There are only days to go before all newly registered commercial vehicles, 3.5 tonnes and above, must be Euro 4 compliant.

The debate has been raging for months as to whether selective catalytic reduction is the financial Holy Grail for operators and exhaust gas recirculation is a gas guzzling white elephant, best avoided whenever practical to do so. Or that exhaust gas recirculation can be very fuel efficient in a modern purposebuilt engine ... We will not go on because we imagine that by now you, like us, just want to see these blasted Euro 4 and 5 trucks in operation.

So how many of you have taken the plunge? According to market leader Daf, year to date it has only taken 2000 orders for Euro 4 vehicles and by year end it expects that only 15% of its 2006 registrations will be Euro 4. This is thanks in part to the emissions legislation but more so the introduction of digital tachographs. Most orders for its new vehicles were pulled forward to avoid post May 1 registration and the remainder to avoid October 1 and Euro 4. If Daf's 15% is representative of the industry – accounting for lead times, it does not expect to register more than 2000 Euro 4 vehicles in 2006 – it demonstrates that not many of you are willing to take an early Euro 4/5 bath.

So what are you doing about additional trucks to service growth or replace a tired fleet? It appears that many of you who did not secure a new Euro 3 vehicle this year have gone down the used route. In the spring we asked CAP how it saw the used market in 2006. It said that it expected an increased demand for low mileage two to three-year-old Euro 3 vehicles and those vehicles would command premium prices. It looks like CAP was right and Daf and MAN say they have seen evidence of this across their dealer networks. Based on the demand for quality low mileage used Euro 3 tractors we accepted an invitation from Maritime Transport to test a 6x2 tractor that was about to come off its fleet to be sold through its used truck operation, to gauge what you can get for your money. Maritime has a fleet buying policy that includes its own used truck operation. The company buys around 70% of its new trucks outright and sells them after 18 months operation through its Tilbury-based used trucks centre. All of its tractor units are hi specification 6x2s, have one driver from new and spend their working lives on shipping container work.

Specification

The truck on test here is a Daf XF95 480 with Super Space cab. On a late 2004 plate the XF had covered a shade under 190,000km from new, well below the 240,000km one would expect on this age of truck. Powered by Daf's 12.6-litre XE engine maximum power of 483hp is developed at 1900rpm and peak torque of 2100Nm is available between 1050 and 1500rpm. The XF was specified with a ZF 16-speed manual transmission with a ratio spread of 16.38 to one to one. Braking was courtesy of a full set of discs and additional stopping power was provided by a standard foot-operated exhaust brake. The truck is suspended by parabolic springs at the front and air on axles two and three. The second mid-lift axle also steers and the tractor was equipped with a full ADR kit. Topped with a twin bunked Super Space cab the tractor did not have any other optional extras. Performance

For this test we used part of our heavy test route. Leaving our base at Dunsfold Park, near Guildford, we drove through the city and joined the A31 heading for Farnborough and the M3 where our heavy truck test route begins. Pulling the we test trailer, the combination was loaded to 44 tonnes GCW. At 480hp the Daf had no problem getting off the blocks in second low and was happy for us to block shift to fourth. Following this a shift pattern of 6L-7L-8L and 8H worked well on relatively flat going. Entering Guildford we encountered heavy traffic caused by roadworks. Exiting the town we faced a steep two mile climb through a built up area. The hill has a gradient of 10% and thanks to the traffic we had to restart our 44-tonne load on four separate occasions. With traffic behind there could be no errors so first high was selected and the big Daf dug in and pulled away easily and smoothly every time. Once clear of obstructing traffic on this long climb we shifted up one cog at a time. Despite splitting gears over fifth the Daf's ample torque reserves soon had the truck making decent progress to the 40mph limit. Maritime's trucks are most at home on the open road trunking containers between depots, customer's premises and the ports. It is worth noting that from new its vehicles are all restricted to 52mph to save fuel. On our motorway section the XF ate the miles and the 4mph reduction in limited speed was barely noticeable. With 190,000km on the clock the engine feels in the peak of its life and we only had to trouble the splitter on a couple of occasions on our first section. At 50mph on the A34 section of our route we did have to down shift on a couple of hills, but with 11hp per tonne at our disposal the truck was never challenged.

Economy and Productivity

For used tests we have decided not to measure actual fuel consumption. From the Daf's on-board engine management software we could see that this truck had a lifetime fuel consumption average of 8.7mpg. Maritime says that its vehicles run fully loaded – between 38 and 44 tonnes – around 65% of their working lives and the remainder of the time they run at around 16 tonnes moving empty boxes. This company is very proactive when it comes to fuel economy and rewards its drivers for good returns. It has a continuous driver improvement programme in place and as we have said, restricts its vehicles to a more economic 52mph. Proof in operation is far better than any magazine road test and so all we will say is that from the figures we saw on our test, the vehicle's lifetime average is set to remain over 8.5mpg on this type of operation.

Ride and Handling

Our only issue with this truck is the lack of an integrated auxiliary brake. The engine brake is OK to a point provided a suitable downshift is made to boost engine revs. But we missed the power of a Jake brake or retarder and feel that despite the extra initial cost they do pay dividends when prolonging service brake life. On a 44-tonner they also are a safety enhancement. Maritime says that as it specifies its trucks for relatively easy motorway trunking work its experience shows the standard exhaust/engine brake is adequate and therefore it cannot justify the cost of another auxiliary braking system.

The big XF corners well and despite two years of operation everything is still tight. There were no detectable creaks or groans from the cab suspension or unit itself and the ride and handling and overall driving experience were exactly what we expected from a Daf XF95. Cab and condition

Most of you will be familiar with the layout and features of the Daf Super Space Cab. Despite the age of its original design this cab is still prominent on driver's wish lists and it does what it says on the tin. There is loads of space and storage with overhead lockers and under bunk compartments. There is a pull out fridge draw under the centre of the bunk, aircon is standard and there are power points all around the cab. The bunk is wide and comfortable and is set at the correct height to act as a bench seat. Visibility is good and there are ample grab rails and deep steps to aid exit and entry.

The finish and upholstery in our test truck was still in near showroom condition. We are in no doubt that this was down to the loving hand of its regular driver. Maritime says it rewards drivers if their trucks are free from blemishes when handed back for resale or return to the leasing manufacturer and this policy evidently pays dividends for all concerned. The exterior condition was good. Despite it being a well used truck, we could find not any areas that would require money spending on them. Maritime sells its used trucks with its trademark blue chassis and bumper, but it removes its corporate branding leaving a plain white cab. Some of its trucks are sold with time left on the manufacturer's warranty, but when looking at a truck starting its second life, it is important that the cost of replacement parts is considered.

Maritime's used trucks come with a three-month driveline warranty. From prices supplied by Daf a clutch exchange at £693.38 seems the highest single cost you are likely to incur unless unlucky. Brake discs may need replacing periodically and Daf's prices appear reasonable. With a truck of this age you should see many thousands of miles service before any major surgery is required.

Conclusion

The truck tested here will set you back £49,000 and Maritime has 22 more like it. From our evaluation of this two-year-old low mileage hi spec tractor unit we conclude that if this is the quality of vehicle you can get for around £40,000 less than a new one, it may well pay to look at the used Euro 3 option in any event.

But we must balance this with a word of caution. Decent residual values for Euro 3 trucks will probably only hold up for at most another two years. We think that as the Euro 5 deadline approaches – October 2009 – reduced pollution certificates, low emission zones, increasing numbers of foreign toll concessions etc will increasingly penalise operators of Euro 3 vehicles. Of course this is exactly what environmental measures are designed to do, so operators buy cleaner trucks. You may be OK if your operation avoids towns or city centres and is solely UK based, but do not be under any illusions, the government wants you to operate green trucks.

If we are right then by 2009 or 2010 you will not be able to give Euro 3 trucks away. At least by then you will know how SCR and EGR compare and the research will be at someone else's expense.