OPERATIONS - Motor Transport

For today’s news visit www.roadtransport.comCOMMERCIAL MOTOR | 12 JULY 200742

OPERATIONSTipper 2007: Part one

cmot-jul-12-07-p042 2cmot-jul-12-07-p042 2 6/7/07 12:59:54 pm6/7/07 12:59:54 pm

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TIP OF THE DAY

Sales of 6x4 tippers are in freefall – the 2007 total is expected to be well below last year’s 650 units. This trend mirrors the rest of the truck

industry, as operators delay dealing with tougher emissions standards and digital tachographs.

Another reason for the downturn in the 26-tonne tipper market is that tipper operators are opting for eight-leggers. But those lost sales could be replaced by operators who are changing their 7.5-tonners for 13, 18 and 26-tonners in response to speed limiters and revised licensing laws.

And while three-axle tipper registrations are suffering, the three-axle rigid has plenty of other roles to fall back on; it is likely to be bodied as a milk tanker, dust cart, gully sucker, waste carrier, skip-loader, recycling wagon, box, curtainsider or fl at.

The competitorsDaf Trucks holds nearly 50% of the UK tipper market. Of the rest, Scania (a non-participant in this group test) has double the share of its nearest rivals, Volvo and Iveco. The Germans follow almost neck and neck.

The competitors for Tipper 2007 arrived with digitachs, Euro-4/5 drivelines, revamped cabs, and bodies designed for a variety of jobs.

Daf’s CF75, for example, was specced for the rental/utility market and had the heaviest body in the group, but also came with an automated box and a 7.5-tonne front axle. Renault’s Kerax, designed for muckaway work, had the edge on power and size; extended cabs from the French and Swedes highlighted alternatives to the tipper sector’s traditional day-cab spec.

We loaded the vehicles with 10mm pea gravel at Moreton C Cullimore’s Dairy Farm aggregates quarry at Ashton Keynes, Wilts, and ran them around a 45-mile mixed route. Leaving the quarry on the A419 we turned north and joined the A429 through Fossebridge where a 14% descent was followed by a 10% climb. We then followed the A40 towards the top of Birdlip Hill and ran back down the A419 before tipping our loads at the quarry. ■

Six manufacturers of 6x4 chassis-cabs gathered at a Gloucestershire quarry to battle it out at Tipper 2007. Power, comfort and some handy gadgets caught the eyes of Dave Young and Kevin Swallow.


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Overall width: 2,450 Overall height: 2,300 Front overhang: 1,380 Rear overhang: 1,540 Body length/height/width: 5,500x2,420x1,000 Cab fl oor height, steps: 1,230 + 2 steps Engine cover height: 440Internal cab height/width/depth: 1,620/2,240/1,660 Chassis height: 1,120

The CF75 follows Daf’s philosophy of providing models to suit almost any possible application, with variants from 18-tonners to tractors. This 6x4 tipper falls in the middle of the range and offers an alternative to its CF85 stablemate.

The CF75 is the best-selling three-axle tipper on UK roads. It has decent residuals, and drivers will like its easy, comfortable interior, laid-back driving style and torquey 9.2-litre engine.

The day cab has space behind the seat for waterproofs, or to allow adjustment to accommodate long-legged occupants; it feels airy, light and spacious with well designed controls.

On the road, the ZF AS-Tronic 12-speed transmission – a £3,030 option – requires no driver input beyond a little manual tweaking to stop

unnecessary changes. As long as you don’t tear along, it’s all sweetness and light.

Auto boxes are gaining wider acceptance in the tipper market. It’s optional here, but Iveco has started the trend for automation in its top fl eet trucks, as has MAN with its distribution range –so it might not be too long before we see tippers with auto boxes as standard.

Engine:Capacity: Bore/stroke: Power:Torque:Standard braking:Additional braking:Transmission:Final drive ratio: Rear axle: Cab spec: Chassis: Wheelbase (OAS): Tyres & wheels: Suspension:

Fuel/AdBlue tanks: List price:Opt extras & price:Body:Body material:Tipping gear:Cover sheet:Unladen weight:Security features:

Paccar six-cylinder Euro-5 9.2 litres 118x140mm310hp (228kW) at 2,200rpm 1,275Nm at 1,100-1,710rpmFront axle, disc brakes; rear bogie, drums Exhaust brake ZF AS-Tronic automated 12-speed4.10:1 Single-reduction double bogie Day cab Under-run protection 4,550mm+550mm 315/80 front axle for 7.5-tonne axle and 295/80 on rear bogie Front axle, parabolic leaf suspension with shock absorbers and stabiliser; rear axles, trapezium leaf suspension on single reduction 300-litre/45-litre£72,700 AS-Tronic, £3,030; air-con, £1,090 Charlton Bodies Quarry Master bodySteel Binotto front-end tipping gearBinotto11,280kg Engine immobiliser as standard

COMMERCIAL MOTOR | 12 JULY 200744


DafModel

FAT CF75

Dimensions of vehicle (mm)

Specifi cations

On-site, the accelerator feels a little jumpy over the lumps and bumps – but most tippers on aggregates or utility work spend 90% on the road where their on-road spec cuts fuel bills.

This model came with a heavyweight steel Quarry Master body from Charlton, but the specifi cation of the chassis-cab is more aggregates than muckaway. The 310hp/1,250Nm Paccar lump is rated at Euro-5, which bodes well for residuals. As an SCR vehicle the kerb weight is increased by the AdBlue container as well as the air-con system – and the 7.5-tonne front axle is shod with heavyweight 315/80 tyres.

As tested it weighed in at 11,280kg, but the chassis-cab with full tanks and no driver tips the scales at a respectable 7,904kg.

With 310hp pulling 26 tonnes, we would expect to see some action with a manual transmission. We climbed out of the Fossebridge valley in just over two minutes with the six-pot lump grinding down to 20km/h and sixth gear before it rose back up over the steepest section and past the chequered fl ag. It wasn’t a lightning-fast performance, but with kick-down its changes were quick and assured.

The tricky bit comes at the top of a hill as the revs start to rise. Take your foot off the accelerator and the gearbox might change before you are ready for a higher gear. A little manual control should get the revs back down towards the green band before you’re back on the level.

The most attractive thing about this middle-of-the road truck is the automation. It turns the CF75 from a solid all-rounder into a truly desirable workhorse. So what’s likely to put you off? Well, the price tag isn’t that attractive, but if you buy 20 it will doubtless come down.


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The current Iveco Trakker – a facelifted version is imminent – has much to commend it at 26 tonnes GVW, even if the intended application of our test vehicle, with what appeared to be an aggregate body on a muckaway chassis, wasn’t immediately apparent.

First impressions were strong, with a spacious cab, commanding driving position and good all-round vision. On the road a slick and fast ZF gearbox with a light shift load and precise gate ensured that best use was made of the torquey, high-revving Euro-4/SCR Cursor engine.

A well positioned gear lever and range-change ‘on the button’ assisted in propelling the Trakker up the steep and winding northerly hill on the A429 Fossebridge section of our test route in fi fth, without recourse to a tricky down-change across the range.

The Activ (sic) day cab is light and airy, brightened by red seat fabric and light grey plastic trim; time will tell how this stands up to dusty construction sites. There were suffi cient trays, bins, and cup-holders for day working.

The high-set cab allows excellent ground clearance (with a chassis height of 1,100mm) which means a four-step climb up and down for the driver.

Engine:Capacity: Bore/stroke: Power:Torque:Standard braking:Additional braking:Transmission:Final drive ratio: Rear axle: Cab spec: Chassis:Wheelbase (OAS): Tyres & wheels: Suspension:Fuel/AdBlue tanks: List price:Opt extras & price:

Body:Body material:Tipping gear:Cover sheet:Unladen weight:Security features:

IvecoModel

Trakker AD260T33

Specifi cations

Iveco’s Achilles heel seems to be low-quality materials and a lack of attention to interior details. So while the basic design with its low engine hump is functional, the manufacture fails to do it (or the driver) justice. The seat arms – especially the nearside – cut into the occupant; other testers also complained of a sharp edge to the steering wheel. Faint rattles and hums from the trim also featured from time to time: not something to engender confi dence in a new truck.

More signifi cantly, the unprogressive brakes shake the transmission through to the gearlever when braking with an empty body. To an extent this is a feature with all tippers, which tend to run empty or loaded to the gunnels, but the Iveco was worse than some of its peers.

The extremely well fi nished PPG alloy body had an automatic tailgate, operable from the cab with a wander lead; the Dawbarn side-to-side body sheet was also electrically actuated.

The high cab and chassis seemed to cause more body roll on corners than other trucks in this class, and while its parabolic steel suspension copes, the Iveco is nowhere near as stiff as the M-B Axor or Volvo FE.

Its steering required fairly frequent correction, with early signs of understeer and a tendency to feel spongy on some corners.

The exhaust brake wasn’t greatly effective but helped slow the fully laden vehicle on steep descents once the revs hit 2,500rpm. Down-changes had to be made early on hill climbs, but in return the 330hp Cursor performed very well.

The 10.2-tonne kerb weight gave a payload just under the 16-tonne-sector benchmark, but Iveco’s competitive pricing may offset this.

Despite detail faults, the Trakker is a powerful truck, on top of the job, simple to drive and easily able to cope with off-road work.

Cursor 8 Euro-47.79-litre115x125mm330hp at 1,660-2,400rpm 1,400Nm at 1,080-1,660rpmFront, discs; rear, drumsExhaust brakeZF 9S eight forward-speed range-change3.78:1 Single reductionActiv day cabLadder5,180mm Large (38565R22.5) front tyres; axle uprated to8.5 tonnesFront, parabolic leaf; rear, parabolic cantilever300-litre/40-litre£70,660Reinforced parabolics, £180; cab rear window, £180; sun visor, £350; beacons, £125; front tyres, £570PPG aggregate with automatic tailgateAlloyEdbro front-end ramDawbarn electric automatic with wander lead10,200kgImmobiliser

Overall width: 2,500 Overall height: 3,045 Front overhang: 1,440 Rear overhang: 2,550 Body length/height/width: 2,500x1,100x900Cab fl oor height, steps: 1,500 + 3 steps Engine cover height: 400Internal cab height/width/depth: 1,600/2,000/1,570 Chassis height: 1,100


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The TGM is MAN’s offering for the 26-tonne utility and lightweight tipper sector. The 6.9-litre D08 EGR engine is available at 280hp and, as in our example, at 330hp driving via an MANTronic box with overdrive to compensate the low rear-axle rating. The green zone for its 1,250Nm peak torque is 1,200-1,750rpm with peak power at 2,300rpm.

This is a tough contender which, with front-mounted cranes and shorter bodies, has proved ideal for the utilities sector. The 330hp lump is arguably over-specced for local work but many operators will fi nd the extra power welcome when towing equipment.

The climb out of Fossebridge on the A436 showed that this truck could battle with the best of the rest, though it needed third gear to haul itself out of the ravine. We hit the bridge from the descent pushing 40mph in sixth gear, coming off the engine brake with revs

close to peak power. Sixth gear dropped like a stone and a change at 1,500rpm into the bottom range and fourth got us up to the peak before third saw us over the edge.

The Eaton nine-speed four-over-four overdrive transmission brings down the revs towards the green zone on

Engine:Capacity: Bore/stroke: Power:Torque:Standard braking:Additional braking:Transmission:Final drive ratio: Rear axle: Cab spec: Chassis: Wheelbase (OAS): Tyres & wheels: Suspension:

Fuel/AdBlue tanks: List price:Opt extras & price:Body:Body material:Tipping gear:Cover sheet:Unladen weight:Security features:

MANModel

TGM 26.330

Specifi cations

A-roads and helps reduce fuel use. Changes are smooth, handling is impressive and the steering is neither too light nor too heavy.

Perhaps we have been spoilt by the transition to electronic windows but manual winders seem unnecessary in this day and age.

The C (day) cab felt compact compared with the larger competition but its low mounting enhanced the MAN’s road-holding abilities. It features front under-run; the front axle runs on 315/80 tyres as it is rated at 7,500kg.

Fitted onto the chassis cab is a Wilcox Wilcolite aluminium body with a Dawbarn automated sheet. At the front end is an Edbro CX13 lifting kit; at the rear is a split tailgate. This combination offered a 9,340kg kerbweight but the chassis-cab in its own right weighs in at 7,314kg.

To shed weight, your options are pretty simple: 280hp engine (5kg); synthetic bumper (20kg); and alloy wheels (190kg). On the other hand you could gain weight with air-con (25kg); Tipmatic (37kg); or a document box (5kg).

There is plenty of feedback through the driver’s hands and feet, but the instrumentation is less impressive. For example, when cruise control or the speed limiter is on there is no indication of what speed it is set at – or even whether it is switched on. MAN might argue that a conscientious driver should know what the engine is doing and how the cruise control is set.

But sometimes you need reminding if you’ve placed your controls in the hands of the truck, when you change speeds, or simply want to know if the speed limiter or cruise control is in action. It’s attention to detail that makes a truck stand out from its competitors.

D08 common-rail six-cylinder Euro-4 6.9 litres108x125mm 326hp at 2,300rpm1,250Nm at 1,200-1,750rpm Disc brakes; EBS and ABS Exhaust brake Eaton nine-speed overdrive 4.63:1Single reduction Day cab (C-trim)Steel bolted and riveted with front under-run protection 4,575mm9.00x22.5 steel wheels with 315/80 front-axle tyres and 295/80 rear-axle tyres Front axle, parabolic springs with shock absorbers; rear axle, parabolic springs with shock absorbers and stabiliser200-litre/ n/a£59,000 NoneWilcox Wilcolite smooth insulated rigid body Aluminium Edbro CX13 front-end ram Dawbarn sheeting system 9,340kgImmobiliser

Overall width: 2,240 Overall height: 2,873 Front overhang: 1,400 Rear overhang: 1,025 Body length/height/width: 5,830x2,500x1,200 Cab fl oor height, steps: 1,260 + 2 steps Engine cover height: 340Internal cab height/width/depth: 1,560/2,160/1,450 Chassis height: 977





With a reputation for being well bolted together and idiot-proof, the M-B Axor is available specced for tipper and mixer applications.

Our no-frills example included a factory-fi t PTO with hub-reduction axles, diff and cross-locks, parabolic suspension, an 8.0-tonne front axle and a 19-tonne double-drive rear bogie.

There are ABS disc brakes at the front with rear drums and an exhaust brake. Headlamp guards, sump protection and a three-piece steel front bumper with folding lower cab steps also come as standard.

In addition to the customary vertical exhaust stack, this demonstrator had a Rouse split-tailgate alloy aggregates body, Edbro CX13 front-end ram and Dawbarn manual side-to-side load sheet.

The cab interior had a makeover about 18 months ago; build quality seems high. The curved instrument panel and well placed controls mean you can just jump in and drive away. The easy-wipe surfaces are

functional; even without air-con, the Axor cab was a cool and comfortable place in which to work. There’s more elbow room and less clutter than in some day cabs but scant resting space for the driver’s left foot.

The 7.2-litre, 326hp straight-six did 56mph at 1,900rpm fully laden. The Euro-4 SCR Bluetec

Engine:Capacity: Bore/stroke: Power:Torque:Standard braking:Additional braking:Transmission:Final drive ratio: Rear axle: Cab spec: Chassis: Wheelbase (OAS): Tyres & wheels: Suspension:Fuel/AdBlue tanks: List price:Opt extras & price:Body:Body material:Tipping gear:Cover sheet:Unladen weight:Security features:

Mercedes-BenzModel

Axor 2633K

Specifi cations

unit has a plastic Ad Blue container next to the 300-litre alloy fuel tank on the side of the chassis – thankfully not between the rear members as on some tractor units.

Unladen, the Axor pitched and bounced less than some competitors and the braking proved effective. Mercedes has linked the exhaust brake into the cruise control to control downhill speed over-runs.

Less impressive was the nine-speed, direct-drive ‘slap-across’ range-change gearbox. It is 30 years since this range-change fi rst appeared in the SK rigid. The shift load on this most recent incarnation is power-assisted and much lighter – but why is such an archaic transmission still fi tted?

For owner-drivers, the slap-across method probably won’t cause problems, but in fl eets where drivers came to this from other gearboxes mistakes are likely to occur. The more powerfully engined Axor chassis such as this come with an R-designation, which means they can be supplied with the Telligent automated shift.

Another problem with the Axor, whether for mechanical or electric reasons, is that the PTO took a long time to decide to engage, although once engaged it worked smoothly.

M-B used to produce rather heavy tipper chassis but has worked to shed weight without risking its reputation for robust construction.

Undoubtedly this 6x4 Axor can confi dently tackle arduous tipper duties in the UK. But Mercedes should consider driver acceptability and ensure the new model revamp tackles transmission fundamentals as well as cosmetic changes.

Six-cylinder Bluetec 47.2 litres106x136mm326hp at 2,200rpm 1,300Nm at 1,200rpmDiscs, front and rearEngine brake Eight forward-speed slap-across range-change4.33:1 Hub-reduction inter-axle diff and cross locksExtended dayLadder frame4,950mm Steel F315/80 wheels, Bridgestone R225/80 years Parabolic steel leaf 300-litre/35-litre£53,660 NoneRouse aggregatesAlloyEdbro front-end ramDawbarn side to side9,720kg Engine immobiliser

Overall width: 2,500 Overall height: 3,350 Front overhang: 1,440 Rear overhang: 1,350 Body length/height/width: 8,700x1,250x2,550Cab fl oor height, steps: 1,300 + 3 steps Engine cover height: 400Internal cab height/width/depth: 1,590/2,000/1,600 Chassis height: 1,100


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The truck with the most unique design in the group has to be Renault’s Kerax 370. Heavy duty; big, powerful engine; over-specced... this one has it all. To be fair, the French have been busy realigning their construction and multi-axle line-up with the much-vaunted aggregates and tractor-based Premium-esque Lander, leaving the Kerax to pick up the slack in the heavy-duty markets.

This leaves it pretty much in a league of its own for this test. Plenty of operators run muckaway but this vehicle is a little specifi c. The enlarged Global cab boasts an 6.3m3 interior, the facility for a bunk on the rear wall, and a lounge option for those 45-minute breaks.

This would suit a drawbar operation, but muckaway doesn’t really cater for trucks pulling A-frames into quarries – a skip-loader perhaps? It’s a platform for some of the whistles and bells you could

spec if you were fl ashing your cheque book.

If you want to level out the roads and maintain the national speed at all times, this is the engine for you – with 14.2hp/tonne on tap it makes light work of smaller hill climbs. At 40mph in 8L the rev counter lands right in the middle of the green band, allowing top-

Engine:Capacity: Bore/stroke: Power:Torque:Standard braking:Additional braking:Transmission:Final drive ratio: Rear axle: Cab spec: Chassis: Wheelbase (OAS): Tyres & wheels: Suspension: Fuel/AdBlue tanks: List price:Opt extras & price:Body:Body material:Tipping gear:Cover sheet:Unladen weight:Security features:

RenaultModel

Kerax 370

Specifi cations

gear running for dual carriageways and motorways. It comes with cruise control and Hill Assist, though with 370hp underfoot the last place you’d get stuck is on a hill.

The steering wheel is oversized for legislative reasons so the cruise control is fi tted to the top left of the dashboard.

More interesting was the ‘Fast Idling on Diffi cult Terrain Control Switch’, which reduces revs on site. Get the revs over 900rpm, press the switch, take your foot off the accelerator and the revs will drop to 900rpm and maintain momentum, no matter which gear you choose. It saves your right foot bouncing up and down with the terrain, potentially stalling or speeding in a restricted area. It also improves safety awareness, allowing the right foot to hover over the brake pedal in case a ravine looks too deep to simply ride over. This is a standard option that should be fi tted across the industry.

Fitted to the rear was a robust Charlton Bodies steel Superlite body on a 5.56m outer-axle spread. That’s a long body for a 6x4 but the low height means some weight is regained for an extended design. The price refl ects the power, engine and Global cab; this bad boy would set you back £77,260 for the chassis-cab alone.

Without the Charlton body the truck weighed in at 8,742kg, making it the heaviest of the all the trucks on show.

While it stands out from the crowd, it shouldn’t be dismissed as the oddball of the group. Iveco’s Trakker possesses a robust chassis and most examples are sold into the muckaway and utility sectors so the Kerax did enjoy some competition at Tipper 2007.

DXi 11 six-cylinder turbocharged with intercooler Euro-4 10.8 litres123x152370hp (272kW) at 1,900rpm1,800Nm at 1,000-1,400rpm Drum bakes all round; EBS Exhaust brake ZF 16-spd synchromesh with splitter and range-change 3.98:1Double reduction Global cab Steel bolted ladder frame5,565mmSteel disc wheels with 385/65 tyres Front, parabolic with reinforced two-leaf springs; rear, three-leaf parabolic 315-litre/40-litre£77,260 NoneCharlton Bodies Superlite SteelBinotto front-end ramBinotto11,520kg Engine isolator, central locking, locking fuel cap

Overall width: 2,500 Overall height: 3,183 Front overhang: 1,488 Rear overhang: 990 Body length/height/width: 5,940x2,480x1,080 Cab fl oor height, steps: 1,450 + 3 steps Engine cover height: 500Internal cab height/width/depth: 1,630/2,480/1,080 Chassis height: 1,081





Sitting slightly lower than some of the opposition with a two-step entry to the cab, the Volvo FE looks and feels solidly engineered. With a Renault Midlum-based cabin and Deutz D7 straight-six, the FE fi lls a gap between the lighter FLs and heavier FMs.

The Volvo’s well balanced suspension means it can be hustled through bends confi dently with minimal body roll. The EBS discs on every wheel are commendably progressive and a two-position exhaust brake proves particularly effective. Maximum torque from the Euro-4, 7.2-litre SCR engine is available at 1,200-1,700rpm and while it doesn’t lug down as far as larger Volvo lumps, the FL pulls back comfortably from 1,000rpm in sixth gear.

This is very much a tipper, with a ladder-frame B-ride (light construction use) chassis height of one metre, two-spring steel bogies

at the rear, sump protection, a three-piece front bumper and hub-reduction rear axles. The 3.05m wheelbase affords a good turning circle and on-site manoeuvrability. Our model featured optional alloy wheels, a Rouse Xtralite alloy aggregate body, Dawbarn side-to-side load sheet and Edbro front-end tipping gear.

Engine:Capacity: Bore/stroke: Power:Torque:Standard braking:Additional braking:Transmission:Final drive ratio: Rear axle: Cab spec: Chassis: Wheelbase (OAS): Tyres & wheels: Suspension: Fuel/AdBlue tanks: List price:Opt extras & price:Body:Body material:Tipping gear:Cover sheet:Unladen weight:Security features:

VolvoModel

FE320

Specifi cations

Despite its additional length, the ‘medium sleeper cab’ with its high dog kennel and awkward gearstick position makes the driver feel very enclosed, a design feature inherited from the old FL ‘Wendy House’. Scania drivers will probably be happy here, MAN drivers less so.

Storage space offers an embarrassment of riches. In the rear of the cab lurks a large ‘multi-purpose’ plastic pod, offering a table, storage, sliding trays, bottle and clipboard holders and more; but a bunk would be of more use. The cab already has a plethora of over-screen lockers, cup-holders, bulkhead pockets, a sturdy clothes rail and excellent wet kit storage with a removable fl oor pan.

Tinted windows were welcome (especially as the optional air-con was not fi tted to the test truck), as were wide-angle mirrors mounted on slim arms which don’t obscure forward-three-quarter vision. Fleet operators might benefi t from ordering a short day cab and keeping the truck’s footprint as short as possible.

The main shortcoming was the FE’s ‘Easy-shift’ gearbox. The gate was stiff; reverse was hard to engage without recourse to both hands; and the gearstick was too far back. We missed the light, fast and easy-to-reach manual shift of its FL stablemate, or better still the excellent I-Shift automated option.

Volvo expects to sell about 100 similar FE 6x4 B-riders in 2007, despite the industry trend towards 8x4s.

For roadgoing UK aggregates, tipper or mixer chassis work, the lightweight, Swedish-built FE with a payload of just over 16 tonnes should be a serious contender. This chassis is ideally suited to UK tipper work – but with a price tag nearly £20,000 more than the Axor’s, it should be.

Overall width: 2,500 Overall height: 3,600 Front overhang: 1,400 Rear overhang: 1,000 Body length/height/width: 8,600x2,550x1,530Cab fl oor height, steps: 1,250 + 2 steps Engine cover height: 500Internal cab height/width/depth: 1,630/2,000/1,840 Chassis height: 1,125


D7E six-cylinder Deutz Euro-47.2 litres108x130mm320hp at 2,300rpm 1,200Nm at 1,200-1,700rpmDiscs all round; EBSEngine brakeEight forward-speed range-change5.86:1 Tandem rear hub reductionMedium cabLadder B-ride4,195mm F3i5/80 alloy wheels, R 295/80 Michelin tyres Steel parabolic315-litre/40-litre£77,514Alloy wheels, price TBCRouse Xtralite split tailgate AlloyEdbro front-end ramDawbarn9,680kgNone

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VehicleMake and model

Timed routeHours/minutes

Hill climbMinutes/seconds

Chassis weightFull tank/no driver

SheetingProcess

Warranty Basic covermonths/distance

OPERATIONAL TRIAL RESULTS

Daf held sway on standard warranties while hill-climbing honours went to the MAN TGM... just. Only two manufacturers’ tipper bodies had manual covers.

DafFAT CF75

1:15

2:05

7,904kg

Fore and aft auto

24 months, 36 months driveline

Iveco Trakker AD260T33

1:15

1:50

8,055kg

Side to side, automatic


MANTGM 26.330

1:11

1:48

7,314kg

Fore and aft auto


Mercedes-BenzAxor 2633K

1:12

Baulked

7,705kg

Side to side, manual

12 months, 24 months driveline up to 250,000 miles

RenaultKerax 370

1:18

1:49

8,742kg

Fore and aft auto


VolvoFE320

1:09

2:00

7,843kg

Side to side, manual

12 months, 24 months optional

DAF15/2017/2017/2018/2017/20

84

IVECO17/2015/2016/2016/2017/20

81

MAN14/2016/2018/2017/2017/20

82

M-B17/2017/2016/2017/2016/20

83

Standard specifi cationCab comfort Driveline performance Handling Overall impression Total

FINAL STANDINGS

RENAULT17/2017/2016/2017/2016/20

83

VOLVO16/2015/2018/2016/2016/20

81




With the exception of the Kerax, and to a certain degree the Trakker’s robust chassis design, these trucks were pretty much all in the same bracket. Power ranged from 310 to 330hp, fi ve had manual transmissions, two had extended cabs, and all had been tweaked during the past 18 months.

MAN offered up arguably the blandest vehicle – only Volvo, Daf and Iveco had optional extras – but the TGM handled well around the route, delivered power where necessary and was the lightest contender. Daf Trucks, boldly supplying the automated option, offered the most comfortable 75 minutes on the road, while Renault’s Kerax toured the route at a consistent speed regardless of the diffi culty of the hill climbs.

From a buyer’s perspective the Kerax could only be justifi ed by daily, arduous, deep quarry tasks, while the Trakker seems to be something of a halfway house between that environment and lighter aggregates operations.

Daf would represent the driver’s favourite with comfort and, after some persuasion, the automated transmission; MAN runs it close as a sound alternative.

The Axor offers a robust, value-for-money package; the Volvo is a sophisticated but expensive truck; and the Iveco is an improving product which might be a bargain.

Cab comfort and handling edged the CF75 past the winning post fi rst, ahead of the Axor, which pipped the equally well matched TGM and competent FE. The Trakker – which had previously acquitted itself well in Italian roadtests at much higher weights – was the easiest and most pleasant manual to drive. The TGM and Trakker’s four-over-four transmissions offered the best manual gearshifts.

But we started with the Kerax, and we’ll close with it. As the biggest toy in the box it delivered power throughout, tempered by that handy site switch, which made it the most enjoyable drive of the bunch.

OUR VIEW

Dave Young and Kevin Swallow have the last word

THEVERDICT


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