DAF Trucks for Sale (1305)

To write the full name on anything – even something this large would be too much. the DAF name originates from the Dutch company ‘Van Doorne’s Aanhangwagen Fabriek’ and it was actually a company making trailers! The Van Doorne part of the name belonged to two brothers who started the business and the ‘Aanhangwagen Fabriek’ part simply means trailer factory.

As part of the PACCAR group which also owns Peterbilt, DAF use the parent company-branded PACCAR engines. In previous years, DAF trucks were fitted with Cummins engines, but these have all been replaced with PACCAR branding from the 4-litre PX-4 to the 7-litre PX-7, 11-litre MX-11 and largest 13-litre MX-13 with a top power output of 530HP.

The smallest truck in the DAF range is the LF. This is available as a day cab with an interior width of just 1850mm and depth of 1603mm. the lightest version sold in the UK is with a gross vehicle weight of 7.5 tonnes. If you are looking for a smaller vehicle, then you should consider an alternative manufacturer.

Since its recent launch in 2021, the DAF XG+ is the largest truck made by the company. The cab is, in fact, still the largest of any truck manufacturer two years after its launch. This is because it is the first (and only so far) cab to be designed according to revised legislation that allows for a longer overall length if truck and trailer combination if the extra length is used to improve the aerodynamic nature of the truck. The maximum gross vehicle weight for a standard DAF XG+ is 44 tonnes when used as a 6×2 tractor unit and tri-axe trailer in the UK. This will increase as heavy haulage models become available.

All right-hand drive DAF trucks are assembled for the UK market at the Leyland Trucks factory in Lancashire, UK. As with the whole automotive industry, that does not mean to say that teh complete trucks are manufactured there. Parts and components are brought in from across Europe, including the cabs taht are made in a factory in Belgium or France. It does mean that the UK does still have a site where trucks are made!

DAF is owned by American Fortune 200 corporation, PACCAR. They sell plenty of trucks under their other brands worldwide as well, including Kenworth and Peterbilt. This is a company that has NEVER made a loss in 80 year trading history and has brought DAF back from near extinction in the late 1990’s to become a European truck manufacturing powerhouse.

DAF Trucks have been UK market leaders for more than 20 years now with their truck range selling well across the board, from the 7.5 tonne DAF LF to the 44 tonne XF and XG models. The trucks are sold through a network of private dealers (as opposed to DAF owning its own dealerships.)

The most important part of the mix is the truck itself. DAF spend their R&D money wisely – they have not thrown money away on developing brand new cabs – they are essentially just square boxes. The 2019 XF cab, for example originates back in 1987! What they do is work on realistic improvements to their driveline and aerodynamics. They are rarely first to market with a brand-new invention, but when they bring new technology on board, operators can be confident that it will work. Most recently, however, DAF have bucked their own trend by being the first to market with their new XG cabs. The company is the first manufacturer to take advantage of revised EU dimensions on truck design and, as a result, now has the largest cabs available in the market.