In May this year, KAM Transport and Logistics marked a milestone in New Zealand’s transport sector with the arrival of the country’s first on-road FAW JH6 550HP.
The heavy-duty prime mover, purchased through Intertruck Distributors NZ Ltd and facilitated by TRT, was delivered last month and is already hard at work. Equipped with a 13-litre, 6-cylinder, turbo-charged, common rail, and inter-cooled diesel engine, the FAW produces 550 horsepower – putting it firmly in competition with established European brands.
Currently operating between Hamilton and Auckland on a daily shuttle, the truck is undergoing a live trial to benchmark its performance and fuel efficiency against KAM’s predominantly Scania fleet.
KAM General Manager, Bill Bamber, said while FAW may be a new brand for New Zealand operators, the trucks have already proven themselves overseas.
“The FAW comes from the largest truck manufacturer in China, and have already made waves in South Africa, being the main truck of choice across their 535,000km network of roading,” Mr Bamber said.
“From what we’ve heard, it has become so prominent in South Africa due to its fuel efficiency. This is something that is front of mind for us, as we have recently become the first trucking company of our kind in New Zealand to gain the Toitū gold enviromark status, so reducing carbon emissions is part of our day-to-day operations.”
According to Bamber, early results from the trial run have been promising.
“So far in our trial run, we believe it is competitive efficiency-wise on the route we currently have it working compared to the truck we previously had on the same route. We will continue to monitor its performance along this route before assessing whether to add more of its kind to our growing fleet.”
The introduction of the FAW JH6 expands KAM’s fleet of more than 60 trucks and reflects the company’s strategy of balancing growth with sustainability. With its enviromark gold status and commitment to reducing emissions, KAM is looking for innovations that align operational efficiency with environmental responsibility.
For New Zealand’s heavy transport sector, the arrival of the FAW JH6 could signal the beginning of greater competition in the premium truck segment – a development that fleet operators across the country will be watching closely.
