Suckling recommends vehicle procurement review, following revealing study 05 May 2011

JW Suckling Transport fleet engineer Dan Bauckham says other fleet engineers might be surprised if they review their vehicle procurement decisions more frequently.

Following several months of competitive truck analysis, he has just taken delivery of 11 MAN TGS 440 tractor units for Suckling's 44 tonne fuel delivery fleet – and ordered a further three for the autumn – despite having been a firm believer in DAFs.

Bauckham says it was a marathon exercise, but worth it. "Until recently, the vast majority of our fleet are still DAFs, but over recent years we've been buying more MAN tractors, mainly because they were supported by MAN's specialist ADR pet regs workshops in regions where DAF couldn't help us. MAN inherited the old ERF infrastructure so their network is very strong."

However, when planning for this year's replacement trucks, Bauckham decided to start for scratch by looking at other manufactures, including Volvo, DAF, MAN, Mercedes and Scania – those with some strength in ADR that could offer trucks capable of running double shifts over five years.

For him, that meant initially scoring everything from purchase price to fuel efficiency and full life costs, including R&M and the ADR workshops infrastructure.

He says this process confirmed DAF and MAN were most suitable for Suckling's ADR operation, which then led to the second phase of his in-depth study.

Bauckham cites several key costing issues: "EGR [exhaust gas recirculation] versus SCR [selective catalytic reduction] was one big issue. Our data showed that the average annual cost of the DAF with SCR was £1,168 more than a MAN with EGR – making certain assumptions from Euro 4 engines."

Next he raises tare weight, which is crucial for fuel haulage. The MAN tractor with a day cab, lightweight chassis, light lift axle and ADR equipment came in at almost 5% lighter the DAF equivalent – largely due to the SCR equipment and tank on the DAF, he says. Marrying those to the trailer gives an extra available combination payload of 1.2% for the MAN.

Finally, MAN's national network of pet reg workshops sealed the deal. As Bauckham says, this gives Suckling the best support and flexibility.

As for the road tankers, Bauckham explains that Suckling currently favours British built Lakeland Innovators, compared to foreign suppliers – based on price, quality and the proximity of the firm's Birmingham factory.

Lakeland's latest trailers look standard in some respects – BPW axle, with Eco Plus 2 hub system and disk brakes, Knorr-Bremse EBS, Emco Wheaton discharge equipment etc – but he also cites ongoing improvements that promise further tare weight reductions, as well as aerodynamic enhancements to improve fuel efficiency.

"All tankers are elliptical but then there's the square profile valence on top that houses the vapour recovery combing and provides rollover protection for the lids. That's like a brick wall, which is why we're opting for Lakeland's new chamfer design to help air flow across the trailer.

"We're also investigating the possibility of fitting wind defectors in front of the side guards and landing legs to provide better curvature, with Lakeland, as well as aerodynamic improvements to the rear of the barrel. All of this is with a view to producing the lightest, most fuel efficient road tanker."

Author
Brian Tinham

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