PHOENIX (April 17, 2011) – The Kenworth T700 with PACCAR MX engine (heavy-duty) and the 2012 Hino model 338 (medium-duty) were named the winners of the American Truck Dealers Commercial Truck of the Year for 2011.
The top commercial trucks—selected by a panel of journalists from leading truck publications—were announced today at the 48th annual ATD Convention and Expo, which runs through Monday, April 18, at the Phoenix Convention Center.
Bill Kozek, general manager of Kenworth and vice president of PACCAR, accepted the award on behalf of the company’s more than 300 dealers across the country.
Kozek said the T700 was designed with improved aerodynamics, cost of operation and first-class styling in mind. The T700 also provides outstanding driver comfort, advanced technology and excellent residual value, he said.
Sumio Fukaya, president/CEO of Hino Motor Sales, U.S.A, Inc., and chairman of Hino Motors Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc., said winning the award will help Hino achieve its corporate mission “to make the world a better place to live by helping people and goods get where they need to go—safely, economically and with environmental responsibility.”
The other nominees in the heavy-duty category were the International ProStar+ with MF 13 engine and Peterbilt Model 386 lightweight sleeper-cab tractor. Other medium-duty truck nominees were the Ford F650/F750 Super Duty, International TerraStar, Isuzu NPR Eco-Max, Kenworth T370 4x4 and Peterbilt Model 337 4x4.
The ATD Commercial Truck of the Year recognizes one winner from the medium-duty truck category (classes 3-7) and another from the heavy-duty truck category (class 8). The trucks were judged on innovation, design, driver and owner satisfaction, ease of maintenance and safety.
The 2011 Hino 268 (medium-duty) and Peterbilt Model 384 (heavy-duty) were last year’s winners.
About the ATD Convention
Several hundred of nation’s commercial truck dealers and their top managers are meeting in Phoenix for the annual ATD Convention and Expo, which runs April 15-18. Keynote speakers included ATD Chairman Kyle Treadway and Bill Graves, president of the American Trucking Associations. Political analyst Charlie Cook will headline the convention’s first-ever legislative and regulatory affairs session on Monday, April 18.
Truck dealers also had an opportunity to meet face-to-face with their manufacturer executives at 12 franchise meetings and with suppliers on the expo floor.
More than a dozen workshop sessions were offered for dealers and their managers to learn ways to improve their business operations.
About ATD: Founded in 1970, the ATD division of the National Automobile Dealers Association is a national trade organization representing more than 2,000 dealers selling new medium- and heavy-duty trucks. For more information, visit http://www.atd.org/.
Contact:
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(703) 821-7120
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Charles Cyrill
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(703) 821-7121
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Laura Withers
Public Relations Specialist
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(703) 760-7578
lawithers@nada.org