Hino towing milestone

A new Hino is at the heart of a milestone for two giants of the Australian tow truck world, with a new FE 1426 with six-tonne tilt tray body marking the 250th vehicle made by Ekebol for Nationwide Towing & Transport since the two companies initiated their partnership in 1988.

It's also the 200th Hino made by Ekebol for Nationwide since the latter made Hino its manufacturer of choice in 2005.

Nationwide began purchasing Hino trucks following success with its first Hino tilt tray – a Ranger 6 – which was acquired in 2003.

The 500 Series FE 1426 is powered by the 6.4-litre J07E-TN five-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, which produces 260hp (191kW) and 794Nm. It features advanced safety and comfort features, including an ISRI air-suspended driver's seat, ABS brakes, SRS driver's airbag and ECE-R29 crash safety compliance.

CEO Rob Nicholls says Nationwide will continue to build its Hino fleet, which operates in Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Perth.

"Over the years we have found Hino to be very reliable, and the company itself to be professional and easy to deal with," he said.

"Our tow trucks work hard – 24 hours, seven days a week all over metropolitan areas, the countryside, on busy freeways and isolated outback roads.

"They also work on construction sites and at major events, including the Australian Grand Prix, the Australian Open and various concerts.

"Our customers include everyday motorists, major access equipment hirers and auto club members."

Mr Nicholls added that Nationwide's trucks tow very diverse loads, including cars, trucks, boats, buses, excavators, forklifts, containers, generators and portable buildings.

"A robust, durable and reliable truck and tray are critical – Hino and Ekebol clearly fulfil these key criteria and have performed at very high levels for Nationwide over the long term."

Mr Nicholls is also pleased with Nationwide's long-lasting relationship with Ekebol.

"It's great to have such a long and successful relationship with them, and I'm proud to be a part of this milestone," he said.

Ekebol Managing Director Gary Roe said Hino trucks are a solid base for a reliable tow truck.

"The Hino Ranger 6 then FD models have been great products to install our most popular TFS 4000 tilt tray body on, and you can see these in operation all around Australia.

"Now the FE model, with its increased capacity, has become very popular and is widely used for our TFS 6000 product."

Mr Roe said Ekebol is proud to be supporting Nationwide's growth across the country.

"Everyone at Ekebol values the long-term relationship that we have with Nationwide and we look forward to supporting them into the future," he said.

"We pride ourselves on supporting our customers' businesses with parts and excellent customer service, even for our earliest bodies still operating after nearly four decades."

Ekebol has been designing and manufacturing towing equipment in Kunda Park, Queensland, for 37 years.

Nationwide started out in 1987 as Blackburn Towing in Melbourne with four tow trucks. It is now the largest towing company in Australia.

Click here to read the trucksales review of the Hino FE 1426 Auto.