I caught this bright yellow and red Big Toy at the 2017 DAF Museum Days. Last year its owner ordered 15 of these, plus another 10 Mercedes-Benz 8×4 trucks. Yes, the economy is thriving again…
The CF is DAF’s mid-size model, this recent Euro 6 (emission standards) model with the day cab is powered by the 10.8 liter MX-11 engine. Its maximum power output is 435 DIN-hp.
Throughout Europe an 8×4 is the most common chassis type in this line of business, although concrete mixer trucks with five axles (so 10×4 chassis) are also widely used in the Netherlands.
The legal maximum axle loads of Jansen’s mixer truck, from front to back: 10,000 kg – 10,000 kg – 9,500 kg – 9,500 kg. That adds up to a maximum GVM of 39,000 kg (85,980 lbs).
Here’s the heavy-duty rear tandem. The reason that it may carry less weight than the front steering axles is the shorter axle spacing. The steering axles are considered as two separate axles, unlike the rear drive axles. Note that DAF rates this pair at 26,000 kg, so there’s an ample “safety margin”…
A wide-spread tandem setup, often done by specialists like Ginaf, increases the legal maximum rear axle loads substantially.
Super singles on the front axles. Standard size tires simply won’t do with such axle loads.
The Italian IMER Group built the complete concrete mixer unit. The drum’s maximum capacity is 11 cubic meters, that’s 14.4 cubic yards. Now pour it on!
That’s one cheerful-looking truck, and quite the parking job. The driver didn’t waste a fraction of an inch in back.
Dear Johannes, Thanks for sharing this information and the photographs. In the U.S. we rarely see such a setup. Load laws vary from state to state and from nation to nation. Thus, that which is required in The Netherlands is not required here. Dual front steering axles are not common here and I cannot recall seeing them on a concrete mixer truck. Typically here the front axle is rated at 20,000 pounds with appropriate tires usually at 18,800 pounds and the rear axles are 52,000 pounds to 56,000 pounds in rating. Up until the 1980’s, many of these concrete mixers ran big-bore Diesel engines with only 240 horsepower. The torque on those engines would be over 900 lb-ft. So, it was the torque that was critical because the vehicles are geared for no more than 48 MPH, which is to prevent some driver from thinking that he has a sports car under his command. We do use wider-spread tandem axles in The U.S. for specific load situations. In my my days selling trucks, I would set up more than the customary axle spacing to accommodate differing load distribution needs including on heavy-hauler tractors. This DAF is one cool looking truck. Love it and thanks again for this write-up.
Thanks Thomas, glad you liked it. More will folow in the foreseeable future, including 2 other A. Jansen rigs.
I looked up the specs of the 435 hp version of the DAF-PACCAR MX-11 engine. Its maximum torque output is 2,100 Nm / 1,549 ft-lb @ 1,000 – 1,450 rpm.
Note that these engines are also offered in Kenworths and Peterbilts. The biggest own engine of the PACCAR company is the 12.9 liter MX-13.
The absolute Kings Of Torque in Europe are the Swedes (Volvo and Scania), think around 2,580 ft-lb from their 16+ liter engines (Volvo inline-6 and Scania V8).
Oregon has quite restrictive axle weight limits, so I’m seeing more and more concrete and dump trucks with multiple booster axles. I saw a dump truck the other day with three booster axles between the front axle and the rear dual axles. I’ve seen concrete trucks like this one with that as well as another axle in the back, that is raised when unloading or empty.
That’s a big one, and a great color scheme to boot.
The largest and heaviest straight truck-concrete mixers here, and I think of the rest of Europe too, is something like the Ginaf 10×4 below. The drum’s maximum capacity is 14 cubic meters / 18.3 cubic yards. Bigger drums are available, but then they’re mounted on a semi-trailer chassis.
Thats the model I currently drive a CF 8×4 but with the 510 hp Paccar engine and 18 speed roadranger manual towing a four axle trailer configured to carry milk on factory transfers its a six truck/trailer fleet all 2016/17 models, very nice trucks to drive with great pulling power on hills, flat torque curve between 1100 rpm and max of 1900 ft lbs at 1400 rpm and with very quiet proper jacob engine braking rated at 450 hp at 1900 rpm. The option of Opticruise automatic transmission is available but at $20,000 replacement cost when a roadranger is $9k it isnt worth the risk the autos are considered weak here and fail regularly in off highway situations, we are totally on highway running but manual is preferable cost wise and I prefer them anyway.
My tanker unloading cream last night.
Nice rig. I just visited a website of an NZ DAF dealership. The CF you guys get is the previous Euro 5 model. The Euro 6 model (as in the article) was introduced in 2013, it got an update earlier this year. Below the current model.
Can’t say I’ve seen many triple lifts around here. Singles are very common and doubles are certainly seen frequently. Besides the reduced complexity and expense of this set up it allows better on site traction and maneuverability. Once you pull off the road you lift them and you increase the traction of the tandem drive tires and steering axle by putting more weight on them. You also eliminate fighting the scrub of those tires whether or not they are self steer.
Fantastic post as usual Johannes. I look forward more to reading about the bigger stuff on CC and you always deliver.
Question about axle spacing, what governs distance between them and the corresponding allowed weight? Just a matter of “greater than x mm = x kg”? The closest thing to a standard we have in the US is the Federal Bridge Formula, though many states have exemptions for specific vocations, almost always including concrete mixers.
Canada likes to spread their drive axles too. I shudder to think of the tire wear and suspension stresses.
At least 180 cm axle spacing.
Below an example, a Ginaf 8×2 truck with a wide-spread rear tandem. Legal maximum GVM = 41,500 kg (91,492 lbs). From front to back: 10,000 kg – 10,000 kg – 11,500 kg (the drive axle) – 10,000 kg.
Note that it has 3 steering axles (1,2 and 4).
This is what we see around here the most… they’re pouring the floor in my machine shed (the one that got ripped up by a tornado in 2013). They had to shovel out a few inches of the sand/gravel base to have enough vertical clearance to back into the shed.
And my favorite concrete truck photo, taken by my Dad at his next-door-neighbor’s home in Georgia. Apparently the Georgia red clay was a little soft yet…
Thanks for the information, Johannes and to all of you truck lovers for your data. That Mack on its side is what is known as “An oh, shit!” moment. And that stuff happens.