Low weight DAF meets tanker firm criteria

A company criteria that sets the gross weight of new tractor units to between 7.5 and 8.00 tonnes has led Yorkshire-based Lewis Tankers Limited to put ten of DAF’s CF85 FTP model into its 54-vehicle fleet.

Using 17.5 inch wheels on the mid-lift axle of the FTP has reduced the weight of the tractor by around half a tonne compared to a mid-lift on 22.5 inch wheels. As a result the FTP has a tare weight of around 7.8 tonnes fully kitted, with the weight saving directly translating into increased payload.

Four of the new trucks are being used on deliveries of liquid natural gas on behalf of Scotland Gas Networks plc (SGN), a business worth in excess of £1.5m awarded to Lewis Tankers in June 2008 on a minimum three year contract. Deliveries are to SGN’s storage facilities in the west of Scotland and as far north as Thurso and Wick.

The other six are operating in Lewis Tankers’ multi-user fleet on work that can see them carrying a range of materials from aviation fuel to Methyl Chloride. The fact that all of the company’s drivers are ADR and SAFED trained and its vehicles meet both Petroleum Regulations and the Safe Loading Pass scheme standards - with the latter being met during their assembly at Leyland – gives the company considerable flexibility to meet a wide variety of customer needs.

The new trucks operate with Hobur and M1 tri-axle trailers designed for bottom-loading and which have full vapour recovery. Those on aviation fuel deliveries also have overfill protection as an additional safety measure. Gardner Denver discharge equipment and the Safe Track Telematics system are fitted to all of the tractors,

Stewart MacDonald, General Manager at Lewis Tankers, said: “as well as meeting our strict unladen weight criteria, the CF85 was chosen for its reliability and expected fuel efficiency. We have experience of the CF85 with the Euro 4 engine and found it to be very fuel efficient, even allowing for the amount of static running that occurs when discharging the load, and we expect these new models to deliver similar fuel results.

“These trucks will average around 120,000 kilometres a year, although that can range anywhere between 80,000 and 200,000, especially if they’re double-shifted. At these mileages we’ll be looking for good fuel figures to help keep our costs down during the five years that we plan to run them.

“Our drivers are happy with the CF85 too,” he adds. “They’ve got a comfortable sleeper cab with plenty of space and we’ve specified the AS-tronic automatic transmission both to reduce driving effort and stress, leading to improved safety, and to support more fuel efficient driving.”

Power for the CF85s is from the 12.9 litre DAF MX engine, which is Euro 5 compliant, meaning that the tractors are eligible for Reduced Pollution Certification. The engine’s rating of 460 bhp (340 kW) provides a comfortable 10.45 bhp/tonne of power to weight ratio which it is hoped will enable the trucks to cope easily with hilly Highland terrain. At 1775 Nm, there’s also plenty of torque across a flexible range between 1000 and 1410 rpm.

The DAFs based at Lewis Tankers site at Hensall near Goole will be serviced in the company’s own well-equipped workshop. Any warranty work along with ongoing parts support will be provided by the supplying DAF dealer, Imperial Commercials, who have three nearby dealerships in Doncaster, Scunthorpe and Hull.

Lewis Tankers is a subsidiary of Simon Storage Limited, the leading independent provider of bulk and liquid gas storage in the British Isles.