A bare-knuckle truck, acquired by the current owner when it was nine years old. Apart from the company name and some personal touches by the driver, nothing was changed after the purchase.
With its grab crane, hooklift hoist, and 8×4 drivetrain, the 408 DIN-hp DAF is a true all-rounder. The truck is rated at a legal maximum gross weight of 34 tonnes (74,950 lbs). And that’s certainly not a case of Yuppie-fication on the rooftop. No Pabst Blue Ribbon for this guy, apparently.
Steely all the way. Planetary drive axles, leaf springs, and eight torque rods (two of them are partly visible in the picture). The driver brings his own shovel, broom, and rake for adding the finishing touches when necessary. Or as they say here, putting the li’l dots on the i.
Across the board, truck manufacturers typically rate such a tandem at a total axle weight of 26 tonnes (57,320 lbs). Tandem drive axles are never used on dedicated on-highway rollers in Europe, regardless the type of suspension or axles. They’re strictly for heavy-duty applications, weight- and/or terrain-wise.
The Palfinger Epsilon crane with its work platform and outriggers is sitting comfortably between the CF-series’ day cab and the hooklift hoist.
At work in the woods, as posted on the owner’s website. The Van Donkersgoed family business specializes in agricultural and infrastructure contracting and earthmoving. This year, they’re celibrating their 100th anniversary.
The company’s trucking fleet. All vehicles were bought used, no repaint jobs afterwards to create uniformity. On the left a 2015 DAF XF 510 FAS Space Cab 6×2 truck with a hooklift hoist, on the right a 2014 DAF XF 460 FTG Super Space Cab 6×2/4 tractor, towing a 1999 GS tri-axle end dump semi-trailer.
(photo courtesy of Arie van Duijn Fotografie)
The CF’s first owner was the Van Leeuwen recycling company. A brute of a rig, with that full trailer and the tall containers. Excellent picture, by the way.
Around one-third of all heavy road transport vehicles sold in the Netherlands is a DAF. Consequently, a used DAF truck or tractor that will meet all your demands is always within reach.
Beautiful strong boys.
I’d take the burgundy CF one for me. Never get tired of seeing these trucks, both old and new.
Bibendum (Michelin) on the roof, but Bridgestones on the rims. Hmmm …
Right, yet there has never been a causal relationship between Michelin Men on the roof (or sitting anywhere else) and the manufacturer of the vehicle’s tires. The little fellows ride along as mascots, regardless.
Thanks for the cutaway of the drives, seems like a lot of extra work to pull the planetary to get the hubs off and on, I hope they are at least outboard drums!
As always, I enjoy reading about these European trucks. In addition, this could be a useful vehicle to remove unwanted neighbors from the neighborhood. Yours in mirth (and my girth), Tom
Nice trucks I like DAF 8 wheelers to drive smooth quiet and comfortable the CFs we had on milk byproducts came via Australia where the took the ZF manuals out and installed 18speed Road Rangers, They all had the 510hp engines and only pulled 8 wheel full trailers@44 tonnes, Yes they can legally gross 60T you will be range shifting going up steep grades with a 5 axle trailer,
Never saw any with single drive and a lazy, tandem drive is industry standard and they come with discs all round no drum brakes, OK I get that the Netherlands is flat, but drum brakes as your last line of defence is not very inspiring.
It’s a classic drawing of a 26 tonnes DAF tandem with leaf springs and planetary drive axles. Indeed, disc brakes are the norm these days.
Truckers who drive to and in Scandinavia (Sweden, mostly) usually have a 6×2 tractor. The classic set-up, so with a liftable tag axle and dual tires. Actually, that set-up was invented up north. Many, many moons ago (as in the pre-air suspension era).
When things get slippery -commonplace in Scandinavia- you slightly raise the tag axle, thus getting better traction from the drive axle.
These days, 6×4 and 8×4 chassis with a liftable rearmost drive axle are also available. Offered by Volvo, Scania, and Sisu from Finland. Yes, those Scandinavians, once again. No one in the world can teach them anything about buidling utterly heavy-duty, high-quality powerhouses.
Why has a day cab got frilly curtains in it? Honestly, today’s truck drivers are an embarrassment to those came before.
Because the crocheted curtains were sold out.
I get a kick out of seeing those doilies in trucks, and who knows they are probably good luck charms from loved ones. They’re like a Dutch version of Dekatorah, Dutchatorah? Besides with all that extra torque from those planetary drive axles nobody’s going to push him around.