Special delivery in Milsbeek: 36 new DAF trucks for the Emons Group’s fleet

This year, the Emons Group fleet will expand with 36 brand-new DAF trucks. The vehicles, XG models with an MX-13 DAF/Paccar engine, will be delivered in the first half of 2023.

If you are thinking of classic, standard trucks, however, forget about it. These ones are quite special.

All these trucks differ in highly dedicated pieces of equipment to suit the three branches of the Emons Group:

Despite these differences, our new DAF trucks share other special features which make them more advanced in terms of safety, efficiency, comfort, and beauty.

Let’s start with the engine. The high-quality standards that can be expected from a DAF/Paccar engine are a matter of fact. Moreover, technological developments and advancements in the production of these engines ensure efficiency and attention to the environment.

The new DAF/Paccar engines sport optimized combustion due to the use of new injectors, cylinders, and other improvements. This, together with lower vehicle weight and improved aerodynamics, brings these new trucks to reach up to 10% fuel efficiency.

Aerodynamics is another means of improving efficiency and decreasing CO2 emissions. Enhancing the overall smoothness of a vehicle’s shape, in fact, contributes to reducing its aerodynamic drag. Aerodynamic drag is a force that goes against the movement of an object through the air.

Think of side-view mirrors, for example. They stuck out offering their surface to the wind as the vehicle moves. The presence of this surface disrupts the flow of air which ends up forming a certain amount of turbulence just behind the mirror. This turbulence creates a force that drags the vehicle back in its movement. Of course, the force we are talking about is not perceivable. Nevertheless, it is there and contributes to increasing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Our new DAFs have cameras instead of side-view mirrors. Obviously, cameras stuck out of the truck shape as well, but they offer a much smaller surface to the wind. According to different studies, simulations, and tests conducted in wind tunnels, digital mirror systems can reduce aerodynamic drag and cut fuelconsumption by about 2% (Check one of the studies). It might not sound much, but when it comes to saving fuel and CO2 emissions every percentage counts.

However, the benefits of cameras as mirrors are not limited to aerodynamics and fuel efficiency. One significant advantage is the elimination of blind spots. Especially in the case of trucks, blind spots are really big hazards. With its wide-angle lenses, a camera provides a much larger visual field.

Moreover, the exposure, ISO level, and brightness of cameras can be adjusted to different situations. In the case of darkness, for example, cameras’ images are more detailed and free of distortions. Also, they give our trucks a much more beautiful and futuristic look!

Other aerodynamic-improving, fuel-saving, beauty-enhancing features are the full fenders. The primary purpose of a fender is to prevent mud, sand, or stones from being thrown around by the tires and damaging the truck or the trailer. Like the camera mirror system, however, they also contribute to fuel efficiency by offering a smoother surface to the air and preventing the formation of turbulence in the areas between the wheel and the wheel arch. Also, from an aesthetic point of view, they look quite cool!

Now, as for comfort, let’s check the trucks inside. In addition to usual features for comfortable driving like an automatic gearbox, and a predictive cruise control system, the new DAFs reach real excellence in the comfort of their cabins.

The cabin front is 160 mm longer and with a height of up to 2200 mm. In addition, they are equipped with swivelling seats and fully electrically adjustable beds.

Emons drivers will be able to move and rotate their seats to find the most comfortable position in the cabin during their moments of rest. They might want to seat and put their feet up on the bed while reading the newspaper or going through one of our e-learning courses on their smartphone. Well, with our new trucks, they can easily do it!

The same goes for the electric beds. Not everyone likes to sleep in the same position. Head or feet up, it will be no longer an issue. Our drivers will be able to adjust their beds in their favourite position and enjoy a good night’s rest.

Here at Emons, we are looking forward to welcoming these special trucks. They will surely increase the level of technology, efficiency, and beauty of our fleet, and will contribute to our focus on cost-efficiency, sustainability, and care for drivers.

They will give us the chance to offer our drivers an even more comfortable time during their working and resting hours on the trucks and to our customers an even more efficient and sustainable service.