Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
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Enduring classic Kenworth's T660 evolves with mix of styling, technology O n a recent gray northwestern morning in Seattle, I found myself inching along Interstate 405 at rush hour, the eight-lane bypass basically a parking lot. I was behind the wheel of a new Kenworth T660 Studio AeroCab tractor with an 86-inch sleeper and Diamond VIT interior and a fully-loaded 53-foot van trailer in tow. The T660's full suite of driver enhancement aids included a The tractor has cemented its place in the company's lineup. Paccar-branded Eaton UltraShift Plus automated manual trans- mission, Kenworth NavPlus with true-truck GPS navigation and hands-free phone capability, and Takata's Lane Departure Warning system. So my situation, in spite of the traffic, was good indeed. Scan the T660's cab and sleeper, and you'll find ultra-luxuri- ous leather, highly effective sound dampening and refinements such as full power options, faux-wooden trim, fully tilting/ telescopic steering wheel, skylights and foldable bunk beds, which can be swapped out easily for a single-mattress setup. The goal on this brisk fall day was to take this 78,000-pound rig over the Cascade Mountains. I was taking U.S. 2 out of Se- attle with the goal of lunch in the Bavarian-style village of Leav- enworth before heading back for one more round with Seattle traffic. U.S. 2 is a narrow, twisting two-lane road cut through the heart of the mountains, offering stunningly beautiful vistas awash in brilliant fall colors. It climbs steadily from near-sea level to elevations in excess of 4,000 feet near Stevens Pass. It's tough driving with lots of turnouts. Luckily, my T660 had a brand-new 500-hp Cummins ISX15 under its severely-sloped front hood, which is part of Ken- worth's deluxe aerodynamic enhancement package. Combined with the UltraShift plus AMT, I would have plenty of on-de- mand power to lug up those long grades. The steering wheel- mounted Cummins engine brake controls, operated by a simple thumb tap, also were handy on the downhill run. The truck handled great, a definite plus on these twisting 24 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2012 The Kenworth T660 features a compelling blend of conventional styling and aerodynamics aggressive enough to merit SmartWay certification by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. roads. I also liked the cab layout; the narrow design gives an impression of being behind the wheel of a much smaller ve- hicle. Even without the handy optional steering wheel controls, everything was within easy reach. This is due partly to the nar- row cab layout, but it's also a testament to the time and energy Kenworth engineers put into the control layout, instrument cluster and other ergonomic details. Even though this T660 was new, the interior's tightness still was remarkable; nothing rattles or vibrates. Combined with the ultra-quiet ISX15, it made for remarkably fatigue-free driving. In the morning interstate highway traffic, I was pleased at how well the lane departure warning system worked. A side- mounted camera keeps an eye out for lane markings, and if the picture of the unbroken pavement is interrupted by a painted line, an alarm sounds. The system was help- ful most of the time, but the long afternoon DRIVER ENHANCEMENT: Kenworth's full suite of aids help in heavy traffic. PLENTY OF POWER: Cummins' ISX15 and Eaton's UltraShift Plus AMT can handle any hill. LANE DEPARTURE WARNINGS: Takata's system can be disabled for 10 minutes if needed.