The kings of the road for heavy-duty, long-haul trucks are long-hood conventional huge rigs with the latest comforts of home behind the cab. There's also chrome… so much chrome. We can see Kenworth Truck Co. takes this seriously in the 2020 W990. The Kenworth W990 is one of the most robust and most durable trucks now available for purchase on the market. Continue reading to learn more about what this vehicle is all about.
What exactly is the Kenworth W990?
The Kenworth W990 is a model series of conventional-cab trucks produced by PACCAR's Kenworth subsidiary. The W990, which succeeds the 990-series conventional, is a Class 8 conventional-cab truck primarily intended for highway use. Worthington, one of Kenworth's two founders, is represented by the "W" in the model name.
The W990 conventional and the K100 COE were both launched simultaneously. The W990 became the flagship conventional truck as the Kenworth model line evolved, and its cab architecture was used across numerous model families. Like Peterbilt 379, the W990 developed a dedicated following among owner-operator drivers.
The model line was famous for truck customization because owners added more chrome trim, wheels, lights, and paint. In 2018, the Kenworth W990 was released to compliment the W990 series. The W990 is manufactured in Kenworth's main plant in Renton, Washington.
Kenworth offers the W990 as a recruitment and retention tool to keep current drivers feeling valued while rolling advertising to attract new drivers, where the total cost of ownership (TCO) is the great equalizer in new equipment acquisitions. In a hyper-competitive sector where 83 percent of for-hire truckers switch employers yearly, some fleets find that offering drivers the choice to drive a new vehicle motivates them to remain as much as salary increases.
Pros of Kenworth W990
- Plenty of cab space
Three sleeper cabs and one heavy-haul day cab are among the W990's four options. The top-of-the-line W990 mid-roof has a wheelbase of 251 inches to 300 inches, with a 76-inch sleeper cab and 19-inch sleeper side extenders. The truck measures 131.5 inches from bumper to back of cab. When a 76-inch sleeper is built correctly, the amount of space available is astounding.
- This is a lightweight truck
Despite its big engine and transmission, the W990 is just roughly 18,000 pounds, leaving plenty of capacity for goods. The Kenworth W990L weighs about 1,000 pounds more, which means the W990 may be utilized without needing to make several load weight modifications.
- It is highly fuel efficient
W990 is also one of the most fuel-efficient vehicles available on the market. The more aerodynamic T680s can get 6.8 mpg on average, while the W990s get 6.6 mpg on average. The average truck on the road gets 6.4 miles per gallon, according to Mike Roeth, executive director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency.
Compared to other trucks on the market, the W990 achieves a 20% increase in fuel economy. According to Kenworth, fuel efficiency from the 225-gallon tank (the day cab capacity is 160 gallons) depends on use, road conditions, and other factors. The W990's 455-horsepower PACCAR MX-13 engine is performing well.
- It comes with an excellent interior
The W990's interiors, according to Kenworth, are similar to those of premium automobiles. The midnight black interior of the W990 Limited Edition features glossy Ravenwood door and dash trim accents, a black leather-embossed W990 logo, royal blue double-stitched diamond door pads, black leather steering wheel with royal blue stitching, and suede charcoal inserts and perforated leather with royal blue backing for the driver and passenger seats.
A 180-degree swivel passenger seat, a rotating table for two, a drawer-style refrigerator, and a microwave compartment are all included in the W990 Driver's Studio. Kenworth's premium audio package consists of a 320-watt amp, a 10-inch subwoofer, and eight speakers. A swivel TV mount may support a 28-inch flat-screen TV, and Epic Vue satellite TV pre-wiring is optional.
The sleeping compartment has a full-size closet for hanging clothes, several storage drawers, and a storage room under the bottom bed. An 1800-watt inverter comes with a shore power connection and four conventional 120-volt outlets.
- The truck's safety features
The Kenworth TruckTech+ remote diagnostics system and a seven-inch color in-dash display provide truck-specific navigation, roadside assistance, vehicle data, hands-free calling, audio controls, blind-spot camera input, and internet connectivity.
Standard safety features include predictive cruise control, electronic stability control, driver performance assistance, a built-in virtual driver's coach, and a tool to improve driver performance for fleets and owner-operators. The optional features include collision mitigation, lane departure warning, and side object recognition.
Cons of Kenworth W990
- High maintenance costs
Even though the Kenworth W990 heavy-duty truck can help you save money in numerous ways, you should also keep in mind that maintenance expenses associated with the truck are pretty high. You will need to keep this fact in your mind and get hold of the truck.
Final words
As you can see, the Kenworth W990 is one of the most capable trucks on the market. The pros of owning one of these trucks far outweigh the cons.
