Southpac Trucks is showcasing its new DAF Euro 6 XF and CF models to customers with the first major shipment only weeks away.
The company, which is the New Zealand distributor for Kenworth and DAF, has just finished a country-wide roadshow displaying the new range.
The first event took place in Auckland on February 17 and finished in Invercargill on February 26.
Southpac general sales manager Richard Smart says up to 40 pre-orders have already been made and some customers have been waiting a few years for the new models.
“This is the first time we’ve really shown the product to customers,” he says.
“So, we’re going all the way north to south to show our existing customers, and hopefully a few new ones, what the range is like.
“Our New Zealand stock starts arriving in the next few weeks, so we’ll be able to fulfil those orders,” Smart says.
Three trial units have already been running in the South Island since February last year.
Southpac has also teamed up with TR MasterDrive which will have a team of 18 driver trainers ready to take operators through their paces when the trucks land.
The XF and CF feature the MX-13 engine which delivers around 10% in fuel saving with the highest range delivering up to 390kW (530hp) and 2600Nm of torque.
The driveline offers a range of power ratings and the trucks can now cruise with low engine revs at 900rpm for highest efficiency.
The models are TraXon 12 or 16-speed automated transmission with EcoRoll contributing to fuel saving.
Safety features include adaptive cruise control, collision warning, emergency braking, lane departure warning, stability control, tyre pressure monitoring, battery monitoring and protective cab suspension and construction.
Southpac and TR Master Drive staff recently visited the Netherlands, the home of DAF, to undergo intensive instruction to become Euro 6 driver trainers.
Smart says the new product “is a completely different truck to the current Euro 5, not just a face lift – in fact the only thing that hasn’t changed are the wheels and tyres”, he says.
“The organisation needed a way to ensure all the new E6 DAF owners get the best out of the truck, maximising on the fuel savings but also understanding all the new driver aides.
“We looked at employing someone but decided, we simply would not be able to engage all our clients to give them enough time.
“After researching the market, we quickly realised that nobody else could deliver this on a national basis other than TR MasterDrive, with their network of 18 training specialists at 12 locations,” Smart says.
TR MasterDrive strategic development general manager Neil Bretherton says the team was “delighted to come on board”.
“TR Master Drive is really excited to support Southpac in delivering introductory training to new DAF products.
“We recently sent two of our specialist driver trainers to Holland to be upskilled by DAF factory trainers.
“The team were incredibly impressed by the new trucks and eager to show Southpac’s customers how to get optimal experience driving them.
“Working with Southpac fits perfectly with TR Master Drive services’ desire to lead in the heavy vehicle training space and TR Group’s goal to support our customers and the industry to operate fleet more safely, efficiently and profitably,” Bretherton says.
The training in the Netherlands and Germany consisted of all on-road fully loaded Euro 6 products, at times on single lane roads on the wrong side of the road, fine tuning driving styles, focusing on fuel savings and setting up the truck to individual driver preferences.
Each new Euro 6 DAF will come with free training for two drivers of six to eight hours each, leaving the drivers with a Safe and Fuel-Efficient Driving qualification, endorsed by the NZ Transport Agency.
