Kenworth T680 is Pick of the Crop for Iowa Hauler
Green Products Company, an agricultural processor and freight shipper, boasts an excellent on-time delivery record topping 99 percent – thanks in part to Kenworth T680s equipped with PACCAR MX-13 engines and 76-inch sleepers and support from MHC Kenworth – Des Moines and the Kenworth dealer network.
“More and more, customers are concerned with your on-time delivery rate. They want to know that you are a dependable carrier,” said Jami Rolston, Green Products associate vice president. “We went with Kenworth because of the company’s reputation for producing quality and reliable trucks and its high level of customer support.”
Green Products operates more than 50 Kenworth T680s equipped with 76-inch sleepers in its all-Kenworth fleet of approximately 60 trucks. Last year, the company began to purchase T680s equipped with the fully integrated PACCAR Powertrain – PACCAR MX-13 engine, PACCAR 12-speed automated transmission and PACCAR 40K tandem rear axles – from MHC Kenworth – Des Moines.
Trucking has been part of the Green Products operation since the mid-1980s. The company started as an alfalfa dehydrator, and eventually transitioned to processing corncobs. The products are used as a natural absorbent, inert carrier, and abrasive material in markets from animal health to metal polishing.
The fleet also services Green Products’ milling operation by collecting cobs from seed corn companies around the Midwest and delivering them to the mill where they are ground. Green Products utilizes a variety of trailers, including temperature-controlled units, vans, live bottom trailers and convertible hopper bottom trailers.
Trucks in the Green Products fleet average 110,000 to 130,000 miles in a year. David Osman, director of transportation, pointed out the company’s major focus on safety and running with maximum uptime. “There are no shortcuts with our maintenance,” he said. “We really appreciate the access to MHC Kenworth locations and the Kenworth dealer network, and how they’re able to help get trucks serviced even when we’re on the road.”
Where fuel economy is concerned, Green Products is pushing 8 mpg*. Osman gives much of the credit for the high fuel mileage to the aerodynamics of the T680, coupled with the PACCAR Powertrain and axles. The company also uses APUs, which cut down on idling time.
As a family-owned company, Green Products goes back three generations and is currently owned by brothers Matt and Rusty Schryver. “The difference between us and others in our industry is that Rusty and I have grown up in this business, and we’re involved daily,” remarked Matt Schryver. “We do everything we can to make sure our supply chain succeeds.”
From left. Matt and Rusty Schryver, owners of Green Products Company
Being located in the small town of Conrad, Iowa – population just over a thousand – Green Products pulls from a small labor pool. Finding and retaining dedicated drivers is easy with trucks that have been ergonomically fashioned for comfort.
Green Products specs their Kenworth T680s to the hilt. If it adds to safety and comfort, they put it in. That includes everything from heated and cooled leather seats, satellite radio and Bendix® Wingman® Fusion™ advanced driver assistance system to drawer-style refrigerators and double bunks in the 76-inch sleepers. “Our experienced and professional drivers are a key part of the equation in on-time delivery,” Rolston said. “We make a lot of decisions based on improving driver satisfaction, and one of those is to give them a reliable, safe and comfortable truck. Kenworth offers some of the best creature comforts available.”
The fleet’s Kenworth trucks are easily recognized wherever they go. For one thing, they’re a striking shade of ivy green (as you’d expect). Green Products proudly displays a company Kenworth T680 as the main photo on their website, and scrolling through their Facebook page, you’ll find pictures of the trucks in action.
“We have a fleet of trucks that can go anywhere in the United States and Canada, and deliver to virtually anyone anywhere,” said Rusty Schryver.
“We get a lot of phone calls from people interested in driving here because they've seen our trucks or talked to one of our drivers who told them how much they love the trucks and how great of a place this is to work,” Rolston said.
“Matt and Rusty have always had a love affair with trucks and Kenworth has always had a reputation as quality brand,” Rolston added. “We have thrived because we focus on our customers’ needs. Quality drives us – whether corncob products or transportation services.”
Kenworth Takes Senior Driver Greg Sharp 3 Million Miles
Greg Sharp has driven more than 3.6 million accident-free miles during his career. The majority of those miles have been with Green Products, where he has worked on both the corncob and long haul side of the operation. His dedication, leadership and exemplary customer service skills earned him 2018 Iowa Motor Truck Association Professional Driver of the Year honors.
Greg Sharp, Kenworth T680 driver at Green Products Company
Sharp is one of Green Products’ senior drivers and has driven for the company for 32 years. He began behind the wheel of a Kenworth K100 cabover, and moved into other Kenworth models over the years, before finding his favorite ride in the Kenworth T680. “It's a beautiful truck with a lot of room,” Sharp said.
Sharp credits the Kenworth T680 for helping him to be a safe driver. “The visibility in the T680 is awesome with the huge windshield,” he said, adding that the PACCAR 12-speed automated transmission is a great asset, allowing the driver to keep focused on the road, especially when the route goes through a city where there is traffic or many stoplights.
At 62 years old, Sharp hopes to roll up a few more miles before retirement. The driver-friendly Kenworth T680 makes that goal possible, he said. “My way of driving is that I don't stop a lot,” Sharp smiled. “Wherever I go, it’s nice to know that I’ve got a dependable, comfortable T680 and the support of Kenworth and MHC Kenworth behind me.”
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Kenworth Truck Company is the manufacturer of The World’s Best® heavy and medium duty trucks. Kenworth’s Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com. Kenworth is a PACCAR company.
*Individual fuel economy improvement will vary depending on use, road conditions, and other factors.