Thirty years ago, the operator had a predominantly DAF fleet, including one of the first DAF 3300 trucks which it used on operations in the Middle East.
These days, the South Wales haulier has a two-marque fleet, but has returned to DAF for its latest acquisition.
“We have a policy of continuous review of all the quality tractor manufacturers, to make sure we have the best equipment for our work,” says Terry Hicks, director. “So when we looked closely at this latest DAF we were more than happy to consider it,” he said.
Supplied by dealer Watts Truck & Van, the XF 510 was funded through Paccar Financial and is on a DAF MultiSupport two-year R&M package.
Hicks says the DAF appears to be “very good value for money”, adding: “This is our first new DAF for many years and though it’s still early days, of course, it is running well.
“Our tractor fleet can go out quite light and come back at maximum weight, or vice versa, so while fuel is very important to us, we are not able to monitor it as closely as operators with routine loads and regular routes. That’s why we use careful vehicle comparisons as part of the monitoring process: the DAF is already averaging very well against the other two marques on the fleet,” he says.