Toyota Type 73 Medium Truck The Type 73 Medium Truck is an all - terrain four - wheel drive ( 4x4 ) truck of the Japan Ground Self - Defense Force known as the 1 1 / 2 Ton Truck . History . This truck replaced various types of previous light and medium trucks in service with the Japan Ground Self - Defense Force . Among them was the 3 / 4 ton truck manufactured by Toyota and Nissan , which had been in service since the 1950s . One of the reasons the 3 / 4 ton truck became obsolete , was due to the high fuel consumption of the gasoline engine . Japanese truck manufacturers were instructed to develop a successor . After competitive bidding Toyota and Hino Motors were selected to develop and build the Type 73 Medium Truck . Usage . The truck is not armored and thus not made for combat , but with the aim of mainly carrying personnel and transporting goods with a load capacity of 2 , 000 kg . It is used in various roles . The cab , which has space for the driver and one or two crew is normally fitted with a soft top and windshield which can be folded down in order to lower the silhouette . It is fitted with an all - steel cargo area , which can be covered by a heavy tarpaulin . It is equipped with two wooden personnel benches for transporting up to 16 troops . A step is integrated into the folding tailgate to assist personnel mounting the cargo area . The truck can be used to carry mortars and their crews . The infantry heavy mortar company uses it equipped with a M2 107mm mortar . Additionally you will often find the vehicle with a box type design , such as for radio communications or as an ambulance . First Generation . The first generation , produced from around 1973 to the mid - 1990s , is equipped with a four - speed manual transmission , lacks power steering and bears serial numbers 0001 ~ 39XX . The truck adopted components from the civilian Hino Ranger series : A ladder - type frame , a four - wheel rigid leaf suspension , a combination of chassis configurations and the part - time four - wheel drive . It has the following capabilities for off - road use : Second Generation . The second generation , which replaced the first generation in the mid - 1990s , is equipped with a four - speed automatic transmission , power steering and bears serial numbers 39XX ~ 5XXX . The following additional changes were made compared to the first generation : switch to the chassis of the Toyota High Mobility Vehicle . It has full - time four wheel drive with a center differential , and the cab is equipped with air conditioning and radio . In comparison to the first generation , the front bumper shape was changed and the shape of the tail light as well as the style of the round front lights , to make the Toyota truck look similar to the High Mobility Vehicle . It uses the same wheels and tires as the High Mobility Vehicle . One of the identifying marks is the cutout for the back wheels . Compared to the High Mobility Vehicle the wheelbase has been shortened with good maneuverability for the cab - over shape . It does not feature four wheel steering . In addition , the radiator was lowered and the position and shape of the front radiator cover has been changed .