XF105 proves a great deal for CFT Services

Six top-of-the-range DAF XF105s have joined the fleet of CFT Services, chosen for their luxurious specification and good fuel efficiency combined with a well structured deal through PACCAR Financial.

Chris Flynn, managing director of the Rochdale based firm, says that he was particularly impressed by the level of comfort offered by the Super Space cab on the 105s.

“With my drivers spending up to four nights a week sleeping in the cab as well as all day on the road, I wanted them to enjoy a good level of comfort and the DAF Super Space cab certainly ensures that. Features like air conditioning, a wood-effect dashboard, and leather-trimmed, air-suspended seats, combine to create a very comfortable working and living environment.

“At the same time I was looking for a truck that would be reliable on timed delivery work to supermarket RDCs and which would deliver good fuel efficiency. Our experience with CF85s shows that DAFs are both reliable and economical to run and this gave us the confidence to move up to the top range 105.

“With just a few thousand miles on the clock the 105s are already returning 8.1 mpg and I fully expect that to get up towards 9.0 mpg, perhaps beyond, once the engines have fully bedded down. I’m very satisfied with that, especially when you consider that these trucks are running at 44 tonnes most of the time and that each will cover around 100,000 miles a year.”

As well as driver comfort, reliability and fuel economy, Chris Flynn was also looking for a good finance package to support the acquisition of the new trucks. PACCAR Financial, the in-house finance company of DAF Trucks, came up with a four year operating lease that offered CFT Services good visibility on the operating costs of the trucks throughout their life.

“It was an excellent deal for a market-leading truck like the XF105,” says Chris Flynn. “A full R&M element is included, with Chatfields of Manchester, who supplied the DAFs, taking them in at times to suit our operational needs for their six-weekly inspections and routine servicing. The deal also gives us a clear view of our costs over the next four years as we know precisely what our monthly outlay is and only have to factor in the variables, such as fuel, tyres and driver costs.”

All six trucks are mid-lift axle FTG models powered by the 12.9 litre DAF MX engine to the Euro 5 emissions standard. This is rated at 460 bhp (340 kW) at 1900 rpm and delivers 2300 Nm of torque across a flexible range between 1000 and 1410 rpm. A 12-speed manual gearbox and 11.5 tonne rated driven axle complete the driveline. A 525 litre fuel tank has also been specified.

Visually the 105s look stunning and present a good image to CFT Service’s customers. There’s ample room on the Super Space cab for the CFT logos and lettering to be boldly displayed. They came factory-finished in white and with a full-width sun visor and roof mounted ‘skylights’ set into the roofline to complete their stylish appearance.

Established in 2000 with a single truck, CFT Services Limited now runs a fleet of 40 from its main base in Rochdale and a satellite depot in the West Midlands. The business is split equally between overnight pallet delivery work through the Pallet Track network and general distribution work for a number of blue chip companies in the food and drinks sector.