“With the DAF, we are getting a premium truck at costs that make sense to us”
In August this year Knights of Old took delivery of the first DAF tractors to be added to their fleet. The 10 XF 530 FTG tractors join a fleet of 250 trucks and 400 trailers and are part of a significant business investment by the operator.
Scott Mason, Group Fleet Manager at Knights of Old, says, “Alongside this investment, we have been looking at managing operating costs, and the arrival of the New XF 6X2s is an example of that. Prices have been increasing steadily on everything from tyres to fuel, and truck prices have been no exception. With the DAF, we are getting a premium truck at costs that make sense to us. There has been a lot of talk around the industry about enhanced fuel consumption from the latest DAF models,” he says, “and we are already seeing fuel economies. We are getting well over 9mpg, and close to 11mpg, across the DAFs over a tough operating week. These are brand-new trucks, so the likelihood is that this will improve further as they settle in.”
When it comes to driver development, Knight Of Old are an industry front runner. The operator has apprenticeships, recruitment, and driver training operations under its Merlin Supply Chain Solutions business and driver acceptance of the DAF XFs was one of the major reasons quoted by Scott Mason for taking the 10 new vehicles. “We value our drivers highly and want to do everything sensible that we can to ensure they are happy in their work. They are enjoying both the space and comfort of the DAF big cab and the performance from the Paccar MX13 engine and TraXon gearbox. We’d heard good reports about the combination of this engine and gearbox long before we made our decision, and to date, we have only heard driver praise.”
The investment in the new DAF XFs is mirrored across the whole company with telematics packages running that allows Knights Of Old to monitor vehicle position and performance as well as driver behaviour. “The data we collect is turned into weekly league tables across our operating branches around the country, so that all drivers can see how they are performing as individuals and as operating centres,” said Scott Mason. If anyone is experiencing performance issues, their training academy steps in to help resolve any issues.
The DAF CF & XF range has won multiple awards this year, with both being voted International Truck of the Year.
DAF’s driver comfort, award winning design and excellent fuel economy backed by the Repair & Maintenance contracts at Watts Truck & Van Ltd Swansea, Cardiff and Newport has resulted in the XF Super Space Tractor being the most popular truck in the South Wales heavy truck market for the third consecutive year.
The team at Watts Truck & Van were also named Top Performing Sales and Aftersales Dealer of the Year at the DAF UK Annual awards in Manchester earlier this year. Operating from three parts distribution centres and running its own dedicated delivery vehicle fleet, Watts Truck & Van Ltd have fully qualified staff who are trained to the highest standards. But it’s not just vehicles they supply – Watts Truck & Van Ltd can provide everything an operator needs to run their business.
For more information about the award-winning DAF truck range, please get in touch with our Truck Sales Team.
Swansea – Gareth Rees 07967 589105
Cardiff – Ben Adams 07966 007362
Newport – Kristian Seddon 07810 157060
