Formed in 1903, the Automobile and Motor Cycling Club of South Australia eventually became the Royal Automobile Association (RAA) and was established in Adelaide by a handful of people interested in the then emerging activity of ‘motoring’.
Early last century there were few cars on South Australia’s roads, and even fewer mechanics to keep them running, so sharing knowledge and offering mutual support were important factors in the formation of the association.
The club soon became the main advocate for South Australian motorists, and the RAA has continued to provide representation on behalf of its members to local and state governments on matters of road safety, motoring legislation and regulations, and campaigning for improved roads and fairer fuel pricing.
The RAA is a mutual service organisation with currently more than 830,000 members across the state of South Australia, making it one of the state’s largest and longest running organisations.
In addition to its advocacy and driver assistance activities, the RAA provides an extensive range of services such as vehicle and property insurances, travel arrangements and energy solutions.
An important member benefit which continues to be a key factor in RAA’s suite of services is its renowned roadside assistance for members who are involved in a vehicle breakdown, utilising a fleet of more than 100 Toyota HI Ace vans driven by expert RAA patrols.
Situations such as running out of fuel or locking the keys inside can be swiftly addressed, and the reliability of modern cars means that traditional mechanical breakdowns are not as prevalent as they were for the cars of the early 1900s.
However, the complexity of modern vehicles also requires specialised servicing equipment and if a vehicle is unable to be made mobile on the roadside then a towing service is arranged for the member.
“RAA delivers road service breakdown services 24/7 and in the last 12 months we provided more than 40,000 tows for our members,” says RAA General Manager Automotive Services Dorothy Nycz.
Traditionally these towing procedures have been performed by contractors, but in 2024 the decision was made to create an in-house RAA tow truck fleet which led to eight Hino tow trucks being acquired.
“Our goal is to cover 40 per cent with our own fleet in the Adelaide metropolitan area,” says Dorothy.
“The addition of eight new Hino tow trucks has already helped to bolster the services we offer members.”
Breakdown and accident tow trucks have undergone significant changes over the past two or three decades with the development of sliding tilt tray vehicles taking over from the older style winch and jib equipment.
This has led to quicker loading and unloading and reduced incidences of damage to the vehicle being towed.
The first of RAA’s tow trucks was a Hino FE1426 six-cylinder with an Allison automatic transmission and air bag suspension, fitted with a 7.5-metre tilt slide tray by Adelaide’s Ahrns Handling Equipment and has the ability to carry a four-tonne payload.
Subsequent Hino trucks have included the FD1124 four cylinder model, again with an Allison full automatic transmission but with mechanical leaf spring rear suspension.
This specification can carry just over 3.5 tonnes on its 6.5-metre Ahrns tilt slide tray, and is capable of handling more than 95 per cent of vehicles the RAA expects to have to tow in the Adelaide metropolitan area.
High visibility is achieved with the distinctive RAA vinyl wrap, complimented by flashing strobe lights and retro-reflective tape and the use of intelligent ‘e-Flares’ which synchronise to provide a safe worksite when loading and unloading in all light and weather conditions.
“We’ve been very impressed by the Hino vehicles,” says Dorothy.
“These vehicles ensure RAA tow drivers can deliver a safe and professional experience for our members, and staff have been particularly impressed with the comfort, ergonomics and vehicle safety features.”
A system of six cameras mounted around the trucks provides a live 360 degree view of what’s happening in, and around the cabs.
This can be viewed in real-time and is also recorded. It allows the RAA to review and investigate workplace health and safety procedures and additionally ensures members have peace of mind regarding how their vehicles are treated and looked after when in the RAA’s care.
South Australia recently implemented laws for traffic to be at a maximum of 25km/h when travelling past flashing amber lights for vehicle breakdowns.
The cameras will help RAA and the government review the effectiveness of this important safety initiative.
For metropolitan applications the Hino Standard Cab is used, as there is no need for dual cab models because there is plentiful access to taxis and other forms of public transport available when a member’s vehicle is being towed to a place of repair.
The Standard Cab has sufficient space to accommodate a sizable 12-volt refrigerator so the drivers have access to their fresh meals and plenty of cold water can be available for members who may have been waiting on the roadside in warm conditions.
The last thing RAA would want would be one of its highly visible tow trucks involved in a traffic accident.
The Hino trucks’ high level of inbuilt active safety technologies available through the Hino SmartSafe package provide advanced driver assistance systems aimed at protecting the drivers, passengers and other road users through multiple systems including Safety Eye, Pre-Collision System, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), and Pedestrian Detection (PD), Adaptive Cruise Control, Vehicle Stability Control and Lane Departure Warning System are standard equipment which also includes Anti-lock brakes, traction control and a driver’s SRS airbag.
A reason for the RAA’s long-term success has been the organisation’s ability to keep up with changes in the road-using society.
In addition to actually having retail outlets which sell mobility scooters among a range of other products and services, RAA can support owners of any mobility scooters with servicing and repairs including a similar level of roadside assistance in the event of a breakdown.
The increasing take up of electric vehicles is also supported by the RAA, which has completed South Australia’s first border-to-border EV charging network, RAA Charge, in partnership with the State Government.
RAA also provides and installs home-based EV charging equipment by licenced electricians.
The selection of Hino as the truck brand of choice was initially due to the existing long-term relationship with Hino’s parent company Toyota, through RAA’s 100-plus Toyota HI Ace roadside service vans.
Research conducted as part of RAA’s due diligence process underlined local dealer CMI-Hino’s ability to meet the specific requirements and provide trucks which met all the criteria, including configuration options, appearance and performance, while offering a competitive price.
“As South Australia’s number one brand, serving our members for more than 120 years, the partnership with CMI also seemed like a perfect synergy as they’ve also been serving SA for 90 years,” says Dorothy Nycz.
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