Full Of Eastern Promise
John Henderson puts Hino’s 700 series 3213 tipper through the Transport News ‘initial impressions’ road test…. PRIOR to last month, I’ll be quite honest and say that in over 30 years involvement in road transport, I’ve never had any working experience with Hino trucks. The first ones I remember seeing were the HE type tractor units, run almost exclusively it seemed by Irish fridge operators back in the late 1970s. These motors could be spotted in any part of Europe, usually making swift progress with their eye catching cab design, which looked like a cross between a Scammell Trunker and a forward control American Ford. In the last few years it’s always been the Japanese manufacturer’s eight wheeled tippers that have caught my eye, usually in Yorkshire, Manchester or the Greater London areas, working hard on muck-away jobs. A recent visit to Truckfest Scotland let me look at the latest model range up close and after a chat with the helpful dealership staff on the display, an initial test drive was promptly booked to report back on these trucks, which are now spreading their dealership footmark nationwide following the demise of the Foden name. Hitting the road just a few days after Ingliston meant that a fuel flow meter and a fully loaded body were not possible to organise at such short notice, but nevertheless a couple of hours behind the wheel of the big Hino would surely be enough to get a good gut reaction to the potential future of this eight wheel design. Entering the cab, a trio of well placed steps bring you up to floor level and once installed on the ISRI air suspended seat, all the necessary adjustments are available to ensure a comfortable trip. The steering column too can be moved back, forward, up or down and this was quickly and easily adjusted. My only slight concern was the central engine cover, which by today’s standards is on the high side, but this does not encroach on foot well space, with sensible spacing between the pendulum pedals and a good sized, clutch foot rest which accommodated my left, size 10 with ease! All round visibility is excellent and there are useful storage areas above the windscreen, under the bunk, in the doors and on the aforementioned engine cover. Once on the move from Bothwell Services, I quickly settled into the truck and although it’s a few years since I’ve used the ZF, double H box, my old affections for the unit’s smooth operation, complemented by Hino’s power shift, came back within minutes. Leaving the motorway at Junction 7, I decided to put the Hino through its braking, handling and steering test on the ultra-twisty and narrow A72 from Garrion Bridge, down the side of the River Clyde valley and up to Lanark - a fair task for any truck! The tipper handled well on this challenging route with the steering being measured and responsive, especially when oncoming HGVs and the occasional careless car driver left the narrowest of gaps on my side. On the advice of my chaperon for the day; Cumbria Trucks’ Robbie Williamson, letting the engine lug right down to 600-700rpm allowed flexible throttle response and still gave plenty pulling power on the short braes. The 13 litre engine also incorporates a genuine Jake Brake retarder as a standard fitment and the stalk, fitted on the left side of the steering column was a joy to use and kept the brakes cool for any unexpected usage. Going back briefly to the steering column stalk switches, being a Japanese build, the indicators are on the right (wrong) side, just like their cars, and some concentration was needed in the first half of the run, not to indicate my intention to signal with the retarder switch. On the move, engine noise is minimal, giving just the right amount of audible feedback to let you hear what the unit is doing and ‘normal’ conversation levels are always possible. The road from Lanark to Abington is less than smooth in places and I was expecting to be severely shaken in an empty tipper, but the four point cab air suspension, steel chassis springs and body fixings are obviously well sorted as the run was truly unremarkable with normal service being continued. The in-cab quality of fixtures and fittings also ticked the top box with no discernible rattles or shakes noted throughout the entire drive. A useful fitment is the engine eco button, which when selected, cuts down the power output when running empty or light, from 410 to 340 horses and certainly helped to keep me at the 40mph limit, as well as improving the all important miles per gallon. One thing the Hino engineers could possibly address is the positioning of some switches, which seemed haphazard to me. With some blanking spaces noted on the easily reached curved dash, it may be better for the driver if the buttons located on the engine cover and at knee level below the main instrument binnacle, were relocated in logical groups there. Over a coffee at Abington Services, Robbie enthused about the positive reaction to these new eight wheelers from notable recent local customers such as WH Malcolm and Yuill & Dodds. What may also be a good selling point for the Hino is the immediate availability of bodied, Euro 3 stock, which will fill a gap for any operators still undecided about the respective virtues of the imminent EGR or SCR regulations. An easy cruise back northbound up the M74 to Cumbria Trucks new dealership at Uddingston, showed just the full potential of this newcomer, as its road manners and flexibility on any type of route is consistently excellent. This truck will surprise many operators and my advice would be; you must try it before you judge it. It should impress the most discerning driver with its handling, comfort levels and forgiving nature! They say you learn something new every day and my lesson during the trip was not to underestimate the power of the Hino! My thanks go to Robbie Williamson from Cumbria Trucks for organising this TN appraisal.