Hino is at the centre of a milestone in the relationship between Australian towing giants Ekebol and Nationwide Towing & Transport.
Tow truck manufacturer Ekebol has delivered a new Hino FE 1426 with six-tonne tilt tray body to Nationwide - the 250th vehicle the Queensland company has built for Nationwide since the beginning of their partnership in 1988.
The FE XL Air is also the 200th Hino purchased by Nationwide since becoming their brand of choice in 2005.
Nationwide began purchasing Hino trucks following success with their 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 that produces 260HP (191kW) and 794Nm. It features advanced safety and comfort features, with 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 fleet, which operates in Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Perth, with Hino because of their strong product and excellent service.
"Over the years we have found Hino to be very reliable, and the company itself to be professional and easy to deal with," Mr Nicholls 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 has grown from its humble beginnings in 1987 as Blackburn Towing in Melbourne with four tow trucks. It is now the largest towing company in Australia.