Allison Transmission : Concrete Transport Company Improved Efficiency with an Allison Automatic--equipped Concrete Mixer Truck

TOKYO, December, 2020 - Allison Transmission, the world's largest manufacturer of automatic transmissions for medium and large-sized commercial vehicles, announced today that Shinto Corporation, a Japanese concrete-transport company, selected Hino Ranger GK medium-duty concrete mixers with Allison 3500 6-speed automatic transmissions to improve efficiency in concrete transportation. An added benefit is driver comfort especially in the congested traffic of central Tokyo where the vehicle experiences constant stop-and-go. After the success with its first four Allison-equipped vehicles in late 2018, Shinto Corp. is now considering expanding Allison Automatics to more of their fleet.

Shinto Corporation specializes in transporting ready-mixed concrete for Tokyo Ryoko Concrete, and covers the Shinagawa, Minato and Chiyoda wards, as well as the Shinjuku area. To maintain the quality of the ready-mixed concrete, delivery must be made within 90 minutes of leaving the batching plant.

Thanks to its patented torque converter multiplying engine torque, the concrete mixers are able to travel smoothly to the job site in the heart of the city, where there are frequent starts and stops due to traffic congestion. As a medium-sized mixer truck with GVW 20 tons, the Hino Ranger GK has a compact body with a low-floor chassis and a drum capacity of 8.9 cubic meters, which allows it to carry approximately one ton more than that of a heavy-duty mixer. This makes it possible for the Shinto Corporation to utilize the Ranger GK, a medium-duty truck, to transport concrete efficiently on narrow roads more easily in the Tokyo urban areas.

Mr. Tadashi Kosugi, Manager of Shinto Corporation said, 'Needless to say, a mixer with a fully automatic transmission does not require shift changes, making it easier for drivers to drive and operate the steering wheel. Despite the smaller engine, the torque is amplified by the torque converter so it starts smoothly and drivers could feel the amplified torque especially on slopes. Drivers generally appreciate Allison's Automatic Transmissions as they provide a comfortable working environment,' said Tadashi Kosugi, Manager of Shinto Corporation.

'Our business area is central Tokyo with a heavy traffic where drivers need to start and stop frequently. As a fact of driving vehicles of different manufacturers on a daily basis, drivers sometimes get confused with various layout of the gears on a gear stick. However, with an Allison-equipped vehicle, they can concentrate on handling as they only have to step on the accelerator pedal, which does not change the shift operation or the feeling of driving. We plan to add more Allison equipped vehicles to our fleet by the end of this year'.

The Allison 3500 is equipped with Allison's patented torque converter, which amplifies the engine torque at the start by 2.35 times to enable powerful driving under various road conditions. As a result, even with a downsized A05 engine (5.123 liter), when starting in 1st gear or reverse, it demonstrates the better driving force than a manual truck and achieves a powerful and smooth-running performance. Page 2 of 2

With the entire mixer industry facing a serious driver shortage, Allison will continue to provide the truck market with products that offer easy and comfortable driving, superior driving performance with lower maintenance costs while improving productivity.