With a local history that spans some 30 years, FAW Trucks prides itself on providing South African customers with affordable, high-quality, and durable products that are suited to the unique demands of operating in the harsh African environment. The JH6 28.500FT is one such product and has consistently proven that, when it comes to long-hauling, it is virtually unbeatable.
“In our experience, customers in this segment of the market seek truck tractors that are functional and reliable, but also affordable to run and maintain. In addition, they need to offer comfortable and well-equipped cabins, must be easy to operate, provide adequate performance to get the job done and be fuel efficient,” says Yongjun Li, CEO of FAW Trucks South Africa. “The JH6 28.500FT ticks all these boxes and more and this translates into increased profits for their owners.”
The JH6 28.500FT is the largest of the truck tractors from FAW Trucks South Africa.
Key dimensions:
Wheelbase 3 300 mm + 1 350 mm
Overall length 6 895 mm
Cab length 2 646 mm
Overall width 2 495 mm
Overall height 3 910 mm
Front overhang 1 495 mm
Rear overhang 750 mm
Cab to rear axle 4 152 mm
Minimum turning radius 7 500 mm
Minimum turning diameter 15 000 mm
Ground clearance 295 mm
Track 2 042 mm front and 1 850 mm rear
Chassis outer width 800 mm
Chassis inner width 640 mm
It is fitted with the manufacturer’s renowned CA6DM2 13-litre six-cylinder common-rail turbocharged and intercooled diesel powerplant. This engine develops 370 kW of power at 1 800 r/min and 2 300 Nm of peak torque at 1 400 r/min. Commonly referred to as China’s most efficient engine, it has two fuel tanks of 500 litres each. It goes without saying that this particular attribute makes it a great choice for businesses requiring a vehicle to regularly cover extended distances.
The 6DM2 engine is manufactured in FAW’s engine plant in Wuxi, China. The level of quality and reliability of engines from this facility is exceptional, as is proven by the fact that a customer in China owns a JH6 28.500FT unit which has done over 3.6 million kilometres without requiring any major service or maintenance.
Says Li: “If this isn’t proof enough of the durability of FAW’s powerplants, I can proudly confirm that one of the first units sold in South Africa is still used as a backup vehicle at FAW Trucks’ local headquarters. It carries the original Jiefang designation and has clocked over 1,5 million kilometres.”
Mated to the never-say-die engine of the JH6 28.500FT is a ZF 12-speed TraXon AMT transmission, with parabolic spring suspension front and rear to address vehicle weight requirements.
Mass data:
Gross vehicle mass 28 000 kg
Gross combination mass 62 200 kg
Permissible gross vehicle mass 25 700 kg
Permissible gross combination mass 56 000 kg
Permissible front axle mass 7 700 kg
Permissible rear axle mass 18 000 kg
Unladen front axle mass 5 330 kg
Unladen rear axle mass 3 920 kg
Unladen mass total 9 250 kg
A full air dual circuit WABCO braking system with ABS enhances the JH6 28.500FT safety features.
Befitting its long-hauler status, much focus was placed on ensuring that the cabin of the JH6 28.500FT is as comfortable as possible for the driver and passenger. To this end, it features a full floating extended-roof sleeper cab with an innovative flat floor, which optimises interior space. Standard features such as air-conditioning, a radio with a USB port, and suspension seating eliminate unnecessary driver fatigue.
“The versatility and practicality of the JH6 28.500FT are two of its main selling points and as a result, some of our clients utilise it for very interesting purposes,” explains Li.
The Concrete Readymix arm of the Scribante Group owns an extensive fleet of FAW Trucks. Of course, the Scribante name is entrenched in South African motorsport and Scuderia Scribante, the family motorsport team, uses a JH6 28.500FT as a transporter for the two Lamborghini Huracans raced by brothers Aldo and Silvio Scribante in the South African GT3 series. The only conversion made was wrapping the truck in team livery.
All models are designed and engineered to be able to cope with the unique challenges posed by the African environment. To this end, the built-in quality levels from the local assembly plant ensure that the solid chassis and frame continue to provide customers with the positive ownership experience that they have come to expect from the brand.
FAW Trucks recognises that in a challenging economic environment where transport and logistics operators seek to expand the scope of their fleets in order to capitalise on all available opportunities, overall lifetime costs of vehicles are crucial. Thanks to the relatively low initial capital outlay, together with the build quality and the extensively proven reduction in downtime, FAW Trucks provides owners of JH6 28.500FT units with unparalleled value.
Customers want more than affordable products, though. They also want the assurance that parts will be readily available and that maintenance and services will be carried out in a satisfactory and timeous manner. To address this, FAW Trucks has a large parts warehouse at its premises in Spartan, from where it supplies the four main regions in Gauteng, Durban, Harrismith, and Cape Town. In addition, service dealers are fully equipped, with highly trained technicians on hand for complete servicing and repairs required for not only JH6 28.500FT units but all other models from the renowned Chinese manufacturer.
“All models in the current range of FAW Trucks sold in South Africa represent the strength, reliability, affordability, and ease of operation that the brand and its products are renowned for. Most importantly, though, the JH6 28.500FT delivers on the promise of a ‘truck built in South Africa for Africa’,” concludes Li.
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