SECTOR: Light truck GVW: 7.5 – 21.0-tonnes Engines: 4.5 and 6.7-litres Power range: 140 – 300hp

I know my place…

A world away from the flat-floored, long-hauling 600hp truck class, there’s a small army of nimble little trucks slogging away on parcel delivery and the like. Were they to be developed in isolation, they would probably still be primitive little vehicles, but they are the beneficiaries of the trickle-down technology that gets invested in larger trucks. It’s ironic, because the volumes lie at this lower end, but sadly the percentage of their cost that is represented by, say, an AMT (automated manual transmission) represents too big a proportion of the chassis price. Even so, such a device has now arrived in the type of truck where it will offer most benefit to the driver – the multi-drop 7.5-tonner. Yes it’s an option, but the six-speed ZF AMT is there. We can’t help feeling that continuing to specify a manual box on a truck that has to work as hard as this for a living may be a mistake. Control of over-revving and preservation of clutches should be justification enough.

Migration

Tony Pain, marketing director at DAF Trucks in the UK, tells us that there is a price to pay. He says: 'The increased costs of Euro 6 will have a continued effect on the 7.5 tonne market, I expect it to shrink by 10% as a direct result.'

The death of the 7.5-tonner has been over-reported for many years, but it continues to decline. Operators are choosing either to extract themselves from the onerous legislation surrounding licensing for vehicles over 3.5-tonnes GVW in Europe, drivers' hours and compliance by migrating south to a 3.5-tonne GVW van, or to boost productivity by going up to a 12-tonner. And the LF takes another 150kg weight penalty with the added after treatment equipment.

The drive

Despite these travails, this was one of the nicest trucks to drive in the CF and LF line-up. We drove what DAF called the "Royal Mail spec", which was clearly selling on price and keeping things as standard as possible. An LF150 with a five-speed manual box, and a simple engine brake switch on the steering wheel, was an almost welcome return to simplicity. DPA (driver performance assistant) does come as standard and the feedback on the dashboard display manages to be supportive, without being patronising. It is not part of a telematics package, DAF does not have its own, and so the individual driver’s performance percentages on anticipation, fuel economy and braking, can all be deleted at shift’s end. The cab’s exterior and interior have been completely revised to give it the new range "family" look, and it appeared quiet by light truck standards. DAF took 39.7% of the 7.4-7.5 tonne market in the UK last year. The firm's closest competitor was Iveco with 15.6%. If truck operators are trading up to 12 tonnes, it looks like they’re keeping the badge on the grill the same, as DAF has a dominant share of that sector too.

Uplift  

An integrated DAF "truckphone" that just requires a SIM card, daytime running lights and navigation (a boon for the multi-dropper), all help to give it an uplift from the outgoing model. Improved seats and redesigned steps also help with the dozens of daily moves in and out of this cab that the average driver will have to make.

Verdict:

The latest Daf LF is a good little truck. It gets plenty of cab and wheelbase options and some nice options in this class, which should ensure its continuing popularity.