Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/873881
EquipmentWorld.com | September 2017 67 K enworth had plenty of good news to report recently at its headquarters in Kirkland, Washington. First-half demand in 2017 for Kenworth vocational trucks is on the higher end of expectations, because of a strong construction market and inter- est in the firm's new T880 and T880S models, according to the company. "Whether you're talking vocational or just the market in general in North America, the underlying fun- damentals all remain very positive, and I certainly think we're seeing that in the vocational segments all through the course of the year," says Mike Dozier, Kenworth general man- ager and Paccar vice president. Helping those sales is a growing number of Kenworth dealerships. The company finished 2016 with 382 deal- erships and 4,700 service bays. Dozier said the company expected to reach 400 dealerships by the end of this year and see similar growth in bays. "The vocational market has just been a terrific positive throughout the course of the year, and we're looking for that to continue. We're hearing it from customers, and we're seeing it just in activity and orders," says Dozier. Demand for its new T880S has been high, according to the com- pany. At ConExpo, five of the seven trucks Kenworth brought to the show were T880S models. When compared to the W900S, which was designed for the ready-mix market, the T880S is more versatile with a 114-inch bumper to back-of- cab measurement that allowed the company to move the cab forward 6 inches. This in turn increased the model's payload capacity. Axles aimed at construction applications In other Paccar news, the company announced earlier this year that it would introduce a proprietary front axle for its Kenworth and Peter- bilt brands aimed specifically at construction and other vocational applications. The axle is designed to enhance payload and complement the Paccar power train performance. Available with ratings of 20,000 or 22,000 pounds, the axle uses a tapered kingpin roller bearing that the company says simplifies the de- sign and delivers enhanced steering efficiency. The axle offers steering angles up to 50 degrees and has a five-year or 750,000-mile warranty. It will be available with standard front air disc brakes or optional drum brakes, as well as suspensions and wheel end options to meet demanding jobs. Both axle ratings will be available in models 567, 520, 389, 365 and 348, as well as the 389 glider kit. heavy trucks | staff report Kenworth bullish on work trucks after T880/S demand, dealer growth Kenworth's T880S dump truck sees sales boost.