Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/818577
44 | Overdrive | May 2017 Severe Service L ast Septem- ber, Ken- worth an- nounced it would add a set-forward front-axle configuration to its T880, and those trucks entered production early last month. That's when I flew up to Kenworth's as- sembly plant in Chillicothe, Ohio, to watch one roll off the assembly line and to hop behind the wheel for a roughly 100-mile drive. The T880S at its core is a T880 but with some added features that improve upon the W900S model it likely will replace. Ken- worth's venerable W900S was practically purpose- built for mixer operations but adaptable enough to find itself in a variety of vocational applications. The T880S was designed with more flexibility, mak- ing upfitting easier, more customizable and more streamlined. The truck is available with a 114-inch BBC – about 6 inches shorter than the W900S – and a 28-inch bumper setting, which is especially important in spec'ing a chassis that is compliant with the Federal Bridge Formula. More typi- cal for dump applications, a 29.5-inch bumper setting also is available, as is a 31.5- inch sturdy box bumper. Truck operators can spec mixer-tapered (114-inch BBC), dump- tapered (115.5-inch BBC) or straight box bumpers (117.5-inch BBC) in a variety of finishes and ma- terials, and removable cast center-mounted tow hooks are available depending on bumper selection. The T880S comes standard with a Paccar MX-13 engine that kicks out 510 hp and 1,850 lb.- ft. of torque. The Eaton UltraShift Plus in my dump truck model shined in stop- and-go traffic in southern Ohio, effortlessly dragging 20,000 pounds of material around surface roads and on the highway. For weight-sensitive mixer applications, a 400-pound lighter MX-11 engine will give you 430 hp and 1,650 lb.-ft. of torque. By dropping a little weight under the hood, customers can pack on a couple more yards of concrete. The Allison 4700 seven-speed automatic transmission in my test mixer truck was smooth and comfortable. The cab is a marked improvement over the legacy W900S; it's larger, more comfortable and quieter. With a 3.6-inch lower hood crown than the W900S, the T880S offers a panoramic view and enhances visibility with up to four additional feet of ground visibility. The T880S is available with a set-forward front axle ranging from 14,600 to 22,800 pounds. Single-, tandem- or tridem-drive axles and a wide variety of factory-installed lift axles are available, and the T880S also features clear back-of-cab options that make it easy to configure the truck body. DRIVE TEST: KENWORTH T880S Jason Cannon is equipment editor for Overdrive. This T880S test model had an 11-yard McNeilus mixer upfit. Mack Trucks debuted its Body Builder Portal that brings all of its body builder resources together in one convenient and easily ac- cessible online location for customers, body builders and dealers. Resources include revised body builder manuals updated with simpler navigation, a power-takeoff pump speed calculator, wiring schematics, links to industry associations and contact information for Mack's Body Builder Support Team and concrete pumper support line. Kenworth now provides a $1,000 savings to National Ready Mixed Concrete As- sociation members on qualifying purchases of new T880, W900, T440 or T470 vocational trucks through the association's M2M Benefits Program. Orders must retail before June 30, 2017, with a limit of five qualifying Ken- worth trucks per year. Kenworth's T880 now is available in an all-wheel-drive configuration for severe-duty applications requiring added traction, such as oilfields, off- road cranes, and utility and construction work. The Mar- mon Herrington MT-22 front drive axle is available in a 6x6 or 8x8 Class 8 configuration with a capacity rating of up to 22,000 pounds. The all-wheel drive configuration requires a Fabco transfer case and can be specified with Fabco's 1-speed TC-142 or 2-speed TC-143 transfer case.