Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/183648
Cover Story handles deliveries in his new Kenworth T680 with 76-inch sleeper. Emigrating from the Ukraine 14 years ago, Babshinsky drove cabovers for four years before coming to the states. "Once I was here, I think I drove every truck out there," he said. "It was easy to see that Kenworth had the best quality. I wanted a very dependable truck with good service behind it. That's what Owner-operator Rick Duke maintains a competitive relationship with really drove me to the T680 his driving partner, Kris Markham. and Kenworth Northwest." roominess, the cab and sleeper layout and how they felt behind the wheel." According to Erik Johnson, Kenworth onhighway marketing manager, driver reaction With that endorsement, Con-way talked to to the T680 confirms all the research and MHC Kenworth and placed an order. With design work behind the new platform truck 117 Kenworth T680s with 76-inch sleepers was worth the effort. "We're getting just now already in service, the company will have great feedback from drivers and fleets," he 385 of the new model in service by the end said. "We had a mantra going into its design: of 2013. live, work, drive. Those words encompass everything a truck driver does and we incorpo"I remember looking at all those trucks," rated them into the T680's design. The T680 recalled Mick Korn, who has been driving was engineered to get industry-leading fuel with Con-way, and before that, with CFI for economy, while driver comfort, serviceability 22 years. "I got to look at them all, but I didn't and dependability, are all what we feel is best- see anything that I liked better than the T680." in-class." Korn actually got to do one better than other It's why Johnson said he wasn't surprised drivers seeing the T680 for the first time. "I when he heard that the Kenworth T680 had had been driving a T680 for several weeks the most votes when Con-way Truckload before the big show-and-tell with the other asked its drivers to select the truck they most trucks," he said. "Con-way had purchased wanted to drive. Con-way invited a number of one of the first off the line as part of a test major truck manufacturers to display their lat- program, I was lucky enough to get to drive est truck models at five of Con-Way's termi- it. The truck is so quiet inside – almost like nals across the United States – and invited its a car – and it has so much technology and drivers to pour over the trucks. bells and whistles. It's just unbelievable. Not only is it the most comfortable – the new seats "We had more than 400 drivers look over Kenworth developed are just outstanding – the trucks and of those, 200 took the time to but it's also the best driving truck I've ever fill out surveys as to which truck they liked piloted. The handling and turning is excepbest, and why," said Randy Cornell, Con-way tional." Truckload's vice president of maintenance and asset management. "The Kenworth T680 When Korn got behind the wheel for the first was the clear-cut winner. Drivers liked the time, he said he actually thought something / Owner operator/ october 2013 / / 24 OO 1013 cover story.indd 2 9/6/13 1:54 PM