S-Transport Service has selected Hino Motors’ Ranger medium-duty truck equipped with Allison’s fully automatic transmission as part of its efforts to shift its fleet to vehicles with two-pedals and Park position.
TOKYO, September 27th 2021 – Allison Transmission Japan, the Japanese subsidiary of Allison Transmission, has announced that S-Transport Service, a precision equipment transportation company based in Ōdate City, Japan, will adopt Hino Motors’ Ranger medium-duty truck equipped with Allison’s 1000 SeriesTM fully automatic transmission as part of shifting its entire transport fleet to vehicles with two pedals and Park position. These trucks will be used primarily for the transportation of electronic components for export.
In response to many drivers experiencing back pain after long trips in trucks with manual transmissions due to extensive clutch operation, S-Transport Service evaluated Allison’s fully automatic transmissions and rated them highly in terms of ease of driving and safety. Long-distance transport accounts for 70% of S-Transport Service’s business.
An Allison Transmission-equipped truck makes driving easier by eliminating the need to depress the clutch. Thanks to its patented torque converter, it also provides a comfortable ride with powerful starting performance and smooth gear shifts that makes the truck feel lighter. The introduction of Allison fully automatic transmissions at S-Transport Service has made a significant contribution to reducing driver stress and fatigue, and many drivers have expressed a desire to use the fully automatic vehicles.
Hino Motors’ Ranger with Allison fully automatic transmission is the only medium-duty truck in Japan to have the Park position and it is one of the main reasons S-Transport specified the Allison. It is not available in manual or automated manual transmission (AMT) models. Safety and security are paramount at S-Transport Service, and the company sought to avoid drivers having to return to their manual transmission vehicles to recheck the pull of the side brakes. With the Park position, drivers can park with confidence, the fully automatic transmission system preventing rollback incidents on slopes, thereby helping to improve safety.
“As a business owner, creating a comfortable working environment for my drivers is very important to me, so when I approached Nishi Tohoku Hino Motors, I was offered the opportunity to test drive an Allison-equipped vehicle. I actually drove one and decided to adopt it because I thought it would help reduce the stress of our drivers due to its smooth ride and ease of operation,” said Takayuki Saito, CEO of S-Transport Service.
“Some of our experienced drivers were sceptical about the drivability of the Allison transmission, but after actually driving the truck, they were surprised to find that its driving performance was powerful and exhaust brakes slowed them down on downhills better than they expected. Many drivers now say that the Allison Transmission-equipped trucks make driving easier. Our average fuel consumption data for June also shows that the Allison trucks averaged 6.9 km/l, compared to 6.6 km/l to 5.4 km/l for manual trucks, making the Allison trucks superior in terms of fuel efficiency. We believe that in the future, Allison Transmission-equipped vehicles will be able to achieve consistent fuel consumption even when driven by drivers with differing levels of skill,” concluded Saito.
Allison Transmission wants to offer more end users the opportunity to try its fully automatic transmissions and experience their outstanding driving performance and ease of use, and plans to create test drive opportunities in cooperation with sales companies nationwide. Allison will continue to work with the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers to help customers increase productivity through superior technology and products.
Image – Hino Ranger with Allison’s fully automatic transmission. (FD vehicle model, wide cab with air suspension).
Image – Takayuki Saito, CEO of S-Transport Service Inc.
Image – Kouki Miyata, Odate Branch Manager of Nishi Tohoku Hino Motors; Takayuki Saito, CEO of S-Transport Service Inc.; Yoko Izumi, Odate Branch Director of Nishi Tohoku Hino Motors.
Image – Hino Ranger with Allison’s fully automatic transmission.
Image – Hino’s’ Ranger with Allison transmission is the only medium-duty truck in Japan to have the Park position. It gives drivers feel of security and safety.
Image – Allison Automatic Transmission 1000 SeriesTM with torque converter.
About Allison Transmission
Allison Transmission (NYSE: ALSN) is a leading designer and manufacturer of vehicle propulsion solutions for commercial and defense vehicles, the largest global manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty fully automatic transmissions, and a leader in electrified propulsion systems that Improve the Way the World Works. Allison products are used in a wide variety of applications, including on-highway trucks (distribution, refuse, construction, fire and emergency), buses (school, transit and coach), motorhomes, off-highway vehicles and equipment (energy, mining and construction applications) and defense vehicles (tactical wheeled and tracked). Founded in 1915, the company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. With a presence in more than 150 countries, Allison has regional headquarters in the Netherlands, China and Brazil, manufacturing facilities in the USA, Hungary and India, as well as global engineering resources, including electrification engineering centers in Indianapolis, Indiana, Auburn Hills, Michigan and London in the United Kingdom. Allison also has more than 1,400 independent distributor and dealer locations worldwide. For more information, visit allisontransmission.com.