Does your HOWO or SHACMAN need an auto greaser?

A HOWO or SHACMAN may benefit from an automatic greaser when its work makes regular manual greasing difficult. Buy the system only after confirming the exact lubrication points, approved grease, installation details and local support. It still needs inspection, and any points outside its coverage remain part of the manual service schedule.

For a HOWO or SHACMAN dump truck, start with the chassis and body specification. A pump fitted behind the cab does not tell you which joints receive grease or whether the installation suits that truck. Ask for a complete description before adding the option to an order.

Start with the work and maintenance routine

Review how the truck will actually run. Describe the road and site conditions, shift pattern, washing routine and access to a workshop. Then ask the person responsible for maintenance which greasing tasks take time or get missed. Those answers give the installer a useful brief.

A truck with accessible fittings and a consistently followed manual schedule may have little reason to change. A fleet considering automatic lubrication should be able to explain the problem it wants to solve. Avoid buying an unfamiliar system simply because another operator has one.

Compare the installed quotation with your own maintenance records. Include servicing the new system, replacement lines and fittings, lubricant supply and operator training. Count labour time that can realistically be saved. Do not treat every minute released from greasing as extra paid work; loading delays, contracts and driver availability still determine what the truck can earn.

Confirm exactly what the system covers

Ask for a numbered lubrication-point drawing tied to the chassis number and body configuration. Each point should identify the component and the corresponding connection. Keep a separate list of fittings that require manual greasing, with the applicable instructions.

Graco's explanation of automatic lubrication describes the pump, metering equipment, controller and connecting lines. Metering matters because splitting a supply with an ordinary tee does not ensure the intended amount reaches each point. A running pump alone therefore does not prove complete lubrication.

The supplier should distinguish chassis coverage from body equipment. Do not assume a tipper pivot, fifth wheel or driveline joint is included because another truck has it connected. Have the installer confirm suitability against the component instructions. For a used truck, request the drawing for the installed arrangement rather than accepting a brochure showing a different vehicle.

Match the equipment and grease to the truck

Record the pump and controller model, electrical supply, reservoir specification and lubricant requirements in the quotation. Ask whether monitoring is included and what the driver will see when attention is needed. A low reservoir warning and confirmation that grease reaches the intended points are different questions.

The Groeneveld-BEKA GM range illustrates why the exact variant matters: the manufacturer describes versions with and without an integrated controller, alongside different reservoir and output arrangements. This is an example of product variation, not confirmation that a GM system fits a particular HOWO or SHACMAN.

Before ordering, give a local service workshop the proposed parts list and lubricant specification. Ask whether it can source the correct supplies and support the installation. A product name on a quotation is more useful than a description such as green grease. Any proposed substitute needs confirmation against the system and component requirements.

Ask for commissioning evidence before shipment

Agree what the installer must demonstrate on the finished truck. Request a signed record identifying the installed equipment, point drawing, settings and checks completed. Photos should show the actual truck, with readable component labels and enough context to match them to the drawing.

Graco's installation manual for Volvo A25 to A60 articulated dump trucks provides a useful example of documented handover. It calls for checking grease delivery and leaks, assessing line movement, and training the operator to recognise reservoir and system faults. Its procedures and settings belong to those Volvo installations; they are not instructions for HOWO or SHACMAN trucks.

For your order, require the qualified installer to use the applicable truck and lubrication-system manuals. Add the evidence to the pre-shipment inspection scope before booking the inspection. Otherwise, a report may record that a pump is present without evaluating the work you expected.

Keep inspection and manual servicing assigned

Name the person who will check the system and the workshop that will handle faults. The handover should explain the applicable inspection schedule, approved filling method, warnings and response to a damaged line or failed cycle. Keep that information where the driver and mechanic can find it.

Automatic operation should not leave responsibility unclear. Record who services the excluded points and how completion is logged. If two workshops share maintenance, both need the same coverage drawing and current instructions.

When comparing used HOWO trucks, ask for the system's repair history as well as its present condition. Missing records are a reason to request a closer assessment. Do not assume that freshly cleaned equipment, a full reservoir or an illuminated controller proves the joints have received grease throughout the truck's previous working life.

Check these details before agreeing the order

Keep the decision in a short written checklist:

• Identify the truck, body and intended work, including site conditions and shifts.
• Obtain the installed point drawing and a separate manual-service list.
• Confirm the pump, controller, lubricant specification and local parts support.
• Agree the commissioning record and inspection scope for the actual vehicle.
• Assign inspection, refilling and fault response to named people or workshops.
• Compare the full installed and support cost with your existing maintenance routine.

If those details cannot be supplied, keep automatic lubrication unresolved in the quotation. The truck's basic maintenance requirements still need a workable plan, whichever system is chosen.

Send R Trucks your preferred HOWO or SHACMAN model, intended work and destination through the enquiry page. Include automatic lubrication as a requirement to check, so its availability and the proposed configuration can be confirmed before you agree the order.