Hicks Transport hitches-up again with DAF Trucks
- Operator renews links with the marque going back 30 years
- New DAF XF 510 FTG tractor in service and performing well
- Fuel and reliability key to mixed operations
- Driver enjoying life in spacious Super Space Cab
Hicks Transport has turned back to DAF for its latest flag-ship tractor unit. The new Euro-6 DAF XF 510 FTG with Super Space Cab harks back to some of the company earliest years, in the mid-80s, when among a largely DAF fleet it operated one of the very first DAF 3300 trucks on its Middle East operations, providing full load services to Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq.
Today, with the focus much more on the UK and mainland Europe, the South Wales haulier has been operating a two-marque fleet, but was happy to look again at a brand with which it had so many successful links. “We have a policy of continuous review of all the quality tractor manufacturers, to make sure we have the best equipment for our work,” comments Terry Hicks, a director of the company. “So when we looked closely at this latest DAF we were more than happy to consider it,” he said. That willingness to consider an old favourite resulted in the arrival of the XF 510, bought through local dealer Watts Truck & Van using the services of PACCAR Financial.
Terry is genuinely pleased to confirm that all is well with the new arrival, saying, “This is our first new DAF for many years, and though it’s still early days, of course, it is running well. The driver is delighted with it and it is very compatible with the rest of our fleet. I don’t think anyone would say there’s a bad truck around these days, but this new DAF does look like very good value for money indeed. Alongside that, making the decision to take DAF back into the fleet comes down to overall experience in the business and personal preference. Everything goes full circle, so we are certainly not ruling out the possibility of seeing the marque back in the fleet in greater numbers as we move forward.”
Members of both the TA and RHA, Hicks Transport runs a mix of regular in-house contract work and general haulage that, alongside being a member of the ‘TPN’ pallet network, mean demands on the fleet can vary significantly in terms of load weights and distances covered. It makes the job of monitoring fuel consumption more difficult, admits Terry Hicks. “Our tractor fleet can go out quite light and come back at maximum weight, or vice versa, so while fuel is very important to us, we are not able to monitor it as closely as operators with routine loads and regular routes. That’s why we use careful vehicle comparisons as part of the monitoring process: the DAF is already averaging very well against the other two marques on the fleet, even though it has a lot of bedding down to do yet.”
The new unit has a dedicated driver, which helps Hicks Transport with its evaluation process, and the company is also looking increasingly at telematics as a future source of management information. The vehicle has been supplied with a DAF MultiSupport two-year R&M package, though the company also has its own well-equipped service facilities at its base on the outskirts of Newport. Concluded Terry Hicks, “When you’re a family business, with three generations working in it, you know instinctively that being masters of your own destiny, especially in something as fundamental as service and repair, is vital. It lets us maintain the flexibility and reliability that has helped us build the business over the years.”
ENDS
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