Hino, the gentle giant

Every two years, Motoring journalists the world over journey to what is considered one of the most important automotive exhibitions in the world- the Tokyo Motor Show. Not only does it showcase the latest automobiles from every significant brand, it also reveals the most current technologies and design directions the automotive companies are utilizing, and those that they are pioneering and developing further, for use on their upcoming models. While yours truly have had the privilege of attending and covering the Tokyo Motor Show for multiple times, it always has been focused on cars, SUV’s and the like- those that typically end up with consumers like you and I.

This time around, our gracious host for the 46th Tokyo Motor Show is from the brand of a Japanese company that’s been a byword in various industries when it comes reliable industrial and commercial large capacity transport: Hino. Established in 1942, Hino Motors Ltd. is a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, and is one of sixteen major companies of the Toyota Group. For forty-six years now, Hino has been the leading heavy and medium truck manufacturer in Japan in terms of sales. Today, it’s virtually impossible to be in an occupation within an industry that Hino Motors hasn’t significantly shaped, improved, and moved forward, at least indirectly. On this trip, I along with my colleagues in the Motoring beat was given eye-opening access into the iconic truck brand.

Hino’s headquarters is located at Hino-shi in Tokyo, but we were brought directly to their global mother plant in the city of Koga. We had a warm reception, and after a short backgrounder about their operations, we were given the grand tour. We expected the vast facility to be clean and orderly, but seeing it in actuality is quite impressive- reflective of Japanese culture that instills efficiency and discipline, the expansive assembly area’s environment felt like that of an office’s despite being capable of producing over 1,000 variations of trucks, depending on customers’ specifications. Seemingly endless rows of parts, expertly sorted out and catalogued are accessed systematically without delay, to fulfill an astonishingly high output that goes well over 100 units a day and 45,000 units a year, all accomplished in record-setting workplace safety. We’ve observed their assembly process that bears a fluid balance of advanced automation and exceptional human expertise from their robotic machinery and highly skilled workers. This we appreciated, knowing that a truck’s components greatly outnumber a typical car’s, and also the requirement for durability and reliability is of a much higher level, based on a truck’s various specialized applications.

But it doesn’t stop there. We learned about Hino’s concept of Total Support, and having imbibed the spirit of “Kaizen” or essentially the continuous and untiring effort to improve on every aspect of work, productivity and service, and of going above and beyond one’s duty, they constantly strive for better communication and understanding of their customers and their needs, and fulfilling them with forward-looking technology, genuine and thorough after-sales support, and invaluable skills transfer that improve versatility and optimization through their products, in their customers’ various businesses.

Trucking into the future

On our last day for media coverage we finally headed for the Tokyo Big Sight, the gigantic venue for the 46th Tokyo Motor Show. We trouped to the Hino Hall, where we were greeted by an on-screen computer generated avatar at their main display. With no fancy unveil, and via a heart-warming anime style short video, Hino’s main concept for the future of trucking was revealed to us in the form of an autonomously driven, fully electric-powered, highly efficient modular platform Hino called the “Flatformer”.

The video in Japanese had little need for subtitles, as the animated imagery was vividly self-explanatory and even quite refreshing to watch. The Flatformer, depicted in a more environmentally caring and harmonious near future allows for a seemingly unlimited range of applications for numerous configurations- it literally serves as a self-contained flat base that houses advanced battery arrays, multiple pairs of wheels, individually powered by compact motors, and it of course can come in various sizes as required. It was shown first and foremost as a platform for a spacious and sleek Hino bus, then a delivery truck, a mobile recycling unit, and even a pod for medical procedures- all autonomously self-driving… it underlines Hino’s quest for a world without traffic accidents, transportation is highly efficient and worry-free, and totally environment-friendly. It’s an undeniably tall order, but the Hino’s commitment in achieving it slowly but surely through determined action is reassuring.

I can say that our trip to Japan has given us more than a glimpse of Hino Motors’ rich history, people-centric culture and admirable efforts towards an achievable, sustainable coexistence between us people and our environment. Funny how as a kid, the name Hino conjures up an image of a gentle giant I want to be friends with. As it turns out, I was right.