Cotswoldcrunch:
I think you should run a mixed fleet to compare costs and customer service.
Agree with this. Personally I’d run a mix of models and specs, can only know your using the best for the job if you’ve spent good time with them all
Cotswoldcrunch:
We’re loyal to Daf, CF rigids and one XF artic. We’ve contract hired Volvo FMs which a few of us felt were better but management seemed to just order “more of the same.”
I think you should run a mixed fleet to compare costs and customer service.
Fuel efficiency etc etc with some Companies is the next thing they bother about after the initial cost of buying a motor, DAF just about says it all.
No badge loyalty here, just whatever the best deal Is for your money, for example we usually run both Scania and MANs but last year got six Iveco Stralis for bulk tipper work, apparently for the price of those six they would’ve only got four MAN TGXs in the same spec.
Turns out their a load of rubbish so we’re going back to MANs 
seth 70:
If it wasnt for the irish lads scania would have gone the same place as saab,the 4 series cab old fashion now with the rest of the big players,they brought the limited editions out like the golden griffin ,i wonder if thats to get shut of old cabs,they are dropping behind volvo and merc
I saw a newish Scania parked in between a new shape Merc and new FH, yesterday. I couldn’t help thinking how dated the Scania looked. They were all on East European plates, but I think that’s for another thread 
Scania have never done it for me
I’d buy what’s best for the job.
I do like the look of the MAN’s so if it’s close then I’d choose MAN
Iveco is pretty good mpg though
We only run 4-8 wheelers so no big cabs for us (maybe one day though)
We have almost every dealer within 10 miles
Putting my tipper drivers’ hat back on, I’d go for Daf if you needed a combination of payload and costs. Purely on cost, Hino if they’ve still got pre registered Euro 5s around. MAN and Volvo are probably still the best muckshifters (apparently the crap auto 'box on MANs has been improved since my experience with an 11 plate one). Scania I think are just an expensive badge to wallow in the mud.
Part of me would still hark after a late Foden Alpha, rebuilt and rebodied though. 
We got 2 Scania’s, 4 MAN’s and the rest are split between Daf & Volvo.
We had 15 cf units on hire one christmas,everyone was coming up adblue fault at least once a week,it was just a case of plugging a pc in and clearing the fault,the daf man said it was very common on them all and they were having a recall,they were 58 plates ,has this been sorted does anybody know
seth 70:
We had 15 cf units on hire one christmas,everyone was coming up adblue fault at least once a week,it was just a case of plugging a pc in and clearing the fault,the daf man said it was very common on them all and they were having a recall,they were 58 plates ,has this been sorted does anybody know
Yep Bosch came out with a new dosing valve ,and surprisingly it was successful…But no doubt Euro 6 will bring new issues for all manufacturers
We’ve got 2x14 plate CFs and one has had no trouble and the other has adblue faults about twice a month. It did start after some crappy adblue from a filling station (in tubs) was put in though.
norb:
seth 70:
We had 15 cf units on hire one christmas,everyone was coming up adblue fault at least once a week,it was just a case of plugging a pc in and clearing the fault,the daf man said it was very common on them all and they were having a recall,they were 58 plates ,has this been sorted does anybody knowYep Bosch came out with a new dosing valve ,and surprisingly it was successful…But no doubt Euro 6 will bring new issues for all manufacturers
Have they done finally fitted electric drivers window and mirrors aswell 
We got 12 CFs at the beginning of the year and I don’t think any have had adblue faults or warnings yet.
Yep ,have so for a few years ,both mirrors on O/S & N/S…though I dare say there will be a fleet spec which won’t have them ,but i’m not sure on the last bit…I know Morrisons have Euro 6 CFs with just the basic key ,no central locking or light check feature ,but they have lane departure warning
These were 58 plates m8,we had some from ryder and some from hillhire[same firm now]the hillhire units had everything on them,the ryder ones had the tippex out on the extras list,no sun visor ,no electrics,no aircon and a fuel tank the same size as a coke can,the hillhire would have made nice lorrys second hand the ryder will be still sat in a field waiting for export,they were crap 
norb:
Yep ,have so for a few years ,both mirrors on O/S & N/S…though I dare say there will be a fleet spec which won’t have them ,but i’m not sure on the last bit…I know Morrisons have Euro 6 CFs with just the basic key ,no central locking or light check feature ,but they have lane departure warning
They are day cabs though,i bet they cant get shut when its time .
Manufactrers cn only supply what customer specs …Doubt if the manufacturer is that bothered ,it’s sales for them in the long run…id need to have another look but I think this morrisons may have been a sleeper ,I never took any notice when I was in it 
…though you are correct I that they are 99% day cabs
I like the new xf,it looks bang on in some paint jobs,is the new cf taking off norb
The paint job on the demos is smart,it’s a meallic…All in they aren’t selling too bad ,dare say the magazines that publish the figure will give a true figure…On the road I actually struggle to tell he difference between the XF & CF because the front of them are so similar…
I think the majority of CF tractors will have the new MX11 twin overhead cam engine …I just wish they hadn’t dropped the numbers ie 85 etc…Though I reckon people will still use the figures out of habit
Though not100% identical the MX 13 has been used in the states for a good while so hopefully the engine should be pretty reliable,but time will tell
When I started at our place, we were 100% MAN. Then after the boss picked up a 7.5 DAF on hire, we ended up buying about a dozen of them.
Iveco offered us a demo, brand spanking new. He picked that up, and on the basis of that, he ordered half a dozen. It’s all well and good driving a brand new motor totally empty. He then got us a couple of rigids (autos) on long term hire. They are useless, gutless when even half full, rattly, low rent pieces of crap, not quality products at all. Gradually shaking themselves to pieces. The 63 plate 18 tonner takes about 5 attempts to slam the drivers door shut. He’ll only learn when he has to start maintaining them. We’d all much rather be on MANs.
I’m bloody well looking after my DAF, certainly don’t want an Iveco full time.
He hands a demo over to a driver, and in the rare event that he asks them what they think about them, he totally plays down any negative comments (probably as he’s already written the cheque)
At least he didn’t replace the 7.5 fleet with Isuzu’s. The 7.5 lads said they’d all go back on Renault vans if they were going to be stuck on overgrown Sooty vans.
Freight Dog:
I agree with the scania sentiment. They’ve had their day wearing top crown through pure reputation. Trucks are only big cars. Would you buy the same car all your life? If you started to get frustrated by maintenance costs or poor dealer handling/fuel burn its time to explore new avenues. For example, not to live in but the best truck to work and drive I found was the Renault premium. The daf had an unforgivable bad turning circle and crap distorted mirrors. The merc had loads of room but was awful to drive.
■■■■ right… lot of snobbery in truck marques…
The Renault is a decent beast. All trucks are ■■■■■■ but this one is pretty good considering it’s miles cheaper than the rest…
As for living in it…? WTF would I do that for??