Kenworth T660s Help Refrigerated Carrier Davis Express Save Nearly $400,000 in Annual Fuel Costs, Retain Drivers
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STARKE, Fla., Aug. 20, 2009 – When diesel fuel prices reached as high as $4.75 per gallon a year ago, Davis Express was way ahead of the competition because it specified its trucks with fuel-saving components and selected the aerodynamic Kenworth T660 as its model of choice.
“Since 2005, we’ve worked with our dealer, Kenworth of Jacksonville, to try to hone in that spec for fuel mileage and achieve optimal fuel mileage for our application,” said Josh Davis, fleet manager of Davis Express.
Davis Express is a regional carrier based in Starke, Fla., that hauls refrigerated loads of fresh and frozen poultry and other meat from major suppliers to the warehouses of supermarket chains. It operates a fleet of more than 200 trucks, including 95 Kenworth T660s and 115 Kenworth T800s, and 385 53-foot air ride refrigerated and dry van trailers, mostly in the southeastern United States. Most of its Kenworths are equipped with 450-hp Cummins ISX engines and 72-inch Kenworth AeroCab® AERODYNE® sleepers. Each Davis Express truck travels about 125,000 miles each year.
“When we first started buying Kenworths, we chose specs that were more flashy – the chrome mirrors, the sun visors, the dual stacks on the side of the cab,” Davis said. “Then we started moving to a fuel-mileage spec’d truck and the Kenworth T660 was the big step in making that happen.”
By lowering the speed its drivers travel, shortening the wind gap between the truck and trailer, running wide-based tires to reduce weight, and adopting the Kenworth T660, Davis said his company has seen a 9 percent improvement in fuel mileage from its oldest, least fuel-efficient truck to the Kenworth T660.
“Back when fuel was $4.75 per gallon, we were way ahead of a lot of our competitors in controlling fuel costs,” Davis said. “Now that fuel is back down to the $2 range, the gap is not as wide. Still, at an average fuel cost of $2.50 per gallon, the nine percent improvement in fuel mileage amounts to an annual savings of $4,100 in fuel costs for each Kenworth T660 we bought, resulting in about $389,000 annual savings for all 95 of our T660s.”
Davis said with a struggling economy, every little bit helps the company stay profitable and more competitive. But fuel cost savings is not the only factor that makes the Kenworth T660 the right choice for Davis Express, he added.
“With the Kenworth T660, we get an aerodynamic truck that’s solid, dependable and durable,” he said. “There’s not a lot of plastic in its interior and the doors close solidly. The drivers also love the ride and comfort they get with the Kenworth T660.”
Driver comfort is crucial to Davis Express because the company makes every effort to hire only the best drivers on the road. Davis Express drivers must meet strict qualifications in order to be a part of the company’s team, so the company makes every effort to provide them a truck that offers the best working environment, Davis added.
Davis said he also likes the fact that his company’s Kenworth T660s came equipped with the Kenworth Driver Information Center, which integrates system information into one display located within the primary instrument cluster. The driver receives instant access to current trip data, including miles per gallon, engine and idle hours, idle percentage, and optimum rpm range for the engine. The driver can use this information to help optimize fuel usage and reduce wear and tear on the engine and transmission.
“The Kenworth Driver Information Center with its fuel screen makes our drivers more aware of how their driving habits affect their fuel economy,” Davis said. “Another thing that’s a big plus is the diagnostic screen.”
If a Davis Express driver encounters an issue while he’s out on the road, the Kenworth Driver Information Center can help pinpoint the cause, he added. “Instead of a driver saying he has a check engine light on, he can pull up the screen and see that he’s low on coolant or whatever the issue may be,” Davis said. “And even if he wasn’t able to identify the issue, he could use the diagnostic screen when talking with our mechanics on the phone, which could save us a lot of time.
“Having a reliable, durable truck with components that make it worry-free not only makes for a more efficient operation, it also does away with driver turnover because it relieves a lot of the driver aggravation,” he said. “And when we have happier drivers we find that we have happier customers because our drivers are better able to provide them timely, friendly service.”
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, medium duty diesel-electric hybrids, liquefied natural gas trucks, and the Kenworth Clean Power® no-idle system. This year, 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, and for Heavy Duty Dealer Service. Kenworth’s Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com. Kenworth. A PACCAR Company.
