beat the traditional look of a classic Peterbilt

Northwest-based British company Heskins is having great success in the U.S.A. From its office in East Butler, Pennsylvania the firm offers a full range of both Anti Slip floor coverings and reflective tape to the U.S. market. Pictured are Mathew Farnworth (left) and Chris Brown, both Lancastrians

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TRUCKFEST 2019

‘FEST FOOT FORWARD

Trucking enthusiasts descended on Peterborough at the beginning of May for Truckfest 2019.

Here are just some of the highlights

K

Words: Matthew Eisenegger & DAF Trucks

eeping with what has now become tradition, Truckfest returned to the East of England Showground near Peterborough over the May bank holiday weekend. Truckfest 2019 lived up to the billing of THE place for the trucking

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Photographs: DAF Trucks

community to gather and pore over some amazing sights and sounds of road and race trucks.

Fortunately temperatures didn’t quite hit the heady heights of last years’ sweltering 30°C, meaning that punters were able to cover the show and get around all the vehicles with ease. An enthusiastic crowd had the chance to see

a fantastic array of DAF products as well as those from its associated brands.

Armed with cameras, the DAF Driver team hit the thoroughfares to try and capture the best and most interesting DAF-based products of the show. Sorry if we missed you, but with well over 2,000 trucks on site, it’s difficult to get around to every one of them…

TRUCKFEST 2019

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TRUCKFEST 2019

Fortunately temperatures didn’t quite hit the heady heights of last years’ sweltering 30°C

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MERCHANDISE

BACK TO THE FUTURE Show your appreciation for DAF’s days of old, with something from the heritage collection Words: Richard Warner

A

ccording to the Oxford dictionary, the word retro means something is ‘imitative of a style or fashion from the recent past’. It’s a popular trend, so the world of truck merchandise is currently seeing a steady rise in retro items. All of the major truck manufactures now offer some kind of retro range, with DAF leading the way with its heritage collection.

Browse through DAFshop.com and you will see various items all giving a nod to the Dutch manufacturer’s proud past – with umbrellas, wallets and models just some of the products highlighting DAF’s heritage.

Model makers have also jumped on the bandwagon, realising that not every collector is interested in shiny up-to-date versions of the latest tractor unit. Companies such as Tekno and WSI have embraced older models, with both suppliers offering small-scale versions of DAFs from yesteryear. Models of the much-loved 3300 Space cab and 3200 are proving very popular with customers – and are available as both solo

Photographs: DAF Trucks

tractor units and also with different trailer combinations.

As well as actual products themselves, fans of old school DAFs can relive the past in video form.

By going to YouTube and watching films such as ‘Spaghetti no junction’, suddenly, current and future generations can get a feel for what trucking in the 1980s with a DAF was really like! Featuring three top-spec DAFs, this film followed the journey to Milan – the aptly named Italian job! If you have a spare 30 minutes, it’s well worth a look.

But what about the real thing? Well, Scottish DAF dealer Lothian DAF has a beautifully restored DAF 3300 Space Cab that proves beyond doubt that there is still a lot of love for older vehicles. Whether the 3300 was on the road or at various Truckfests it attended during the past year, this 1980s retro favourite attracted many admiring glances and photo opportunities.

It only remains to be seen if the very latest range of DAF trucks will reach iconic ‘retro status’ like the 3300, but if past DAF models are anything to go by, the future (or past) is looking very good!

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1: Umbrella from the Heritage collection 2: Miniature model from the Heritage collection 3: T-shirt from the Heritage collection 4: Jigsaw puzzle from the Heritage collection 5: Wallet from the Heritage collection 6: As featured in the Spaghetti No Junction film, this DAF 3600 model is available from: admt.co.uk

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Above: The DAF Driver Challenge gives participants the opportunity to put their skills to the test

THE UK DAF DRIVER CHALLENGE Do you have what it takes?

T

he UK DAF Driver Challenge is back, but this time the market leading manufacturer is doing things a little differently.

Over the next year DAF will be hosting a series of regional events, where drivers from across the UK and Ireland, will be able to attend and put their driving skills to the test.

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DAF DRIVER SUMMER 2019

To ensure only the best drivers get through, regional heats will be by invite only. Drivers can register, for the chance to be selected, with an online registration form at drivers.daf.com/en-gb.

The online registration will test each driver’s industry and road knowledge, as well as give them the opportunity to explain why they should compete in the next UK DAF Driver Challenge.

Registrations will be scored based on the entrant’s performance in the online assessment, with successful drivers being invited to compete in one of the Regional Heats, which will be taking place across the UK and Ireland in 2019 - 2020. Just twenty finalists will then be selected to attend the UK Final in Spring 2020, where drivers will compete for the title of UK DAF Driver Champion.

Ron Smith and Mandy Wannerton will be judging at the DAF Driver Challenge qualifiers Below: Scott Lewis DAF UK Driver Champion 2018 receives his award from Paul Barlow, the 2016 DAF UK Driver Champion

Drivers of all marques and operations are encouraged to register.

The DAF Driver Challenge has become known for its variety of challenges, both on and off-road, pushing drivers’ skill and knowledge to the very limit.

If you want to call yourself one of the best truck drivers in the UK, the DAF Driver Challenge is where you can earn that title.

Only the best need apply The UK DAF Driver Challenge is open to all qualified LGV drivers from all sectors of the industry, if you think you have what it takes to be the UK’s best truck driver, complete the online entry form at drivers.daf.com/en-gb.

Fleet drivers are also welcome to enter by going to the link and clicking “Fleet Drivers”.

INTERNATIONAL DAF DRIVER CHALLENGE 2019 This year DAF Trucks N.V is hosting the first International DAF Driver Challenge. Sixteen champions from across Europe will meet in Luxembourg, this September, for their largest challenge yet. Only the best of the best will be invited and only one driver can be crowned, International DAF Driver Champion.

The United Kingdom already has its champion and contender for the title of International DAF Driver Champion, Scott Lewis, winner of the UK DAF Driver Challenge in 2018. Scott was named UK DAF Driver Champion after two intense days of activities and challenges, at the Millbrook Proving Grounds in May 2018.

He is now looking forward to representing the UK in the International DAF Driver Challenge this year, against driver champions from across Europe, and we will be supporting him all the way. “I can’t wait to test myself against drivers from across the world,” says Scott.

“This new international event is looking to be bigger than ever and I’m proud to be flying the flag for the UK in the challenge.”

SUMMER 2019 DAF DRIVER

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SIMPSON SAYS

ZERO CARBON, ZERO FUTURE There is a lot of talk about alternatives to the internal combustion engine, but just how viable are they for the future?

By Richard Simpson, industry pundit

T

he Easter holiday was considerably enlivened

by Emma Thompson jetting in from a party in Los Angeles to join the Extinction Rebellion protests against carbon emissions in London. And it was by no means the only example of ‘do what I say, not what I do’, as many of the protesters who were given the opportunity to put their point of view across on television and radio, were revealed as having social media accounts

oxygen) to end by 2025. This obviously includes air travel, so it’s nice that they got to see something of the world while it was still allowed. Their children will, of course, be restricted to destinations within reach of a second-hand bicycle, while supplies of used tyres last. Not that they will want to travel, as they will be starving, thanks to the end of our diesel-powered food production and distribution systems.

We can excuse them their naivety.

But, it’s more difficult to make excuses for the ‘great and good’ of the National Infrastructure Committee, headed by

TRAVEL MAY WELL BROADEN THE MIND, BUT IT CLEARLY DOES LITTLE WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPING A SENSE OF SELF-AWARENESS AMONG THE YOUNG AND IMPRESSIONABLE. JUST TO BE CLEAR, THEY ARE CALLING FOR THE UK’S CARBON EMISSIONS (THAT IS EVERY ACTIVITY THAT INVOLVES THE COMBUSTION OF OXYGEN) TO END BY 2025. crammed full of pictures of their recent holidays and gap years in exotic locations, all reached by air travel.

Travel may well broaden the mind, but it clearly does little when it comes to developing a sense of self-awareness among the young and impressionable.

Just to be clear, they are calling for the UK’s carbon emissions (that is every activity that involves the combustion of 46

DAF DRIVER SUMMER 2019

National Express Chairman, Sir John Armitt, which has called for the UK to ban sales of new internal-combustion-engine heavy trucks by 2040, with a ban on their use to follow 10 years later. This proposal is a keystone of the NIC report: Better delivery: the challenge for freight; and no, as far as I can gather, that title is not ironic!

These vehicles are to be replaced with heavy-duty trucks, powered by electric

The National Infrastructure Committee has called for the UK to ban sales of new internal-combustion-engine heavy trucks by 2040

batteries or hydrogen fuel cells: such vehicles don’t exist yet, and nor does the capacity or infrastructure to recharge/ refuel them.

Nowhere in the report is the great progress that has been made – and will be made – in improving the performance of the diesel truck engines mentioned.

Developments, including renewable fuels, are dismissed.

Also ignored are the many, many failed attempts to manufacture electric trucks: Modec and Smiths/Tanfield being two examples of ‘breakthrough’ technology that was given government subsidy in the UK, then failed, then was shipped over to the USA to gather more subsidy before failing again. Nice work if you can get it.

There is no evidence that the next generation of zero-emissions heavyduty vehicles will do any better in anything other than short-haul urban environments, where other vehicle types are banned and consumers left to absorb the higher costs.

We can excuse a lot of students and yoghurt-weavers enjoying the (carbonwarmed) Easter holiday weather, singing and skateboarding on the streets of London. It was so much fun that even the police joined in! It’s harder to forgive the ‘grown-ups’ who produced the NIC report for their promise of a fossil-fuelfree pie in the sky.

G

LLIN I B F SEL ICE O INV

SUMMER 2019 DAF DRIVER

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DAF Trucks UK Dealer Locator & Contact Details The quality of a truck depends on the quality of the organisation behind it, which is why the DAF dealer network offers a unique advantage with the best geographical coverage of the UK, the most heavy truck experience and the longest opening hours of any truck franchise.

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DAF DRIVER SUMMER 2019

A PACCAR COMPANY DRIVEN BY QUALITY

● Truck Sales, Parts and Service Dealers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34

Area ABERDEEN ASHFORD BRISTOL CARDIFF CARLISLE CROYDON DERBY EDINBURGH GLASGOW GLOUCESTER GRAYS GUERNSEY GUILDFORD HALESOWEN HEATHROW HUDDERSFIELD HULL IPSWICH LEEDS LEICESTER LIVERPOOL MANCHESTER MILTON KEYNES NEWTON ABBOT NEWTOWNABBEY NORWICH PRESTON READING SHEFFIELD SHREWSBURY SOUTHAMPTON STOCKTON STOKE ON TRENT WOLVERHAMPTON

Dealer name Norscot Truck & Van Ltd ★▲ Channel Commercials PLC ★▲ Imperial Commercials Ltd ▲◆ Watts Truck & Van Cardiff ★ Solway DAF ★ HTC Croydon ★ Imperial Commercials Ltd ▲ Lothian DAF ★▲ Imperial Commercials Ltd Imperial Commercials Ltd Harris DAF ★▲◆ Rabeys Garage Ltd Barnes DAF Imperial Commercials Ltd ★▲ HTC Heathrow ▲ F&G Commercials Ltd ▲ Imperial Commercials Ltd ▲ Chassis-Cab Ltd ★ Evans Halshaw DAF Leeds ▲◆ Ford & Slater DAF ★ North West Trucks ▲ F&G Commercials Ltd ▲◆ Brian Currie ▲ Wessex DAF TBF Thompson DAF ★ Ford & Slater DAF ★▲◆ Lancashire DAF ★▲ HTC Reading ★ Evans Halshaw DAF Sheffield ▲ Greenhous DAF ▲ Adams Morey Ltd ★ Evans Halshaw DAF Stockton ★▲◆ Imperial Commercials Ltd Greenhous DAF ★▲

Postcode AB23 8JZ TN23 1EH BS2 OQP CF11 8AT CA3 0HD CR0 4TD DE22 4NB EH20 9QH G51 4TH GL1 2SQ RM20 4AU GY1 6DP GU1 1RR B63 2RL SL3 0ED HD2 1UR HU9 5PJ IP6 0RL LS28 6SD LE3 2JG L36 6AJ M17 1HG MK6 1LH TQ12 6UE BT36 4PT NR5 0JS PR5 8BW RG7 4AG S13 9NR SY1 3JE SO15 0DR TS18 2RS ST6 2DE WV13 3SF

Telephone 01224 824444 01233 629272 01173 042800 02920 308595 01228 539394 0208 683 6200 01332 824371 0131 440 4100 0141 425 1530 01452 508700 01708 864426 01481 244551 01483 594900 01384 424500 01753 681818 01484 300500 01482 795111 01473 833003 01132 571701 01162 632900 0151 480 0098 0161 746 1919 01908 663991 01626 833737 02890 342001 01603 731600 01772 338111 01189 300900 01142 939200 01743 467904 02380 663000 01642 637660 01782 276600 01902 305090

Postcode OX14 3NG BB5 5YT KA8 9RT OX16 4SP S71 3HS SS14 3JB RG24 8NS MK41 9TG ML4 3LU DA17 6BT B6 5TG B33 0SL DH3 2AF DE55 5JY BH8 0BL MK18 1DR IP32 6NL TR14 0PY CB5 8SQ CT3 3DW LA5 9DW WF10 5UB S40 2RG LL28 5RA NN17 4BA CV3 4FL RH10 9NS G67 3EH CH5 2QJ DN6 7BA DN8 4JD DG2 0JE DD2 4UH TD11 3HS BN23 6PW IV30 6UH BA11 2FD BT51 5JZ DN31 2TG HP2 7YU HR4 8DS HP12 4HS LL65 4RJ IV1 1SG IM9 2AQ

Telephone 01235 531004 01282 773377 01292 269002 01295 270072 01226 731870 01268 290680 01256 811414 01234 211241 01698 573800 02083 197800 0121 326 6985 0121 784 4023 0191 492 1155 01773 813313 01202 524422 01280 814741 01284 768570 01209 721989 0333 323 4040 01304 841111 01524 734544 01924 227722 01246 234213 01492 580303 01536 207980 02476 302856 01293 537520 0123 672 7771 01244 521643 01302 727040 01405 740086 01387 720820 01382 611166 01361 883411 01323 745700 01343 547121 01373 464524 02829 558353 01472 362929 01442 835670 01432 763900 01494 465464 01407 721197 01463 712000 01624 825559

● Parts and Service Dealers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45

Area ABINGDON ACCRINGTON AYR BANBURY BARNSLEY BASILDON BASINGSTOKE BEDFORD BELLSHILL BELVEDERE BIRMINGHAM BIRMINGHAM BIRTLEY BLACKWELL BOURNEMOUTH BUCKINGHAM BURY ST EDMUNDS CAMBORNE CAMBRIDGE CANTERBURY CARNFORTH CASTLEFORD CHESTERFIELD CONWY CORBY COVENTRY CRAWLEY CUMBERNAULD DEESIDE DONCASTER DONCASTER DUMFRIES DUNDEE DUNS EASTBOURNE ELGIN FROME GARVAGH GRIMSBY HEMEL HEMPSTEAD HEREFORD HIGH WYCOMBE HOLYHEAD INVERNESS ISLE OF MAN

Dealer name R P Cherry & Son Ltd Lynch Truck Services Ltd Imperial Commercials Ltd ▲ GB DAF Banbury F & G Commercials Ltd ▲ Harris DAF ▲ Adams Morey Ltd Brian Currie Imperial Commercials Ltd HTC Belvedere ★ Greenhous DAF ▲ Imperial Commercials Ltd ★ Evans Halshaw DAF Birtley ★▲◆ H W Martin Adams Morey Ltd ★ Ring Road Garage ▲ Chassis-Cab Ltd Wessex DAF Chassis-Cab Ltd ▲ Channel Commercials PLC Lakeland Trucks Ltd Pelican DAF ▲◆ A Herring Ltd ▲ Parrys Commercials Ltd Ford & Slater DAF ▲ Ford & Slater DAF ▲ GB DAF Gatwick Imperial Commercials Ltd ★ Imperial Commercials Ltd ◆ Imperial Commercials Ltd ▲ Fishlake Commercials Ltd ▲◆ Solway DAF Norscot Truck & Van Ltd ▲ J E Douglas and Sons ▲ Brewers DAF Sheriffmill Motor Co Ltd Imperial Commercials Ltd ▲ TBF Thompson DAF Imperial Commercials Ltd ◆ HTC Hemel ▲ Imperial Commercials Ltd Euroway DAF ★▲ Holyhead Truck Services ▲ Norscot Truck & Van Ltd Wade’s Truck Services ★

46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96

Area ISLEHAM JERSEY KETTERING KINGS LANGLEY KING’S LYNN KIRKCALDY LINCOLN LIVERPOOL LUTON MACCLESFIELD MELBOURN NARBERTH NEWARK NEWPORT NEWPORT IOW NORTHAMPTON NORTHWICH NOTTINGHAM OLDHAM OXFORD PARK ROYAL PENRITH PERTH PETERBOROUGH PLYMOUTH PORTADOWN PORTSMOUTH RIPON RUGBY SALISBURY SCUNTHORPE SEVENOAKS SHOREHAM SPALDING STROOD SUTTON IN ASHFIELD SWANSEA SWINDON TAMWORTH TAUNTON TELFORD TORKSEY WALTHAM CROSS WARWICK WIGAN WISBECH WITHAM WORCESTER WORKINGTON WREXHAM YORK

Dealer name Universal Garage DAF ★▲ Rabeys F W Abbott Ltd ▲ CCS Ford & Slater DAF Drummond Motor Co Ltd Ford & Slater DAF MTC Northwest Ltd ▲ HTC Luton Imperial Commercials Ltd ▲ Foulger’s (CVS) Ltd ▲ G D Harries ▲◆ Ford & Slater DAF ▲ Watts Truck & Van Newport ▲ Adams Morey Ltd Brian Currie North West Trucks ★ Imperial Commercials Ltd ▲ F & G Commercials Ltd HTC Oxford ★▲ HTC Park Royal Solway DAF Norscot Truck & Van Ltd ★ Ford & Slater DAF ▲ Wessex DAF TBF Thompson DAF Adams Morey Ltd ▲ Kettlewell Commercials Ltd Ford & Slater DAF Adams Morey Ltd Imperial Commercials Ltd Channel Commercials PLC ▲ Barnes DAF ★ Ford & Slater DAF ▲◆ Channel Commercials PLC ★ Imperial Commercials Ltd Watts Truck & Van Swansea ★ Imperial Commercials Ltd ▲◆ DW Commercials Taunton DAF Halesfield Truck & Van Ltd ▲ Eastments Garage Ltd Harris DAF ★▲ Imperial Commercials Ltd ◆ Woodwards Truck and Van Centre Ford & Slater Ltd ▲ Harris Truck & Van Ltd Imperial Commercials Ltd ▲ Solway DAF Imperial Commercials Ltd Imperial Commercials Ltd

Postcode CB7 5PW JE2 7GR NN15 6NL WD4 8JA PE34 3AH KY1 2YX LN4 2NQ L33 7XS LU3 3AN SK11 0JB SG8 6DF SA67 8RG NG24 2NZ NP10 9HZ PO30 5UZ NN7 3AB CW9 7NU NG9 2JR OL9 9XA OX5 1FQ NW10 6DF CA11 9BN PH2 8BH PE1 5YD PL12 6NZ BT63 5WE PO3 5NN HG4 5EX CV21 3UY SP2 7NP DN16 1UW TN13 2TL BN43 6PB PE11 3ZN ME2 4EW NG17 2JZ SA7 9FB SN3 5JY B77 1LF TA2 8DW TF7 4QW LN1 2EJ EN8 7PG CV35 9JY WN3 6PQ PE13 2TQ CM8 3UJ WR5 3HR CA14 4JH LL14 4DP YO30 4XA

Telephone 01638 780642 01534 862304 01536 517704 01923 262199 01553 764466 01592 653485 01522 518170 0151 545 4750 01582 505464 01260 253232 01763 262826 01834 862436 01636 701673 01633 891991 01983 522552 01604 858810 01606 818088 01159 677077 0161 947 1400 01865 844100 0208 961 5863 01768 892938 01738 626688 01733 295000 01752 848359 02838 393300 02392 691122 01765 640913 01788 579535 01722 412171 01724 282444 01732 469469 01273 454887 01775 715680 01634 296686 01623 516735 01792 582255 01793 554130 01827 59221 01823 331275 01952 586454 01427 718638 01992 651155 01789 473200 01942 230026 01945 461316 01376 533680 01905 829800 01900 66927 01978 346100 01904 692909

● Truck Sales, Parts and Service Dealers Republic of Ireland Area 35 DUBLIN

Dealer name DAF Distributors Ireland Ltd ★

Road No. Dublin 22

Telephone 00 353 1403 4141

● Parts and Service Dealers Republic of Ireland 97 98 99 100 101

Area CAVAN CORK CO TIPPERARY DUBLIN GALWAY

Dealer name Interparts Drumalee Ltd DAF Truck Services Cork Ltd Guilfoyle Truck Sales Ltd North Dublin Commercials Ltd Galway Truck & Van Centre Ltd

Road No. N3 N20 R445 M1 N84

Telephone 00 353 49 433 1777 00 353 21 430 1202 00 353 505 23333 00 353 1802 0139 00 353 91 751 984

The extensive DAF national network delivers the best Back-Up in the business. Our flexible range of MultiSupport servicing, repair and maintenance options will help you control costs, minimise downtime and maximise vehicle availability. Out on the road, our legendary DAFaid roadside assistance service provides the leading average roadside assistance time in the industry. ● ● ★ ◆ ▲

Sales, Parts & Service Dealers Parts & Service Dealers Additional Service – Coach & Bus Additional Service – Petroleum Regulations Additional Service – Authorised Testing Facility

SUMMER 2019 DAF DRIVER

49

AFTER TREATMENT SOLUTIONS NOx SENSORS

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T RISK FITTING NON GENUINE FITTING NON-GENUINE PARTS? Increased fuel consumption may be experienced AdBlue usage may increase Higher operating/ service costs may apply

A lower service interval on the DPF is possible due to impacted calibration Higher risk of vehicle breakdowns

Recent emission regulations have significantly reduced the amount of particles and NOx vehicles can emit, and manufacturers have combined multiple technologies surrounding the engine to achieve the lower emission levels.

Sensors and actuators ensure that an engine meets the stringent emission regulations in all modes including Start, Stop, and Regeneration. All these parts interact and influence each FIT other. Their accuracy and GENUINE tolerances are tailored to NOX SENSORS each other and are brought TO YOUR together in the calibration DAF of the engine and aftertreatment system.

These systems are thoroughly tested in all conditions to ensure that all DAF vehicles meet the emission regulations, which is increasingly important as more and more towns and cities introduce emission free zones. If these systems are not calibrated correctly, this may impact on fuel economy, AdBlue usage and DPF service intervals negatively, with potential breakdowns increasing operating and service costs.

If a truck doesn’t meet the emission limits and is found to have been tampered with or wasn’t maintained, then an owner can be fined/ prosecuted with an environmental and/or economic act.

DAF DIESEL PARTICLE FILTER KIT

DAF DPF KIT

AFTER MARKET CLEANING EXAMPLE

AIR-FLOW CHECK

✔

✔

COMPARISON AFTER CLEANING

VISUAL CHECK

✔

✔

NEW

CATALYTIC TEST

✔

✖

PARTICLE MATTER CHECK

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✖

WARRANTY

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✖

SERVICE INTERVAL GUARANTEED

✔

?

GASKET KIT INCLUDED

✔

✖

ENSURE MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE FROM YOUR DAF We use a unique DPF cleaning technology to provide outstanding cleaning performance, delivering significant benefits in terms of fuel consumption and ensuring the correct intervals between cleaning.

In addition, we use a range of inspection technologies to investigate the condition of the DPF after cleaning.

USED/ BLOCKED AFTER MARKET EXAMPLE DAF DPF

DELIVERS 96%+ PERFORMANCE COMPARED TO NEW AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL DAF DEALER NOW, FIND US ON WWW.DAFDEALERNETWORK.CO.UK

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DAF DRIVER SUMMER 2019

A PACCAR COMPANY DRIVEN BY QUALITY

NO ONE BEATS DAF GENUINE BODY PANELS LOOKING BETTER FOR LONGER

DOORS

✓ Durable material

• DAF Genuine doors, perfect fit • Built for heavy duty usage • Designed and built as an integral part of the cab’s strength

✓ Better paint adhesion

GRILLE

✓ Easier replacement

• Designed for optimum engine airflow cooling • Composite material protects critical engine cooling parts • Grille and upper grille plate available

✓ Better vehicle residual value

STEPS • Designed and tested to specific standards • Driver safety when entering or disembarking from the cab • Approved material for added strength • Fit first time

IT PAYS TO STAY GENUINE

Only DAF design and engineer Genuine body parts fitted to each DAF model, providing a perfect fit and finish first time, every time.

This minimises fitting time for shorter downtime and lower labour costs.

Each panel is prepared with a durable paint finish for high resistance to stone chips meaning your fleet

looks smarter for longer, and the residual value of your trucks is better protected.

The replacement genuine DAF body panels are the same parts as fitted to a new DAF truck in the

factory. Made from the same quality materials and to the same specification.

This is your guarantee that all genuine replacement parts are fit for purpose and will deliver the same strength and long-lasting service you’d expect from original parts.

Whilst other supplier panels may look the part, you

can’t be sure they’ll fit your DAF as easily or perfectly as DAF Genuine. After all, only Genuine parts have been designed by DAF for this specific purpose.

With Genuine parts, there’s no need to modify or drill panels to fit, resulting in shorter repair times, lower repair costs and less time off the road.

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DAF DEALER FOR A COMPETITIVE PRICE ON DAF GENUINE BODY PANELS

SUMMER 2019 DAF DRIVER

A PACCAR COMPANY DRIVEN BY QUALITY

51

COMPETITION In association with

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE Your chance to win fantastic prizes every issue

HOW TO WIN: DAF Trucks has supplied a real leather wallet, embossed with the heritage DAF logo in a branded presentation box.

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 19th July 2019

FULL NAME ADDRESS

POST CODE TELEPHONE EMAIL Terms & Conditions: Not suitable for children under 14 years of age. 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 winnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name and county will be displayed in the next issue of DAF Driver Magazine.

Winner from last issue: Mr. S Cantwell, Norfolk - Winnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s details to appear in the Autumn issue of DAF Driver Magazine 52

DAF DRIVER SUMMER 2019

MEET THE TRAINERS

IAN JOYCE 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 better. In this edition we talk to Ian Joyce, the DAF Dealer Driver Trainer, for the Ford & Slater group of dealers.

Q When did you first join Ford & Slater and what was your first job there?

A I joined the Ford & Slater Group in 1985 as a Parts Salesman, a position I thoroughly enjoyed. This job was an excellent introduction to some of our many and varied customers.

Q What did you want to be when you were at school?

A I always knew that I would work somewhere in the transport industry. Most of my family have been involved with commercial vehicles in one form or another. My dad had his own haulage business for many years before joining Cummins Engines and I also had other relations in the road transport industry. I have been around trucks for as long as I can remember.

Q When did you take your HGV licence?

A I passed my Class 1 (C+E) in the summer of 1989.

Q What do you enjoy most about your role?

A Being a Dealer Driver Trainer gives me the opportunity to meet a variety of people, from managers and driver trainers of large corporate companies, to the owners of family haulage businesses. We all have one common goal and that is getting the best out of the trucks.

The training I have received from the DAF Academy has been first class, providing me with the expert knowledge required, to help our customers achieve maximum performance and economy from their DAF trucks. This, in turn, enables the drivers to get a much better driving experience.

Q Do you have a top tip for a driver getting his new DAF? A My advice would be to take advantage of DAF’s free Dealer Driver Training Voucher Scheme. This voucher will entitle them to a professional vehicle handover, including on-road familiarization, delivered by a certified DAF Dealer Driver Trainer – an invaluable experience that is available nationwide.

Q What car do you currently drive and if money was no object what would you have?

A I currently drive a Hyundai Tucson – an excellent

SUV. If money was no object it would have to be an Aston Martin Vanquish!

Q What other responsibilities do you have at Ford & Slater?

A My main responsibilities are Handover Specialist and Driver Trainer. Ford & Slater now has eleven sites throughout the Midlands, Lincolnshire and East Anglia. Combined with our fleet sales activity this keeps me very busy indeed.

Q If you weren’t doing this, what would your ideal job be?

A Believe it or not I’m already in my ideal job!

Working for one of the largest DAF Dealer Groups in the UK is very enjoyable and rewarding. DAF being the UK market leader is the icing on the cake.

I am very fortunate to work with my colleagues at both Ford & Slater and DAF Trucks. They are some of the best in the industry.

If I was to do anything else it would probably be to run my own HGV Driver Training School – with a fleet of DAF trucks of course!

Ian is married to wife Carole, has a son (Stephen) and a daughter (Helen). Stephen is now working at Transport for London after attending Leicester University and Helen is currently studying for an Open University degree.

Any spare time is spent travelling in the UK. However, this year is a little different with Ian’s first ever trip to America. With a little help from colleagues at DAF Trucks and PACCAR, this will include a factory tour of the Kenworth production plant in Renton near Seattle.

SUMMER 2019 DAF DRIVER

53

TRAINER’S NOTES

WOWCHER! IT’S THE DAF TRAINING VOUCHER! DAF Driver Training Manager, Mandy Wannerton, explains the company’s latest scheme to help improve driving standards entitled to professional driver training that lasts around 2.5 hours in total. The session includes in-cab and vehicle walk-round familiarisation followed by either, a demonstration drive and/or on-road coaching.

The voucher scheme is not about teaching people how to drive, nor is it about telling someone how to do their job. It’s about giving them the information they need to help them stay legal, safe and most importantly, ensuring an easy and economical time behind the wheel.

Whether a part of the voucher training session or not, if you have a question about your DAF and are not sure who to ask, pop into your local DAF sales dealership and have a chat with their driver trainer. These guys are keen to help and have a wealth of knowledge that you can tap into.

Enjoy your DAF, stay safe till next time.

Mandy x

Above: The new voucher scheme aims to help drivers improve their efficiency and safety behind the wheel Right: The driver training provided lasts around 2.5 hours and covers both the inside and outside of the vehicle

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DAF DRIVER SUMMER 2019

D

AF has long supported national and international fleet customers with training and train-the-trainer support from its academy based at DAF’s HQ in Haddenham. One of the goals of the DAF driver training academy for 2019, is to ensure that training is readily available and easily accessible to all DAF customers, here in the UK. As regular readers of this magazine will know, DAF also has 25 dedicated DAF Dealer Driver Trainers located throughout the DAF dealer network and these guys are an integral part of spreading the DAF word.

We all know that ‘trucknology’ is moving incredibly quickly, but sadly drivers often miss out on the benefits of new features and technology, through lack of information. So, to help redress this imbalance, DAF has launched the DAF Driver Training Voucher Scheme. What it means is that DAF CF and XF vehicles ordered from February this year, are eligible for a voucher that can be exchanged for a training session with one of our Dealer Driver Trainers. Upon acquiring their new CF or XF, all retail customers’ drivers will be

DELO®…DURABILITY

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PACCAR Financial Tailored financial solutions As DAF’s in-house finance provider, PACCAR Financial has over 50 years’ experience offering financial services specifically for the transport sector. Naturally for the financing of your trucks, but also for complete combinations.

With various financing possibilities, including repair & maintenance contracts. PACCAR Financial always offers a solution tailored to your individual requirements.

A PACCAR COMPANY DRIVEN BY QUALITY