Mountain climber

Iveco Trakker 8x4

We start our report in Italy, driving Iveco's new Trakker construction range both on and off road - test vehicles were unavailable in the UK at the time.

Completing its fully revised product range, Iveco launched the new Trakker heavy construction range last year at the international commercial vehicle show in Hanover.

Available in the UK later this year with 4x4, 6x4 and 8x4 axle configurations, the new range is in essence a recabbed version of its Eurotrakker predecessor with some significant enhancements to the driveline and suspension.

Built at Iveco's Madrid - Pegaso - plant, the range is offered with a choice of Iveco's 8-litre or 13-litre Cursor engines. The manufacturer says that in the UK the range will be aimed mainly at the muckaway market.

Offered with the choice of three cabs, Cursor 8-powered vehicles will come with a choice of 270, 310 and 352hp engines and will have a 250kg weight advantage over Cursor 13-powered trucks. The 13-litre lump will be available in the UK at 380hp and 440hp - a 480hp version is available in Europe.

All important torque outputs in the Cursor 8 range from 1115Nm to 1280Nm (822ft-lb to 944ft-lb) and the 13-litre Cursor 13s push out 1800Nm and 2100Nm (1387ft-lb/1549ft-lb) respectively.

Iveco says that the new Trakker range benefits from a two-speed electromagnetic fan joint that it claims results in a 1.5% fuel saving over the old Eurotrakker.

Transmissions on offer range from 9 to 16-speed manual ZF Ecosplit boxes and 12-speed Eurotronic automated gearboxes are available with the 310hp and 352hp Cursor 8 and the Cursor 13 engine. There is no price differential between manual and automated transmissions. The vehicle's electrics can handle up to three power take offs.

Iveco's construction range is now available with air suspension on rear tandem axles as an alternative to semi-elliptical or parabolic steel.

The new cabs are modified versions of Iveco's Active Time and Active Day cabs and cab suspension is provided by adjustable steel springs with hydraulic dampers and a transverse torsion bar. Iveco claims that in-cab noise has been reduced by 6dBA.

Both hub and single reduction tandem drive axles are available on the new Trakker range, but production of the latter will not start for the UK market until July next year.

From the driver's seat

In a quarry on the lower slopes of Mount Etna we put a 440hp steel sprung, Eurotronic equipped 8x4 Trakker through its paces. On the loose volcanic ash surface of the tracks around the quarry, the new 8x4 felt sure-footed with cross locks engaged and on a couple of 30% inclines full diff locks insured the rear driving bogie dug in and pushed us to the top.

The Cursor 13 produces ample power and torque to handle the steepest of terrain, but it is advisable to operate the automated box in semi-automatic when off road, where gears need to be held on testing climbs and where the driver's eyes and reactions are still far superior to the electronics.

The 8x4 proved to be surprisingly manoeuvrable, an excellent drive and very comfortable and Iveco seems to have got the chassis and cab suspension just about spot-on.

On flatter more secure ground, fully auto can be selected and the 12-speed box makes slick shifts up and down the range. The new Trakker is fitted with a hill-hold device that comes in handy when queuing fully laden behind other vehicles on an incline and we found the mix of front disc and rear drum brake very effective. All Trakkers are fitted with Iveco's vacuum Turbo Brake.

Our next test drive was in a 380hp 6x4 with a 16-speed manual gearbox. Pulling away, loaded to its 26-tonne gross limit, required low second gear on the flat and on the off road section we never got out of fourth gear.

Again the off road ride and braking were excellent, but we found the handling less positive than the four-axle 32-tonner, which was probably due to one axle steering through the loose surface on some sections of the test track as opposed to two. We left the quarry site and drove the 6x4, on-road, up the 10km ascent to the summit of Mount Etna. The 16-speed manual box has Servoshift assistance and all the Cursor 13-powered models get an overdrive top gear and Ecosplit.

Gear shifts are smooth and quick and all eight full gears are in the same gate, with only the splitter to worry about. On the long steep climb to the top of the volcano, we were shifting between fourth, fifth and sixth and not having to worry about a range change in between was a big plus. On road handling was good and the 6x4's steering did exactly as it was told.

There is no doubt that, like Stralis, the new Iveco Trakker construction range is a great improvement on its predecessor and we were impressed with the vehicles we drove, their new features and all-round performance. Iveco says that Trakker will cost around 4% more than an equivalent Eurotrakker.

We must reserve our judgement - we were only able to drive Cursor 13-powered Trakker - on the lighter Cursor 8-powered vehicles. Whether the UK Trakker will benefit aggregate movers is one for future tests.

Sure-footed, kind to drivers ...

DAF CF FAD 8x4

DAF's CF FAD 8x4 is powered by the six-in-line 12.6-litre XE engine. Maximum power of 380hp is achieved at 1900rpm with peak torque of 1750Nm (1290ft-lb) between 930rpm and 1500rpm.

Next in the drive train comes ZF's 12-speed AS Tronic automated transmission, controlled by DAF's software, which we believe to be the best available for the ZF box.

Transmission ratio spread is from 12.33 to 0.78-to-one in top. Eleventh gear is direct drive but the top cog when connected to the CF's 3.73-to-one rear differential gives a relatively tall overall ratio of 2.95-to-one.

The CF85 uses disc brakes on the front steering axles with drum brakes at the rear. An exhaust brake is standard on the CF and our test truck was fitted with the DAF engine brake.

The CF85 was topped by a day cab with aluminium roof hatch. An alloy 16.2cu-m Rouse aggregate body with an Edbro CX 15 front end single ram had been fitted and the manufacturer had specced an air operated tailgate and George Neville electronic sheeter.

On the road

Even with its tall gearing the DAF's 12.6-litre engine was never going to struggle with its 32-tonne burden. In most cases the software selected second gear for starters and swiftly shifted up the box in a 2-3-5-7-9-10 pattern. Acceleration was good, as you would expect from 12hp per tonne.

The truck is more than capable of being left in automatic all day but no transmission technology can see the road ahead and getting the best from the truck - and keeping the driver interested - is justification for the odd manual intervention.

On A-roads, we held the truck in 11th gear. The CF has an over drive top gear and at 40mph the revs are out of the economic band. Eleventh gear provides direct drive and keeps the truck swinging along sweetly enabling it to work between 35mph and 42mph without the need to change gear.

The relatively tall gearing of the CF lends itself to long bouts of motoring at 56mph. Over one section of hilly and undulating motorway we decided to let the computer manage the transmissions to see if it could keep up a decent average speed. The drive train coped well, but we felt that a slightly higher rear differential ratio would have made progress quicker.

On the handling front we found the steering to be precise and the turning circle good. We did feel that the truck had a slight tendency to roll in tight corners, but generally the tipper is pretty sure-footed; one of the key facets we look for in an eight-legger.

DAF/Foden's standard day cab is one of the best on the market and in-cab noise levels are low despite the vertical exhaust stack behind the driver and we found visibility was good.

It is virtually a prerequisite these days that an aggregate eight-wheeler when fully bodied and sheeted can move 20 tonnes of product. The CF's payload was 20,680kg helping its overall productivity rating.

... and so is its stablemate

Foden A3-8RT 8x4

The Foden A3-8RT is a successful combination of a lightweight chassis, impressive drive train and driver friendly cab. The Foden marque has been around for nearly 150 years and has a fiercely loyal customer base.

The Alpha 8x4 is not an exact clone of the DAF CF eight-wheeler and is set apart - engines aside - by its unique suspension set-up. The steel-suspended front end is common to both vehicles, but the Foden's 8x4 has 1900mm axle spacing as opposed to DAF's 2050mm and the double drive rear bogie rides on Foden's own maintenance-free rubber suspension.

Our test truck packed the 10.8-litre Cummins lump producing 420hp at 1900rpm and 2010Nm (1482ft-lb) of torque at 1200rpm. The Alpha had the same braking rig as the CF, and was fitted with an optional Jake Brake linked into the cruise control and transmission.

The Alpha was topped with Paccar's steel day cab and a Wilcox Insulated Asphalt body with Edbro tipping gear and Wilcox Wilcover sheeter. It all weighed in empty at 11,250kg.

The big advance of this truck was the linking of the ISMe to the ZF AS Tronic automated 12-speed gearbox. With a ratio spread identical to the version in the CF the AS Tronic transmission in the Foden is connected to a standard 3.91 to one single reduction bogie.

Having recently driven DAF's version we were conscious how good a job it has done with AS Tronic so we were keen to see how the new Foden compared with it as well as how it stacked up against Foden's manual version in performance terms.

The system selected third gear to start everything rolling. Once under way we were not disappointed with the smoothness of the shifts, although we felt that the shift speed was slightly behind that of its Dutch cousin.

The box automatically block shifts up, terrain allowing, and keeps changes within the ISMe's torque band. This means the box automatically works within a rev range of 1200rpm to 1650rpm. This does not take advantage of the ISMe's ability to lug down and hold gears, so we would recommend that to avoid unnecessary gear changes the driver flicks to manual when appropriate.

The big difference in terms of drivability between the Foden and the DAF comes in the ride and handling department. The Foden with its unique suspension set-up feels more sure-footed and can be flung into corners at speed without any suggestion of roll. The DAF is a good performer but the Foden has the edge when it comes to ride and handling.

On the motorway the Foden's extra reserves and slightly higher overall drive ratio means it will sit on the limiter all day and around narrow country roads the addition of AS Tronic makes it a pleasure to drive as position on the road and vigilance can take precedence over gear shifting.

To be honest there is very little between these two excellent eight-wheelers. Our verdict - a matter of personal preference - sides with the new Foden, thanks to its better handling and performance characteristics.

We would like the shifting software to take more advantage of the ISMe's ability to lug down, but Foden says that the box is programmed for maximum performance at optimum economy. We believe that once Foden's customers have experienced the new transmission in its 8x4 they will be converted.

Foden's route to auto

Foden has only recently been able to offer the 12-speed ZF automated box in its products. It does not use Paccar/DAF engines so could not instantly inherit the DAF/ZF solution and has had to sort out compatibility on its own.

Currently Foden only offers AS Tronic in its Cummins-powered vehicles. The manufacturer says that the reason why its CAT C12 powered trucks cannot be specified with the transmission is because ZF had already done the R&D work with ERF and Cummins in the hope that MAN ERF would offer its Cummins powered ECT with MAN's version of the ZF transmission, Tipmatic.

This did not turn out to be the case but ZF had the Cummins ISMe 'blue print' and could therefore easily offer it to Foden. Foden says ZF was not prepared to start again with the Caterpillar engine considering the volumes Foden sells each year.

Loads more payload

Renault Kerax Highway 8x4

The ultimate payload carrier in our 8x4 round-up is Renault's latest Kerax Highway. At 8990kg its basic chassis weight allows operators the potential of a 21-tonne plus payload, with a little help from some alloy wheels.

The 302x85x8mm chassis members sit on steel parabolic leaf springs at the front and Hendrickson rubber suspension at the rear. With 414x175mm drums all round, the Kerax is one of the more basic 8x4s in our round-up.

Powered by Renault's 11.1-litre six-in-line dCi common rail engine, this example draws on 361hp and 1670Nm (1232ft-lb) of torque delivered to its rear - 10x41 single hypoid reduction - bogie via a 13.53 to 0.82 to one 16-speed ZF 16S 151 manual gearbox with Servoshift. To help stop this 32-tonner and preserve brake linings Renault had fitted an integrated Jake Brake. Extras included a vertical stack and air-con.

This lot is topped off with a 2m Global cab and a Wilcox Wilcolite body with Edbro CX15 front end gear and a Dawbarn Evertaut sheet.

Climbing into the spacious Global cab the first thing that registers is the space behind the seats and ample storage in the headlining and on the engine tunnel. Renault has fitted a drip tray to catch water from hanging wet-proofs or muddy boots behind the passenger seat and behind the driver's seat there was space for a large bag.

The Kerax cab - and driving position - sits high on the chassis and this is a throwback to its true off-road roots.

Setting off fully freighted at 32-tonnes we needed to adopt a 2H, 4H, 6L shift pattern until taking whole gears to 8L then a split to top. The engine pulls well and is flexible, lugging down to just under 1000rpm and revving to 1500rpm before a change is required.

Even on very hilly terrain we did not bother the splitter unduly and felt that 12 cogs would have been more than ample.

Renault does not offer the 12-speed ZF-derived Optidriver box in Kerax and we think it is missing a trick. But as this vehicle is used for moving mountains outside the UK, and its customers there need all the ratios they can get, we suppose Renault does not consider the relatively small UK volumes are worth the investment.

The Kerax's ride when unladen is a bit choppy in front, but otherwise sound. When running empty the brakes were harsh. The application is not progressive; there is a dead spot then everything comes on at once. Running fully loaded the brake application was much smoother, but around tight bends and roundabouts the rubber rear suspension set-up did not impress as the truck leaned from left to right.

At motorway speeds the Kerax is a fair performer and will sit at 56mph in 8H most of the time, but it is a little noisy compared with some.

Even in its Highway incarnation, there is no disguising the Renault Kerax's roots. It is every inch a rugged construction vehicle and to get it to this lightweight version we believe Renault has had to compromise on ride and handling.

That said, we know from previous tests that it is good on fuel and in terms of payload productivity it has few rivals. Stripped down to its simplest form it is competitive in terms of price, but this is definitely a gaffer's motor.

If you have driver concerns on aggregate or asphalt operations there are better options. But if you want an indestructible muckaway vehicle the Kerax definitely fits the bill.

One for drivers

Volvo FM9 8x4

With more than 20 tonnes of payload available on a true road-going chassis, our second 8x4 from the AB Volvo group - an FM9 - is a driver's motor. Only two out of our six test 8x4s were equipped with manual boxes.

You might think that the automated box is taking over in the tipper sector, but this is not so just yet. We believe that on aggregate work, where short to medium journeys are the norm and rapid turnarounds are vital to profitability, these boxes make sense.

Our FM9 was powered by Volvo's D9A 380hp engine, producing 1700Nm (1253ft-lb) of torque at 1200-1500rpm. The chassis is constructed from 8x300x90mm rails and the chassis length of our test truck only allowed for a 5100 wheelbase.

The front of the FM9 is suspended on parabolic steel leaf springs with Volvo's steel B-Ride suspension holding up the rear. Primary braking comes from eight discs with hill-hold EBS and brake assist. Secondary braking is Volvo's engine brake and the standard exhaust brake.

The jewel in the crown of this truck is Volvo's 12-speed I-shift automated transmission. The FM sported a standard low-roof single bunk sleeper cab containing ample storage space and all the mod cons, including reversing camera and the Dynafleet communication and navigation package.

The 8x4 was bodied with a PPG fully insulated Tarmac/Lafarge approved body with split tail board and a Transcover sheeter - hydraulically controlled from the cab. All up the FM weighed in with driver and fuel at 11,700kg leaving 20,300kg for payload.

Volvo's 9-litre six-in-line will hit the mark at 32 tonnes, but for demanding applications there is always the FM12. On the road driving was effortless, with the box sorting out the cogs in a quick and timely fashion, leaving us to negotiate the traffic and twists of Coventry and the surrounding countryside.

Volvo's braking set-up is excellent and the FM will stop on a sixpence if required, but it can be controlled using the combined auxiliary braking systems without resorting to harsh applications of the powerful service brakes. The hill-hold device is an excellent feature in a tipper especially when queuing on quarry ramps or in busy traffic around town.

Ride and handling is good on road, with no noticeable chassis roll when cornering. The ride was a little bumpy, off road, possibly due to its relatively short wheel-base, but this tipper is specced for highway use and has to be judged accordingly.

Off-road we opted to put the transmission into manual to exercise more control on steep climbs and descents and on rough ground, but on-road the shifting control system does a great job and manual interventions are seldon required.

With an 'as tested' chassis list price of £85,954 - it costs an extra £13,198 to reach this level of spec - owners will have to shift a lot of extra loads to justify its price tag. But Volvo is one of the market leaders in this sector and looking around the roads, operators big and small are more than willing to pay the prices.

This truck is a winner in terms of comfort, drivability, ride and handling equalling that all important, driver acceptability. In this form it ticks all the gaffer's boxes too in terms of productivity. I-Shift will protect the driveline and its braking systems will keep maintenance costs down, and being a Volvo, expect residuals to hold up.

It is just a case of convincing the accountant when he can see that the bloke down the road is knocking out something similar for around £10,000 less.

Equals apart

MAN TGA 8x4 and ERF ECT 8x4

Essentially MAN's TGA 8x4 construction chassis is the exact same chassis that has been badge-engineered into an ERF ECT 8x4 tipper. Under the cab of our test trucks sat the 10.52-litre D20 common rail engine that seems to be enjoying such success at present both in the press and the marketplace.

In the TGA 32.390, the men from Swindon had offered up the 390hp version developing 1900Nm (1400ft-lb) of torque connected to its 12-speed Tipmatic automated gearbox with a ratio spread of 12.33 to 0.78 to one. The ECT packed the same lump but rated at 350hp and 1750Nm (1290ft-lb). The torque characteristics of the D20 mean that peak torque kicks in between 1000 and 1400rpm and the engine will lug down without any complaint to 850rpm.

The ECT tested is equipped with a ZF 16S18S, overdrive, 16-speed manual box with servoshift. Ratio spread is 13.80 to 0.84 to one and both vehicles deliver the drive to the blacktop via a HYD-1370/HY-1350 single reduction bogie rated at 21,000kg.

The front VOK 08 I-section dropped beam 7500kg front axles are common to both vehicles and are suspended on steel with hydraulic dampers and stabilisers.

The rear inverted two spring parabolic set-up with hydraulic dampers and twin stabilisers is also common. Both vehicles had Alcoa alloy wheels, 300-litre steel fuel tanks and a standard day cab. The ERF ECT benefited from a slightly superior trim and an air suspended passenger seat.

Gearboxes aside there was one other significant difference to the chassis cabs. The MAN was running on 295/80R22.5 tyres with steel front underrun protection and the ERF had larger 12R22.5 tyres and no underrun bar. This difference added to variations in the transmission weights meant the MAN chassis weight was 65kg lighter than the 8862kg ECT.

Thankfully the body work was not identical. The MAN mounted a Wilcox Wilcosteel body with Edbro CX15 front end gear and was fitted with a Transcover ELD9000 electric front to back sheeting system with in cab controls. This took the vehicle's unladen weight with fuel and driver to 12,060kg, leaving 19,940kg available for the load.

The ECT had an insulated Wilcox aluminium body again with Edbro CX15 front end ram, but with a Dawbarn electro-hydraulic sheeter with in-cab controls.

This lot took the ECT's unladen weight to 11,440kg, allowing for 20,560kg of payload.

On the road

Thanks to its lower chassis height the climb into the cab of the TGA was slightly easier than the ECT, but we were slightly confused that the more off-road specified truck - the ECT - was bodied as an asphalt and aggregate mover and the muckaway-bodied MAN had a low ground clearance due to its ride height and front underrun protection.

In cab there is plenty of storage space and in one of our test trucks were two travel bags stowed away plus a brief case. This still left room for more items in the sturdy door pockets and on the engine tunnel. The ERF ECT had a superior trim level to the MAN TGA with its washout interior.

We took the vehicles on a 60-mile road route, via the obligatory quarry. Setting off at 32 tonnes gross initially in the ECT - with the loaded TGA following - we soon got used to the shift pattern of the 16-speed manual box.

The torquey D20 engine allows a flat start from 3L followed by a block up to 5L and then single gears to low top and a split to top. On severe gradients 2H, 4H, 6L is the pattern, but thanks to the D20 we only had to bother the splitter on the steepest hill.

We found that the performance on the flat of the manual 350hp ERF was slightly better than that of the automated MAN, due to the driver's ability to outwit the MAN's shifting software, but on the hills the MAN had the edge.

We do not do things by halves at ROADWAY so we found the most testing hill we could, to compare and assess the performance of the two 8x4s - the infamous Birdlip Hill in Gloucestershire. By this stage of the route we were driving the MAN. Both vehicles hit the bottom of the two mile climb at 50mph.

Using some manual intervention, we knocked the Tipmatic box down a gear into 11th to give it a fighting chance at the sustained 12% climb. Once done we let the software to take us to the top.

When the engine load sensors had worked out how huge their task was, shifts down the box came thick and fast. Looking in our mirrors the 350hp manual ERF was hot on our heels, the driver shifting down full gears to keep up. Only in the last 400 yards did we pull clear, the ERF ECT having to split a gear and therefore losing precious momentum.

Thanks to the MAN's extra power and 150Nm (110ft-lb) of torque, it held its gear and we took the chequered flag. On the second half of the climb past the Air Balloon pub it was neck and neck once again.

Ride and handling from this chassis is among the best we have encountered in the 8x4 sector, the MAN having an edge over the ERF thanks to its slightly lower centre of gravity. The route to the quarry was tortuous but both vehicles steered precisely with ample lock and effective braking. The feel at the brake pedal is positive and with a full set of disc brakes both trucks stopped quickly when asked to.

MAN ERF's exhaust valve brake is standard on its 8x4s and provided the engine revs are stirred up to more than 2000rpm, it keeps the service brakes cool enough for the severest gradients.

At 56mph both these vehicles required around 1350rpm to keep things moving, thanks to their overdrive top gears, so should be good on fuel. But the D20 engine is a cracking performer and even with the tall gearing of these trucks severe hill climbing was not a problem.

At £67,917 (as tested chassis cab list price) the ERF ECT 10.35TP4 is three grand cheaper than the MAN TGA, but you do not get the auto box. Do you want the auto box? Well we have to say yes, even in tippers they are the way forward and you can always put them in manual off road. MAN's box is good but not the best. That honour, in our opinion, is shared between DAF and Volvo.

The gearbox was the only thing, other than brand loyalty, that split these two very competent performers, but you can have an auto box in the ECT eight-wheeler if you want and then it simply comes down to a badge.

Cab takes the prize

M-B Axor 6x4

The new 6x4 range benefits from the same chassis and similar drive line to the old Atego. Our Axor 2633 packed the 326hp 7.2-litre OM926. The 1300Nm (959ft-lb) of torque it produces is connected to a 4.3 to 1 rear hub reduction bogie via Mercedes's 9-speed MB G131 manual slap through gearbox.

The box has a ratio spread of 14.57 to one to one and mounts a PTO on the gearbox countershaft for pump mounting.

The front axle is a steel sprung I-beam with 8000kg design capacity and the rear 19,000kg axles are suspended on a parabolic dual rate two spring bogie, with double acting shock absorbers and stabilisers.

The new Axor 26-tonner has front disc brakes and four 410x220mm discs at the rear, with ABS as standard. The electrics feature CAN bus technology and the truck had a day cab with standard vertical stack. Topped with a Rouse alloy aggregate body with Edbro CX13 front end ram, the whole lot tipped the scales at 9380kg with a full tank and the driver; leaving room for 16,620kg of payload.

The major difference is a cab makeover. Inside there is a new interior and standards of fit and finish are high. A new curved dash puts all the controls in easy reach.

On the road low gearing soon ensures that the truck gets up to speed. The slap through gear box has a tight gate but once the driver is used to it, the gears lead into one another and drop in smoothly. But try too hard on the range change and you will be bounced back.

We drove around 45 miles of A-roads. Running unladen the ride was better than most; the suspension feeling almost forgiving, even on the rough surface of a quarry track. But we found once we had loaded 16 tonnes of gravel, this forgiving ride had its down side.

We felt that the Axor suffered from understeer at speeds over 30mph and on bends everything leant a bit too far over for our taste.

Braking is good and Mercedes has linked the exhaust brake into the cruise control to control overruns.

On the short stretch of road where we were able to run on the limiter we found the new Axor required 1980rpm to maintain 56mph. This is 380rpm out of peak torque and why this is not a motorway vehicle.

Around our tight hilly A-roads we sat between 30 and 40mph shifting between seventh and top, the engine and gearbox perfectly matched and the engine rev - and noise - levels where they ought to be.

The Axor's new cab interior is excellent and puts the vehicle at the head of affairs in this department and the 7380kg chassis weight means it will carry that all important 16 tonnes, even with a lightweight muckaway body.

On the types of road it was specified for its performance and drivability is commendable.

In our opinion this new Axor 6x4 is a quality vehicle, let down by a rather too forgiving suspension set-up. We are sure this could be addressed.

The final verdict

So what do we think? In terms of the whole range of tippers available to the UK market, we have barely scratched the surface with our round-up of nine vehicles. But a massive group test is not on ROADWAY's agenda just yet.

Concentrating mainly on a selection the latest 8x4s from Iveco, DAF, Renault, Volvo, Foden and MAN ERF - we will be running a full road test of Scania's new P Series 8x4 construction chassis in the next issue - the first thing that is apparent is that the manufacturers are actively pushing automated transmissions in heavy tippers.

Having driven several here, we have to say that the technology is now well on top of the job and in our opinion, there is no better application of these boxes than the tipper sector due to inherent driveline wear issues and often indifferent driving styles of users.

Which one is the best? Well we have to say that DAF still has the edge with its version of ZF's 12-speed AS Tronic, but it is a very close call.

On the ride and handling front it was neck and neck for top marks between the Foden Alpha - with Foden's own rubber rear suspension - and the MAN ERF doppelgangers with their parabolic steel rear bogie. At the other end of the spectrum we were not impressed with the ride from the Renault Kerax, or its stability when compared with the competition and the new Mercedes Actros 6x4 suffered from under steer.

But what you are probably most interested in is the best all-rounder. All these vehicles were specced by the manufacturers knowing they would come under press scrutiny. This means they are set up to achieve the biggest payload possible. Your contracts and operating conditions will dictate if you can use alloy wheels or not and whether you can get away with a lightweight body, but most modern 8x4 chassis will enable the magic 20 tonnes of payload.

In terms of cost and sheer productivity potential, the Renault Kerax is head and shoulders above the rest here, but it is most definitely a gaffer's motor. The driver's vote will go to the Volvo FM9 with I-Shift, but it is the most expensive 8x4 tested here.

The rest all produce the goods in fine style - we reserve full judgement on the Iveco Trakker until we can drive a UK-specced version - but our vote for the best all-rounder tested here goes to the ERF ECT and its D20 engine. Good on price, payload and a great drive. The Foden takes second.