According to Glenn Ellis, vice president, marketing & dealer operations for Hino Trucks, “Today’s vocational fleet managers demand trucks that are reliable, fuel efficient and work as hard as they do day in and day out. They are always looking for ways to minimize their operational cost and are looking to tools such as telematics to analyze their cost to their overall cost per mile. Additionally, they need an OEM dealer network that is trained, knowledgeable and responsive.
Lowest cost of ownership
Today’s vocational truck managers need to work with dealers who can help them meet the lowest cost of ownership with their fleet truck choices. Ellis says, “Even though the trucks being produced today are the cleanest, most efficient trucks ever produced, there is still a human element that needs to be applied in order to run the truck at the lowest possible cost of ownership. This comes into play when spec’ing the truck. There are many factors that can attribute to a vehicle’s optimal performance such as the rear axle ratio, transmission, tires and added air deflectors as examples. Additionally, tools like telematics can provide the fleet manager with valuable insight to how their fleet is operating so they can better manage their drivers, routes, fuel consumption, maintenance schedule and overall efficiency.”
Upcoming trends
We are seeing some vehicle trends that are having an impact of medium-duty fleet owners. “With the emergence of alternative fueled vehicles, this has added a level of complexity to the medium duty fleet buyer,” notes Ellis. “They have choices between EPA 2010-certified clean diesel, natural gas, hybrid and propane trucks, to name a few. With so many different variations of truck configurations in the medium-duty market, there is not one specific fuel type that is right for all applications. Making their job as a medium-duty fleet buyer that much more difficult.”
Fleet managers can expect some cost effective vehicle innovations from Hino going forward. Elllis states that, “We will continue to focus on bringing to market the most reliable, fuel efficient vehicles in the market. Our hybrid technology in our Class 5 diesel-electric hybrid cab-over continues to do well and gain momentum.
Hino Class 7 338
Ellis talks about the Hino Class 7 338 (pictured above): “It is part of the award-winning line up of Hino conventional trucks. Additionally, it is powered by the Hino J08 Series engine, which won five consecutive JD Power awards for highest customer satisfaction in the medium-duty class. It has gained a reputation in the market as providing exceptional fuel economy and overall low cost of ownership.”
The 338 is utilized in a wide range of vocational applications including utility, beverage, dump, tanker and crane truck applications to name a few. “Its outstanding visibility, large cab and exceptional turning radius make it popular with drivers and fleet owners alike. Our optional INSIGHT telematics system is also available in our, 338 model” Ellis adds.
