From left: Peter Wilkinson, Wilkinson Transport Engineers; Michael Doeg, GM commercial sales New Zealand Sime Darby; Ken Frazer, national fleet manager Northland Waste/Econowaste; Shane Kemp, sales account manager Hino Northland; Mike Rule, GM Hino New Zealand.
In mid-September, Auckland-based Econowaste took delivery of its 100th Hino waste-collection truck, one of a 15-truck order currently in build. The Hino 700 FS was handed over to Northland Waste/Econowaste national fleet manager Ken Frazer at Hino Distributors’ Mt Wellington site.
The North Island-based waste management company’s fleet of Hinos is a mix of models, with its oldest in operation being a 2003 model. They vary from recyclers and glass trough trucks to truck and trailer units. Side-arm bodies like the new 700 are the most common.
“For many years, Hinos had the best in the market for weights, front axles, and not having to chop and change chassis. Plus, they’re a good truck; we wouldn’t buy them if they weren’t!” said Frazer. “The 700 is exactly what we need; we don’t have to modify the chassis, just add the second steering wheel and a body.”
The 100th Hino has been fitted with a Bucher municipal waste collection body by PFS Engineering in Hamilton, the preferred set-up for Northland Waste/Econowaste’s one-arm collection trucks.
Wilkinson Transport Engineers in Cambridge did the sit-down dual-steer conversion, and this is the first Euro-6 FS Hino to be configured as such. “We had to ensure we used common components; the parts we fit have to talk to the truck’s CAN bus system,” said Peter Wilksonson. The conversion takes just a couple of weeks to do.
“We started doing conversions in 1996 – on a Hino, funnily enough,” he added.
Frazer said all the company’s trucks were maintained in-house. “We have a great relationship with Hino, and they fully endorse us using our own workshop to service the trucks. So long as we use genuine Hino parts, we have no issues with warranties. They really look after us, and it’s great to have that relationship.”
