Aerodynamic Kenworth T680s Deliver Coast-to-Coast Reliability and Performance for North Carolina Fleet
A family-owned business since 1965, Hardy Brothers Inc. of Siloam, N.C., employs team drivers to haul produce cross-country from California to the East Coast. With a fleet of 62 trucks, the company is moving to an all-Kenworth fleet based on the performance and comfort of its new Kenworth T680s.
Company President Eddie Hardy says the new T680s "sell themselves" to drivers. Interior features like the rotating table, 180-degree swivel passenger seat, refrigerators, power inverters and double bunk sleepers offer over-the-road teams a higher level of comfort, which is key to the company's long-term success.
Eddie Hardy, president of Hardy Brothers
Driver Appreciation
"We want happy drivers in those seats as they cover 5,000 miles each week crisscrossing the country," says Hardy. "With these 21 new Kenworth T680s that we have put on the road over the last seven months, driver acceptance has been great. That's probably not the perfect adjective to describe it. These have been the most well-received trucks we have ever put into the fleet."
The 76-inch integrated sleeper and premium Diamond VIT Interior makes life on the road more comfortable for driver teams. The roomy sleeper is 96 inches wide with a high ceiling, and features 60 cubic feet of storage and a full-height wardrobe cabinet. Moving from cab to sleeper is easy with a spacious 23 inches between the seats. The rotating table can be used for meals, working on laptops, or reading. The sleeper has a mount for a 23-inch flat screen TV and hook up for a microwave.
"All the interior features are great," says Hardy. "The technology - electronics, NavPlus® navigation, bunk heater, superior sound in the stereo experience - the new T680s have all the bells and whistles, and those can make all the difference for teams that are on the road all week."
Aerodynamic and Fuel Efficient
In addition to the exceptional comfort and styling of the T680, Hardy is most happy with the improved fuel efficiency the fleet has been experiencing with the 455 hp PACCAR MX-13 engine and Eaton UltraShift® transmission.
"We govern the trucks at 72 mph, and we're averaging between 6.8 and 7 mpg," says Hardy. "We're extremely pleased with the performance of the PACCAR MX-13 engines, which aren't even broken in yet. Compared to similarly equipped trucks in our fleet, the PACCAR MX engines in the Kenworth trucks are outperforming the others by about three-fourths of a mile per gallon. That's a big savings considering the number of miles that we travel."
PACCAR MX-13 Engine
Engine performance coupled with the aerodynamic efficiency of the Kenworth T680 has helped Hardy Brothers achieve EPA SmartWay® certification. Kenworth T680s provide a higher level of efficiency, performance and comfort from purchase through trade-in, says Hardy, who considers Kenworth to be the "high mark over other brands" when it comes to trade-in value. Along with the 21 new T680s already operating in the fleet, Hardy Brothers ordered 16 additional T680s scheduled for delivery later this year.
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.