The Bristol-based operator runs a mixed fleet of 30 trucks spanning four marques, all of which have been good, according to Darren Saville, a director of the family-owned business.
“We have now dropped one manufacturer and refreshed the line-up with these new DAFs,” he says.
“Right now, the feeling is that we will try to rationalise further and finish the year with just two marques in the fleet,” he continues.
“That will happen as we work through a rolling replacement programme based on either contract hire term ends, or a five-year life cycle on our wholly owned vehicles.”
Supplied through Imperial Commercials Western Region, the new XFs are on three-year contract hire packages through Paccar Financial, with the CF rigid being acquired under a two-year R&M deal on outright purchase.
Saville says he was tempted to look again at DAF trucks following an abortive negotiation to take over the management of transport operations for an own-account operator running an all-DAF fleet.
“While we were not able to reach a positive conclusion on that opportunity, the good thing that came out of it was our exposure to today’s DAF range and the meetings it required us to have with Imperial Commercials,” states Saville.
“They have been on top of every little detail for us since we expressed an interest in DAF in our own right, and came up with solutions to our used asset disposal that allowed us to focus on the new trucks we needed,” he adds.
Savilles Freights is monitoring fuel on the new DAFs through its own telematics system, as well as receiving weekly reports direct from DAF.
“It’s reassuring to see the two systems tally with fuel reports,” cmments Saville. “These new trucks are already matching other Euro 6 vehicles in the fleet and have yet to get properly bedded in.”