90 years ago, a young technician, Hub van Doorne, laid the foundation for what DAF is today: the premium truck brand in Europe and in many countries throughout the world. Offering effective and innovative transport solutions has always been the cornerstone of our success. Whether it was turbo intercooling technology as an industry first in the early seventies or setting new standards in driver comfort with the launch of the Space Cab in the eighties, we have been providing excellent trucks and services to our customers since day one. This has always been our driving force and remains so today.
We understand what is important to you: maximum uptime and the lowest possible operating costs. That is why DAF provides you with the best trucks on the market that offer industry-leading reliability and fuel efficiency. You can always rely on our professional and dedicated DAF dealer network, which offers a comprehensive portfolio of services: PACCAR Parts, PACCAR Financial, DAF MultiSupport Repair & Maintenance, DAF Connect and many more.
We are proud of our heritage, and with our great trucks, excellent services and great people we are more than ready for the future. We will always keep our main objective in mind: offering you added value so you can successfully run your business. Ninety years is quite a milestone, but I truly feel that our ninety-year mark is just the starting point for an even more successful future.
DAF chooses ‘International Dealers of the Year 2018’
2018 DAF International Dealer of the Year is ESA Trucks Polska. Jaroslaw Szymkowiak shareholder/managing director and Klaas Elema shareholder/president are flanked by Richard Zink, DAF Trucks director Marketing & Sales and DAF Trucks president Preston Feight.
DAF Trucks presents the 90th Anniversary Edition of the New XF. This truck commemorates the establishment of the company 90 years ago. The anniversary edition boasts extra-luxurious features, exclusive striping and subtle design elements. To underline the exclusivity of this very special truck, it is fitted with the Super Space Cab and with PACCAR’s most powerful MX-13 engine with 390 kW/530 hp.
At DAF’s International Dealer Meeting in Seville, ESA Trucks Polska was chosen as ‘DAF International Dealer of the Year 2018’. The dealer has been a leading performer in truck sales, parts and Financial Services, and also in relation to growth and customer satisfaction. Another Polish dealer, DBK from Olsztyn, was chosen as ‘PACCAR Parts Europe International Dealer of the Year’. Ford & Slater Ltd from Leicester (United Kingdom) was awarded the title of ‘PACCAR Financial Europe International Dealer of the Year’.
Girteka Logistics: 500 DAF XF
Girteka Logistics, one of Europe’s largest transport companies and with its headquarters in Vilnius, Lithuania, is expanding its fleet with the acquisition of 500 new DAF trucks. The decision was preceded by some extensive research. “In the end we opted for the XF because of its tremendous reliability, safety and fuel efficiency”, explains chairman Mindaugas Raila. Girteka Logistics – 4,400 tractors, 4,700 trailers, 9,000 drivers – also praises the driver comfort, the powerful new driveline and the service interval of up to 200,000 kilometres. DAF President Preston Feight: “The choice made by Girteka Logistics is a clear acknowledgement of the quality of our trucks.”
Marin Pavicic best DAF technician in Europe
The title of ‘DAF European Technician of the Year 2018’ has been won by Marin Pavicic (33), workshop manager of dealer Walter Aichwalder in Klagenfurt, Austria.
During the European final of the competition the eighteen finalists demonstrated their skills in a number of theoretical elements and practical cases, particularly in relation to engines and vehicle systems.
Marin Pavicic was completely surprised by his victory. “An unbelievable feeling”, he says. “The assignments and tests were very difficult and I was pretty nervous. I’m so proud to have won this award!” What does he think makes a good technician? “You have to challenge yourself every single day”, says Marin. “That’s how you learn and how you become a better professional.”
German media impressed by performance of New CF and XF
“Rekordfahrt!” In its June edition, the front page of the leading industry magazine Trucker left little to the imagination. The cover features the XF 480, which was tested by the magazine. Never before did a truck manage to cover the magazine’s challenging 359-kilometre test route so efficiently as this DAF did, coming in at just over 24 litres per 100 kilometres. The new XF also scored well on all other elements of the test, thereby earning itself the designation ‘Exzellent’.
Magazine Transport is also extremely enthusiastic about the new XF: “It has a very efficient and quiet driveline and features extra pulling power in the highest gear and an incredibly powerful engine brake. The driving comfort and living space it offers the driver are second to none.”
‘Piggy bank for the distribution sector’, ran the headline in DVZ. “DAF promised us that its new truck would be 7% more fuel-efficient. With the CF 450 we even managed 8%.” Fernfahrer is just as impressed as everyone else. “The CF does its work not only with the greatest of ease but also in near-perfect silence.”
Truck of the Year in Poland and Slovenia
Quality, comfort, innovation and fuel efficiency. These are the key characteristics that Polish transporters and truckers referred to in their decision to award the DAF XF the title of ‘Truck of the Year 2018’ in a vote organised by the leading magazine Polski Traker. Using the same parameters, the DAF CF and XF were also chosen by transporters, truckers and the truck media in Slovenia as their ‘Truck of the Year 2018’. The DAF CF and DAF XF had already been crowned ‘International Truck of the Year 2018’.
DAF Trucks - 90 years of innovative transport solutions
On 1 April 1928 Hub van Doorne set up a small construction workshop in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. From these very modest beginnings, DAF eventually developed into a leading global truck manufacturer with a firm focus on innovation, quality and transport efficiency.
The highly talented Hub van Doorne opened his small workshop in the corner of the local Coolen brewery in Eindhoven. His first jobs mostly involved welding and ironwork for the city of Eindhoven and for local businesses, such as the electrical goods manufacturer Philips.
The crisis in the 1930s inspired Hub van Doorne and his brother Wim to enlarge their range of services. In 1932 the workshop was expanded to include a trailer-making business. The name of the company was changed to Van Doorne’s Aanhangwagen Fabriek (trailer-making factory) or DAF for short.
The trailers produced at the factory were known for their ability to carry heavy loads thanks to the welded chassis. The welding technique used to make these trailers was a unique innovation at the time, one that resulted in significant weight reductions. Another unique invention was the DAF container trailer, which was developed for the speedy loading and unloading of railroad containers and was first introduced in 1936. This very early example of intermodal transport made DAF one of the first suppliers of container trailers in the world.
A new truck company is born
In 1949 the first DAF truck went into production and the company’s name was changed to Van Doorne’s Automobiel Fabriek. One year later
a special truck factory was built to facilitate the production of three-, five- and six-ton truck chassis. The company as we know it today was beginning to take shape.
Cabin defines the new standard The first DAF trucks left the factory in the late 40s and early 50s as a basic chassis with a temporary seat, an engine and a characteristic grill with seven chrome bars. The DAF chassis was then driven to an assembly plant where it was fitted with a customised, locally produced cabin. In 1951 DAF introduced its own cabin, complete with rounded edges and a slanted grill for improved aerodynamics. Driver comfort was improved thanks to the introduction of a suspended seat.
In the 1960s DAF improved driver comfort even further with the introduction of the first ever cabin designed specifically for international transport. The DAF 2600 had two beds and windows all around for a spacious feeling and an optimal view on the road. Power brakes and power steering eased the demanding job of the driver. The 2600 is now regarded as the first international transport truck ever produced. In 1968 DAF was one of the first truck manufacturers to introduce a tilting mechanism for the cabin, which made maintenance much easier.
With the introduction of the Space Cab concept in 1988, DAF reaffirmed its leading position as a truck manufacturer by focusing both on operational costs and on driver comfort. DAF’s innovative Space Cab quickly became the new standard for cabin size and comfort for international transport. Together with the even larger Super SpaceCab, which was introduced in 1994, DAF’s cabins continue to serve as the benchmark when it comes to driver comfort and space.
Innovative engine development
In the early days, DAF installed Hercules and Perkins petrol and diesel engines, but in 1957 the Eindhoven company designed and began manufacturing the first DAF-branded engines. Two years later, DAF improved the DD575 diesel engine by adding a turbo charger which was another ground-breaking achievement.
1973 Turbo intercooler
In 1973 DAF was the first to introduce turbo-intercooling. The technology was initially developed to meet the demand for higher engine outputs and lower fuel consumption, but also proved to be indispensable in realizing cleaner exhaust emissions. In the 1980s DAF launched ATi, Advanced Turbo Intercooling which provided further power and efficiency gains through a further refinement of injection technology and an optimised shape of the combustion chamber.
In 2005, DAF unveiled the PACCAR MX engine that is now installed in all of DAF’s heavy-duty trucks and over 40% of Kenworth and Peterbilt built trucks. The latest generation MX-13 and MX-11 engines feature extremely efficient down speeded engines, intelligent drive lines and efficient rear axles that result in high torque being available at impressively low engine speeds for unmatched fuel efficiency and the highest driver comfort. Together with advanced vehicle software algorithms, excellent aerodynamics and a new compact after-treatment system, these DAF innovations result in a fuel efficiency gain of an impressive 7%, the largest fuel efficiency gain in the history of the company.