The first two have entered service, and are equipped with PPG insulated bodies and Edbro tipping gear.
Driver acceptance has been extremely positive, with individuals reporting a significance improvement in direct vision, an upgrade in vehicle specification and with a marked improvement in comfort in the XDC Sleeper Cab.
The new 11-litre, 450bhp DAF eight-wheelers – with DAF’s double-drive ‘FAD’ rear bogie – boost Holbrook’s fleet to over 120 vehicles, with the market-leading DAF marque accounting for 70% of the total. The extremely robust construction-spec DAF XDC trucks are added as Holbrook wins business to supply aggregates to Aggregate Industries for the Sizewell C project and to Associated Asphalt for major new developments at Heathrow Airport
Trucks were supplied by the local DAF Dealer in Norwich, Ford & Slater, with whom Holbrook has enjoyed an excellent relationship for over many decades. Holbrook acquired its first DAF CF 8x4 tippers in 2003; the company says a number of which are in ‘semi-retirement’ yet remain in service. Regular repair and maintenance are carried out at Holbrook’s wholly-owned Attleborough Service Centre company.
Trucks were supplied by the local DAF Dealer in Norwich, Ford & Slater, with whom Holbrook has enjoyed an excellent relationship for over many decades. Holbrook acquired its first DAF CF 8x4 tippers in 2003; the company says a number of which are in ‘semi-retirement’ yet remain in service. Regular repair and maintenance are carried out at Holbrook’s wholly-owned Attleborough Service Centre company.
The 8x4 XDC tippers join recently acquired New Generation DAF XF 6x2 tractor units and a flagship XG+ tractor unit. In 2020, the company was also the UK’s first recipient of six CF 410 rear-steer 8x4 ‘FAW’ sleeper-cabbed trucks.
“I’m thrilled with the reaction from our drivers,” said Managing Director, Rory Holbrook, “they’re over the moon with them, in fact. Drivers tell me the XDC is a significant upgrade on previous CF models, with much better visibility, better driving characteristics and far more comfort in the Sleeper Cab. I’m looking forward to an uptick in productivity, too.”
He went on, “We remain very loyal to the DAF brand because they build outstanding trucks and, arguably more importantly, because of the service support. Back-up from DAF and from Ford & Slater,” he said, “is first rate and ultra-reliable.”
He added, “We’ve always had DAF embedded in our fleet, and I go back a long way with the brand. I had a Leyland Constructor before DAF even had an established presence in the UK!”
Now in its 35th year in business, Rory J. Holbrook is based in East Harling in Norfolk with rail-head operations in nearby Norwich and in Brandon, Suffolk, plus a substantial 10-acre recycling centre in Lakenheath, Suffolk.