Hino Australia recently completed the delivery of a batch of 56 new Hino 4x4 medium-duty trucks to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as part of a long-standing relationship between the two organisations.
Hino’s all-terrain 500 Series GT 4x4 was chosen by ADF to fill a number of critical logistical roles around Australia, and have been configured in both GT 1322 standard cab and GT 1322 crew-cab specification.
The ADF has received more than 520 Hino trucks since 1995, actively deployed to varying multi-task roles, with the 500th vehicle presented to ADF personnel in late June.
Hino’s GT 4x4 variants have been favoured by the Department because of their outstanding combination of reliability, durability and versatility, according to Hino government sales manager Tom Ayrton.
“As Hino’s flagship 4x4 truck, the GT features a heavy-duty low-range four-wheel drive transfer case, and can be driven in 2WD-mode on-road to maximise economy.
“Its performance and durability is well-proven as the GT is the base vehicle for Hino’s record-breaking Dakar Rally race truck, which is the only vehicle in Dakar history to have completed 21 consecutive race starts and finishes,” says Mr Ayrton
The purpose-specification trucks are equipped with a heavy-duty steel tray and tarp, tailgate loader, heavy-duty leaf spring suspension and all-terrain protection equipment such as Hino’s genuine alloy bullbar.
The Defence trucks are also fitted with 11R 22.5 wheel and tyre combinations which will be the standard specification on all Hino 4x4 GT 500 Series models from July 2012 production.
Mr Ayrton says Hino was able to meet an obligation to have the vehicles enter service by June 30 thanks to the efficiency of Hino’s production system and a network of local supply partners.
“The first chassis did not arrive in Australia until late March and the last arrived in early June,” he said.
“To get all 56 trucks completed with bodies and modifications and then delivered into service within three months is an outstanding achievement.
“It required a substantial team effort from Hino’s Australian staff and Dealer network and key suppliers All Truck Bodies and VSE Engineering to get them ready in time,” he says.
Hino Australia wins global parts award
Hino Australia has scored an exclusive global double award, having been named the 2011 Parts Department of the Year and 2011 Service Department of the Year by Hino Motors Limited Japan.
Judged by senior Japanese management within the company, the awards are presented in recognition of worldwide distributor performance for the Japanese financial year ending March 2012.
As a result the Australian division has also received the prestigious Double Victory award in recognition of outstanding performance achievement in key parts and service divisions.
Hino Australia divisional manager Greg Bleasel said the awards recognised the important role the Australian operation plays within Hino globally.
“These awards reaffirm the positive work ethic and attitudes displayed by all members of the Hino Australia family, positioning the local operation as a model for the rest of the world,” he says.
“The Australian Parts and Service operation has been a key focus for Hino, with a number of significant upgrades made to our facilities and processes over the last five years.
“We’re honoured to receive these awards following on from our first placing at the inaugural Hino Kaizen rally held in February this year, which was presented in recognition of Hino Australia’s outstanding dedication in aftersales and Kaizen (Japanese for ‘continuous improvement’) achievement.
“The investments we are making to better service our customers locally are fully supported by Hino Motors, meaning Hino owners can rely on parts and service being available where and when they need it,” he said.
The recent awards cap a significant long-term upgrade project at Hino’s national Parts Distribution Centre in southern Sydney, which commenced in 2006.
These facilities operate to world’s best practice and have been significantly expanded to cater for the growing Australian Hino customer base.
The Hino network in Australia caters for all truck sales, customer parts and service needs with a total of 45 dealer sites, plus 10 service and parts outlets nationally.
