Australian-based wholesale food service and product Bidvest says it prefers to purchase trucks with automatic transmissions to remove the need to train its drivers in how to operate a manual transmission.
Bidvest Australia, which runs a more than 400 trucks Australia-wide, has renewed its fleet contract with Hino Motor Sales Australia for the third consecutive year.
It will add another 40 Hino trucks to its fleet during 2015-16, including models from the 300, 500 and 700 Series ranges. These include 300 Series Hybrids and the recently launched 500 Series FE 1426 Auto models.
The 500 Series FE 1426 Auto, with its J07E engine, provides an output of 260HP (191kW) and 794Nm matched to the Allison 2500 series automatic transmission.
The Hino 300 Series Hybrid features a Euro 5 and EVV compliant N04C diesel engine matched to an auxiliary electric motor, which assists in significantly reducing tailpipe exhaust emissions and fuel consumption compared to a conventional diesel-engine truck.
Bidvest services category manager Harris Tran says Hino trucks were the best fit for the business.
“Our drivers spend a good proportion of their lives in these trucks, so we need to supply them with something comfortable,” say Tran.
“Hino trucks have very comfortable seats and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as comprehensive safety equipment to help meet OHS requirements,” he says.
“We also invest in two-pedal transmissions on all vehicles up to eight pallets; they’re easy to drive and remove the need for specially trained drivers for manual transmissions,” he says.
Value for money and good service from Hino Australia were also deciding factors in Bidvest’s continued Hino purchases according to Tran.
Bidvest established in 1995 and employed over 2,500 people in 55 branches nationwide.
