New DAFs help Stardes get the show on the road
Another pair of low-deck DAF XF510s tractors have joined the fleet of specialist entertainment industry transportation and logistics company Stardes of Sheffield to work on music tours around the UK and Europe.
Along with two delivered at the end of last year and a three axle rigid XF105 due for delivery soon, these latest arrivals mark another stage of Stardes fleet renewal programme that will see 15 of its fleet replaced by 2012.
The DAFs are being used on tours by leading artists and bands including Leonard Cohen, Arctic Monkeys and Simple Minds, which can see the trucks venturing as far east as the Black Sea resorts of Russia.
With drivers living in their trucks for up to eight weeks at a stretch, Stardes has opted for the highest level of comfort by specifying the DAF Super Space Cab, which company founder David Steinberg describes as: “a five-star DAF hotel!”
In volume terms the Super Space cab is the largest sleeper cab on the market offering more living, working and storage space than any other truck in its class. With an internal height of 2.1 metres there’s ample room for even the tallest driver to move around comfortably.
The list of home comforts ranges from a fridge and microwave to a DVD player and a top quality CD system. When travelling between venues there’s the comfort of air conditioning along with an air-suspended seat. And a good night’s sleep is assured by the 15 cm thick mattress measuring 2.1 metres by 1.8 metres.
Fitting of a landline inverter enables a power supply to be picked up from an external source to avoid draining the batteries during long spells when the truck is parked and the engine switched off at venues.
The latest pair of two-axle FT XF510 tractors are powered by the 12.9 litre MX engine rated at 510 bhp. At their plated weight of 38 tonnes this gives a more than generous 13.42 bhp per tonne of power to weight, although in fact the trucks rarely run above 35 tonnes.
This high power to weight also helps to overcome wind resistance from the high cube tri-axle trailers in which the wide range of equipment needed for a big show is carried. This is further aided by the use of a full range of aerodynamic devices including Hatcher side skirts on both the tractors and their trailers.
David Steinberg is a big advocate of safety and has specified LED lights and reflective 3m tapes on the tractors and trailers for increased visibility. As these right hand drive trucks are frequently running on the Continent, he has also had an additional ‘blind spot’ camera fitted on the nearside. And a retarder helps to reduce wear on the service brakes during long or particularly steep descents.
To allow coupling to the variety of high cube trailers in the fleet from Montracon, Schmitz and SDC, the DAFs have a Jost dual-height fifth wheel. Overall vehicle height is kept down by the use of 317/70 R22.5 energy-saving tyres all round on the tractors. Extra large fuel tanks enable full advantage to be taken of different fuel costs in the countries through which the trucks pass and the trucks also have 100 litre Ad Blue tanks. Heavy duty power packs are fitted.
The trucks are routinely serviced in Stardes own well-equipped five-bay workshop in Sheffield by technicians who have received training from DAF. But with the trucks away from base for long periods each carries a spare wheel, a toolbox and a set of basic replacement items as a precaution. The company also relies on DAF’s ITS roadside assistance for support in emergencies, which David Steinberg says provides an excellent level of response.
All of Stardes new DAFs were supplied by Imperial Commercials of Scunthorpe.
For more information, visit stardes.co.uk.
