Hino trucks ready to take spotlight

Members of the Philippine motoring media attended Hino’s first media plant tour.

Reflecting the Philippines’ aggressive infrastructure plan, trucks and buses will be among the biggest stars for the next several years, according to Hino Motors Philippines Corp. (HMP), one of the country’s leading truck and bus assemblers and distributors.

“We are in the midst of infrastructure construction boom, which has increased demand for more trucks and buses over the next couple of years. Also, the rise in domestic travel activities will also be great news to the country’s bus industry that is now in the process of upgrading their fleet in compliance with the government’s Euro 4 emissions standard. These developments only means we should double or even triple our efforts,” announced Hino Motors Philippines Corp. (HMP) chair Vicente Mills, Jr. as he welcomed the Motoring media that toured the company’s plant in Canlubang, Laguna.

Early this year, Mills was quoted saying that HMP is looking at hitting 5,000-unit sales mark, following its impressive 2017 performance, wherein around 4,000 units were sold.

During the morning tour, HMP VP for production and director Hirokazu Kono said the company strongly believes that innovative yet safe manufacturing technologies and practices will not only ensure employee safety and satisfaction but also encourage commitment to quality production, which then would lead to quality products and services and customer satisfaction.

Kono said HMP follows a company-wide program that aspires to make safety a way of life in all Hino plants and among employees. “Hino believes that increasing employee awareness about the importance of safety practices and encouraging regular adoption of such safety protocols will benefit all stakeholders in the long term.”

5S principle

HMP’s company-wide safety program is based on the 5S principle, a safety program that replicates the one already instituted at Hino Motors, Ltd. in Japan.

The 5S campaign calls upon HMP employees to seiri or sort tools and items, seiton or straighten and arrange items for easier access and use, seiso or shine to ensure regular cleaning of work areas and equipment, seiketsu or standardize work and processes, and shitsuke or sustain to continue improving clean and safe practices every day.

Beyond boosting awareness about safety, this HMP program also involves equipping plant personnel with a complete set of personal safety equipment that included shoes, goggles, gloves, arm covers, a hard cap and even ear muffs.

Likewise, HMP plant employees are expected to take proper care of the personal safety equipment issued to them. They are also required to shoulder the cost of replacing lost items. Replacement, however, of issued items worn out by normal wear and tear, is free.

“Workers are required to wear the complete gear in the production lines. Anyone found not wearing the complete gear will be asked to leave the production line and then sent to the new Professional Safety Health Environment department, which coordinates with Human Resources in studying cases and implementing corresponding sanctions,” informed HMP Technical Service Training section supervisor Joel Agcaoili.

Hino’s new fleet of Euro-4 compliant vehicles includes refrigerated vans, cargo cranes, dump trucks, cab and chassis trucks, tractor heads, wing vans, the Cerito bus, the Grandeza bus, and modern Hino jeepneys.

Besides providing personal safety equipment, HMP implements strict safety regulations in the production lines. For example, employees who will be working two meters or higher must use a harness while those who will be handling lifting must limit manual lifting load to 20 kg.

Euro 4 compliant

Still in line with its commitment of providing reliable and quality transport solutions to businesses, HMP recently launched its new line of trucks and buses already powered by Euro 4 compliant diesel engines.

Motoring media members gained first-hand experience of the Grandeza bus, both as the shuttle service vehicle and as a test drive unit.

In addition to reaffirming its vow of total support to Filipinos, the company’s shift to the Euro 4 emission standard matches the industry’s call for innovative transport solutions while complying with government regulations.

According to Oliver dela Cruz, HMP General Sales Manager, the new Euro 4-powered vehicles from HMP—including refrigerated van, cargo crane, dump truck, cab and chassis truck, tractor head, wing van, Cerito rand of buses, Grandeza brand of buses and Hino’s version of modern jeepneys—promise improved diesel engine durability at greater cost efficiency and less carbon footprint.

Mills acknowledges this new HMP efforts is a reflection of HMP’s continuous support to the Filipino community. “Hino is grateful for this opportunity to offer an eco-friendly yet innovative transport solution that further expands the Hino range of quality of trucks and buses. We will continue to offer quality trucks and buses that meet the different needs of Filipinos, investing in new technologies that do not harm the environment,” he promised.

Hino has been engaged in the assembly and exclusive distributorship of Hino brand of trucks and buses in the Philippines for more than 40 years. Originally incorporated in March 1975 under the name Pilipinas Hino Inc., it changed its name to HMP in 2015 after a venture among Filipino investors and Hino Motors, Ltd., and the Marubeni Corp. of Japan was sealed.

HMP is looking at hitting 5,000-unit sales mark this year following its impressive 2017 performance when the company sold around 4,000 units

Delivering on its commitment of providing reliable trucks and buses, HMP underscores safety manufacturing and processes and quality engine to match the country’s trucking requirements

A daily safety patrol is regularly conducted to ensure strict observance of plant safety protocols.