Kenworth or Freightshaker
- Thread starter Big Al
- Start date
Freightliner has had a medium duty truck since about 1993,Kenworth has really only gotten into this market about 3 years ago.I have heard good and bad about Kenworth,but the one thing that stands out is that the cab is smaller than the Freightliner. I have had a FL 70 since 1996,about 432000 on it as of today and really don!t have too many complaints,but the ride could be better. Before this truck I ran Mercedez Benz trucks which were great,they were slow and outdated but you couldn!t kill them and they actually were good riding trucks.
There is a Kenworth dealer in Ft Wayne who is suppossed to be pretty good but when I spoke to their rep at the Lousivlle show this year he could not give good warranty information and was vague about it.. I would simply test ride both of them for noise and ride and factor in price.. Good luck
There is a Kenworth dealer in Ft Wayne who is suppossed to be pretty good but when I spoke to their rep at the Lousivlle show this year he could not give good warranty information and was vague about it.. I would simply test ride both of them for noise and ride and factor in price.. Good luck
Big Al... my two cents. I have driven Freightliner Centurys, a Classic, an FLD 120 and an FL70. I own a 2001 Kenworth T300.
I swore I wouldn't buy a truck with out a standup cab... until I atually drove the Kenworth, then I changed my mind. The quality of this truck is far and above the trucks I have driven in the past. Like Rich said, the cab is smaller - but it is well laid out, quiet and comfortable. Keep in mind the T300 has the same proven cab as the T600, T800 and W900. We are talking about billions and billions of miles here. Also, the seats are very comfortable. Really, really comfortable seats.
This truck is set up with a 315hp Cummins, a super ten transmission and a 84" Bentz sleeper. I am happy with all of it. And did I mention the seats?
I swore I wouldn't buy a truck with out a standup cab... until I atually drove the Kenworth, then I changed my mind. The quality of this truck is far and above the trucks I have driven in the past. Like Rich said, the cab is smaller - but it is well laid out, quiet and comfortable. Keep in mind the T300 has the same proven cab as the T600, T800 and W900. We are talking about billions and billions of miles here. Also, the seats are very comfortable. Really, really comfortable seats.
This truck is set up with a 315hp Cummins, a super ten transmission and a 84" Bentz sleeper. I am happy with all of it. And did I mention the seats?
I have been doing this comparison quite heavily myself to replace my aging FL70. I tested the KW T300 HDX (Heavy-Duty Expediter) and the Peterbilt 330 which is very similar to the KW. They are both superior quality wise to the FL's and I hope I can cost justify the trade in at this point. I try to talk to as many people as I can in the field running the KW's and Petes and have yet to find any dissatisfied customers.
How do they compare pricewise,my FL 70 is getting up there also and I am thinking of the T 300,But so far havn!t done any pricing,The Freightliner service departments around the country usually leave a lot to be desired,does anyone know how Kenworth stacks up?O fcourse if business levels remain the way they have been for the last month I may be driving a Ryder used truck..
Actually, folks, you should do yourselves a BIG favor -- make it a point to stop in at the Orlando Freightliner and test drive the Century Class tractor that Jay is converting into Expediter D Units. We dropped in today, and we're IN LOVE -- and not just with each other! 
LOL Seriously, it was a DREAM to drive -- you can't BELIEVE the turning radius! It's like driving a big pickup truck! AND it comes with a 10speed AUTOMATIC! i could go on and on, but you'll have to see and drive one to really get the picture.
*********
Godspeed to all of you out there on the highways and byways!
LOL Seriously, it was a DREAM to drive -- you can't BELIEVE the turning radius! It's like driving a big pickup truck! AND it comes with a 10speed AUTOMATIC! i could go on and on, but you'll have to see and drive one to really get the picture.*********
Godspeed to all of you out there on the highways and byways!
>Actually, folks, you should do yourselves
>a BIG favor -- make
>it a point to stop
>in at the Orlando Freightliner
>and test drive the Century
>Class tractor that Jay is
>converting into Expediter D Units.
> We dropped in today,
>and we're IN LOVE --
>and not just with each
>other! LOL Seriously,
>it was a DREAM to
>drive -- you can't BELIEVE
>the turning radius! It's
>like driving a big pickup
>truck! AND it comes
>with a 10speed AUTOMATIC!
>i could go on and
>on, but you'll have to
>see and drive one to
>really get the picture.
>
>*********
>Godspeed to all of you out
>there on the highways and
>byways!
>a BIG favor -- make
>it a point to stop
>in at the Orlando Freightliner
>and test drive the Century
>Class tractor that Jay is
>converting into Expediter D Units.
> We dropped in today,
>and we're IN LOVE --
>and not just with each
>other!
LOL Seriously, >it was a DREAM to
>drive -- you can't BELIEVE
>the turning radius! It's
>like driving a big pickup
>truck! AND it comes
>with a 10speed AUTOMATIC!
>i could go on and
>on, but you'll have to
>see and drive one to
>really get the picture.
>
>*********
>Godspeed to all of you out
>there on the highways and
>byways!
i don't know how much you paid for your FL70, but we paid $84000 for ours. The Century Class, with more options than you can count, is only $94,900! AND it'll be worth something come trade-in time! Our's is only worth about $55K (that's a high quote, and it's a year 2000, with just over 100K miles and an 84" sleeper -- bottom line, it's worth about $12K LESS than we still owe on it, and odds are, it won't last the lifetime of the loan). The Big Rig, on the other hand, carries a STANDARD 5 year/500,000 mile warranty on the tranny and engine! It was MADE to run OTR, and last for a MILLION miles!
(Sorry, i'm just REALLY taken with it! lol)
*********
Godspeed to all of you out there on the highways and byways!
(Sorry, i'm just REALLY taken with it! lol)
*********
Godspeed to all of you out there on the highways and byways!
Back in 1996 I paid $57500 for my FL 70 with 60 inch Rhodes Rambler sleeper (pretty basic) with a lift gate and 22 foot box.Bought it from Orlando freightliner ( Jim Kent) and I think I got a good deal as someone in the Pensacola Fl area had ordered it and when the truck came in that person disappeaed,so it sat on their lot for 10 months till I came along.They really wanted to move it and gave me a $10,000 trade in on a 1991 Merces Benz 1319 that had 624000 miles on it. So I made the deal and have been happy with it.I like the idea of a class 8 tractor with that long warranty,but the payments can eat you alive.You can!t take any time off ,don!t think about getting sick and so on. Who knows whats best,probably in the long run the class 8 is because of resale value plus warranty.. Stay safe..
G
guest
Guest
The Kenworth and Peterbilt should be quite similar as they are both produced at the same plant in St.Therese Quebec. Paccar expects this to be a big line for them to sell, one where they didn't really have a model to compete with FL.
Before thinking that a Class 8 will hold it's value better, right now, there are so many used Class 8 trucks out there that the resale values have tanked.
RWA
Before thinking that a Class 8 will hold it's value better, right now, there are so many used Class 8 trucks out there that the resale values have tanked.
RWA