Northland Waste, Wilkinson Transport Engineers, and Hino New Zealand got together to celebrate a major milestone with the handover of Northland Waste’s 100th Hino on 15 September.
“It’s fantastic to celebrate this milestone alongside Northland Waste and Wilkinson Transport Engineers,” said Hino Sales Account Manager, Shane Kemp. “A combination of the right specification and specialised build has delivered fit-for-purpose trucks for ten-plus years. We’re proud to have been part of that journey.”
Northland Waste National Fleet Manager, Ken Frazer commented on over a decade of rapid growth in the business: “We started with five trucks in 2013 and have since had some massive growth with council contracts leading to the purchase of 64 brand-new Hinos over the past three years.
“Hinos deliver the right balance of strength, durability, and manoeuvrability – which is why they now make up over half the fleet.”
The 100th Hino is a 700 Series FS 2632 Euro 6 – the first dual-steer on a Euro 6 700 Series in New Zealand. “This Hino unit has a heavier front axle, the right wheelbase, and the right size engine — everything to make it a technically perfect kerbside rubbish truck,” said Ken.
Servicing and support have been just as important to Northland Waste as the trucks themselves. Though the company runs its own workshops, they rely on genuine Hino parts and filter kits sourced through Truckstops, Hino’s nationwide aftersales and support network.
Over the years, the relationship with Hino’s service team has become essential to the operation. Ken highlighted the support from people like Darren Trask, Hino NZ’s Technical Services Manager. “I met him in 2016 when we were first discussing how and when to service them,” said Ken. “He doesn’t treat us like we’re just a customer with a few trucks; he treats us like we’re an extension of his workshops around the country.”
When it comes to day-to-day operations, standardisation across the fleet is another advantage, with common parts and filters simplifying workshop maintenance and keeping downtime to a minimum. “When you’ve got a workshop and a massive number of Hino trucks, it saves me having to carry 15 different oil filters for 15 different models. It makes life a hell of a lot easier,” says Ken.
With 100 Hinos now on the road and more growth ahead, the partnership between Hino NZ and Northland Waste is set to continue based on reliability, service, and mutual trust.
