Fresh produce is the Big Test theme this month – and it’s of equal relevance to the cargo and the new truck doing the work.

FAW is New Zealand’s newest heavy-duty truck brand. The acronym is short for First Automotive Works – which explains the prominent number one on the company logo framed by the wings of a hawk.

And like the majority of new brands appearing in the automotive industry over recent years, the manufacturing source is The People’s Republic of China.

The name is also a clue to the history of the brand. Established in 1953, FAW is the oldest of China’s automotive manufacturers with the company also producing the first truck ever built in China (based on a Soviet design) in 1956. The luxury car brand Hongqi is another part of the FAW Group, and the company also has new a strategic partnership with the emerging Leapmotor marque.

With the recent launch of another Chinese truck brand, New Zealand Truck & Driver is keen to spend some time behind the wheel so the industry knows what these new arrivals are all about.

The new FAW (First Automotive Works) FH6 is proving well-suited to a fresh produce run for KAM Transport and the 550hp truck also appears to be a good fit for the supplier (Intertruck Distributors) and the service agent (TRT).

Like any new product, FAW needs to prove itself in real-world conditions. In the NZ trucking scene, this is especially important – rarely does an all-new truck hit the mark perfectly on its first outing.

I meet the FAW JH6 in Te Rapa, Hamilton, at 4am for its early run to Auckland. Because the trip is relatively short, I take the opportunity to drive to the top of the Bombay Hills.