The Stoke-on-Trent company, which specialises in providing haulage services to the building products industry, is renowned for the high quality and appearance of its vehicles and the new DAF sets an even higher standard.

Its driver, Andrew Owen, has been rewarded for the care that he always takes of his trucks by being put at the wheel of the 105 and he is said to “absolutely love it!”. He’ll cover over 100,000 kilometres a year in it carrying bricks, blocks and architectural stone to building sites from manufacturers throughout the UK.

When on the road and during the three nights that Andrew will spend each week sleeping in the cab, he can be sure of a comfortable working and living environment. The Super Space cab offers him a large amount of space with enough internal height for him to stand up easily and plenty of storage space for his personal gear.

To standard features like air conditioning and automatic temperature control the company has added a fridge, microwave, six-speaker radio/CD player, and a flat screen TV. Carpets and curtains have been specially made which, together with the wood effect dashboard, complete the luxurious feel of the cab interior.

Externally the DAF has a number of eye-catching features, not least an array of additional lights and an illuminated name panel by Kelsa. The top mounted roof bar has no fewer than six spots, with a further four in the grille bar. These are supplemented by skylights fared into the roofline, fog lights inset into the bumper, and a ‘low’ bar underneath the bumper. With side lights, the truck sports an amazing 84 LED lights. Completing the stylish appearance are Alcoa Dura-bright alloy wheels on both the tractor and its tri-axle Montracon dropside trailer.

Out on the road the mid-lift axle FTG XF105 has plenty of power with the 12.9-litre MX engine delivering a mighty 510hp at 1,500-1,900rpm; with a power-to-weight ratio of close-on 12hp per tonne. With 2,500Nm it has also got plenty of torque to get the truck moving in all road and load conditions. And to reduce stress and fatigue during long driving days, it has the AS-tronic 12-speed automated transmission with an engine and exhaust brake also adding to safety and reduced wear on the service brakes.

“I think that it’s always better to be on top of the job in terms of power,” says managing director Barry Proctor, who started his business 26 years ago. “It means less stress on the engine and less on the driver, and it allows good average speeds to be maintained, which results in better journey times and improved fuel efficiency.

“We run a number of DAFs and have always enjoyed excellent service both from the manufacturer and the supplying dealer, Imperial Commercials. Their salesman, Barry Mountford, is very keen to ensure that our needs are met precisely and on time. And with this truck I was also impressed by the factory paint finish, which is of a very high standard.”

Other contributors to the comprehensive specification of the truck include WEP of Wisbech, who fitted the full width catwalk and sideskirts and painted them to match the factory paint finish, and Andy Scott of Sheffield, who was responsible for the airbrush work.

Transport manager Peter Conway says that faced with rising fuel costs the company wanted to move from powering the blowers and tipping gear on their Feldbinder bulk powder tankers from a gearbox-mounted PTO to using a ‘self contained’ system.

This involved modification of the tanker trailers by W G Tanker Services to enable them to use a donkey engine to do the blowing and tipping work. As this could run on red diesel this would result in significant cost savings. The system also came with a noise reduction pack enabling the engines to run at around 80dB, which ensures almost silent discharge. However, because the added weight would reduce payload, the company needed to find a way to compensate for that.

The answer lay in choosing the DAF FTP mid-lift axle model, which uses smaller 17.5 inch wheels on the lift axle rather than the standard 22.5 inch wheels normally found on this type of 6 x 2 tractor. This saves around half of tonne of weight, which along with an alloy tank and alloy wheels on both the tractor and the 42 cubic metre tri-axle trailers, helps to compensate for the additional weight of the donkey engine and brings the trucks back close to their required payload.

With drivers spending up to four nights sleeping in their trucks, Arclid also decided that DAF’s Super Space cab would offer some extra comfort. This has the largest amount of space of any tractor unit on the market with ample headroom to allow even the tallest person to stand up comfortably. The generously proportioned bunk ensures a comfortable night’s sleep and there are numerous pockets and storage spaces for a driver’s personal gear.

The DAFs came factory-fitted with a full-width sun visor, four spotlights inset into the bumper and stylish ‘skylights’ set into the corners of the roof. These lights are supplemented by a Kelsa anodised aluminium lighting bar carrying a quartet of powerful Hella Rallye 3000 spotlights along with a pair of hazard beacons. Set against the distinctive magenta and white Arclid livery, these additions result in trucks that are real head-turners and which present a powerful image to customers.

Power for the 105s is from the 12.9 litre MX engine rated at 460 bhp (340 kW). At this power rating this Euro 5 compliant engine delivers an impressive 2300 Nm of torque at between 1000 and 1410 rpm, enabling smooth move offs in all road or load conditions. The engine is matched to a 16-speed ZF16S2520 gearbox.

With the trucks covering around 110,000 kilometres on work throughout the UK and with no idling time required to power the discharge equipment, Arclid are looking to see a reduction in their fuel bills from an engine renowned for its fuel efficiency. As the company now holds an international operating licence, they are also planning to use them in mainland Europe when work arises.

Peter Conway says that the highly professional support from the supplying dealer Imperial Commercials of Stoke made the acquisition of the trucks very straightforward.

“From the point at which we agreed the specification and price and placed the order we hardly heard from them again until the trucks were in their yard ready for handover,” he says.

“We were also very happy with the standard of finish achieved by the Leyland assembly plant and look forward to good service from the trucks during the six years we will keep them.”

Arclid has also ordered a DAF CF85 eight-wheeler with rear steer axle for delivery early in 2010. This 4.6 metre wheelbase model is the shortest available and this, together with the rear-steer capability, will enable it to be used on deliveries where access is restricted.

The 105 is being operated on contract to logistics company Gist supporting their distribution operation with Marks & Spencer. It’s running mainly with a high cube trailer carrying chilled products between manufacturing locations and Regional Distribution Centres.

The DAF’s regular run is between Carlisle, Croydon and Cumbernauld with a drop at Hemel Hempstead on the down leg. This requires double-shifting on one of the legs and as a result it will clock up around 250,000 kilometres a year during each of the three years that Weir Transport will keep the truck.

As well as all the safety features, the 105 is highly specced. At 510 horsepower from the the 12.9 litre MX engine there’s ample power to overcome the wind resistance inherent in pulling a high cube trailer. This is matched to an AS-tronic automated gearbox, which helps make the driver’s job considerably easier leaving him to focus on the road ahead without thinking about gear shifts and which should contribute to good fuel economy.

It has a Super Space cab offering luxurious conditions for the drivers both when at the wheel and during rest periods. As standard, this includes air conditioning, a top range radio/CD player, an air-suspended driver’s seat with three-point seat belt, and electrically operated windows and door locks.

Nigel Weir, who set up John Weir Transport Limited in 2000 and has built into a ten vehicle operation, says: “With the pressures on drivers these days it’s important to equip them with everything you can to make their job less stressful. That not only helps to make them safer drivers but it ensures that the truck is being driven to its optimum level of performance at all times.

“I’m very impressed with all of these safety features and with the overall performance of the truck. It looks great too, which is important for the image I want to present to my customers. I’m also confident that the truck will deliver good fuel figures based on my experience with other DAFs in the fleet.”

The XF105 was supplied by Carlisle dealer Solway DAF, who will carry out routine inspections and servicing overnight and at weekends to fit with the truck’s work schedule.

The truck has also got the personal plate Y500 DAF that has adorned Bert’s previous two XF95s. They were rated at 480 and 530 bhp respectively, but now he’s opted for a more modest 460, which still packs a powerful punch with a torque level of 2300 Nm and which he expects to deliver the same good fuel efficiency.

Bert hasn’t skimped on luxury either, choosing the very roomy Space cab, even though he makes it home every night. In there he’s got a stylish wood-effect dashboard, a fridge, and a top-of-the-range radio/cd player with a six speaker sound system. There’s also plenty of storage space for his personal gear, including any personal protective clothing he may need when in quarries or on sites.

Externally the truck looks stunning in the company’s red, black and white livery, designed and applied by local firm H M Graphics of Bo’ness. A full-width sun visor, four roof-mounted spotlamps and a stainless-steel lighting bar in front of the radiator in which another four spots are housed, all add to the impressive appearance. On the roof there’s a pair of hazard beacons which confirm that this is definitely a working truck!

As well as the luxury items, the new DAF has a couple of features to help make it more productive. Although it normally operates with a Wilcox bulk tipping trailer, Bert needs the flexibility to occasionally hitch something else behind and running with different trailers is made easier by the Fontaine sliding fifth wheel.

The fuel tank is interesting too. It combines both a diesel tank and a compartment for hydraulic oil for the trailer tipping gear, which is driven off a gearbox mounted PTO. There’s room for 330 litres of diesel and around 200 litres of oil.

The new DAF is an FTG mid-lift axle 6×2 model powered by the 12.9 litre MX engine. As well as delivering a plentiful 460 bhp (340 kW), there’s an ample 2300 Nm of torque between 1000 and 1410 rpm to help Bert get the trucking moving in even the most slippery of conditions. ASR Traction control is a standard feature of the 105 and if further help is needed, there’s a mechanical diff lock to engage.

The engine meets the Euro 5 emissions standard through the use of SCR technology. It is matched to a 16-speed 16S2020 manual gearbox.

Bert Hunter expects to keep his new DAF for four years during which time it will clock up almost half a million kilometres. He’ll then be looking for a good residual value for a ‘one owner’ truck that will have been lovingly cared for, just as he did with his previous two DAFs.

Lothian DAF of Loanhead, Edinburgh, prepared and supplied the truck