DAF comes out on top
Comparative truck test puts DAF ahead of the rest
DAF has emerged as the most cost effective vehicle in the country in the 6X4 truck tractor category, following a gruelling round trip test route of roughly 860 km in which the vehicle was put through its paces against eight other leading truck brands in tightly controlled conditions.
Babcock, sole importer and distributor of DAF trucks in the southern African market, entered its DAF XF105.460 FTT interlink in Truck Test 2015, organised by Focus on Trucking magazine, to demonstrate the brand’s performance in the 30 to 35 ton payload segment.
“We were very keen to demonstrate our truck’s performance to the local market in this controlled environment, where measurements were monitored and recorded by independent observers,” says Dave Black, MD of Babcock’s Transport Solutions business. “The outcome proves that DAF is an industry leading vehicle that effectively delivers a productive operation across all the key factors transporters take into account when buying new vehicles.”
All the participants’ vehicles had identical trailers and gross combination mass. Each vehicle’s fuel tank was fitted with a sight glass for accurate measurement and speed was closely monitored. AfriSam supplied pallets of cement to each vehicle as a uniform payload and each combination was meticulously weighed on the AfriSam weighbridge to ensure each truck had a 55,500 gross combination mass. The route took participants from the Super Park Distribution Centre in Isando to the Komatipoort Golf Club in Komatipoort and back, where they encountered challenging topography, including particularly sharp gradients over a short distance.
The results of the test revealed that DAF had the best fuel consumption, average speed and overall productivity (calculated as Payload x Average Speed/Fuel). "DAF has been recognised as one of the top performing truck tractors in Europe for several years now. Transporters no longer have to take our word for it - the Truck Test 2015 results prove that the DAF XF is the most profitable truck in its category on South African roads" - Dave Black
View the Truck Test results here.