MISSISSAUGA, Ont. (March 31, 2003) — Amid doubts about Hino Motors Ltd.’s commitment to exporting trucks from Japan to the United States, Hino Canada vice-president Alan Masters said the company does not plan to abandon its line of cabovers in Canada.

Hino, controlled by Toyota Motor Corp., has said it may curtail or end its cabover line in the United States once it starts producing a new conventional-style medium-duty truck at a factory in Long Beach, Calif., starting in October.

Such a decision would hurt Hino dealers were it extended to Canada. Most don’t have multiple makes of cabovers to offer.

“I expect that we’ll offer both lines in Canada, this new truck and COEs,” Masters said.

The introduction of a Hino conventional model is one of several major shifts in the cab-over-engine market, which makes up about 10 per cent of medium-duty truck sales. International is expected to offer a class-3 to class-5 low-cab-forward based on its 4000-series platform next year.

Paccar, maker of Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks, has delayed a program to offer an LCF made by its Dutch subsidiary, DAF, until the economy improves. And Mack Trucks has stopped importing its Freedom Series class-6 and class-7 LCF altogether. Made in France by Renault, the Freedom is powered by the Mack E3 diesel engine; Mack says sales were not sufficient to have the engine certified to EPA emission standards, so dealers in Canada and the United States will bleed off inventory and wait for a new medium-duty truck in the future.