First registration on May 2, captured on May 5. Truly brand spanking new, this DAF XD 410 FT tractor. And the truck maker’s XD-series, introduced in 2022, is also the latest entry on the European market for regional distribution vehicles. It’s a perfect fit between DAF’s light XB-series and the heavy-duty XF/XG/XG+ models.
The combination’s main job is delivering animal feed and building materials in residential areas and cities. Its payload capacity and load volume are clearly several steps ahead of the more ordinary, straight 4×2 delivery trucks.
This color can be best described as ‘Van Eijk Brothers Green’, distinctive and recognizable from a country mile. The company opted for a completely mirror-free XD cab, which means cameras outside and displays inside. One of the cameras is mounted on the right side, at the lower end of the windshield, it’s called DAF Corner View.
The tractor is powered by the 10.8 liter, MX-11 inline-six turbodiesel. As the model designation already indicates, its maximum power output is 410 DIN-hp.
A factory impression of the XD interior, here with the optional ‘Kerb View Window’ (quote DAF) in the right door, which is always combined with a foldable passenger seat.
Van Eijk took delivery of 20 units of these XD 4×2 tractors, an interesting order for the dealership for sure. They replaced the company’s DAF CF tractors, the XD-series’ predecessor.
And naturally, 4×2 delivery trucks are also part of their fleet, like this 2023 DAF XD 370 FA, rated at a GVW of 19.5 tonnes (42,990 lbs) – exactly the same gross weight rating as the tractor units.
The new DAF I caught at the show was coupled to a 2023 Van Hool City Trailer with curtainsides and a Dhollandia cantilever liftgate.
The registered overall length of the tandem axle semi-trailer is 11.50 m (37’9”), its payload capacity is 24,720 kg (54,498 lbs).
Needless to mention, the Van Hool City Trailer comes with a counter-steering rearmost axle, so I just post a picture. And evidently, the chassis is fully galvanized.
On a sad note: early April 2024, Belgium-based Van Hool went bankrupt. The bus and coach division goes to the Dutch VDL Group, whereas the trailer division will most likely end up in the hands of Schmitz CargoBull from Germany.
Let’s end with a more cheerful note though: this year, DAF is celebrating its 75th anniversary as a truck manufacturer (note that the history of the Van Doorne business goes back to 1928) and 2023 was a record-breaking year with a total of almost 70,000 units sold in Europe and elsewhere.
Few weeks ago someone mentioned the Mansfield bar for tailer rear end safety. The one shown here indicates the European trucks don’t have much different from US trailer. Before that I was under impression that European tailor requires much stronger Mansfield bar.
“The combination’s main job is delivering animal feed and building materials in residential areas”
Blimey, times are tougher than I knew, I mean, residents eating that stuff?
But that idiocy shared, I really like what appears to be the first new cabover design style I’ve seen in a while. A lot of it might be tricks of blackouts, but the sloping side window and the (I think?) much deeper windscreen are real. Very nice. (Got to admit the color just makes me check my breath, but I digress, and besides, anyone need a mint?).
70,000 trucks! Really, just from DAF? It’s remarkable, but then, I forget the whole of the Eurozone area is, in money terms anyway, at least as big as the US’.
DAF has production facilities in the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Brazil, Australia and Taiwan. Outside North America, they represent the PACCAR clan; 70,000 is the global number.
Looks like something sharp is poking pretty hard against that trailer side curtain.
I didn’t know that Van Hool declared bankruptcy. Van Hool tour buses are very common here in the US – and actually I never knew that the company had a trailer division as well.
A specialism of Van Hool is (was) building these dedicated bulk-/tank shipping container carriers. They also built the bulk-/tank containers, BTW.
Although I live in an area with quite a few tourists, and hence tour buses, the numbers of this type of bus skyrocketed about 15 years ago as the big tech companies started providing free bus service to employees who lived far from the office. And many of these are Van Hool. Though Google is just one of the companies that provides them they were one of the first and they are commonly referred to as “Google buses”. I guess we’ll be seeing more Marcopolo’s and Prevost/Volvo’s.
Or VDL’s, the company that bought Van Hool’s bus and coach remains. Powered by MX-11 and MX-13 engines, just like DAFs, Kenworths and Peterbilts.
I don’t think VDL is sold in the US, at least not under that name. So acquiring Van Hool may give them an established footprint here.
To my surprise, VDL (Van der Leegte) is already present in North America, though not with their buses/coaches.
https://www.vdlusa.com/en
Great looking rig! Love the very distinctive brand colour, as well. We have a local petroleum company, here in Eastern Ontario, with an equally memorable corporate colour.
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…and a PACCAR tractor too!
Weird, Van Hool really took a huge bite out of both the coach and transit markets in the U.S. over the past number of years, going from being a complete unknown to the point that they built a factory on this side of the pond. I wonder if the bankruptcy is the result of over-aggressive expansion.
Serious ‘family issues’ that can be traced back to 1974, the year that founder Bernard van Hool died. The real reasons behind Van Hool’s downfall. All the (many) family members did was arguing for years at a stretch, with Bernard’s last will as the starting point.
Nice truck, we have these lower power DAFs around the country, they are mostly car transporters, cars are light loads, you never see a high productivity H plate on a 410 NZ isnt flat even 510hp DAFs struggle at 50 tonnes or more, but really nice trucks to drive especially roadranger equipped.
I am fascinated by the cameras that are replacing mirrors. I have not experienced those yet, and am still trying to figure out whether they are an improvement or an expensive and complicated way to do a simple task.
The experience of a brand new truck would be cool. I am close today, in an International with a mere 122k on the odometer.
Trucks are getting more and more digitalized and ‘connected’, just like anything else in the world. Can’t stop progress and safety regulations that are only getting stricter and stricter.
Take that Corner View system, for example. There is no mirror in the world that can improve the view when turning right in a crowded world full of cyclists, pedestrians, scooter riders, parked cars, street furniture, etc.etc.
Then there’s the aerodynamic aspect and the fact that there are no huge blind spots behind those old-school elephant ears, simply because they aren’t there anymore. The visibility from that XD cab, from a driver’s POV, is about as good as it gets (to today’s standards).