Kenworth T680 Hits the Road, Wow Factor High at Initial Dealer Visits
"We heard that word a lot," smiled Bill Persichette, new truck sales manager for MHC Kenworth - Denver.
According to Persichette 'wow' seemed to be the word of the day when the Kenworth dealership recently hosted the inaugural stop for the Kenworth T680 Road Tour, which features Kenworth's most aerodynamic truck ever. The tour showcases two T680s - in day cab and sleeper configurations - along with a double- expanding, 53-foot T680 tour trailer housing a nearly 1,000 square-foot exhibit.
MHC Kenworth - Denver
"We had more than 450 people attend our event and many customers asked for T680 quotes on the spot," Persichette said. "That told us a lot about the truck. We feel it's the industry leader in aerodynamics, technology and driver comforts."
MHC Kenworth - Kansas City
At the tour's second stop, nearly 900 customers viewed the two Kenworth T680s in an event hosted by MHC Kenworth - Kansas City at the Kansas Speedway.
"Everyone thought they were gorgeous trucks, but they also quickly realized how loaded the T680s were with technology and driver amenities," said Jason McGehe, branch manager for MHC Kenworth - Kansas City. "The interior space and layout really opened some eyes and the space between the seats was perfect. Kenworth really did their homework on this truck."
"They did," agreed Scott Miller, fleet manager for Convoy Systems, which operates 100 tractors. "I saw the T680s at the Mid-America Trucking Show, but the event here locally gave me the opportunity to look a bit closer. What really struck me was how Kenworth designed the truck for drivers of all sizes. I'm tall and fit right in - and all the gauges were clearly visible, as was visibility out of the truck. But, we also have a lot of women drivers - so folks of all shapes and sizes will have no problem driving this. That can't be said for some of the other trucks in our fleet. That's very important to us - we're seriously looking at the T680 for our next order."
Kenworth of Omaha
Then, it was on to Nebraska for the tour's third stop attended by close to 400 people at Kenworth of Omaha.
"The T680's fit and finish and the attention to quality - paying attention to the smallest of details - was very evident," said Tom Berg, branch manager of Kenworth of Omaha. "Many customers commented on the doors. They shut and sound like closing the door of a luxury automobile."
At all three stops, the tour presented not only a look-see and full walk-around of the new Kenworth T680, but the tour trailer provided a full educational experience. Inside, guests watched a feature video on the "Building of the Kenworth T680." There was also the opportunity to view displays featuring industry-leading aerodynamics, a complete T680 cab, new sleeper, seats, trim levels and interior color options, robust effortless- closing doors, best in class headlamp system, and to test the new air-assisted hydraulic clutch's ease of operation.
The Kenworth Road Tour is part of the outstanding heavy duty truck support offered by the Kenworth dealer network. This constant commitment to superior satisfaction is demonstrated by Kenworth and its dealer network receiving the 2011 J.D. Power and Associates award for "Highest in Customer Satisfaction for Heavy Duty Truck Dealer Service."*
The T680 Road Tour will visit Kenworth dealerships throughout the United States and Canada this year, including these locations through the end of June.
KENWORTH T680 ROAD TOUR
May 22: Wisconsin Kenworth - Windsor / Windsor, Wis.
May 25: Kenworth Concord / Concord, Ontario
May 29: Kenworth Montreal / St-Laurent, Quebec
June 1: Kenworth of Buffalo / Buffalo, N.Y.
June 5: Kenworth of Pennsylvania - Carlisle / Carlisle, Pa.
June 8: Kenworth of Indianapolis / Indianapolis, Ind.
June 12: MHC Kenworth - Nashville / Nashville, Tenn.
June 15: MHC Kenworth - Mableton / Mableton, Ga.
June 19: Truckworx Kenworth - Birmingham / Birmingham, Ala.
June 22: MHC Kenworth - Dallas / Dallas, Texas
June 29: Inland Kenworth - Phoenix / Phoenix, Ariz.
The T680 is designed to maximize performance in line haul, pickup and delivery, and regional hauling operations. Available with a new 76-inch AERODYNE® sleeper or as a day cab, the T680 is standard with the 12.9-liter PACCAR MX engine.
Blog On!
Not able to make it to a Kenworth T680 Tour event? No problem. Follow Kenworth Truck Company's Peter Arrigoni as he gives on-going blog reports from the road (http://kenwortht680tour.com).
Arrigoni, who is Kenworth's sales training manager for the tour, shares his thoughts and photos on each Kenworth dealer event, giving followers a taste of what's happening on the road. What's more, since Arrigoni shares some of the driving duties, he's providing insightful reports from the road - showcasing how the T680 drives and operates.
"The Tour is going great and I love writing about what's been happening," said Arrigoni. "Plus I'm posting lots of pictures so those following the T680 Tour will really get a feel for what's happening out on the road and at the dealer events."
Kenworth Truck Company is the manufacturer of The World's Best® heavy and medium duty trucks. Kenworth is an industry leader in providing fuel-saving technology solutions that help increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. The company's dedication to the green fleet includes aerodynamic trucks, compressed and liquefied natural gas trucks, and medium duty diesel- electric hybrids. Kenworth is the only truck manufacturer to receive the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Excellence award in recognition of its environmentally friendly products. In addition, the fuel-efficient Kenworth T700 equipped with the low- emission PACCAR MX engine was named 2011 Heavy Duty Commercial Truck of the Year by the American Truck Dealers. Kenworth's Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com. Kenworth. A PACCAR Company.
*Kenworth received the highest numerical score for heavy-duty truck dealer service in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Heavy Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study(SM). Heavy-Duty study based on 1,651 primary maintainers of 2010 model-year Class 8 heavy-duty trucks and measuring 4 manufacturers. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of primary maintainers surveyed in April-May 2011. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.