dew:
Budget depending, CF or XF 460s. Good backup, round here the dealers are very good and generally a very reliable truck.
+1 from me on this one…
Juddian:
gazwrf:
6 years is to long! We run double shifted 6 days per week approx
3,800 miles per week and re- new every 2 years. We run merc actros minimal down time
So far! On 2years full r&m with merc.2 years…
I took our oldest Scanias out the other week, 6 year 420 manual with around 1,100,000 ks on the clock, probably more now.
Pulls like a train, better than the new ones and returned better fuel being manual, drives straight and true everything works as it should, and uses about the same amount of oil as the new motors.
If they keep it i see no reason why another million k’s would prove unreliable…KISS…keep it soddin simple.
Yes after 2years they have done approx 700,000 Km’s double shifting
You don’t want any breakdowns and they are paid for so part ex and
Get new peace of mind! If and when the contract ends you still have
A young fleet to work else were or sell higher residual value! And no
It’s not stobarts!!!
merc0447:
Saaamon:
Why not just run the drivers 24hours a day? The money you’d save on having less staff (employers contributions etc) could go to buy decent trucks?But then you have trucks sitting idle whilst you pay someone to sleep in it, tramping is dead. Day/night men and subbing out distance outwith your on network is the only way to make transport pay.
In my business model the drivers wouldnt sleep, unless there was a delay, ie trafic jam etc.
merc0447:
We need to BUY 10 tractor units plated at 44ton (6x2) to run day and night 365days a year. Roughly 220,000kms per year for 6 years then auction to africa or wherever.Reliability and mpg are the absolute main factors. Then comes parts, service, driver comfort, sell on value etc
What would you buy and why?
Poop tankers.
theres a lot of money in poop, and a lot of tankers with poop. 
All depends on what car/holiday every yr that the salesman offers you as a incentive to buy, after all you are the TM its not your money 
MPG - try some demo’s if possible
Reliability - can’t say
Driver comfort - whatever… with (theoretically) between 4 - 14 different drivers sat in em every week, you will not please everyone, plus there are no real sheds any more.
Resale - won’t be worth a deal after 6 years after 1.3 million km’s plus.
For me nowadays, having a dealer close to the operating base is a key matter.
Going back to MPG, fine tuning the spec on a lorry thats going to use beween 442,000 to 627,000 litres of diesel (6mpg - v - 8.5 mpg) over the six years will be crucial.
Above all else, make sure each unit comes with a jacket for the driver ™!
Whichever dealer is nearest you…
DAF CF 460 (minimum) would be at the top if not near the top of my list. Good units, good backup and the dealers are pretty decent.
Mercedes Axors are designed though for this type of operation. They are a no frills truck with a sole purpose of high intense distribution work. They are not big and clever just a very good workhorse.
Someone has said that tramping is dead aswell, I agree with this. Its not alligned to the current market and is slowly be phased out of quite a few operations.
Whoever passes the thickest brown envelope. (Allegedly.)
As TM you don’t give 2 hoots, as:
- You ain’t driving it
- You ain’t paying the bills.
Ken.
Quinny:
Whoever passes the thickest brown envelope. (Allegedly.)As TM you don’t give 2 hoots, as:
- You ain’t driving it
- You ain’t paying the bills.
Ken.
get them all a stralis each and make them suffer , dam drivers … 
the cab will fall off after two years but it nowt a crash helmet and a good scarf wont solve …