Grant Jewitt, son of the man who started the company almost forty years ago, is at the wheel and he can’t praise the big DAF enough.

“For me it’s the ultimate in a truck,” says Grant, who moved onto the 105 from an XF95. "I’ve got 510 horsepower and a massive 2500 Nm of torque to enable me to get moving easily and to maintain good average speeds.

“At the same time – and although it’s early days yet – the DAF is proving very good on fuel and is already creeping up above the 8.5 mpg mark.

“With a truck that will clock up well over 100,000 kilometres a year, fuel economy is going to be important and I’m confident that the 105 will be even more fuel efficient than my 480 horsepower 95.”

So proud is Grant of his new truck that he’s had the DAF logo boldly emblazoned on the front of the roof spoiler, with the legend ‘Power and Prestige’ painted below it. And to ensure that there’s no mistaking that it’s his truck, the front grille also includes his signature line ‘Bat out of Hull’.

Whilst Grant is impressed by the DAF’s performance that’s nothing compared to his views on the Super Space Cab in which he spends up to five nights a week. He sums it up in a single word – superb!

“With the automatic gearbox lever mounted on the dash it’s got a nearly flat floor right across the cab,” he says, “which means that I can move around in complete comfort without having to duck my head. I’ve tried them all and you can’t get a better or more roomy truck to live in.”

Home comforts include a spacious refrigerator that comes as standard with the DAF Super Space cab, plenty of storage space including a large drawer under the lower bunk, air conditioning and an auxiliary cab heater.

A full audio system with two speakers combines with low interior noise levels even under full power to allow Grant to listen to the radio or play CDs at all times and at night he can plug in the television that completes his in-cab entertainment system.

When on the road an air-suspended driver’s seat with armrests and seat belts provides a comfortable ride as well as helping to ensure his safety. And he can be a more relaxed driver thanks to cruise control, an automatic gearbox and an engine brake that significantly reduces the need to use the service brakes.

Externally the truck looks very stylish. “We specified the skylights mounted in the roof spoiler and these really set the truck off,” says Grant.

“Then I added a Kelsa stainless steel lighting bar with four big spots on the front and finished it off with a lighting strip across the bumper that contains five white LED lights at the front and an amber one on each side. Along with the DAF’s excellent Xenon headlights I’m certainly not short of lights!”

Polished aluminium Alcoa wheels add a further touch of class as well as contributing to lower weight and more payload. Two pairs of air horns complete the stunning look of the 105.

At present Grant is running the DAF with a tri-axle flatbed trailer on deliveries of timber from Hull docks to Jewson builders merchants depots throughout the UK.

To give the truck more operational flexibility a split fuel tank has been fitted to also contain hydraulic oil for a pump driven by a pto off the gearbox and which allows a tipping trailer to be used.

Imperial Commercials of Hull supplied the truck and will take care of any work required under the two-year warranty.