Coach House Antiques, a trade-only supplier of furniture and giftware, has added two new DAF XF 480 FT 4×2 tractor units with Super Space Cabs as vehicle replacements within its own-account fleet.
The new trucks are now part of a 28-unit fleet, which is 100% DAF and features four-axle tractor unit and trailer combinations operating at a maximum 25-tonnes GCW.
The relatively high power-to-weight ratio provides two significant operational benefits for Coach House; excellent fuel economy resulting from what the company describes as a ‘relaxed engine characteristic’ which, in turn, allows the operation to employ an eight-year vehicle replacement programme.
“We run light,” said Allen Jones, transport and distribution manager at Coach House Antiques. “We find the relatively large engine size delivers excellent economy despite being tasked with demanding multi-drop duties. We regularly see returns in excess of 10mpg. This relaxed engine characteristic means we can extend the truck’s whole-life prospects – we replace them every eight years with approximately 750,000 kms on the clock.”
The trucks are often out all week, so they have been specced with a high level of comfort for their drivers. Such speccing helps with driver retention, Jones added. “We really do have some first-rate drivers, thanks in no small part to the trucks we supply them,” he said. “The big DAF engines really take the stress and strain out of the job, and nights away are more than manageable in the Super Space Cabs. A happy driver is a productive driver.”
Coach House, based in Accrington in Lancashire, has its own service and maintenance programme carried out at its on-site Vehicle Maintenance Unit. “We have a dedicated team of professionals to run and support our fleet,” said Jones, “including workshop technicians who are all fully conversant with the DAF product.”
Vehicles were supplied by local DAF Dealer, Lancashire DAF, at Walton Summit in Preston. “We enjoy an excellent relationship with our supplying truck dealer, Lancashire DAF in Preston, and we’re delighted with the overall DAF partnership,” said Jones.
