Sinotruk Howo: what is the difference between Sinotruk and Howo?

Sinotruk Howo is not two competing brands: Sinotruk is the manufacturer, and Howo is its best-known range of trucks. A Sinotruk Howo truck is therefore a truck from the Howo range, built by Sinotruk. Here is how to find your way, and what really matters when choosing.

Sinotruk, the manufacturer

Sinotruk is the international name of the Chinese group China National Heavy Duty Truck Group, abbreviated to CNHTC. In Chinese, it is written 中国重汽. Its head office is in Jinan, in eastern China.

It is a long-established manufacturer. In 1960, its Jinan plant produced the first Chinese heavy truck, the Huanghe JN150. In the 1980s, it built trucks under licence from the Austrian company Steyr.

Since 2009, the German company MAN has held 25% of Sinotruk's capital and has passed on its technology: cab, engines, chassis and axles. This technology is mainly used in the Sitrak range and in some recent Howo models, such as the Howo T7H.

Howo, the best-known range

The first Howo trucks left the factory in October 2004. According to Sinotruk, Howo then became the most exported Chinese heavy truck for more than ten years. It can be seen everywhere on sites and roads, from Lomé to Niamey, from Abidjan to Bamako and from Ouagadougou to Conakry. When people talk about a "Howo truck", they are therefore talking about a Sinotruk truck.

The Howo range comes as a dump truck, tractor unit, rigid truck, tanker or concrete mixer. It has several generations, recognisable by the cab:

• The classic Howo, the most widespread on West African sites, for example as a 12-wheel dump truck;
• The Howo A7, recognisable by its higher cab;
• More recent Howo models, such as the Howo TX, Howo NX or Howo T7H.

The other ranges of the Sinotruk group

Howo is not the only name you will see on a Sinotruk truck:

Howo or Sitrak: what is the difference?

Both come out of Sinotruk factories and carry the same logo. Sitrak targets the premium segment: more comfortable cab, more complete equipment, MAN technology. Howo remains the most common choice for building sites and haulage. To see both, browse all our Sinotruk trucks or go straight to our Sitrak models.

How to recognise a Sinotruk Howo truck

Four clues are enough, visible without opening the bonnet:

• The logo, triangle-shaped, with the letters CNHTC underneath, on the grille;
• The name HOWO, written on the grille;
• The inscriptions 中国重汽 and SINOTRUK, often on the sun visor above the windscreen;
• The number on the grille (336, 371, 380…): this is the engine power in horsepower. A "Howo 371" is a 371 hp Howo.

On the manufacturer's plate, the model code starts with ZZ, for example ZZ3317N3567W. The following digit indicates the type of truck, according to the Chinese coding rule: 1 for a rigid truck, 3 for a dump truck, 4 for a tractor unit. The next two digits give the gross weight in tonnes.

What really matters when choosing a Howo

The name on the cab matters less than the exact version of the truck. Check above all:

• The generation: a classic Howo is well known to mechanics, which makes maintenance easier.
• The configuration: a 6x4 (10-wheeler) or an 8x4 (12-wheeler) depending on the weight you carry. The number of axles matters more than the name on the cab.
• The engine: depending on the version, it is made by Sinotruk or by the Chinese engine maker Weichai. Always ask for its exact model.
• The engine emission standard: it must suit the diesel sold in your country. We explain it in the 5 questions to ask before buying a truck.
• The condition: new, used or refurbished, each option has its advantages. See our article new, used or refurbished truck.

Frequently asked questions about Sinotruk Howo