Talk:Kenworth

Comin' in first?
"They were one of the first to come out with a cab-over-engine, or COE, model in 1957." 1957 was "one of the first"? GM, Ford, & Stude had COEs in the 1930s. Trekphiler 12:17, 2 December 2007 (UTC)
 * I wouldn't exactly call the Studebaker, Ford or GM units true cabovers, as they did have a slight protuberant nose from the front of their vehicles. When it comes down to Class 8 trucks, Kenworth was the first, and it's pretty well documented throughout the trucking industry. Srosenow 98 (talk) 09:18, 12 December 2007 (UTC)

Kenworth page - total rewrite anyone?!
I think it may be time to totally rewrite this page, and do a total reorganization from top to bottom. I've already began writing a major rewrite of the Kenworth history portion of my website to reflect loads of new information (verifiable in a third party publication of course), and I am going to contribute major portions of that rewrite to this page in the "Kenworth-built school buses" section when I'm finished. I've learned recently that Kenworth was a major player in the transit and school bus industry from almost the beginnings of the company (when it was known as Gerlinger Motor Car Works), up to 1957 when PACCAR sold the rights to Gillig. Srosenow 98 (talk) 09:18, 12 December 2007 (UTC)

Wiki is supposed to be fact-based, leave the puffery to the company flaks. And a "Cab-Over-Engine" means that the driver's compartment is above, rather than behind, or beside, or in front of, the engine, by which definition, the trucks of the 30s, 40s, and 50s, including the Kenworth "bullnose" models, qualify. Here are some pretty compelling examples:

http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/bullnose_kw.htm —Preceding unsigned comment added by See2xu (talk • contribs) 18:08, 4 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Puffery? I seriously doubt any "puffery" is going on here. I've got loads of reference materials at my fingertips in regards to Kenworth's history, and most of those were used at great lengths to add to this article.Srosenow 98 (talk) 06:41, 10 January 2008 (UTC)don"t get the cummins
 * I'd say there is a lot of Puffery... the comments about the T660 alone make me laugh, as I drive a 2010 T660 (Cummins 435hp ISX, EF 10 spd, DSP 40K's w/ 3.55s) and this thing is a joke compared to the 387 Pete and IH 9400i that I used to drive.. the comment sounds like it was taken straight from the PR kit at MATS when the truck was intro'd.. Navajo11213 (talk)
 * I think the content about the T660 should be re-written as well. For one thing, the content about it seems to be about 4 years old and is written from a brand-new perspective.  That can be changed.  Also, yes, the content about it does read like someone writing a KW sales brochure wrote this on the side as well.  As I've mentioned elsewhere on the talk page, the article is in need of some re-organization along with fixing the POV of some its content. --SteveCof00 (talk) 20:30, 1 July 2010 (UTC)
 * Especially this statement: "The T660 will be the benchmark for high quality, on-highway trucks and maintains Kenworth's "Best in Class" approach." this has got to be straight from the brochure/website/whatever. The outer body package is almost a complete rework, however the Cab is essentially unchanged from the T600 (but for a revised interior package that is normal on new model vehicles), so that KW did not have to completely redesign the Aerodyne sleeper (though this has no relevance for the day cab model). As for benchmarking quality, no design of any product can be a benchmark until after it is produced and operated for a given amount of time to substantiate such claims. The T660 is a popular seller in the mid-range OTR market, especially in fleet sales due it being a derivative of the T600 as well as its' increased fuel efficiency due largely to its' aeroynamics package and construction material, but also due in part to improvements in engine design. --Navajo11213 (talk)

How about some explanation of the SAR (Special Australian Regulations) and mention of the "Director Series". Would that not be part of the story? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Throttleer (talk • contribs) 00:03, 21 July 2022 (UTC)

Logo
The first photo caption refers to the KW logo as a "bug" but there is no mention of that in the article - there probably should be to avoid confusion. Is there a history of the logo that could be added to the page?139.48.25.61 (talk) 15:31, 6 March 2008 (UTC)

Copyright concerns in re: Kenworth's Involvement in the School Bus Industry.
I have just been made aware of a copyright violation concern in regards to the section I recently contributed on. For those who are aware, that entry was written FOR THIS SECTION as a DERIVATIVE WORK based upon a greatly expanded section featured on a website which I AM THE AUTHOR OF. Let me reiterate that the Kenworth's Involvement in the School Bus Industry section was of my OWN WRITINGS. (GilligCoaches.NET is also MY OWN WEBSITE) Srosenow 98 (talk) 08:20, 17 June 2008 (UTC)
 * You've lost me. Did you add it or someone else? You may want to contact Archive.org as well. Bidgee (talk) 08:30, 17 June 2008 (UTC)


 * I added that section, and wrote it. I also added a line at the bottom of the Pacific History page at GilligCoaches.NET as soon as the edit was made (the edit here was written first, then expanded upon at GC.NET the next day) that read as follows: I've authored a condensed and derivative form of this for the Kenworth article on Wikipedia. Srosenow 98 (talk) 08:40, 17 June 2008 (UTC)


 * If you have copyright on the original work (the work not on Wikipedia) then you should be okay putting it here. It is only a problem if you copy stuff that you do not own copyright on. But I'm not a lawyer. Stepho-wrs (talk) 09:38, 17 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Please, this not about you or me, or any user, this is about Wikimedia Foundation not wanting to be involved in any litigation. Just see: Donating copyrighted materials and follow the prescribed procedures and don't make it personal and not guessing. ~ WikiDon (talk) 09:42, 17 June 2008 (UTC)


 * It's been three days, with no sign of anything, and the rather glaring and unsightly "Copyright Violation Notice" is still polluting the main article. I've noticed that this has not shown up on WP:Copyright Problems, and I still remain firm that the writings in question (the section formerly labeled "Kenworth's Involvement in theTransit and School Bus Inustry") are of my own. I'm hedging on being on the bold side of editing, and removing the notice. Srosenow 98 (talk) 08:44, 20 June 2008 (UTC)


 * EDIT* I noticed it has now shown up. Three days after the notice went up. I'd still like to see the copyvio warning and notice taken down, but without me being an admin, I don't want to lose my editing abilies. Srosenow 98 (talk) 08:59, 20 June 2008 (UTC)

←There was some sort of glitch during that run at WP:CP by DumbBOT. In any event, I just want to leave a note as the administrator who investigated this that Srosenow 98 has placed all the necessary information at the website to authorize this contribution and to release it to GFDL. No worries here. --Moonriddengirl (talk) 11:59, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Suggested changes
There seems to be plenty of information regarding KW's bus manufacturing past, and maybe it is time to give it its own space to flourish. By doing that, the bus content can be cut down to a brief introductory summary section with a link to a main article. That would provide much more emphasis to the truck content, both for readers and editors.

One other suggestion: In the "Current Models" sub section, there does not seem to be much differentiation between KW's North American, Mexican, and Australian products. By creating sub-sections for each geographic market, it would be easier to tell the three apart. SteveCof00 (talk) 04:04, 5 April 2010 (UTC)

Changes started
I've begun to clean up (and expand?) the section on KW's truck models. The content is now arranged by geographic market and I did put several tags in specific places to guide editors. I also left some hidden comments as well. To repeat, I think it would be easiest to change the listing of the many different truck models into an actual list included as part of the content and that the written content can be used for significant product introductions, changes, etc. etc. Maybe looking at other truck manufacturer websites as a guide would be of help. --SteveCof00 (talk) 21:38, 1 July 2010 (UTC)
 * excellent. if you would like any technical information on the T660, I'd be more than happy to get you what you need.. this article also does not mention the new T700, which is basically a revamp of the T2000 in much the same way the T660 was for the T600.. I also have access to some T600's although my experience with them is almost nil, as I haven't driven one since I was in driving school. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Navajo11213 (talk • contribs) 01:13, 4 July 2010 (UTC)
 * As the page is developed, the section regarding KW's corporate history is in need of expansion. As it sits presently, it pretty much leaves off after World War II, briefly mentioning the introduction of cab-over models in the 1950s...since 1957, there is nothing that talks about the 53 years afterwards.  This would be the place to expand upon the introduction of significant models such as the K100, the W900, the T600, and the T2000, etc.  It would also be useful content to add how KW became part of parent company PACCAR.  As far as continuing the the cleanup on the "current models" section.  I'm open to suggestions, but I'm thinking a more condensed KW-specific version of this would work well.  It would group model designations geographically and by body (conventional, COE, medium-duty, etc).  The Peterbilt-style list is also informative, but it needs information on each model for that format to work well.  --SteveCof00 (talk) 09:12, 6 July 2010 (UTC)

Proposed revision to current products
I would like to propose some additions/changes to the information on Kenworth models currently available in order to more accurately describe the models Kenworth currently offers and to provide greater context to their development in relation to market needs. The following changes would replace the title Medium-Duty Conventional and the text under that title with the models listed below. The changes below would also replace the title Class 8 Conventional and add the Class 8 models listed below to entries already posted about the T660 and W900, which are still in production. While I am the agency principal for SiefkesPetit Communications, Kenworth's PR agency, I am proposing these changes in good faith following the guidelines established in Wikipedia's policy - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SCOIC. I am also a published author of a book on Kenworth company history - Kenworth: The First 75 Years, published by Documentary Book Publishers of Seattle in 1998.

Below are the proposed additions/changes:

As of January 2014, Kenworth's U.S. product line includes:

Current Kenworth products - Class 6 and 7

T270 and T370 Introduced in 2007, the T270 (Class 6) and T370 (Class 7) are Kenworth’s most popular medium duty conventional trucks. They are used in various applications, including beverage and food delivery, utility, home and road construction, fire apparatus, disposal, sanitation, lawn care, propane, petroleum, agriculture, and other pickup and delivery. Both trucks are available with the PACCAR PX-7 or PACCAR PX-9 engine.

K270 and K370 Introduced in 2011, the K270 (Class 6) and K370 (Class 7) cabovers serve the urban delivery market, which requires excellent truck maneuverability for ease of delivery in tight spots within cities. They both offer up to a 55-degree wheel cut. The two cabovers are typically spec’d with box vans with wheelbases up to 242 inches. Applications include pick-up and delivery, lease/rental, towing/recovery, landscaping, furniture, and food processing and distribution. Both the K270 and K370 feature the PACCAR PX-7 engine.

T440 Introduced in 2009, the T440 is available in tractor and truck configurations for regional haul, city pickup and delivery, municipal and vocational applications. The T440 has a gross vehicle weight (GVW) ranging from a heavy Class 7 vehicle at 33,000 lbs. up to a light Class 8 truck at 68,000 lbs. The T440 is standard with the PACCAR PX-9 engine and also available with the Cummins Westport ISL G 320 hp natural gas engine. The T440 also can be ordered with a 38-inch AeroCab sleeper.

T470 Also introduced in 2009, the T470 is a beefy medium duty truck that also has a GVW of between 33,000 and 68,000 pounds. Kenworth sells a lot of these trucks to municipalities where they are used as snowplows and dump trucks. It has full “parent” frame rails, which provide maximum resistance to bending moment (RBM) from one end of the rail to the other. This supplies a mounting platform for hydraulic pumps, winches, front stabilizers and snowplows. The T470’s applications also include mixer, winch, refuse, and other heavy front-axle vocational and municipal applications. The T470 is standard with the PACCAR PX-9 engine.

Current Kenworth products - Class 8

T680 The all-new T680 was introduced at the Mid-America Trucking Show in March, 2012. Kenworth’s most aerodynamic truck ever, the full-efficient T680 is designed for line haul, pickup and delivery and regional hauling operations and is standard with the PACCAR MX-13 engine Driver comfort features abound, and the truck can be spec’d with various sleeper sizes, or as a day cab. The T680 was named the American Truck Dealers (ATD) Heavy Duty Commercial Truck of the Year in 2013.

T880 Introduced in March 2013, this is Kenworth’s newest vocational truck. You’ll see the truck configured as tankers, logging trucks, mixers, dump and heavy haulers – and even over-the-road tractors. One of Kenworth’s most versatile truck, the T880 can be spec’d as a regular day cab or with a 52-inch mid-roof sleeper. It can also be spec’d for refuse trucks and crane trucks that require front engine power take-off (FEPTO). The T880 is available in a 116.5-inch BBC and 122.5-inch BBC configuration and is standard with the PACCAR MX-13 engine.

T700 Introduced in 2010, this truck is designed for maximum comfort, especially for driver teams. It has the widest cab and sleeper of any Kenworth, plus a towering 96 inches of headroom and 60 cubic feet of interior storage. The wide-open floor plan is filled with a myriad of innovative ideas that bring an extra measure of luxury and practicality to the road: abundant xenon incandescent lighting, optional flat panel TV mount and drawer style refrigerator. The aerodynamic T700 was named the 2011 Heavy Duty Commercial Truck of the Year by the American Truck Dealers (ATD). The T700 is standard with the PACCAR MX-13 engine and a 75-inch sleeper.

T800 This responsive, smooth-riding conventional comes almost in any conceivable customer specification. It can be spec’d lean for weight-sensitive applications, or as a dump, mixer or heavy hauler; spec’d for high-end comfort in over-the-road applications, or spec’d with a sleeper or no-frills day cab for regional delivery. A set-back front axle – together with steering geometry -- delivers up to 54 degrees of wheel cut to help drivers optimize and maneuver loads with ease. More than 250,000 T800s have been produced since its introduction in 1986 – testament to its popularity. The T800 is standard with the PACCAR MX-13 engine.

C500 You’ll say ‘wow’ if you ever get the opportunity to see this truck up close and personal. The C500 is huge and designed for demanding off-road applications, such as mining, oil field, remote logging and construction over tough terrain and harsh environments ranging from desert sands to high altitude. A truck without an application specific duty, can haul a gross combination weight of up to 200,000 lbs. But, customers can work with Kenworth to build a C500 that can haul significantly more. It can also be spec’d with twin-steer, to allow more weight hauling capability. If a customer orders that, it’s called the C550.

Doug Siefkes (talk) 04:24, 9 January 2014 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just added archive links to 3 one external links on Kenworth. Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/20070118011308/http://www.gilligcoaches.net:80/pages/pacific_photos.html to http://www.gilligcoaches.net/pages/pacific_photos.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/20070928131817/http://www.gilligcoaches.net/pages/KW_Bruck.html to http://www.gilligcoaches.net/pages/KW_Bruck.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/20070314042139/http://www.gilligcoaches.net:80/pages/pacific_trivia.html to http://www.gilligcoaches.net/pages/pacific_trivia.html

When you have finished reviewing my changes, please set the checked parameter below to true to let others know.

Cheers.—cyberbot II  Talk to my owner :Online 08:53, 8 January 2016 (UTC)

Looking for help to create Kenworth US model timeline
I would like to get some help to create vehicle lineup from at least 1980 to present that will cover USA and maybe Canada. I have most of it done (with references) but I cannot make the 1980s one. Even if I start from 1990 there are still some models I cannot find model year references/evidence for. The models I cannot put into the list are T400, T450, K100 (and K100E), L700, LCF-2. There are probably some missing. I also do not know how to categorize the model list. Currently I have it separated by model numbers for example T470 and T440 are on separate rows.Põdravorst (talk) 09:04, 14 July 2018 (UTC)


 * Using one of the sources that I used to expand the Kenworth T600 article, here might be some timeline numbers. (link: TrucksPlanet - Kenworth USA (1923-  ) )

I'm not sure if this is 100% correct, but it goes a long way
 * T400 (1988-1997)
 * T450 (1989-1997)
 * K100 (c.1962-2002)
 * K100 (c.1962-1964)
 * K100A/K100C (c.1965-1984)
 * K100E (1984-2002)
 * L700 (1984-???) TrucksPlanet - Kenworth L700 Hustler
 * LCF-2 (???-1983) - very little information (beyond media appearances), but appears to be a predecessor to L700.

Best way to categorize 1980-current KW trucks:
 * W-series: highway tractors
 * W900B highway tractor
 * W900L extended-hood tractor
 * W900S sloped-hood heavy-duty tractor
 * T-series: aerodynamic trucks
 * T6xx SBFA tractors
 * T600
 * T600A
 * T600B
 * T300 medium-duty conventional (Class 5-6)
 * T660
 * T680
 * T170/T270/T370 medium-duty conventional (Class 4/Class 5/Class 6)
 * T2000 wide-cab tractors
 * T2000
 * T700
 * T4xx 112-inch BBC tractors
 * T400
 * T450
 * T8xx SBFA tractor
 * T800 sloped-hood
 * T800H high-hood
 * T800W wide-grille
 * K-series: COE trucks
 * K100A/K100C highway COE
 * K100E highway COE
 * K150/K220/K300 LCF (Peterbilt 224/MAN G90 /Volkswagen LT)
 * K300 medium-duty LCF (DAF cab)
 * K270/K370 medium-duty LCF (DAF-designed LCF/Peterbilt 220)
 * C-series: heavy-duty (off-road) trucks
 * C500

Maybe this will help a bit. --SteveCof00 (talk) 09:24, 30 September 2018 (UTC)
 * Thank you for an answer. I actually gave up on it but I can still make it. I think it shoult start from 1990 because I know nothing about that K100 one. And I think LCF-2 was a prototype of L700. So I guess a template is needed? But I do not know how to make it. Põdravorst (talk) 11:30, 9 October 2018 (UTC)


 * Traditionally, in nearly all automotive-related pages, 1980 has remained a starting point for timelines. While forming a template is not needed, the format/coding of a timeline template can be adapted to the article (it is fairly complex, yes)--SteveCof00 (talk) 10:46, 11 October 2018 (UTC)