Contact Nippon Fruehauf Company, Ltd., for manufacturing and sales of transport equipment and van bodies｜Workplace and Employees

Tokyo Branch, Joined in 2013

Could you tell us about your job?

My main job is route sales where I communicate with truck dealers. After confirming the vehicle currently in use and having repeated meetings to determine the product specifications, I negotiate the price and receive the order. I have to handle the orders I receive and visit the customers to get the next order. This job is responsible for a wide range of after-sales services, including repairs and removal of defects.

It is tough for me to proceed with multiple orders at the same time while coordinating with internal and external personnel. Also, I often feel pressured because every one of them involves responsibility. But, I feel that sales work is gratifying because users thank me for my work. It's great to be thanked personally, but it's even better when the company is thanked because I can share it with the rest of the company members.

Is there anything that makes you glad to have joined Fruehauf, or conversely, anything that can be done to improve the company?

I narrowed down my job search to manufacturers' sales, fell in love with Fruehauf's corporate philosophy, and joined the company. At first, I thought that the philosophy is abstract, but I remember being attracted to the fact that the corporate philosophy is divided into specific segments. The best thing about joining the company is that there are no big barriers between departments, and I can do anything as long as I am motivated. To make Fruehauf better, I believe it is necessary to create an environment where the values, work ethics, and ideas of various people can coexist to create something better.

Finally, please tell us about your future goals and challenges.

I want to anticipate market needs and build a system to share customer feedback more quickly throughout the company. I will contribute to the logistics industry by making customers buy products and manufacturing products that attract them. The world is becoming more and more efficient in production through the active introduction of work robots and other equipment. While the AI progresses at indirect departments in line with such a situation, I think there is a new way of making sales.

Hanshin Branch, Joined in 1997

Could you tell us about your job?

I am in charge of service sales focusing on after-sales service.
My main duties are repair, emergency, and complaint handling.
The customers who call on us are all in trouble.
So, I try to take prompt action to solve the problem as quickly as possible.

One of the things I am conscious of is responding to customer requests and making better use of suggestions. Sometimes, I cannot take prompt action while serving others, and I receive some harsh words. Even so, as long as I sincerely face customers and follow up with them, I can receive heartfelt words "Thank you!" When that happens, I feel it is worth the effort.

What do you think is the best part of Fruehauf?
Conversely, is there anything that can be done to improve the company?

One of the best things about our company is that each department's employees work together as a single unit with the feeling of staying close to customers and working for them.
Our sales personnel believe that the sales activities are not finished with the purchase, and have the feeling that we will continue to stay close to our customers after the purchase. Our development, design, and manufacturing personnel have the will to meet our customers' various demands and provide products that are easier to use. But, I don't think that this is enough, so I think each department should work more closely together to listen more closely to our customers' voices.

Finally, please tell us about your future goals and challenges.

I want to practice such an after-sales service that the after-sales service's quality will lead to orders for the next product. I also want to develop new businesses by providing conventional after-sales services and looking ahead to the future. To achieve the goal, I believe that I must remember to face our customers sincerely and listen to their voices.

R&D Department 2, Joined in 1987

Could you tell us about your job?

I'm the head of the Trailer Development Department. Fruehauf makes a variety of products, and my department is responsible for the development and design of trailers. Normally, we do not involve in the license plate registration for trucks, but we often do it for trailers.

In other words, our company is responsible for developing and designing vehicles approved by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, undergo vehicle inspections, have registration numbers, and are driven on public roads. I work with a sense of the magnitude of our social responsibility, not only as a department but also as a company.

What do you think is the best part of Fruehauf?
Conversely, is there anything that can be done to improve the company?

Our company is not a parts manufacturer, but a manufacturer of end products, so we can see our customers' reaction, which results from the evaluation of the products we design and develop. Another good thing about our company is that, when we receive an order from a customer, we can build it together with them by receiving a request, such as "I want the next car to be like this!" or "This time, I want you to change this part." To make Fruehauf better, we should think more about collaboration within our department and the departments around us.

Finally, please tell us about your future goals and challenges.

We live in the once-in-a-century change period where words like CASE*1 and MaaS*2 are flying around amid the global goals set out in SDGs*3. I want to create a development department where young people can work, experience, and take on challenges freely so that our company can make one-step-ahead proposals to society and our customers.
*1: Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Services, and Electric
*2: Mobility as a Service
*3: Sustainable Development Goals

Wing Van Body Group, Design Department, Joined in 2018

What are the challenges and fulfillment of your work?

I am in charge of detailed design in the Wing Vehicle Group of the Design Department. In manufacturing, our instructions must be accurate. Even a mistake in writing a single number may cause a lot of extra work for many people. It is tough and hard to give accurate instructions without making mistakes when making instructions and drawings amid huge specifications.

Also, I am making efforts to create drawing instruction methods and instruction manuals through trial and error daily to accurately formulate the requests we receive from our customers and convey them to the next process in an easy-to-understand manner. In fact, for special specifications, I sometimes consult with the manufacturing staff to see what kind of instructions would be easier to understand. It is rewarding to see my drawings take shape and become a product and receive high praise from customers.

What is the best thing about joining Fruehauf or why did you decide to join the company?

It's good that I have the opportunity to meet with customers through inspections and hear their comments and suggestions about their satisfaction straight away. Also, there is a manufacturing line on the same site, so I can see products being made from scratch, and there is an environment where I can consult with people from different departments.

Please tell us about your future goals and challenges.

I want to be a specialist in Fruehauf's bodies. There are still a lot of things I don't know, and there are many things I need to learn from my seniors and people on the site. I would like to accumulate knowledge so that I can be a person who can teach a lot of things to my colleagues and juniors as people around me have done for me.

Manufacturing Planning Group, Manufacturing Planning Department, Joined in 2006

Could you tell us about your job and how challenging it is?

From the time I joined the company to 2012, I was mainly in charge of studying and designing production equipment. After that, I was in charge of plant layouts, and now I am in charge of seismic reinforcement work for plants. When negotiating with subcontractors about construction, we need to decide how to adjust the construction plan not to affect our production.

This makes it difficult to devise ways to communicate to avoid misunderstandings, prevent unexpected costs, and consider how to keep expenses within budget. At the same time, I find it rewarding to gain a wide range of technical knowledge about plants, products, and construction methods and to see what I have studied in the drawings take shape.

Is there anything that makes you glad to have joined Fruehauf, or conversely, anything that can be done to improve the company?

It is attractive to be involved in a wide range of work and to be able to relate to a variety of people. I originally joined the company because I was interested in cars in general. One of the attractive points is that I can work in a place close to freight vehicles, which I am rarely involved in daily. What makes me happy to have joined the company is when I see our products being used on roads all over Japan. But, I think there is still a lack of cooperation between departments, so if we can increase unity, there will be less waste. It will also be much better if we can incorporate the opinions of employees at all levels, including younger employees and those from outside the company.

Finally, please tell us about your future goals and challenges.

It is hard to achieve work results that everyone welcomes, but I would like to work so that people are pleased with the result of the work I am involved in and the actual impact it has. I would also like to make the plant easier to work in by eliminating danger and waste.

Procurement Group, Purchasing Department, Joined in 2005

Could you tell us about your duties? What do you value and care about in your work?

I am responsible for the procurement of parts and imports related to trailers. Trailer parts are procured from Japan and Europe. In the manufacturing industry, adjusting quality, price, and delivery time with overseas suppliers is an extremely tough job because the cost of materials and other items significantly impacts corporate performance. We supply high-quality products to the production line at fair prices and delivery times. I pay attention to information because various events may affect the procurement of products from overseas manufacturers. Strikes are frequent, and vacations are long because of cultural differences. So, we try to leave plenty of time for them.

What do you find attractive and rewarding about Fruehauf?

Our products are used to transport everyday items and food, so they are somehow involved in people's lives. I feel myself straightening when I think that I am helping enrich people's lives and increase their convenience and satisfaction.
On a private trip, I visited a local pub, where the person next to me, who worked in the logistics industry, told me, "I can't work without Fruehauf's products!" I was so grateful for the kind words. This conversation made me proud to realize the customers who use our products all over the country.

Please tell us about your future goals and challenges.

We live in an era where individuals can send information to the world, so I need to respond quickly to diversifying and changing needs. I want to contribute as a team member to create services and products that will be chosen considering the increasingly diverse cargo delivery in the future.

Wing Van Manufacturing Group, Manufacturing Department 1, Joined in 2005

What is the working environment like in the manufacturing department at Nippon Fruehauf?

We have the largest market share in the industry for wing vehicles and van track vehicles. We have four plants in Japan: Hokkaido, Shiga, Okayama, and Kyushu. We manufacture temperature-controlled vehicles in Thailand and the Philippines and trailers in China. The Atsugi Plant has one of Japan's largest production lines with the highest production capacity in the domestic assembly industry. Each process requires the manufacturing personnel's technical skills, and they are constantly required to brush up their skills. The daily work is hard, but there is an atmosphere where each person in charge takes responsibility for their line and openly discusses solutions to problems. I think this is a company where we can get to know our colleagues deeply through manufacturing.

What do you pay special attention to in your daily work, and what are the difficulties?

Controlling the process, quality, and line time is always a difficult and tough task. Recently I have been paying particular attention to ensuring the health and safety of our workers. I try to talk to the workers to see if they are overworking themselves and look at each person's face to feel the daily changes. When new equipment is introduced, or a new work process occurs, we conduct a risk assessment to ensure that safe work rules are strictly observed. Ensuring safety without compromising work efficiency requires a continuous process of ingenuity. I think this is both the difficulty and the fun of the manufacturing.

What is Nippon Fruehauf's commitment to manufacturing and its strength?

As a Fruehauf brand, we must constantly strive to improve our products to meet customer needs with reliable quality so that our customers can use our products for a long time. I think Fruehauf's artisanship constantly seeks improvement and efficiency so that the difficult work is done until yesterday will be easier tomorrow and normal the next month.

We have introduced the technology from Fruehauf in the US and have a history of more than 50 years. We can also be involved from the development stage of chassis manufacturing, and we also have group companies that manufacture aluminum, which is our key component. So, the manufacturing process and quality control know-how that we have cultivated in the process, including not only bodies but also peripheral fields, cannot be accumulated overnight. Our manufacturing strength is that we are always trying to enhance workability by devising and improving our work.

Inspection Group, Quality Control Department, Joined in 2011

What are the challenges and fulfillment of your work?

I am mainly in charge of the inspection of trailers from manufacturing completion to final inspection. As the work leader, I am responsible for organizing the team members and acting as a conduit between the team leader and the members.

We have a responsibility as a vehicle manufacturer, and I think the weight of the responsibility is what makes our job so difficult. If a problem occurs with the suspension system, it could lead to a serious accident. Each process must be inspected to prevent such an accident. Another difficulty lies in the fact that we have to acquire the necessary knowledge and study every day to carry out appropriate tests. On the other hand, I find it rewarding when I feel that I have grown through such efforts. It is also rewarding for us as inspectors to inspect all vehicles and work with the manufacturing and design departments until shipping a vehicle.

Is there anything that makes you glad to have joined Fruehauf, or conversely, anything that can be done to improve the company?

I joined the company because I heard about the attractiveness of jobs related to vehicle manufacturing from a senior in high school. After actually joining the company, my family and friends tell me, "I see a lot of Fruehauf's trucks!" It makes me feel proud. It is what makes me glad.
To improve Fruehauf, I think that we need to change. Compared to the time when I joined the company, I think many things have changed. But, there are still areas that can be reformed. If all of our employees can understand what we are aiming for and change ourselves, we can improve our company.

Finally, please tell us about your future goals and challenges.

Through inspection work, I will propose improvements in safety and operability and strive to deliver the No. 1 quality products to our customers.

Recruitment & HR Group, General Affairs Department, Joined in 2007

Could you tell us about your job?

I am in charge of recruitment (mainly new graduates) and internal education. The effects of the work we do are not immediately given to both recruitment and education. In many cases, fruits are finally borne after continuous improvements. It makes me feel anxious and unsure until reaching there.

But of course, this job is also gratifying. One is that I can witness the growth of employees. Also, I think it's rewarding to feel that I'm supporting management in the sense of creating a foundation that allows each employee of Fruehauf to reach their full potential.

Is there anything that makes you glad to have joined Fruehauf, or conversely, anything that can be done to improve the company?

I joined the company because I wanted to work for a company involved in many people's lives and because I was interested in manufacturing and found it attractive that I could work right next to the plant. (I've been transferred away from the plant now, though.) I like working at the company because I am allowed to challenge various jobs regardless of gender and age, and I can introduce to my family and friends that my company makes the trucks I see on the street. I have an impression that Fruehauf is less likely to perform job transfers (workplace rotation), and many employees become professionals in one workplace. By reviewing our systems and reforming our corporate culture, I hope that employees will experience various jobs and increase their abilities and attractiveness.

Finally, please tell us about your future goals and challenges.

I've been with the company for 13 years. I want to challenge myself to take on a position to organize a team while thinking about how to utilize my experience and not to stick to it.

System Planning Group, Information System Department, Joined in 2018

What kind of difficulties do you have in your job?

I am mainly in charge of building internal systems. I plan the most suitable system for related departments' business and request a specialist contractor to build the system. I also manage the project, including budget and schedule as well as acceptance inspection. I am sometimes involved in programming, depending on the size of the project. We build systems with general-purpose technologies and incorporate the latest technologies in some projects.

It was hard to complete system development on time and within budget while taking into account the needs of multiple departments. Because it is still rare to use a specialist contractor to develop systems, the departments involved often do not know how much they should explain their requests. This makes it difficult to determine the specification. It is also necessary to interview departments in detail, avoiding system development terms to understand exactly what is troubling them. In both cases, good communication skills are required.

What do you find most rewarding about your job?

Compared to my previous job at a company specializing in system development, I am now involved in the uppermost stages of projects and project management with outside specialists, which has expanded my job scope. And I feel a sense of accomplishment when the system I worked on starts up. I feel that I am supporting the core of the company's operation because I can see people using the systems right in front of me, which is very rewarding. I will continue to work hard to build systems that will positively impact Fruehauf's business improvement and cost reduction.

Please tell us about your future goals and challenges.

I want to be involved in system planning from a company-wide perspective. I have been responsible for all processes from the planning stage to maintenance and operation and have experienced management, such as person-hour management and outsourcing management. By conducting detailed interviews, I strived to identify issues early and manage members' motivation to ensure quality and delivery time.
In the future, I will use my upstream process and management experience to speed up system reconstruction. I will organize the business flow from the user's perspective and will engage in system integration and inter-system coordination.

Overseas Business Department, Joined in 2018

What kind of difficulties do you have in your job?

I am engaged in trading operations to supply assembly parts to overseas plants and sales operations to sell products to overseas customers. Since each country has its own detailed import and export rules at the practical level, I am making efforts to prevent problems by coordinating with our customers in advance.

How do the countries of the world view Nippon Fruehauf?

In countries where many used Japanese vehicles are imported, especially in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar, people understand Japanese trucks' high quality, including our products. With the economic growth in ASEAN countries, there is a gradual shift from the need to use low-priced products of poor quality to use good products, and we are receiving an increasing number of inquiries from such users.

Awareness of the SDGs is now spreading, and Fruehauf makes environmentally friendly products. For example, our new lightweight body products sold in Thailand can now carry 2.9 times the conventional trucks' weight. This means that you only need one truck to carry goods instead of three. This leads to a reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and can solve traffic congestion, which is a social problem in Thailand.

What is the best thing about joining Fruehauf or why did you decide to join the company?

I decided to join the company because it seemed like a good place to work, considering that I would work for a long time after marriage. At my previous job, I was involved in different tasks, and the scope of my involvement was limited. But, now that I'm at Fruehauf, I can take on various duties, which is a good thing about working at Fruehauf.