I’m just wondering how truckers choose their transport? Everyone seems to have so many different views on particular makes that its difficult to see which might be best. I’m into Scania’s, Hinos and Volvos, but have heard all these slagged off before. If I needed I’d get any ERF with a ■■■■■■■ engine and maybe if going vintage a Scammell Explorer 
What are anybodies faourites here and why?
G
It’s a personal choice.
Of the current models being produced today my favourite would be the DAF XF closely followed by the DAF CF.
Of the older models from 5-10 years ago I’d have an FH12/16 XL GT, but I don’t rate the current model at all.
In excess of 10 years ago it would be a toss up between a Scania 143 Topline with a V8 of an F12 or F16 GT.
Just wondering Rob, what would you personally base your decision on? Reliability or comfort or power etc.
I’m trying to get an understanding of what qualties certain marques are known for. I guess it’s the same as choices in cars, everyone usually has experience etc behind their decision. 
It’s down to personal preference and experience, or whathe company you work for gives you.
I’ve driven loads of Renaults over the years and I think they are okay, but some on this forum would refuse point blank to go near them. I now drive an Actros, it has a lot of good points, but I think the Premium is more comfortable.
Given the choice of a new truck it would be an MAN, going back a few years then it would be and F cab Volvo.
blacktopjunkie:
Just wondering Rob, what would you personally base your decision on? Reliability or comfort or power etc.I’m trying to get an understanding of what qualties certain marques are known for. I guess it’s the same as choices in cars, everyone usually has experience etc behind their decision.
Well, this could be a long thread …
DAF : build quality, comfy driving position, comfy bed, nice dashboard layout with a nice big place surface on the XF’s to put your tele and stuff. Never used the AStronic auto box but I like the ZF16 manual box very much. Brakes are excellent with good feel, same for steering although the lock-to-lock could be better. On the down side I find that the engines don’t have much grunt in comparison to the earlier Volvo’s and Scania’s as a whole and the exhaust brake is absolutely useless.
Scania : (R series) don’t know what it is about it but it doesn’t drive happily. The truck itself doesn’t feel comfy on the road; it doesn’t seem to settle down and get on with the job. The steering is like a blancmange, wallowing all over the place. Built quality issues - very poor build quality, panels not matched properly with large gaps and screw heads showing up all over the place inside where they should be covered.
(4 series) not bad to drive once you get settled down, but the steering - again - is very blancmangey and the brakes are useless. If you do need to anchor up the cab feels like it’s going to tip over forwards, especially with the topliners. Poor gearbox in them (manual). Often leaves you in no-mans-land when changing between the ranges. Lots of rattles, bangs and squeaks from the drive train and transmission, especially on uneven roads (that will be all of them then). Interior lay out terrible. I refuse to do a night out in a topliner because of the top bunk being where it is and the bottom bunk is useless on them. Give me a streamline instead if you want me to do a night out in a Scania. Suspension and steps rattle, creak and bang about when you’re trying to sleep at night too. Don’t even start me on the night heater console… Good pulling engines, especially the V8’s.
Volvo : (early FH) - brilliant! Excellent driving position, height, “quick-rack” steering (excellent when reversing on bays as you can straighten the unit up in an instant), dash layout and overall interior layout (flat floor). Manual 12 speed box could be a bit stodgy at times but it did the job. Brakes could have been better, however the excellent 2-stage exhaust brake meant you hardly had to use the foot brake anyway! Very comfy sprung mattress. Excellent cavernous side lockers. Headlights could have been better. Excellent trendy mirrors. Definitely a driver’s truck in my opinion.
(late FH) - uncomfortable to drive. Rock hard seat. Huge middle bit to steering wheel (airbag I assume) which makes the steering awkward to hold comfortably I find. Cable gear shift has a lifeless feel to it. Don’t even get me started on the I-shift box… I hate it but it would appear I’m in a minority as many love it. The overall truck is far too “electronicy” for my liking. I like to drive the truck, not the computer. Mirrors - terrible on the late model. Can’t see jack round them at junctions and roundabouts. Many a time I’ve “lost” a car behind them on a roundabout and nearly taken them out. Headlights - you need to take them to bit to clean them as all the road dirt and spray gets behind the perspex covers.
Renault Premium - comfortable to drive one a long run, but that’s where the fun ends. Awful gearbox on them, either the slap across or the four over four with the twist toggle range change. Splits are very slow to engage. Very poor build quality. Bits of plastic trim regularly fall off them. Gutless engines. Driver’s step always rattles at idle speed. Terrible dash layout. Nowhere to put anything and no flat surfaces. Hammock style top bunk gets in your way when you’re on bottom bunk. It’s been a good while since I’ve driven one now so I can’t remember all the other stuff that cheesed me off just now.
I’ve not had any other make long enough to be able to give a real opinion, but in general, I hate ERF’s although the 380 ■■■■■■■ engine is an excellent puller at full weight.
I dislike Stralis’s too. Terrible reliability, especially with the electrics and I hate that auto box. The Iveco Eurostar was excellent for space and not a bad drive, but I didn’t like the gearbox. The splits are very slow to engage. Gutless engines, very poor build quality and reliability issues.
Merc - used to have a R-reg Megaspace 480 V8 but it was gutless and no Merc’s have been known for their pulling power (except the Titan perhaps). The Megaspace was very nice to drive and even more comfy when you dropped the arm rests down! Excellent interior layout and space, plus the completely flat floor. Not sure about the EPS gearbox although I did adapt to it quite well and once you get used to it you can change up and down through the box fairly quickly. I’ve heard the current model is excellent but I’ve yet to drive it.
Let’s not forget about the Axor artic too, with it’s slap over 8 speed box. I drove a leased one for a few months with a 430 lump in it and loved it! Excellent torque and pulling power and nice to drive with superb brakes (like other Merc’s).
(I somehow deleted the post I was gonna put up)
Spot on Rob, thanks, exactly the run down I was hping for. I seem to remember your not liking Scanias being mentioned before, seem llike pretty good reasons not to like them. I now don’t understand why they’re so popular here in Ireland. Very few Renault, ERF, IVECo or Foden here either. Volvo and Scania seem he most popular and of course Hinos.
Thanks for the run down
Gwyn
blacktopjunkie:
I now don’t understand why they’re so popular here in Ireland.
Just been popular since the 141’s, 142’s etc, id say. Bought for the V8’s in them really. 
Scania 143: Fine truck with no extra electonics. Steering wheel which would be more at home in a ships bridge. Gauges are typical Scania models, when they get older they stop working properly. Day cab is hot as hell at summer. Most comfortable air suspension I have ever encountered. Works well even on “long-serie-of-consecutive-small-bumps” which are often seen on gravel roads. Scania engines usually have quite much pulling power and 143 is no exception. There is also The Sound of big V8 which is something inline-6 can never achieve.
Rob K:
Volvo : (early FH) - brilliant! Excellent driving position, height, “quick-rack” steering (excellent when reversing on bays as you can straighten the unit up in an instant), dash layout and overall interior layout (flat floor). … Excellent trendy mirrors. Definitely a driver’s truck in my opinion.(late FH) - uncomfortable to drive. … Mirrors - terrible on the late model. Can’t see jack round them at junctions and roundabouts. Many a time I’ve “lost” a car behind them on a roundabout and nearly taken them out. Headlights - you need to take them to bit to clean them as all the road dirt and spray gets behind the perspex covers.
I agree with those. Awful mirrors on new FH. It’s not only a car which you can “lose” behind mirror. It’s not hard task to “lose” an artic or even longer lorries behind passenger side mirror. I don’t understand how they ever could design those so badly.
What do you think about headlights of new FH? I haven’t drove much with new FH in dark but even that was more than enough to notice that “short” lights weren’t shoving anything (something like 20 to 30 meters).
But it doesn’t matter which make/model I rate as best as it’s usually not my decision what truck I drive.
I like Ivecos and Volvos and I dislike DAFs and Scanias.
I’ve driven bugger all but my top drives so far are an FL7 and a Eurotech and the worst being the LF I drive at the moment.
blacktopjunkie:
I seem to remember your not liking Scanias being mentioned before, seem llike pretty good reasons not to like them. I now don’t understand why they’re so popular here in Ireland.
Because they’re easy to pull the fuse on, that’s why .
to answer the original question, depends very much which side of the fence your on, a company driver will want the biggest cab possible, every conceivable gadget, everything electric and the street cred of the badge and numbers on the front.
people who actually buy trucks i.e those who’ve got to make a living out of them are looking for fuel consumption, ease of maintainence, parts availability, strengh to withstand variouse drivers abuse and probably above all what deal they can get.
it seems that the latest trucks are built almost as throw aways, designed to be run for three years and then scrapped, they’re vastly over complicated for the job they’re built for and once all that computer managed fuel system and gear selection starts going wrong it’s simply not financially viable to get those systems replaced.
be intersetsing to see in ten years time how many ten year old trucks are still on the road.
In general sound like the same arguments people use when choosing cars, pity Lancia don’t make trucks.
Again agree with the sentiments regarding veicular modernisation. The simpler things are, they easier they are to fix and keep going. My view anyhow.
G
Renault Premium - comfortable to drive one a long run, but that’s where the fun ends. Awful gearbox on them, either the slap across or the four over four with the twist toggle range change. Splits are very slow to engage. Very poor build quality. Bits of plastic trim regularly fall off them. Gutless engines. Driver’s step always rattles at idle speed. Terrible dash layout. Nowhere to put anything and no flat surfaces. Hammock style top bunk gets in your way when you’re on bottom bunk. It’s been a good while since I’ve driven one now so I can’t remember all the other stuff that cheesed me off just now.
Praise Indeed 
Try a modern one Rob
Anything with a twin splitter for me
I hate Scanias, I liked Sudden Accidents and B series ERF, and I dont think there is a bad truck nowadays, except Scania of course
pity Lancia don’t make trucks
Do they still make cars even?
dennisw1:
[ Do they still make cars even?
Yes, they just stopped importing them to the UK
In answer to the original question “How do people choose a truck?”, I believe the correct way to do it is buy whatever truck looks best as a 4-legger with side skirts on… 
Things that I rate a truck on are (not necessarily in this order),
Comfy seats / bunk.
An engine that ‘pulls’ - not ‘accelerates quickly’ necessarily, but will pull from low revs.
A quiet cab.
Decent sound system.
Good headlights. (I do nights )
And in my current job, ease of access to the cab and good visibility are useful.
I really like my current FM12 420 Globetrotter and the I-Shift box is fantastic for city driving (sorry Rob ).
Having said that, you do have to get used to it and perhaps adjust your driving a little - particularly if you really want to get a move on - you can’t rush an I-Shift. And the mirrors do create a blind spot, though rearward visibility is good.
If I was tramping, I’d want a Mercedes Actros Megaspace or a MAN TGA XXL (or maybe an FH16) cos they are superb, well engineered trucks that are just nice places to spend your working day.
I can take or leave Scanias - good engines, but when are they going to do a new cab?? 
I don’t really like DAF. I find them noisy, rattly, they feel cheap inside and are prone to electrical problems. And they have really crappy radios. Having said that, DAFaid are about the best you can get as far as backup goes, and they are fairly comfy inside. Visbility is also pretty good. I just cannot say I’m keen on them.
Renaults aren’t as bad as a lot of people make out, and I wouldn’t mind one on a regular basis as I find them very comfortable. They aren’t the best built motors in the world but they are not the worst and they are heaps better than an Iveco.
Iveco - No thanks! Cheap rattly heaps of junk that break all the time. Electronics are not well tested and give continuous problems. Big cabs though
Foden - same as DAF, though I do like the old Cat engines.
ERF - never had one, but as they are owned by MAN now, they should be a lot better than they have been said to be in the past.
These are just my thoughts, and before anybody says that I’m crazy - I know many would disagree! 
flying_fenman:
Good headlights. (I do nights…my current FM12…
Are you serious? I have drove only one new model FH at night and at least in that truck “short lights” weren’t shoving anything when comparing to older FH. I think that 20-30m of visible road isn’t really safe when you’re doing 85km/h, not even if road is “straight”. It could be wrong “direction” of headlights but I have heard similar words from others who drive new FH’s.
Kyrbo:
flying_fenman:
Good headlights. (I do nights…my current FM12…
Are you serious?
I’ve driven about 90 of them and I have found them all to be fine - as good as anything else. They are better than our DAF CF85 430s anyway.
Then it’s likely there was/is something wrong with lights in this particular FH. “Long lights” were shoving quite normal distance but when comparing “short lights” to older FH’s lights they weren’t anywhere near as good.