Kinard Trucking Gains Competitive Advantage with Kenworth T660s and PACCAR MX Engines

Kinard Trucking, Inc., started hauling potatoes in 1926 with two trucks. Today, the York, Pa.-based trucking company transports dry goods and commodities throughout the lower 48 states and Canada with a fleet of 200 trucks, mostly Kenworths, and 1,100 vans and specialized trailers.

"My highest priority is finding ways to be more efficient," said Director of Fleet Maintenance Steve Altland, who has spent the last several years focusing on fleet-wide improvement programs incorporating industry-leading technologies. "I'm always looking for an advantage that my competitors haven't found."

When it came time to upgrade the fleet last year, Altland selected the Kenworth T660 with 455-hp PACCAR MX engine. With fuel economy a big concern, along with driver comfort, engine performance and overall dependability, Altland said the Kenworth T660 with PACCAR MX engine is the complete package.

"The new 50 T660s are running between 6.5 and 7.2 mpg," said Altland. "Fuel efficiency is something we really look at. We're getting away from the big hoods and moving toward an aerodynamic, fuel-efficient fleet. We want to provide our drivers with the best comfort and productivity features available."

With the T660s, Altland also specified 62-inch AeroCabs®, 10-speed transmissions, and disc brakes all the way around. "Drivers like the stopping power of having both front and rear disc brakes," said Altland. "Drivers like everything about the Kenworths. I often talk to the recruiter and he said he get calls all the time from drivers who see our trucks out by the road. They want to know if we're hiring because we run Kenworth trucks. Those drivers are bouncing around in cookie-cutter trucks and would love to get into a Kenworth."

Altland has logged more than 27 years in the trucking industry and he's tried just about every truck. "We keep coming back to Kenworth because we don't have issues that we've seen in other trucks. Kenworth builds a quality truck and it shows."

For Altland, the value of Kenworth is confirmed during the entire life cycle of ownership, including trade-in time. "Our regular trade-in cycle is five years, or 500,000 miles," said Altland. "Kenworth definitely holds a higher value over other trucks. The quality and image of owning a Kenworth makes the difference."

As Kinard's new T660s get broken in, Altland believes fuel economy can improve even more. "We're buying 20 more this year, and another 20 next year. We like the aerodynamics and are pretty much standardizing our fleet around the T660 and PACCAR MX engine."

Kinard Trucking has been delivering award-winning service to customers for decades. Its choice of operating a Kenworth fleet has as much to do with reliability as it does with fuel efficiency and driver satisfaction. "For dependability," said Altland, "I'm a firm believer that Kenworth is the best truck out there."

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 the 2011 Heavy Duty Commercial Truck of the Year by the American Truck Dealers. Kenworth is also the recipient of the 2011 J.D. Power and Associates award for Highest in Customer Satisfaction for Heavy Duty Truck Dealer Service. Kenworth's Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com. Kenworth. A PACCAR Company.