Trucking news and briefs for Friday, June 20, 2025:
Kenworth hosts 4th annual parade in Chillicothe
Among the iconic Kenworths participating in the 4th annual Kenworth Truck Parade in Chillicothe, Ohio, was this 1966 Kenworth W923.Kenworth
The Kenworth truck assembly plant in Chillicothe, Ohio, recently held its fourth annual Kenworth Truck Parade in the heart of downtown Chillicothe. This year, the parade honored Kenworth’s iconic W900 model, which is being retired after this year.
The 2025 Kenworth Truck Parade brought more than 50 new, classic and customized Kenworth trucks from all over the United States. The featured Kenworths included a vintage 1923 Kenworth -- built the year the company was founded -- models from the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s, through to present-day trucks manufactured at the Chillicothe plant.
“The Kenworth truck parade has become a special Ross County community tradition,” said Jack Schmitt, Kenworth Chillicothe assistant plant manager. “The event wouldn’t be possible without the drivers who travel to Chillicothe to share their passion for Kenworth trucks, or without the community support that makes this parade a successful event each year.”
As part of Kenworth’s tribute to the storied history of the classic W900, the last truck in the parade was the newly introduced W900 Legacy Edition, which pays homage to the model series in its final full year in production.
[Related: Kenworth W900: History, legacy, availability through 2026, and what's in store for the W990]
For the cabover fans -- a 2000 Kenworth K100E rolling through downtown Chillicothe.Kenworth
This year’s parade also featured distinguished guest and driver, Army veteran Cory Troxell, who was last year’s “Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence” award winner, earning him a new Kenworth T680.
Leading up to the truck parade, the Kenworth Chillicothe plant held events at its facility for drivers and their families participating in and attending the parade. Drivers had an opportunity to tour the Kenworth Chillicothe plant to see where many of Kenworth’s trucks are built. The plant also hosted an employee family event on the plant’s property during the day of the parade.
To support the local community, the Kenworth Chillicothe plant and the United Way of Ross County teamed up to coordinate a 50/50 raffle, with proceeds going to the United Way of Ross County. During the parade members of the United Way of Ross County made their way around the event to sell raffle tickets and through sponsorships of the VIP area along the truck parade route. In total, over $43,000 was donated to the United Way of Ross County.
The Kenworth Chillicothe plant opened in 1974 and is located on a 120-acre site 50 miles south of Columbus, Ohio. The 622,000 square-foot plant features advanced manufacturing technologies, including robotic assembly, and a state-of-the-art paint facility that utilizes the latest technology in the industry. Since 2018, Kenworth has invested nearly $400 million in the Chillicothe plant.
The parade concluded with the special-edition Kenworth W900 Legacy Edition, which is commemorating the final year of the iconic truck model.Kenworth
[Related: No. 1000 walkaround: First of the last of the W900s, Kenworth's 2025 Legacy Edition]
Truck drag races coming to Ohio next weekend
The Kuhnle Brothers fleet is set to put on what it's calling the Kuhnle Brothers Semi Stampede drag races at Kuhnle Motorsports Park in Thompson, Ohio, next weekend, June 27-29.
The event is billed as "Ohio's only Quebec-style Uphill, side-by-side semi truck drag racing event."
Practice for all racers will take place throughout the day Friday, June 27, with racing ongoing throughout the day Saturday and Sunday. Racers can register online here.
Tip of the hat to Bruns Trucking owner-operator Kevin Bruns of Gallatin, Tennessee, for news of the event. Bruns plans to compete in his 2019 International LoneStar, pictured here.
Presale tickets for attendees are also available online at discounted prices through Thursday, June 26, at 5 p.m. Ticket prices before presale discounts are:
- Adult Weekend Pass - $65
- Adult Single Day - $35
- Child Weekend Pass (Ages 6-12) - $15
- Child Single Day (Ages 6-12) - $10
- Children 5 and under are free
- Camping - $100 (in addition to weekend pass)
If you can't make it to the event next weekend, another one is panned for September:
Relay Payments expands into truck service
Relay Payments, a digital payments provider in trucking, is broadening its offerings to cover another essential category of over-the-road expenses -- truck service, repair and maintenance.
Through new partnerships with Southern Tire Mart at Pilot (STMP), Boss Truck Shops, and AMBEST Service Centers, Relay customers can now pay with Relay at service and repair locations across the U.S.
The company said this will allow fleets and drivers to leverage Relay's platform for not only fuel, lumpers, and scales, but also for essential service, repair, tow, and preventive maintenance.
"No fleet or driver enjoys maintenance stops, so making the process simpler and more affordable is a game-changer," said Jake England, Director, Boss Truck Shops. "We're excited to bring our industry-leading service and technical expertise to Relay's customers, provide them industry leading discounts, and help them get back on the road quickly."
With Relay's mobile app, customers can locate service centers along their routes. The platform's integration with these partners' extensive truck service networks provides drivers with access to high-quality service, wherever they are, Relay noted. Paying with Relay not only makes the payment process seamless with any pre-negotiated discounts carriers may have, but also unlocks new cost savings and an elevated driver experience.
"Launching Service, Maintenance, and Repairs is a major milestone towards our mission of becoming an end-to-end payment network for the trucking industry," said Ryan Droege, Relay co-founder and CEO. "By introducing acceptance of Relay at service locations along with discounted repairs, we're not only lowering operating costs for our customers but also creating greater efficiencies by consolidating all over-the-road expenses in one platform."
[Related: Fuel payments providers boost theft protections amid card-skimming explosion]
Truck Parking Club rolling out mobile access controls for gated lots
Truck Parking Club has begun to roll out a mobile access controls system that enables Trucker Members to open property gates directly from the Truck Parking Club mobile app or website. The technology, which bolts onto existing gate systems, is completely free for Property Members with no upfront costs or monthly fees.
Now live at OTR Truck Parking in Midland, Texas, the system allows Trucker Members to simply press a button in the app to gain entry -- eliminating codes, cards, and manual check-ins. The technology uses geolocation to ensure gates can only be activated when users have an active reservation and are physically present at the property.
"Drivers love it -- press a button, the gate opens," said Andrew Jones, owner of OTR Truck Parking in Midland and Vice President of Property Member Optimization at Truck Parking Club. "Getting free access controls that work with my existing gates was a no-brainer."
The company is beginning rollout at select locations with dozens more Property Member locations coming online soon.
"We're working to make the experience as seamless as possible for both Trucker Members and Property Members," said Evan Shelley, Co-founder & CEO of Truck Parking Club. "Property Members get modern access controls at zero cost, while Trucker Members never have to worry about forgotten codes at 2 a.m."
[Related: Truck Parking Club surpasses 2,000 locations]
