New DAFs mark major expansion for car delivery company

The addition of 20 new DAFs into its fleet marks a major expansion for Merseyside based Mainland Car Deliveries (MCD). The new vehicles bring the MCD Group car transporter fleet to almost 200, making it the largest independent operator in the UK in this specialised market.

MCD is using the DAFs to move around 350,000 cars and light commercial vehicles from production plants to dealers throughout the UK. Ford, Nissan, Jaguar and LDV are amongst the customers serviced by MCD and the additional trucks will support the winning of new contracts.

The trucks are DAF FTP CF85 6x2 mid-lift axle 3.85 metre wheelbase tractors specially engineered in Eindhoven to be operated as a short drawbar unit. This has a fully-approved drawbar braking system, chassis packaging to suit the application, and a 9 tonne front axle to cope with the weight of vehicles over the cab. Air suspension is fitted to both the tractor and its close-coupled, tri-axle trailer.

MCD has opted for the 460 bhp (340 kW) rated version of the DAF MX engine in their new trucks. The company has also chosen to go direct to the Euro 5 emissions standard some 18 months ahead of this becoming a legal requirement. At their full plated weight of 44 tonnes gtw, this results in a comfortable power to weight ratio of 10.45 bhp tonne, which is relatively high powered for car transporter work.

Sean Pinches, National Transport Manager at MCD, says that this is a perfect ratio for stress-free driving, leading to reduced fatigue and contributing to a longer vehicle life. It will also be helpful when carrying heavier cars such as 4 x 4s and light commercials, and in overcoming wind resistance, which is a particular problem for car transporters.

Driver comfort is well catered for in the new DAFs. MCD has specified the AS-tronic automated direct drive transmission to help reduce the driving effort and has added air conditioning and a radio/cd player to the already well-specified sleeper cab.

“Our drivers like the FTP CF85,” says Sean Pinches. “They find that it handles well, with noticeably less body roll than other makes. They also like the layout, with instruments and controls falling easily to hand, and there’s a good amount of storage space.”

Transporter Engineering of Halstead in Essex fitted their EVO 4 superstructure to the DAF chassis and to the trailer, which they also manufactured. The trailer is connected to the drawing unit by a Rockinger 500 Series coupling. Overall length of the outfit is 18.75 metres.

The trucks can carry up to 12 vehicles, depending on their weight and length. Decks and ramps are raised and lowered by single-stage, double-acting rams and heavy-duty chains housed within the side pillars that support the structure. The hydraulic pump is connected to a factory-fitted PTO on the DAF chassis.

Controls are conveniently and safely housed in a single console on the nearside of the vehicle and driver safety is further enhanced by the fitting of a handrail system to the upper decks.

Maintenance of the DAFs will be carried out in MCD’s own well-equipped workshop at their Runcorn base, which also includes a dedicated MoT facility. Located adjacent to Junction 12 on the M56, this facility enables the company to tailor servicing to their operational needs.

The trucks were supplied by DAF dealer Imperial Commercials of Stoke-on-Trent.