Essen Transport’s Kenworth T700s with PACCAR MX Engines Provide Fuel Efficiency, Driver Comfort

Located in Winkler, Manitoba, Essen Transport Ltd. provides effective supply chain management that delivers refrigerated cargo and general freight across North America. With a fleet of more than 50 trucks, mostly Kenworths, Essen's major transportation route runs north-south from Canada to the Gulf Coast. To assure on-time dependability, good fuel economy and low-cost operation, the company recently purchased eight new Kenworth T700s.

 "There's really no comparison between Kenworth and other trucks we've tried," said Nathan Elias, second-generation owner of Essen Transport. "We like the T700 for driver comfort. And for reliability and fuel economy, the only engine I'll buy is the PACCAR MX engine."

When ordering new trucks, Elias's No. 1 priority is attracting and retaining good drivers. The company has been running Kenworth T660s with PACCAR MX engines for more than a year and appreciates the added fuel efficiency. Now, with the T700 in the fleet, Essen gets excellent aerodynamics and fuel efficiency, as well as exceptional roomy comfort that bigger drivers prefer.

Nathan Elias, owner of Essen Transport, stands next to one of the fleet's Kenworth T700s.

"Drivers really like the wide-bodied cabs and larger interiors of the T700," said Elias, who specs 75-inch AERODYNE® sleepers with Diamond VIT interiors. Nearly 30 inches between the driver and passenger seats allows easy access to the spacious sleeper with eight-foot ceiling and 60-plus cubic feet of storage space. "Once drivers get inside the T700, they love it."

Drivers also appreciate the distinctive styling and quiet comfort of the T700. Hauling 80,000 lbs. of frozen food products from Manitoba to the Texas Gulf Coast, Essen's T700s easily cut through 1,500 miles of flatland powered by PACCAR MX 485 hp engines and 13-speed transmissions.

"We have a standard spec with our Kenworth dealer, Custom Truck Sales - Winnipeg," said Elias. "I tell them that we want a truck that does 65 mph, fully loaded. Fuel mileage is important to us, and the T700s with PACCAR MX engines are helping us attain higher mpg across the entire fleet."

"The biggest difference with Kenworth is the level of service we get from our dealer," said Elias. "They're honest, and we've been dealing with Kerry Davies at Custom Truck Sales - Winnipeg, since I was a kid. Whenever ideas pop into my head for updating our specs for the next batch of trucks, they're very prompt coming back with solutions. The service department helps reduce downtime by getting us in and out as soon as possible. And because we lease all our trucks, Kelly White, our PacLease Service Manager, is always there for us with whatever we need."

Through the PacLease program, Essen trades its trucks every three years, allowing the company to maintain a new fleet that attracts and keeps drivers with the latest Kenworth technologies and creature comforts.

Serving more than 100 corporate customers throughout the United States and Canada, Essen depends on its growing fleet of Kenworth trucks for driver comfort, day-to-day reliability, fuel economy and low-cost operation. As keys to the company's long-term success, Elias feels he's found the right strategy with Kenworth.

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 also received the "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Heavy Duty Truck Dealer Service, Two Years in a Row", according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011-2012 Heavy Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction StudiesSM. Kenworth's Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com. Kenworth. A PACCAR Company.