Hino Ultra Heavy Tanker to star on AFAC stand

“The fully operational Ultra Heavy Tanker (UHT) has a 10,000L water tank, which can be operated by a small number of crew, and maximises the amount of water delivered to the fire front via a front-mounted water cannon controlled by a joystick in the cabin,” said Daniel Petrovski, Department Manager – Product Strategy for Hino Australia.

“The water capacity and ease of operation is particularly important given the volunteer shortages that some emergency services are currently facing.

“The new UHT has received extremely positive feedback from volunteers since its release in March and is one of many that will be rolled out to brigades over the next 18 months.

“Earlier variations of it have been trialled with success over the last four years and rural fire-fighting volunteers were heavily involved in the consultation process,” said Mr Petrovski.

With 320hp (235kW) of power and 1275Nm of torque, the A09C engine in the FM 2632 is well-suited to multi-axle fire and emergency services applications.

“The six-speed Allison automatic transmission ensures better drivability and convenience for all drivers,” said Mr Petrovski.

Other special features include an air Central Tyre Inflation (CTI) system that is fitted to all tyres and allows inflation or deflation as required from the cabin. This is particularly useful for fighting fires in the sand or other challenging low-traction off-road conditions.

Also on display is a 500 Series Wide Cab GH 1828 heavy tanker, which has been specifically designed and built for the Queensland Rural Fire Service by R.A. Bell.

“Of particular interest to fire agencies is that both GH 1828 and FM 2632 are equipped with Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), a standard safety feature,” said Mr Petrovski.

Tankers carrying liquids are particularly susceptible to rollovers and VSC continuously monitors the vehicles’ operation and can help prevent an incident, such as when a vehicle enters or exits a corner too fast.

All Hino light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks feature Hino Australia’s new intuitive 10.1-inch ultra high-definition Multimedia unit, which features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone compatibility.

Standard fitment on all 500 and 700 Series vehicles, Hino-Connect provides customers with real-time performance data, tracking, remote diagnosis of vehicle operation and dedicated Hino-Connect support specialists.

“The connectivity of the new multimedia unit and Hino-Connect will provide fleet managers and customers with full fleet connectivity,” said Mr Petrovski.

The AFAC conference will be held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from August 22 to 25.