Allison Automatic Transmissions Improve Operation Efficiency of Wastepaper Collection Trucks

TOKYO, July 25, 2022 - Allison Transmission, the largest global manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty fully automatic transmissions for commercial vehicles, is proud to announce that Allison 1000 Series™ six-speed fully automatic transmissions are specified in wastepaper collection trucks based on the Ranger FD, a mid-sized truck manufactured by Hino Motors, and increasing the efficiency of wastepaper collecting work.

Demura Kikaku Co., Ltd., collects industrial waste products, cardboard and other wastepaper from large distribution centers and convenience stores in Chiba Prefecture. On its regular routes, it collects paper from over 50 locations a day. The Hino Ranger FD, which was launched in November 2021, has a park range setting, which is not available in manual or automated manual transmission (AMT) models. The gear selector can be put in the park position and the side brake engaged to securely stop the vehicle on hills or slopes while truck operators collect paper. Vehicles with manual transmissions can also be put in neutral and have their side brakes engaged, but if the side brake is not pulled up sufficiently there is a risk of the vehicle moving unexpectedly on roads with gradients. As a result, drivers pull up hard on the side brake to make sure that their eight-ton vehicles are stopped securely, but over years of use the brake wire can stretch, making the brakes less effective. The Hino Ranger FD, with the Allison automatic transmission, is the only mid-sized truck weighing under 11.8 tons with a park range setting.

For vehicles like refuse collection trucks, which start and stop repeatedly as work is performed over the course of the day, Power Take-Off (PTO) switches are used frequently, so streamlining their operation can improve the operation efficiency of drivers. In the Allison-equipped Hino Ranger FD, when the driver stops the vehicle, puts the gear selector in park or neutral and turns the PTO on, the PTO is automatically disengaged by putting the gear selector in drive or reverse. Putting the gear selector back in park or neutral causes the PTO to automatically reengage. This enables operators to immediately move on to their next task, such as loading wastepaper into the truck, without having to use the PTO switch again. For vehicles with manual transmissions, the PTO switch must be engaged after the vehicle is stopped, and then it must be disengaged when the operator's task is completed. Each time the vehicle is started and stopped, this same process of manually engaging and disengaging the PTO must be repeated. Getting used to this procedure takes time for new, inexperienced drivers.

“I've been driving refuse collection vehicles with Allison automatic transmissions for over a decade,” said Hiroki Demura, President at Demura Kikaku. “Lately, many of these trucks have become six-speed trucks, and there have been major improvements in electric control, so it's clear that they offer the same fuel efficiency as manual vehicles. One of the features of Allison automatic transmissions is that they use torque converters to provide amplified torque, which enables trucks to powerfully accelerate from stops, even on steep slopes. That makes it possible to smoothly drive up even steep slopes several stories high in logistics warehouses, eliminating the stress that comes with driving in environments like that. I've heard about another company in our industry that had an accident due to the side brake weakening and their truck moving unexpectedly. The park range setting in Allison automatic transmissions makes vehicles even safer by preventing accidents caused by vehicles moving unexpectedly on their own on slopes. This provides a lot of peace of mind. I also consult with other wastepaper collecting companies and waste transport companies regarding purchasing refuse collection vehicles, and I recommend trucks with Allison automatic transmissions because of their safety and ease of operation."

Aug 01, 2022

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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 approximately 1,600 independent distributor and dealer locations worldwide. For more information, visit allisontransmission.com.

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SOURCE Allison Transmission Holdings Inc.