Coinciding with the handover last week of the 60,000th locally-manufactured Kenworth, DAF Trucks Australia (DTA) announced that some DAF trucks for the Australian market will be assembled at the PACCAR Australia production facility in Bayswater, commencing in the second half of 2018.

DAF is a global organisation with more than 85 years’ experience in vehicle engineering and manufacturing.

DAF currently manufactures industry-leading trucks in Eindhoven (The Netherlands), Westerlo (Belgium), Leyland (United Kingdom) and Ponta Grossa (Brazil). DAF’s engine factory, component plant, press shop and final assembly line for CF and XF models are located in Eindhoven, and the axles and cabins are produced in Westerlo. Leyland Trucks (also a PACCAR company) produces the LF series of light-duty trucks, as well as the heavy-duty CF and XF series vehicles.

In 2015, DAF was proud to deliver its one millionth truck globally.

The start of DAF assembly here therefore represents a real watershed event for DTA and is an outstanding vote of confidence in PACCAR Australia and Australian manufacturing as a whole.

While the majority of the DAF model range for Australia will continue to be imported from the DAF plant in Leyland in the UK, there is potential to extend DAF’s local production progressively in the short- to mid-term.

As PACCAR Australia’s Managing Director, Andrew Hadjikakou explained,

“As DAF’s volumes have increased over the past few years, local assembly of DAF trucks has been a discussion point in PACCAR, and we recently received approval to go ahead with plans to assemble DAF trucks on a dedicated line in the same factory where we build Kenworth.”

“We are delighted to now be able to use the skills and facilities of Bayswater and its people to invest in DAF’s future here too, said Andrew. This is a great indication of the foresight and faith of our parent company.

“It makes sense to do this, to employ the skills and quality workmanship of our employees and further use the world-class engineering and production facilities of our Bayswater plant,” he concluded.

PACCAR Australia has earned a range of accolades for its commitment to Australian manufacturing, its employees and innovation.

In 2012, PACCAR Australia joined an elite group of world-class local manufacturers when it was inducted into the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame. The induction recognised 41 (now 47…) years of service in manufacturing, and also acknowledged the ongoing implementation of leading-edge technologies, which continue to support the longstanding position as the best-selling heavy-duty truck brand in Australia.  Kenworth Trucks, a division of PACCAR Australia, is certified to the international environmental management standard ISO 14001: 2015, as well as the international safety management standard OHSAS18001:2007. 

The manufacturing facility in Bayswater, Melbourne uses ISO9001:2008 quality systems and highly sophisticated assembly processes, featuring numerous innovations in plant layout, tooling, component design and robotics.

DAF has held a significant share of the market across Europe and the United Kingdom for many years and delivers a broad product range that is adapted and configured for Australian conditions.

PACCAR Australia has been importing DAF Trucks since 1998, and has sold more than 4,500 trucks in that time.

DAF Trucks Australia, a division of PACCAR Australia, distributes a range of medium and heavy-duty trucks throughout Australia. PACCAR Inc, a Six Sigma company, is a global technology leader in the design, manufacture and customer support of high-quality light, medium and heavy-duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF brands. PACCAR also designs and manufactures advanced diesel engines, provides financial services and information technology, and distributes truck parts related to its principal business.