Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/821508
78 commercial carrier journal | may 2017 DRIVE TEST: KENWORTH T880S Last September,Kenworthannounced it would add a set-forward front-axle con gura- tion to its T880, and those trucks entered production early last month. at's when I ew up to Kenworth's assembly plant in Chillicothe, Ohio, to watch one roll o the assembly line and to hop behind the wheel for a roughly 100-mile drive. eT880S at its core is a T880 but with some added features that improve upon the W900S model it likely will replace. Kenworth's venerable W900S was practically purpose-built for mixer operations but adaptable enough to nd itself in a variety of vocational applications. eT880S was designed with more exibility right o the assembly line, making up t- ting easier, more customizable and more streamlined. e 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 typical 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 nishes and materials, and removable cast center-mounted tow hooks are available depending on bumper selection. e T880S comes standard with aPaccar MX-13 enginethat kicks out 510 hp and 1,850 lb.- . of torque. eEaton UltraShi Plus in my dump truck model shined in stop- and-go tra c in southern Ohio, e ortlessly 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.- . of torque. By dropping a little weight under the hood, customers can pack on a couple more yards of concrete. e Allison 4700 seven-speed automatic transmission in my test mixer truck was smooth and comfortable, making runs to and from the jobsite for more payload far less taxing. e 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 o ers a pan- oramic view and enhances visibility with up to four additional feet of ground visibility. e 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 li axles are available, and the T880S also features clear back-of-cab options that make it easy to con gure the truck body. – Jason Cannon EQUIPMENT NEWS | INBRIEF • Mack Trucks debuted its Body Builder Portal that brings all of its body builder resources together in one convenient and easily accessible online location for customers, body builders and dealers. Resources include revised body builder manuals updated with simpler naviga- tion, a power-takeoff pump speed calculator, wiring sche- matics, links to industry associa- tions 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 Asso- ciation members on qualifying purchases of new T880, W900, T440 or T470 vocational trucks through the association's M2M Benefi ts Program. Orders must retail before June 30, 2017, with a limit of fi ve qualifying Kenworth trucks per year. • Kenworth's T880 now is available in an all-wheel-drive confi guration for severe- duty applications requir- ing added traction, such as oilfi elds, off -road cranes, utility and construction work and municipal fi re/rescue vehicles. The Marmon Herrington MT-22 front drive axle is available in a 6x6 or 8x8 Class 8 confi guration with a capacity rating of up to 22,000 pounds. The all-wheel drive confi guration requires a Fabco transfer case and can be specifi ed with Fabco's 1-speed TC-142 or 2-speed TC-143 trans- fer case. The front drive axle is installed at Kenworth's factory. This T880S test model had an 11-yard McNeilus mixer up t.