DRIVERS' VERDICTS
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Having completed the test route we we headed for BP's Swindon truckstop and invited some regular drivers to take the MAN for a spin...
Stewart Foster from Sheffield had just stepped down from the cab of his Leyland Daf 95-360 tractive unit when we asked him to tell us what he thought of the MAN 18.264F 17-tonner. "I don't get to drive many 17-tonners," he said. "I've driven most things but never a MAN. I like the way the dashboard is laid out; the black background on the gauges makes the white figures stand out clearly. The brake pedal seems a bit deep," he said as he slowed to join the main road. Accelerating up to speed he commented: "The gears drop in quite easily.. .it would not take long to get used to this box. The engine is powerful—it's up to speed in no time—and the cruise control on the column stalk is handy. There's a bit of wind noise but not enough to worry me. As a day cab it's a bit limited on stowage but you wouldn't expect much more. The seat is comfortable but we're at the same height as the signs which can mean you get your view blocked occasionally." As we backed into our parking slot he said: "It's easy to reverse. The mirrors are good. It's a nice looking cab and you don't need to tilt it to check oil and water levels."
The Scania 94 220 Dave Piper drives for Sankey Vending of Wolverhampton is just a few weeks old so he was able to compare one new truck against another. Initially he didn't like the gearbox but by the time we had covered the short route he told us it was much better than he had first thought. "The brakes are all right," he added. "I like having cruise control and the engine pulls very well if, as you say, it's fully loaded. The roof hatch is ideal for this weather. The steering is light. The quarterlight strip in the door is quite thick and creates a bit of a blind spot and the trim is a bit tacky. It's not as good as the Scania's. Having vents in the doors is quite good, though: it must stop the windows from misting up. The back of my seat curls round the sides a bit more so it gives more support. It's got a good lock," he said, as he manoeuvred to park up. "I don't think it needs all three steps—two should be ample. But the drinks box on the driver's door is a good idea."
Dave Hopkins drives all over the country in a Daf 65 210 for Gain Horse Feeds of Swindon. "The gearbox is smoother than mine but the brake pedal goes down a long way before anything really happens," he commented. "The cruise control is very good; I suppose it prevents you getting leg ache on long journeys. With the low engine cover the cab seems to be more open, even though mine is a sleeper cab. The controls are all within easy reach like mine but my mirrors make bit more of a blind spot than with these. There seems to be a lot more power than with the Daf—if you can keep it rolling then it picks up in fifth. There's hardly any reason to change down into the bottom half of the box. It makes it more relaxing to drive. !lirlag"
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Stewart Foster: "The engine is powerful— it's up to speed in no time."
Dave Piper: "I like having cruise con trol and the engine pulls very well."
The steering has a positive feel to it. Turning is not heavy compared to mine and the ride is smooth without much roll. The suspension seat takes out a lot of the bumps. There's wind noise coming from the roof hatch," he pointed out. "It's quite loud and I think that would start to irritate roe after a while." Back on the park he said: " The clutch has a good feel and it backs up nicely on tick over." Outside the vehicle he noticed the step and grab handles at the front of the cab. "That makes it easy to reach up to clean the screen" he remarked.