How can a truck launched when Margaret Thatcher was still in power scoop the MT Fleet Truck of the Year award yet again? Because it thoroughly deserves to, that’s how!
Throughout the history of the Motor Transport Awards, DAF has won the coveted Fleet Truck of the Year award more than any other manufacturer. But how does it do it? After all, despite a major overhaul a couple of years ago, the XF is no spring chicken. In fact, when its cab first saw the light of day, Margaret Thatcher was prime minister. However, if you read some of our expert judges’ comments, suddenly things become much clearer.
Imagine a truck with an equally high level of driver and operator appeal. Well, according to our panel, that’s exactly what DAF’s XF offers in abundance.
“I can’t think of another truck that scores so highly from a driver acceptance point of view, yet ticks all of my boxes too,” claimed one fleet operator when putting his case forward for the XF. “They’re comfortable and spacious, and the drivers love them,” added another. “In fact, so do I, because together with Volvo and Mercedes-Benz, DAF is head and shoulders above all of the others on purchase price.”
We know exactly where these judges are coming from. After all, we frequently hear that the XF represents great value for money, and there’s no denying that the roomy cab is incredibly well specced and comfortable.
But to be crowned Fleet Truck of the Year, a candidate needs something more than just a competitive purchase price and enough creature comforts to keep drivers happy during a week away from home – it needs to be reliable too. “We clock up high mileages and rarely encounter any issues,” declared one judge, while another praised roadside assistance service DAFAid. Widely considered to be an industry leader, last year DAFAid dealt with 100,000 call-outs, including to other marques and trailers. Operators waited for an average of 46 minutes from call registered to arrival, and 80% of all jobs were carried out at the roadside.
DAF’s dealer network was described as “brilliant” too. The manufacturer has 136 locations, including 58 ATF points and 13 sites offering pet-reg/ADR service and maintenance. Collecting the trophy, DAF Trucks UK MD Robin Easton paid tribute to the network. “It is not as much about the truck as the dealers that support us, our customers and those products. They really are an integral part of our success,” he said.
Could you actually ask for more from a fleet truck?
“We find that the latest ones are great on fuel,” was another comment, presumably relating to the numerous improvements in fuel economy introduced in 2017 with the introduction of the new generation trucks. In fact, DAF claims that a host of fuel-saving enhancements have made the latest XF 7% more efficient than its predecessor.
“The gearbox is better now too,” stated another. And we can’t argue with that one either. The latest ZF TraXon isn’t only quicker, but it’s more precise too, and represents a vast leap in quality over the AS-Tronic it replaces.
Surely that’s it, or does the XF have any more strings to its bow?
“The icing on the cake is that it’s built in Britain, and that counts for a lot in my book,” reckoned another proud DAF buyer. And he’s right too, as these days most right-hand-drive XFs are indeed assembled in Leyland, making it and its CF sibling the closest things we have to British-built fleet trucks.
So, to summarise all the evidence, this is a British truck that’s reliable, competitively priced, spacious, great to drive, fuel efficient, loved by drivers and operators alike, and backed up by an unrivalled dealer network. All of a sudden, it’s crystal-clear why the DAF XF is the worthy winner of the Motor Transport Fleet Truck of the Year award.
Turners (Soham) counts on the XF
Turners (Soham) is the UK’s largest privately owned logistics company and has recently taken delivery of its 800th lightweight 6x2 XF tractor. The East of England business specialises in temperature controlled, tankers and container distribution as well as warehousing, and is the world’s largest operator of the FTP 6x2 mid-lift XF tractor unit. The 800th vehicle was delivered by DAF dealer Chassis Cab and joins Turners’ fleet of over 1,800 trucks.
Turners’ group fleet engineer Tim King (pictured, third right) said: “Our continuous investment in DAF products shows our allegiance to the brand and our commitment to keep our fleet in premium condition. The 450hp FTP tractor is a top performer; probably the best lightweight truck ever. They are the optimal truck for weight-sensitive work and we are proud to be one of the top buyers worldwide.”
Scott Cocks, regional sales manager at DAF Trucks (second right), said: “Turners’ growth over the years has been exceptional and DAF Trucks is delighted to play such a key role in the company’s development.
“It was less than 11 months ago that Turners took delivery of their 700th FTP, which means they are well on their way to the 1,000 mark.”