To commemorate 30 years in business, Sittingbourne-based operator JBS Haulage has invested in one of DAF’s special-edition UK30 models – the vehicle launched to celebrate 30 years of DAF being the market-leading truck manufacturer in the UK. The standout XG⁺ joins a growing fleet at JBS Haulage totalling more than 60 trucks, including DAF CFs, XDs, XFs and XG⁺s.

The UK30 isn’t the first special edition DAF that JBS Haulage has invested in – a silver metallic XG⁺ with premium features, introduced to celebrate 75 years of truck manufacturing, also sits on the operator’s fleet – but it certainly is the most sought-after.

“We felt that the UK30 could be even more special than that previous DAF XG⁺,” says Calvin Friedman, Transport Manager at JBS Haulage. “Alex Ratcliffe, the sales executive at Channel Commercials, was very keen to let us know about the UK30 as soon as it was confirmed and straight away we said we would be very interested.

“We didn't really want it to be a run-of-the-mill truck, we were looking for something really special,” adds Calvin, who took delivery of the truck in early 2026. “So we had a retarder fitted as well as air suspension – items that our twin-tag fleet trucks wouldn’t normally have.

“It's such a nice truck to drive,” he adds. “The cab is massive. I've done a couple of nights out in the XG⁺ over the last few months and they are so comfortable – and they have been really, really well received by our drivers.”

In the case of the company’s new flagship UK30, there is a nice synergy because it will be driven by Tony Pessell, who also celebrates 30 years driving for the company. It has certainly gone down well with Tony and the rest of the drivers on the team. “They asked for XFs and they loved them. And then when the XG⁺s arrived, they were even more delighted,” explains Calvin.

The DAF UK30 was launched at Road Transport Expo 2025 and, since that time, models have been snapped up by operators up and down the country. For this year’s event, which takes place between 30 June and 2 July, DAF is showcasing yet another special-edition model. The Emerald Edition – a DAF XG⁺ 530 FTG 6x2 – has been created in the lead-up to DAF’s 100th anniversary in 2028. The brand new truck will be limited to 100 units and is the second truck in DAF’s Gemstone Collection, following the Sapphire Edition, which debuted in 2025.

To find out more about JBS Haulage, read the full operator profile in the new issue of DAF Driver Magazine.