Tucked away in an industrial yard in Kew lies a not-so-hidden treasure: a 1982 Hino KR 360, forerunner of the iconic 500 Series, and still able to purr to life with one turn of the key.

The truck in question is a six-ton Hino KR 360. Purchased new for R65 450 in 1982 by Eddies Transport, a Johannesburg-based removals company that has been in operation for over 50 years, the truck still bears Eddies signage, even if it has been relegated to a working "spare" to be used in the case of emergencies.

She might no longer be gleaming and new, but the KR360 tucked away in Key is a shining example of what it means for a truck to be a real workhorse.

"When we bought Eddies Transport seven years ago, we inherited a fleet of Hinos that had been bought in the early ‘80s," confirms Liam Bayley, International Operations Manager, Bayley Worldwide Removals. Since the merger of Eddies Transport and Bayley Worldwide Removals, each company has maintained its core functions, with Eddies catering to local, Johannesburg-based removals and Bayleys specialising in the international market and warehousing.

"The Hinos were far from their last legs, but we recognised that we needed to begin replacing the fleet with new models," he continues. "New Hinos come with service warranties, their cabs are more comfortable and ergonomic and they are incredibly fuel efficient, so it was only natural that we wanted to upgrade our fleet. When it came time to decommission the last truck of the original fleet however, we couldn't do it. It still ran perfectly. We decided to keep it as a spare truck instead."

Kept in a corner of Eddies' yard, the KR 360 had not been used or even started in months. No problem for the ever-reliable Hino! A quick change of battery was all that was needed to get the engine turning, and the old lady started first time. "The engine sounds healthy, and the exhaust doesn't belch fumes," Liam points out as Petrus Mbatha, a veteran Eddies driver, begins manoeuvring the truck from its parking spot.

"In fact, if it wasn't for the bonneted cab and the obvious age of the truck, you could hardly tell it was a thirty-year-old veteran of the removals industry," he adds with a smile.

The sheer tenacity of the truck is one of the reasons why Eddies and now Bayley Worldwide Removals have stuck with both the Hino and Toyota brands over the years. "The Hino 500 is the perfect truck for our industry," Liam explains. "It's got a fantastic turning radius, which makes it easy to manoeuvre around residential areas and complexes; it's a tough, hardwearing and durable truck, which is important in the stop-start conditions we operate in; and it's ve ry fuel efficient. The fact that Eddies continued to operate with the same fleet for almost 30 years says a lot about Hino's longevity and reliability as well."