The fully automatic transmission Hino 300 is a good selling point when renting out its light-duty truck range, according to
The fully automatic transmission Hino 300 is a good selling point when renting out its light-duty truck range, according to Hertz Perth general manager, Kevin Terry.
“It is less of a handful for the uninitiated truck driver, being a lot more user friendly, without the customer needing to worry about operating a clutch pedal and gearlever. Simply driving a larger version of their family car, if you like.”
Terry says the Hino truck product has been an exceptionally durable and trouble free vehicle in the fleet over many years, and believes the automatic is an even greater asset to trouble free motoring, as the small amount of mechanical problems they had were caused by customers abusing the clutch and gearbox synchromesh in manuals.
The company operates its own service department employing 12 mechanics.
“It’s all about relationships in business, so the backup, support and service we get from local Perth dealer WA Hino is another reason why we continue to go Hino,” says Terry
The large Hertz truck fleet in WA consists predominately of Hino, in fact some 70 per cent. The light-duty 300 series serve in the fleet for five years, during which time they clock up around 160,000km.
The medium-duty 500 series average some 200,000km, while there are also two Hino Hybrid models out on hire.
The fully automatic transmission Hino 300 model that Hertz operate and is collecting more of, is the wide cab 616 derivative, rated at 4495kg gross vehicle mass (GVM) so it can be driven with a car licence – and like the rest of the 300 range it has a plethora of standard fitment safety items – driver’s airbag, anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD).
This is an additional feature of more sophisticated ABS braking systems, where an electronic control system measures such parameters as road speed to distribute braking force more effectively, with the system automatically varying the amount of force that is applied to individual brakes.
It works this out by taking into account the road conditions, speed, load and other factors. It also offers Easy Start on manual transmission models – used when lifting off on a hill – when the system is engaged by means of a switch and the brake pedal is pushed, the brakes remain on even when you remove your foot pressure, they only release when you push the accelerator pedal to take off.
The automatic model has a new feature, Hill Descent Control. The transmission’s ECU calculates when the vehicle is descending a hill.
When the driver releases the accelerator pedal with the exhaust brake active, the transmission will select the correct gear to appropriate maximum exhaust brake retardation, reducing service brake pad wear.