Hino Motors Philippines (HMP), exclusive distributor of Hino trucks and buses in the Philippines, shores up its Total Support initiative further, launching heavy-duty trucks and modern jeepneys that are also environment-friendly, expanding its range of vehicles, and training manpower and dealers, all to meet the logistics and transportation requirements of the market.
Seeing the growing demand in the country’s trucking industry as a result of the increasing number of development and infrastructure projects, Hino is investing in Euro 4 heavy-duty trucks. Its new jeepneys, meanwhile, address the need for a modernized and more comfortable transport system aligned with government goals. The company supports the call to care for the environment and is, thus, using Euro 4 engines.
“Hino’s Total Support aims to maximize operation and minimize lifetime cost for our business partners. We strongly believe that by providing good products and total support we are able to support our customers’ business and contribute to society and grow with them at the same time,” shared Hino Motors, Ltd. Chairman Yasuhiko Ichihashi.
Addressing growing logistics requirements
Hino’s 700 series of heavy-duty trucks is designed to meet the diverse needs of the country’s thriving logistics industry. With these trucks, the company hopes to provide businesses all over the Philippines with more options for fleet upgrade or expansion and be better equipped in catering to the different logistical requirements of their clients.
The 700 series of heavy-duty trucks from Hino consists of the SS2P, SH2P, FS2P and FY2P models. All models are designed for optimum performance and can be used for different applications and logistics needs.
The SS2P is a 10-wheeler tractor head truck with high roof and 16-speed transmission while the SH2P is a 6-wheeler tractor head truck, also with high roof and 12-speed transmission. The SS2P supports 60-ton gross combined mass and 40 to 45 tons pulling capacity. On the other hand, the SH2P features 45.5-ton gross combined mass and 30 to 35 tons pulling capacity.
The FS2P comes in two models – the FS2P Mixer Truck and the FS2P Dump Truck. Both are 10-wheeler trucks with 12-speed transmission and standard roof. The FS2P Mixer Truck comes with a 9m³ mixer body and features 32.3-ton gross vehicle weight while the FS2P Dump Truck is made to support dump body and 34-ton gross vehicle weight.
The FY2P comes in three variants – the FY2P Mixer Truck, FY2P Dump Truck and FY2P Cargo Truck. All are 12-wheeler trucks with 12-speed transmission and 39.4-ton gross vehicle weight.
The FY2P Mixer and FY2P Dump Trucks have standard roofs while the FY2P Cargo has a high roof. The FY2P Cargo comes with 11.8-meter overall chassis length for cargo body requirements.
Supporting shift to modern transport units
Heeding the government’s call to modernize the public transport system, Hino is one of the first to develop modern jeepney prototypes aligned with the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP) and the Office of Transport Cooperatives (OTC) theme, “Arangkada sa Pagbabago.”
Hino’s modern jeepneys use a more efficient engine and adopt green technology to reduce harm to the environment. The Euro 4-powered Class II jeepneys meet the requirements of the Bureau of Philippine Standards. They have a seating capacity of 19 passengers. Seats are side facing, resembling those of the conventional jeepney. 7 additional standing passengers can also be accommodated in the middle to maximize the vehicle’s capacity.
The modern jeepneys are air-conditioned for greater commuter comfort. They are equipped with a Beep Card system, speed limiter, GPS, CCTV and a dashboard camera.
Hino has turned over some of these modern jeepneys to the Pateros-Fort Bonifacio Transport Service and Multi-Purpose Cooperative (TSMC) and Taguig Transport Service Cooperative (TSC). These two are among the three preselected by the OTC to be the first to adopt the PUVMP because of their good standing, financial capability and established management structure.
The Pateros-Fort Bonifacio TSMC will receive 137 Hino modern jeepney units while the Taguig TSC will get 279 units. The approved routes include Gate III of Fort Bonifacio to Guadalupe Market and Bagumbayan, Taguig to Pasig. These include the 13 air-conditioned jeepneys given to Pateros-Fort Bonifacio TSMC and 20 non-air-conditioned units given to Taguig TSC during the second turnover ceremony held late 2018.
These modern jeepneys, which have been plying the roads for some months now, involve the assistance of a passenger assistance officer (PAO) in place of the Beep Card system, which has yet to be operational. PAOs collect passengers’ fares and inform the driver passengers need to get off.
Broadening vehicle range, training manpower
Keen to grow its market in the Philippines, Hino will continue to broaden its line of trucks and buses to cater to the different industries. The heavy-duty trucks target businesses with heavier logistics and transport requirements. They are also ideal for businesses engaged in development projects, which are expected to increase in number on the back of the government’s Build Build Build program. The modern jeepneys are for public transport while the trucks with P11C Engine launched much earlier were aimed at boosting Hino’s position in the Heavy-Duty Truck segment.
To support vehicle development efforts, Hino broke ground for a new office building and technical service training center last year. This new facility, which is expected to be completed by mid-2019, will be used to strengthen the skill set of the company’s manpower. Through this, Hino hopes to provide the best kind of training and preparation for its staff and dealers to enable them to handle different situations as truck service providers.
HMP Chairman Vicente T. Mills, Jr. reaffirms the company’s commitment to offer only good-quality products and services that meet the requirements of its customers and partners. “We at Hino believe the Filipinos deserve better transportation and infrastructure. Through our Total Support principle, we hope to advance this vision further and continue to deliver only high-quality trucks and buses that Filipinos can rely on,” Mills said.
“The Philippines is primed for growth, and it is during these times of changes that it is more important to have a secure, reliable and efficient logistics partner for businesses to survive. Hino will continue to develop and deliver technologies and upgrade its products to meet the country’s truck and bus requirements,” said HMP President Mr. Mitsuharu Tabata.
