Kirkland, WA: Hundreds of truck operators continue to gather at the Kenworth T700 and PACCAR MX Engine Tour for a glimpse of the company’s most aerodynamic truck in its history. The tour winds its way from the Mid-Atlantic and New England states to the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest this summer.
“The Kenworth T700 and PACCAR MX Engine Tour is an excellent opportunity for truck operators to get a good look at the truck and engine, allowing them to get a hands-on learning session about their features and advantages,” says Larry Carlson, general manager of Quad Cities Kenworth in Rock Island, IL. The tour has already covered 5,000 miles and nearly 50 locations in the first two months. It will visit another 40 dealer locations in the United States.
About 75 customers attended the Quad Cities Kenworth’s open house event. “Linehaul customers found the T700’s aerodynamic features offered them a truck that could optimize their fuel economy, while the interior with its 8-foot ceiling gave drivers more room to stretch out and relax,” Carlson says.
Jack Daniels, owner of Fort Wayne, IN-based Kandel Transport Inc., said the roominess of the Kenworth T700 impressed him. Daniels, along with more than 150 other customers, saw the Kenworth T700 during the tour’s visit to Fort Wayne Truck Center in Fort Wayne, IN. “It has a surprisingly wide cab for such an aerodynamic model,” Daniels says. “It’s a definite improvement over previous Kenworth models, including the Kenworth T2000.”
More than 250 customers attended tour events at two other Palmer Truck Group locations, Kenworth of Indianapolis, and Kenworth of Cincinnati. “Our customers are excited about the improved fuel economy the Kenworth T700 offers and the very promising outlook of the PACCAR MX engine, offering a lighter weight to horsepower ratio,” says Kenny Blake, vice president of Kenworth of Indianapolis.
“The PACCAR MX engine was, without a doubt, very quiet from both inside and outside the cab, and really got our customers’ attention,” adds Greg Mills, Kenworth of Cincinnati sales manager.
The Kenworth T700 is now available with the PACCAR MX engine, which has accumulated more than 50 million test miles in rigorous and severe conditions in North America. Costco Wholesale recently took delivery of the first Kenworth truck equipped with a PACCAR MX engine, which is available with a horsepower range of 380-hp to 485-hp and torque output up to 1,750 lb-ft.
“Our biggest interest came from our linehaul customers looking to improve fuel economy and increase driver comfort,” says Erick Miner, dealer principal and president of Central Illinois Trucks in Normal, IL. Central Illinois Trucks held a two-day event at its flagship location in Normal and another event at the CIT Kenworth Chicago location in Joliet, IL.
“With the Kenworth T700, PACCAR MX engine and Eaton UltraShift Plus transmission being there on-site, the tour offered our customers the opportunity to see the newest options available to achieve the goals of better fuel economy and greater driver comfort,” Miner adds. “The Kenworth NavPlus display offered the tech-savvy and not-so-tech-savvy customers a chance to familiarize themselves with the newest generation of technology being added to trucks.”
More truck operators will get an opportunity to see the Kenworth T700, the PACCAR MX engine and the other innovations from Kenworth and PACCAR at upcoming tour stops starting July 6, and continuing through the next two months.
Kenworth T700 and PACCAR MX Engine Tour (July 6-31)
Upcoming July stops include: Liberty Kenworth of Southern New Jersey, Swedesboro, NJ (July 6); Coopersburg Kenworth, Coopersburg, PA, (July 7); MTC Kenworth, Ridgefield Park, NJ (July 8); Gabrielli Kenworth, Jamaica, NY (July 9); CB Kenworth, Portland, ME (July 12); Kenworth of Buffalo - Syracuse in Liverpool, NY (July 13); Kenworth of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY (July 14); Kenworth of Pennsylvania locations in Clintonville and New Stanton, PA. (both July 15); Eastern Michigan Kenworth – Dearborn, MI (July 19); Michigan Kenworth, Grand Rapids, MI (July 20); Wisconsin Kenworth in Green Bay, WI (July 21), Madison, WI (July 22), and Wausau, WI (July 23); Rihm Kenworth, St. Paul, MN (July 26-27), Sioux City Kenworth, Sioux City, IA (July 28); Sioux Falls Kenworth, Sioux Falls, SD (July 29); Kenworth of Omaha, Omaha, NE (July 30); and Kenworth Mid-Iowa, Des Moines, IA (July 31).
Kenworth T700 and PACCAR MX Engine Tour (August)
August tour stops include: MHC Kenworth – Salina, KS (Aug. 2); Wichita Kenworth, Wichita, KS (Aug. 3); MHC Kenworth – Denver, CO (Aug. 5) and MHC Kenworth – Greeley, CO (Aug. 6); Wallwork Truck Center, Fargo, ND (Aug. 9); Inland Kenworth – Albuquerque, NM (Aug. 13); Kenworth Sales Company - Salt Lake City, UT, West Valley City, UT (Aug. 16-17); Kenworth Sales Company - Idaho Falls, ID (Aug. 18), Kenworth Sales – Jerome, ID (Aug. 19), and Kenworth Sales – Boise, ID (Aug. 20); Motor Power Equipment, Billings, MT (Aug. 23); Kenworth Sales – Missoula, MT (Aug. 25); Kenworth Sales - Spokane, WA, (Aug. 26); and Kenworth Northwest - SeaTac in SeaTac, WA (Aug. 30).
