City of Noblesville Puts New Kenworth T470s To Work Clearing Snow

First City To Purchase New Kenworth Model

NOBLESVILLE, Ind., Dec. 21, 2009 – The new Kenworth T470s were barely in service, and Len Finchum, street commissioner for the City of Noblesville, was already getting calls from other Indiana cities and municipalities.

“They wanted to be first in line on the trucks when we’re ready to sell them at the end of our five- to six-year trade cycle,” he said with a grin. “I guess that tells you what other managers in our area think of Kenworths and the way we maintain our vehicles. They want the reliability and durability that a Kenworth offers.”

Noblesville was the first city in the country to order the Kenworth T470s, and 13 were recently delivered, outfitted with snowplows and 10- to 13-yard dump bodies. The city purchased the trucks through Kenworth of Indianapolis.

Each of the eight tandem-axle Kenworth T470s snowplows hauls 13- to 15 tons of a mixture of salt and magnesium chloride. Two tanks, each holding 75 gallons of calcium chloride – a liquid deicer – are mounted to opposite sides of the curved dump body. After the plow clears the lane, the deicer is laid down in concert with the salt mixture. The single-axle Kenworths are used to carry 6 to 8 tons of salt and support tanks for deicing. Equipped with Cummins ISL engines rated at 345 hp with 1,150 ft-lbs of torque, and driven through Allison automatics, the T470s have locking differentials to ensure added traction.

The city services a growing population base of 50,000, covering 232 miles of road, and is located eight miles north of Indianapolis. “We’re in Hamilton County, which is one of the fastest growing in the United States,” said Finchum. “Last year the county grew 13 percent. So, there are more housing developments to cover and more citizens to keep happy with clear streets. We normally have around a dozen major snow episodes a year, and around three ice storms. People here expect wet streets, not icy or snow-laden streets. We can’t afford poor performance.”

After the snow season, which runs from November through March, the plows will come off and the Kenworth T470s will be utilized as all-purpose dump trucks for sand, gravel, and asphalt hauling, patching roads and repairing sidewalks.

According to Finchum, the city “thought it was unreal” it could get Kenworth T470s within its budget. “These are the first Kenworths our city has ever had and they are the perfect size for our application as combination snowplows, and dump trucks,” Finchum said. “A full-size Class 8 was really overkill for our city, and a medium duty truck was too light. The Kenworth T470 is the perfect size as it has enough beef in the frame for snowplow support and the right components to handle our operation. And the quality of the Kenworth is a definite upgrade from what we were running.

“We have some very narrow streets and cul-de-sacs and the single-axle Kenworths are incredibly maneuverable in those tight spots,” said Finchum. “The tandem-axle Kenworths carry the load in outlying areas, but we’ve found their turning radius is even better than the single axle trucks they replaced. That’s saying something.”

The Kenworth T470 has a gross vehicle rating (GVW) ranging from a heavy Class 7 vehicle at 33,000 lbs. up to a light Class 8 truck at 68,000 lbs., and is for snowplow, dump, mixer, winch, refuse, and other heavy front-axle vocational and municipal applications requiring front frame extensions. The vehicle offers full parent rail extensions, delivering maximum resistance to bending moment (RBM) from one end of the rail to the other. The T470 is available with 12,000 to 22,000 lb. front axles, 21,000 to 26,000 lb. single rear axles, and 40,000 to 46,000 lb. tandem rear axles.

Finchum said driver comments have been positive. “The cab is a bit bigger than what we’re used to and that’s a big help since some of our guys are 6-feet, 2-inches to 6-feet, 5-inches. They say it’s the best riding truck they’ve had. They’ve been grinning ever since the Kenworths were delivered. They’re loving it.”

So are mechanics and technicians at the City of Noblesville. “They like the engine compartment – it’s very easy to work in and service,” said Finchum. “And the color-coded wiring is great for easy servicing.

“The support we get from Kenworth of Indianapolis is, hands-down, the best and most professional we’ve had,” added Finchum. “When we asked those in the bidding process how they’d handle certain situations, they’d often say ‘we’d have you call these people.’ But at Kenworth of Indianapolis, they said ‘you’d call us.’ They showed they wanted to be an integral and valued partner in our operation. They want us to succeed.”

Kenworth’s quality products, combined with excellent dealer support from dealers such as Kenworth of Indianapolis, contributed to Kenworth receiving the 2009 J.D. Power and Associates award for “Highest in Customer Satisfaction for Heavy Duty Dealer Service.”*

Kenworth Truck Company is the manufacturer of The World’s Best(R) 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, medium duty diesel-electric hybrids, and liquefied natural gas trucks. In 2009, Kenworth became the first truck manufacturer to receive the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Excellence award in recognition of its environmentally friendly products. In addition, Kenworth is the recipient of the 2009 J.D. Power and Associates awards for Highest in Customer Satisfaction for both Over the Road Segment and Pickup and Delivery Segment Class 8 Trucks. Kenworth’s Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com. Kenworth. A PACCAR Company.