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Following on from the success of last spring's 1,000-Point Test

with flagship tractors (The grande exam', CM 29 May), we thought it was time we got back down to earth and tested trucks that would normally be seen in big fleets or belonging to a cost-conscious owner-driver.

Like last time, four trucks turned up to be scrutinised to the last detail This time, however, lveco decided to enjoy a Cappuccino in Naples rather than cruise Germany's HunsKick region, so Daf came instead.

To everyone's surprise, theirs was a truck that had been around for a few years — although before you panic, the AS-Tronic automated gearbox was running on the latest software, much to the testers' delight.

Competing with Oaf were MAN, MercedesBenz and Scania All the trucks were specced with between 440 and 460hp and had to be supplied with automated gearboxes.

Daf and MAN decided to delight the photographers once more with some flashy yellows, while Scania sported a bright red that grew on us. The Mercedes, true to its brand, was sprayed in a classy dal* red.

The specified test route in the Hunsruck in Germany was 155km; five runs were made in each truck, with the worst one being discounted.

Rather than the truck and trailer combination being specified at a certain weight, the four different trailers were merely swapped after each run — making it an even playing field and avoided any advantage from a slightly lighter or more aerodynamic trailer.

The days before tackling the test route were spent taking the interior measurements, assessing the visibility and so on, which gave our test drivers a chance to familiarise themselves with the trucks. Even with 1,000 points up for grabs, it can happen that no one takes fourth place. Oaf and MAN managed to rack up an even 830 points each — and as we are focusing on the trucks in alphabetical order. the Oaf has the honour of appearing first in third place.

The tables show that each truck managed to win at least one category — in the Oaf's case, 'driveline and performance'.

As we mentioned in the introduction, the truck itself is not exactly new, but does have a newly programmed AS-Tronic gearbox. The most frequently heard comment throughout the test was how much the automated gearchanges had improved.

It also scored near-maximum points on its overall average speed, as well as outperforming the competition significantly on uphill pulling power. This was noted by the Oaf's test drivers, who made up serious ground on the other contestants — all the trucks had started at threeminute intervals.

Cab interior

So, with such excellent results, what let the Daf down? The outdated interior did not help its cause; things such as comfort tended to let it down.

Looking around the cab, it has a tidy, functional dash layout, but lost valuable points on ergonomics, with the heating switches placed too low.

It got a major thumbs-up, however, for its pull-out fridge, and the slide-out compartment next to it. which held the overnight bag with ease.

But not all the compartments were quite up to scratch. The measuring device was a standard-size water container, which did not fit.

Its bunk arrangement is good, with little pockets provided behind the head of the bunk for items such as watches and spectacles.

Summing up, despite coming joint third, the Oaf showed itself to be a worthy truck. It has great performance, which helped it cruise over the filly test route with ease. If the Dutch manufacturer added a few more nice touches to the interior, changed the positioning of a few switches and lowered the in-cab noise level, the Oaf would certainly be a contender for the top spot. Once again, MAN will have to settle for third place. At this point, it is worth mentioning that if Daf and MAN had brought along a hybrid of their two trucks, they may well have won, Where the MAN excelled, the Daf disappointed, and vice-versa.

As mentioned, each truck won at least one category in the MANS case, it was the 'cab'. While it did not excel in any of the individual cab criteria, it scored consistently well across the board.

The finish in the MAN has a modern and tidy feel, and a range of materials are used to give the cab something lacking from the others.

But the MAN can be criticised for exactly the same reasons we did so in the previous test. The gear selector dial is on the floor next to the driver, taking up valuable floor space, and the fridge inconveniently sticks out of the bottom of the bunk, also infringing on the floor space. Due to this arrangement, there is not much room inside the cab for the overnight bag.

Apart from these criticisms. the MAN's interior scrubs up pretty well.

Fuel consumption

The MAN lost out in the driveline and performance' category, as well as on fuel consumption. It did not have the pulling power of the Daf, partly because its smaller 10-litre lump only packed 440hp rather than 460hp. And although its performance was similar to the Merc's and the Scania's, it used more fuel than either of them. Before starting the test we did discuss the fact that MAN had turned up with a Euro-4 truck (and an advantage), although our conversation quickly came to a halt once we realised it did not have the lower fuel consumption that was expected.

The MAN provides a nice ride: its goarchanges are smooth, the cab doesn't let in much noise, and the ride itself has a nice level of firmness, With perhaps a bit more grunt and a slightly more fuel-efficient engine, it would have placed higher in the rankings. However, one niggle has to be mentioned — the mirrors might look good from the outside, but the (lateral) blind spot created by them is massive.

Changing this would give MAN some brownie points. So we come to our winner the Mercedes-Benz. But without detracting from its victory, it should be noted that only six points separated the four contestants.

The Merc's biggest strength was its fuel consumption, where it beat every other truck hands-down. In the 'driving and 'driveline and performance' categories, its scores were closer to those of the MAN and Scania than the Oat.

The venerable V6 engine lacks a little bit of grunt, though the main criticism was directed at its PowerShift gearbox. While it obviously did its job properly, le shifted in the most fuel-efficient manner, it did not add any bonus points to the driveability.

Going up steep hills on the handling track, we noted that the transmission would shift up two gears before realising that this was too far before shifting back down one. Heading up a steep hill slowly, this causes the cab to wobble around a fair bit.

Roll with it

This brings us to our next criticism of the Mercedes. The cab rolled around corners significantly more than its competitors, somewhat reducing the feel of the road.

This highly suspended cab did have its positives, however, as the engine vibrations were suppressed nicely.

The Mere also scored well in the 'cab' category itself, coming in second just behind the MAN. It is as you would expect from a Mercedes-Benz smart, subtle, made with high-quality materials, and net over the top.

As with MAN is placement of the gear selector, the testers were still unhappy with Mercedes' joystick-type gear selector on the armrest. The consensus is that if anything is automated, a simple button or dial on the dash will do.

Any drivers approaching the 6f-t mark may not be too keen on the MerdS engine hump height, as it restricts the interior height somewhat.

The Actros beat the competition by just a few points, but it could have done so by a few more had it given its engine a bit more squirt, reprogrammed the gearbox slightly and stiffened up the ride. Still, it's a worthy winner. Although it didn't quite reach the heady heights of first place like it did in our flagship tractor test earlier in the year, Scania scored a very respectable second thanks to a quality it is always boasting about its driveablity.

The driving section of the test includes characteristics such as comfort, handling and gearchanging.

But before we get too far into the positives, it must be said there is a debate about Scania's continuing use of a dutch pedal on an automated truck.

The company's representative said it is still in place because drivers prefer the feeling of control it gives them when, for instance, reversing up to a loading bay. However, almost all of our test drivers disagreed with this.

Clutch pedal aside, the Scalia impressed with a new dash, which looked very tidy and was a pleasant change to the previous one. It was also sporting its new overhead lockers, which unlike the previous models can be closed.

The R440 showed some novel interior features, but not all of the designs that Scania displayed at this year's IAA Show in Hannover; one such omission was a small shelf over the bunk by the driver's head. This, along with the fact the seats still have to be moved forward to accommodate the entire width of the bottom bunk, gave it some minus points.

So now we move on to one of the most important factors of our 1,000 Point Test —fuel consumption, in which the Scania came third.

The fuel efficient set-up did, however, harm Its score in the 'drive line and performance' section of the test, with such things as uphill speed and gradient in top gear tending to suffer.

A different reanaxle ratio would have solved this problem, though of course the fuel characteristics would have been different again From a driver's point of view, the Scaniafs steering wheel was very much liked due to its great adjustability it can be positioned just like a car's.

Overall. the R range Scania remains a dryer's truck. But, perhaps without its continued use of a clutch pedal and with a bit more thought put Into the interior, Scania could have won the day,