50th Anniversary DAF XF – Grahame Stevens’s father, Cliff, started running his own lorry in 1969. Cliff worked for an animal feed company called Scats before heading out on his own. His first truck was an Albion Clydesdale four-wheel tipper with bulk blower, delivering animal feed to farms. He went on to a six-wheel Dodge, followed b an Atkinson Borderer with a 180 Gardner engine.
Then, in 1971, he bought an F86 and for many years Volvo became the brand of choice. Growing up, Grahame remembers the trucks well. “We had loads of Volvos and a 110 Scania too at one point. We also had a few ERFs and Seddon Atkinsons; we wanted to buy British but that wasn’t always the best option!” The company has been at its current site – at Grateley, near Andover, Hampshire – for more than 25 years. Four trucks are run on bulk, with 10 on contract for a national aggregates company – and aggregates are sold from the site too.
Its little DAF LF is in and out all day doing seven or eight and it’s proven to be a superb buy. To celebrate the eight jobs and it’s proven to be a company’s 50th superb buy. “We picked it up a year ago and it’s a lovely little truck. We fitted a side-opening body for carrying pallet of blocks or cement, which makes it very flexible. It’s a six-speed manual and it’s like a car to drive.
A pair of ERF E-series, bought new in 1990, have been immortalised on the rear of the DAF XI, which is of course built in Leyland. The 50th Anniversary DAF XF is a new marque for the tractor unit fleet, joining the LF 14-tonne tipper.
