Safety features were also prioritised in the truck’s design as the standard front and rear anti-roll bars increase the vehicle’s stability, while the differential lock assists to reduce one wheel from spinning, making the truck safer and easier to operate in conditions that offer little or no grip.
The company said its new truck also has multi-leaf bogie type rear suspensions which are robust, resulting in longer life and the ability to haul heavier loads. The truck has thicker and deeper long members in the chassis. “The chassis’ cross members add additional strength and they are shot-peened and powder coated to increase surface strength and to prevent corrosion,” Fuso Trucks said. It added that the interior was comfortable and designed to reduce driver fatigue. It has three-way adjustable seats, as well as a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel that allows the driver to choose an optimum driving posture. The extended day cab also includes a fold-down bunk. Fuso Trucks also used the launch to announce the increase of Completely Knocked Down (CKD) production of its trucks at the Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) plant in East London. “By producing the FUSO FA and FJ series trucks in our East London plant, we are simply putting into action what we promised would be the next logical step after we launched the Regional Centre Southern Africa last year,” said Jasper Hafkamp, executive director for Daimler Trucks Southern Africa. He added that the “construction industry is one of the key indicators for economic growth,” and said he hoped Fuso’s new truck would soon be an icon in this industry.
