The first Euro 6 compliant DAF featuring the new MX-11 engine to enter service in Scotland has just gone on the road with Pollock (Scotrans) Limited.
The Bathgate based company is using the new XF on a contract with axle manufacturer Albion that involves a daily run from its Scotstoun production site in Glasgow to the Leyland Trucks plant in Lancashire. With each round trip being about 650 kilometres the truck is expected to cover 170,000 kilometres a year.
Mark Jackson, UK Operations Manager for Pollock, says: “Leyland Trucks require Albion to supply axles on a ‘Just In Time’ basis and that puts the onus on us to provide a dependable daily service that ensures on-time delivery and avoids any hiccups in the Leyland production schedule. This new truck, which will run with an Albion liveried tri-axle curtainside trailer, is central to providing the high level of service that our customer expects.
“Because this is a regular daily run on a fixed route we will be able to more easily evaluate the performance of the truck in terms of fuel, Adblue consumption, and overall performance, which will help inform our future purchasing and vehicle specification decisions. As well as looking to make operational savings, we will also be weighing up how the additional capital cost that Euro 6 involves measures against the environmental benefits that it delivers.
“As a company we are committed to being environmentally responsible and minimising our carbon footprint. That’s why we’ve signed up to the Eco Stars fleet recognition scheme supported by local authorities around the UK, in our case Edinburgh City Council,” he explains. “This looks at how ‘clean’ a fleet is and promotes best practice in key areas such as fuel management, driver skill levels, and fleet performance monitoring.
“We already hold the top five star rating under the scheme and the move to Euro 6 emissions compliance is going to be an important part of both maintaining and improving on our environmental performance. This scheme not only looks at the fuel efficiency and emissions levels of our large fleet, but also the way in which we conduct our business within the local community, which we have been part of for almost 80 years.
The new DAF is a 6x2 FTG XF440 model plated at 44 tonnes and powered by the 10.8 litre PACCAR MX-11 engine, which went into production in the Autumn of 2013. Pollock have opted for the highest of the five available power ratings for this engine at 320 kW (440 bhp). At this rating the torque output is a massive 2,100 Nm, which it delivers across a flexible engine speed range of between 1,000 and 1,450 rpm, which will enable the truck to move off easily in all load or road surface conditions.
The MX-11 engine achieves Euro 6 compliance through a combination of the use of SCR and an advanced version of the EGR exhaust gas after-treatment system, along with the use of an active soot filter (DPF). This ensures compliance with the E6 emissions requirements without compromising overall performance and fuel efficiency. Noise levels are reduced too, which will help Pollock meet its Eco Star objectives, and Adblue usage is expected to be much lower than the Euro 5 level of around 7% to just 3% to 4%.
Driver Jim Docherty will enjoy a comfortable working environment in the DAF’s well-equipped Super Space cab. The specification of an AS-tronic automated transmission will help reduce fatigue and improve safety and DAF’s ‘Driver Performance Assistant’ will give him the information at a glance that will help him to achieve the most effective driving style, including better fuel efficiency.
Lothian DAF supplied the truck through their dealership in Edinburgh and will carry out routine inspections and servicing at weekends to ensure optimum availability of the new XF throughout the working week.
