ATD Names Kenworth T680 Class 8 Truck of Year
The American Truck Dealers named Kenworth Truck Co.’s T680 the winner of its Class 8 truck of the year Sunday at ATD’s annual conference in Orlando, Fla.
The group also named Drew Linn Jr., president of Southland International Trucks in Homewood, Ala., its Truck Dealer of the Year.
“We’re very proud of the entire dealership,” Linn said in a statement. “It’s an accomplishment made possible by our 200 dealership employees.”
Dealership candidates were evaluated in several categories including performance, civic contributions and industry leadership. The winner was chosen by a panel of professors from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.
Kenworth’s 76-inch sleeper with a Paccar MX engine won for its comfort and driveability, including its pulling power from the engine, the easy shifting of its 10-speed manual transmission and well set up gauges and controls, ATD said in a statement. Kenworth Truck Co. is a unit of Paccar Inc.
“We produced this award-winning truck due to the efforts of the last four years, during which we found customers were looking for significant fuel savings, high visibility, high-tech equipment and enjoyment,” Kenworth General Manager Gary Moore said in a statement.
Hino 195h was selected in the medium-duty category after impressing ATD’s judges with its comfort, visibility, maneuverability, high-tech equipment and smooth, fuel-saving operation.
The trucks were selected from a field of five medium-duty trucks and four heavy-duty trucks. A five-member panel of journalists evaluated the trucks based on innovation, design, safety and driver satisfaction.
