DAF delivers concrete results in Cambridgeshire

Reliability, overall performance and good driver acceptance are the key reasons why a Cambridgeshire company has chosen to bring another DAF into its nine-vehicle mixer fleet.

Allen Newport Limited – a third generation family-run sand, aggregates and ready-mixed concrete firm based in Fordham – is using the DAF to deliver within a 20 mile radius of each of its batching plants at Waterbeach, north of Cambridge, and Fornham Park, near Bury St Edmunds.

The 26 tonne 6x4 FAT CF75 is a very productive truck, making up to six deliveries a day to building sites. At 4.55 metres wheelbase the DAF is a compact vehicle, making it easier to get into sites with restricted access. It carries a six cubic metre Liebherr HTM 704P mixer driven by an engine-mounted PTO.

Power is from the 9.2 litre PACCAR PR engine rated at 250 bhp (183 kW) at 2200 rpm and which uses the SCR system with Adblue to achieve Euro 4 emissions compliance. The engine is matched to an eight-speed ZF 8S151 manual gearbox.

The new DAF copes well with slippery site conditions thanks to the good torque characteristics of the engine, which delivers 1050 Nm in a range between 1100 and 1710 rpm. ASR (anti-slip reduction) as a standard feature on the FAT CF75 also helps traction and when things get really tough the mechanical diff locks on the double-drive rear bogie can be brought into use.

Richard Stevens, managing director at Allen Newport and whose grandparents started the business in 1934, said: “The DAF is an ideal truck for our type of work. It’s a tough, reliable and hard-working vehicle from which we can expect many years of productive work. Our drivers like them and our workshop team find them easy to work on with good support through our local DAF dealer when we need it.”

Driver comforts include air conditioning as standard along with an electrically controlled roof hatch. The interior is very stylish, with a wood-effect dashboard and all instruments and controls easy to read or to reach. There’s ample storage for personal effects and any safety or wet weather clothing that needs to be carried. And the high level of interior trim and good insulation of the engine ensures a quiet working environment.

The CF75 was supplied by DAF dealer Marshalls of Cambridge who will provide ongoing warranty and parts support.

Allen Newport Limited is a member of the Quarry Products Association and the Quality Scheme for Ready Mixed Concrete.