Vice President of PACCAR and President of DAF Trucks N.V., Paccar
Kenworth General Manager, PACCAR VP discusses truck development
How are we going to move toward increasingly sustainable trucking while keeping fleet operations profitable? That's the implicit question that Kenworth's latest run of truck equipment announcements and trade show displays have sought to answer. From the bullet train-inspired Kenworth SuperTruck 2 with its PACCAR MX-11 engine, rated at 440 HP, driven through a PACCAR TX-12 automated transmission and sporting a "mild hybrid" 48-volt electric generator using lithium-ion batteries, to the Cummins X15N natural gas-powered T680, to the promise of a hydrogen fuel cell Class 8 truck coming soon, there...
About James Walenczak
In a June 2025 interview, James Walenczak, Kenworth General Manager and PACCAR Vice President, discussed the company's recent truck developments and the evolving regulatory landscape. He described the Kenworth SuperTruck 2 project as an "innovation" and stated that the company, in conjunction with the Department of Energy, achieved a 100.36% improvement in freight efficiency, meeting its targets. Walenczak also noted that the Cummins X15N natural gas-powered T680 would help meet "stringent requirements" in states adopting CARB Omnibus regulations. Walenczak said that working with fleet customers has "brought us closer" due to the need for education on regulatory compliance. He stated that PACCAR is investing in technology across segments—vocational, over-the-road highway, medium-duty, regional, and last-mile—to have a product ready for all customer needs. He added that discussions are increasingly focused on infrastructure and matching specific products to each customer's business model.
Transcript (15 segments)
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Narrator0:00
This Fleet Equipment Unscripted interview is presented by Hendrickson, a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty suspension systems and components to the global commercial transportation industry. Visit Hendrickson.com to learn more.
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Jason Morgan0:12
Hey everyone, Jason Morgan, content director for Fleet Equipment, welcome to Fleet Equipment Unscripted. We are at the Kenworth headquarters in Kirkland, Washington. We are going to talk with Jim Walenczak, Kenworth general manager and PACCAR vice president, about all things going on in the truck market right now, from the Kenworth SuperTruck to zero emissions to regulation, how it's impacting fleet customers and relationships. So come along, let's see what we can learn. Jim, thank you for taking the time.
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James Walenczak0:40
Thank you, opportunity to meet you.
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Jason Morgan0:42
Good to meet you too. I want to dive right into it. I think the last time that I saw Kenworth was at ACT Expo walk around SuperTruck 2, which was very cool. I got to say I was surprised by the design. I think from Kenworth, very forward, very bullet train-esque, really probably one of the coolest trucks on the show floor there. Right, when you're approaching that project and your team's approaching that project, what does that say about how Kenworth thinks about developing truck technology and equipment?
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James Walenczak1:07
Yeah, super exciting show for us and a super exciting launch for the SuperTruck 2. Innovation, I think, would be the word I'd use to describe the project. Very proud of the team. We worked on the project in conjunction with the DOE and split some of the funding with the goal of improving freight efficiency 100%, and very proud to say that we achieved 136%. So hit all the targets. You know, we've been a leader, Kenworth has been a leader in aerodynamics over the years with the launch of the T600, so we tried to keep our leadership position in that space around some of the ideas building that product. And yeah, very excited about it. We're going to use some of the technologies hopefully that we've learned and hopefully be able to commercialize them someday. So very exciting time for us.
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Jason Morgan1:56
Yeah, well, and you went the extra mile too. There was a lot of driver innovation. That cab was awesome, lots of space, the center mounting, you know, already something we're seeing more and more in the market, the camera vision systems that were in there. Love that. So lots of cool technology that we're hoping to see. Absolutely, yep. Natural gas, switching gears on you because the other big thing here at Kenworth is the availability of the Cummins X15N natural gas engine, and we're in an interesting time, I think, in the whole decarbonization, sustainability realm, right? Where there are a lot of possibilities to decarbonize, right, even if it's not pure zero emissions. You know, natural gas does offer net zero or net negative emissions reporting if you get into some of the renewable. How do you see this evolving now with a new engine offering, and how might this be different this time around?
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James Walenczak2:43
Yeah, we're excited for the launch of the 15N. We've had a smaller displacement engine, the ISL G, that's been available for a few years, it's been a little bit limited with where we could put that product. So this will expand the offerings, offer more customers the opportunity to go with natural gas. So yeah, very excited about it. From a regulation perspective, it helps meet some stringent requirements that are taking place in the industry right now. So any CARB Omnibus adopting state will be able to use the 15N and qualify for the emissions.
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Jason Morgan3:17
Yeah, and I'm going to come back to that one because I think that's an interesting moving target to some degree as well. But as you walk through with fleet customers on this, I mean, you think back to just before the pandemic and then the launch of the battery electric vehicles, right? I mean, it just seems like a world difference, right? So when you're working with customers today, there are regulations that are impacting their equipment options, there's general efficiency pushes that they want to gain, right, run a more efficient business. How is working with those customers different today than maybe it was when you're buying a truck in pre-pandemic era?
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James Walenczak3:46
Yeah, as strange as it sounds, I feel like it's brought us closer. You know, we've had to work really close with our fleet customers, all of our customers, making sure from an education standpoint they're up to speed with what's required in the industry from a regulation. So we've had, I think we've gotten closer. You know, a lot of our customers have asked for specific presentations to educate their teams, their boards on what's going on to make sure we all know what's coming. A lot of infrastructure discussions around what's going forward. But the main purpose or goal, I guess, of all of those discussions is to make sure we're providing a solution for all of our customers' needs. So there is a lot going on, and it is different prior to what's happened, but I'd say our relationship is probably closer now because of all of the detail we need to share and be up to speed on.
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Jason Morgan4:39
Yeah, the high-level executive conversation is interesting. We hear a lot about consulting on the fleet manager level, and once you buy you need to put the infrastructure and all that kind of good stuff, at least on the battery electric, right? You're consulting or presenting at this high level, right? That's super interesting. I assume it kind of just gives them a real-world look at where you're all out and developing technology and then what they might need to look at and really kind of take seriously at this point.
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James Walenczak5:02
Yeah, so much has happened so fast and it has changed over time. So there's been a lot of requests from some of our big customers to get together more frequently than we usually do and present. And I think we're making progress, you know. We're doing our best to understand exactly what their needs are with respect to sustainability targets that they've set for themselves and what's coming from a regulation standpoint, and then together we just have to find a solution that works for both of us and move forward. But there is certainly a lot happening in the space.
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Jason Morgan5:35
Yeah, well, and I do want to come back to that regulations question then too. I know it's kind of, I don't know, it can be a little murky. There's a lot of regulations. There's what's going on in CARB with Clean Fleets and Clean Trucks, there's EPA GHG regulations. How do you all see this shaking out? What advice do you give customers on what they need to do from their equipment standpoint to be in compliance?
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James Walenczak5:54
Well, what we're doing here is making sure that we're prepared for every scenario that could be coming at us with respect to zero emissions. We have a complete product lineup now that should, we should have a product for all of our customers' specific needs in the space. And so from a perspective of being sure we're ready for all the regulations, we will have the products ready. It's really becoming the discussion is becoming about infrastructure and what specific product fits their specific needs. You know, we have the vocational segment that's going to be looking at things a little bit differently than the OTR highway segment and the medium-duty segment. You know, some of the regional carriers and the last mile delivery carriers that are home every night have a different business model and different needs than some of the truckload guys that are running from coast to coast. So I think what's important is that we're investing in the technology across the board to have a solution for all of our customers' needs, and we're trying to stay as close as we can with them to make sure that they're educated on what's coming at them and they know that we can serve and provide the service and support that they need.
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Jason Morgan6:59
Well, it's been fantastic having you educate me on what's going on with Kenworth. I appreciate you taking the time.
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James Walenczak7:03
Great, thanks Jason. Thank you.