Writer:Alan Chen(Foton Auman dealer)
Buying an 8×4 dump truck is rarely about the badge. It is about three decisions that have to be made together: how long the box should be, how much horsepower you actually need at the site, and whether the rear axle and gearbox behind the engine can survive the ramp you will be climbing every day for the next five years. The Auman GTL 8×4 box dump truck range gives you five distinct variants to choose between, spanning 350 to 490 ps and $44,200 to $53,900, and the differences between them are more consequential than the price gaps suggest. This is a walk through the specification as a fleet buyer would read it.
The range runs across two model grades — GTL and GTL Quality Enjoy Version — and two market segments, Earthwork Operation and Highway Transport. All five are 8×4, all are diesel, and all are homologated to China VI.
"Buy the axle and the gearbox, not just the horsepower. The engine number is the one on the brochure; the axle is the one that fails."
Two box lengths are offered and they are not interchangeable. The 5,600 × 2,350 × 1,500 mm box sits on the shorter 2,100 + 2,300 + 1,400 mm wheelbase and turns far more easily on inner-city earthwork sites, where you are reversing into a confined cut and tipping under overhead cables. The 6,500 and 6,800 × 2,350 × 1,500 mm boxes need the longer 2,100 + 3,000 + 1,400 mm wheelbase and suit volume highway dumping, where manoeuvrability matters less and cubic metres per trip is the whole game.
One variant deserves a flag. The 350 ps model carries a 5,600 × 2,300 × 900 mm box — materially shallower and lower in volume than the others. That is a deliberate low-volume specification, and it is the wrong choice if you are being paid by the cubic metre. Note also that the pack does not state a self-dumping load capacity for any variant, so get the payload figure and the axle ratings in writing before you compare quotes, and check your local length and axle-load rules first.
Engine choice splits three ways. The A12NS6B470 at 11,800 ml and 470 ps appears in the two 470 variants. The X12NS6B490, also 11,800 ml, gives 490 ps and is the top of the range at $53,900. The WP8.350E61 at 7,800 ml gives 350 ps and sits at the value end. The 400 ps variant is listed with 10,500 ml displacement but the pack does not name its engine — worth asking, because the answer affects your parts commonality.
On transmissions, the pattern is sensible. The 350 ps truck uses a Fast 10-speed; the 470s use the Fast 12JSDX240A in either standard or aluminium-cased (Q) form; the 490 gets the ZF 12TX2425TD aluminium unit. Twelve speeds with a wide spread is what you want on a truck that alternates between loaded site crawling and open-road running, and both Fast and ZF are known quantities in most workshops.
Rear axles are the quiet differentiator. Four of the five variants run a Mercedes double-stage rear axle; the 400 ps highway-dump variant runs a 459 single-stage axle. A double-stage axle gives you more torque multiplication at the wheels — the right answer for soft sites and steep ramps — while a single-stage axle suits highway running where you want efficiency rather than reduction. The pack does not publish rear axle ratios for any variant, so ask for them explicitly: ratio determines both your site performance and your cruising rpm.
Every variant is China VI, and the manufacturer states the hardware is non-EGR, which removes the DPF blocking and EGR cooler problems that affect older designs. Foton quotes a B10 life of 1.8 million kilometres, claims fuel savings of 30,000 yuan in a year and 100,000 yuan over three years, and cites a 200 kg weight reduction from lighter modular construction, an upgraded turbocharger and an electric silicone oil fan. Predictive service with OTA updates and early fault warning is included.
Treat those as manufacturer claims and verify them against your own duty cycle. The catch that matters most overseas is fuel: China VI aftertreatment needs ultra-low-sulphur diesel and clean DEF. If your routes or your site bowser cannot guarantee both, this is the wrong specification, and you should say so before ordering rather than after the first derate. Confirm too whether your market recognises China VI for import, and what documentation the registration authority requires.
"China VI removes some old failure modes and adds one new dependency: clean fuel and clean DEF, every single day."
For light earthwork on decent ground, the 350 ps WP8.350E61 with its 10-speed Fast gearbox at $44,200 is the value pick — though check that shallow 900 mm box height against the volume you are contracted to move. For urban construction earthwork where the site is soft and the ramps are steep, step up to the 470 ps A12NS6B470 with the 12-speed 12JSDX240A and Mercedes double-stage axle, at $51,400 to $53,200. For highway dumping where you want volume and a strong driveline, the 490 ps X12NS6B490 with the ZF 12TX2425TD at $53,900 is the top specification.
Tyres vary across the range: 12.00R20 18PR on the 470 and 490 variants, 12R22.5 18PR mixed with twelve wheels on the 350, and 11.00R20 with twelve wheels on the 400. The 20-inch fitment is the durable choice for sharp site debris; the 22.5 tubeless option is better on road and easier to manage in a mixed fleet. Fuel capacity is 350 L of aluminium alloy on four variants and 300 L on the 350 ps model — check that against your shift length, because a dump truck that has to leave site to refuel is losing you cycle time.
The 5,600 × 2,350 × 1,500 mm box sits on the shorter 2,100 + 2,300 + 1,400 wheelbase and turns far more easily on inner-city earthwork sites. The 6,500 and 6,800 × 2,350 × 1,500 mm boxes need the 2,100 + 3,000 + 1,400 wheelbase and suit volume highway dumping. The 350 ps version's 5,600 × 2,300 × 900 mm box is a shallow, low-volume specification. Check your local length and axle-load rules first.
For light earthwork on decent ground the 350 ps WP8.350E61 with the 10-speed Fast gearbox and 459 single-stage axle, at $44,200 to $44,300, is the value pick. Step up to the 470 ps A12NS6B470 with the 12-speed 12JSDX240A and Mercedes double-stage rear axle at $51,400 to $53,200 for soft sites and steep ramps. The 490 ps X12NS6B490 with the ZF 12TX2425TD is $53,900. Buy the axle and the gearbox, not just the horsepower.
The China VI hardware here is non-EGR, which removes DPF blocking and EGR cooler problems, and B10 life is quoted at 1.8 million kilometres. Foton claims 30,000 yuan saved in a year and 100,000 over three, helped by a 200 kg lighter modular build, with predictive service, OTA updates and early fault warnings included. The catch is fuel: China VI aftertreatment needs ultra-low-sulphur diesel and clean DEF, so check fuel quality on your routes.
The self-dumping load capacity is not published for any variant, so get payload and axle ratings in writing. Rear axle ratios are not listed — ask for them. The 400 ps variant's engine is not named in the pack, so confirm it for parts commonality. And confirm which of the two body grades and cab types you are actually being quoted for.
Choose the box length from your site geometry, the axle and gearbox from your ramp gradients, and only then the engine from your budget. That order will get you the right truck out of this range more reliably than starting with horsepower. Full variant-by-variant specifications and current pricing are on the Auman GTL 8×4 dump truck product page.
Tel：+8615960378211
Email：[email protected]
Address: Unit 8,room 704,NO.492,XingLinWan Road,Jimei District,XiaMen Fujian China
Address: Unit 8,room 704,NO.492,XingLinWan Road,Jimei District,XiaMen Fujian China
Email：[email protected]
© Authorized Dealer of FOTON AUMAN 2026 All Rights Reserved, Auman truck is a commercial vehicle brand under the Foton Daimler
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