Update -- Wednesday, March 19, 10 a.m. Eastern: Kenworth officially confirmed the news reported here by Overdrive. “We know these legacy Kenworth models are an integral part of our history here at Kenworth, which makes this decision a difficult but necessary one as we enter the next era of trucking,” said Kevin Haygood, Kenworth’s assistant general manager for sales and marketing, adding that the company would be issuing a final call for build orders for all impacted models later in the year. The company advised dealers and customers to place final orders as soon as possible.
Haygood called the owner-operator-favorite W900 model “truly historic in that it’s helped shape North American trucking culture and tradition as we know it today. ... We look forward to seeing them on our roads and at truck shows for many years to come.”
Original story follows:
A source with knowledge about the manufacturer's plans confirmed Tuesday that Kenworth would phase out the W900L, W900B, T800W and C500 models due to tightening emissions regulations and other issues. Kenworth is expected to officially announce the sunset of the W900 in the coming days, with further information on the future production line coming out at or in advance of the Mid America Trucking Show.
Kenworth first debuted the W900 in 1963, making it the longest-running production semi-truck model.
A source cited "increasingly stringent emissions requirements and limitations on availability beginning in 2026" as reasons for discontinuing the truck lines. Rumblings of the W900's demise have been around for some time.
In late January, Chuck Peterman, Vice President of Sales at Inland Kenworth dealer network, released a video addressing the future of the W900 and manual transmissions.
"The W900 has been Kenworth's flagship model for decades," said Peterman. "In recent years, the W900 has seen a preciptious drop in build volumes as many small operators who preferred the truck unfortunately have left the industry. Fleets have demanded more aerodynamic offerings and the government has made it increasingly difficult for Kenworth to meet their regulatory mandates."
Current W900 owners, at once, stand to benefit, he added. The looming end of the W900 line serves to make "current trucks even more valuable from an image, pride and resale standpoint," he said.
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Peterman noted Inland Kenworth "can for now meet all of your W900 demand," but that would change in the future "for sure."
This 2022 Kenworth W900L, nicknamed "Mojito," is owned by Cokeville, Wyoming-based Cody Davis. The rig has been featured twice in Overdrive -- once following the 2023 Shell Rotella SuperRigs working truck show in Gillette, Wyoming, and again later that year when the truck was voted by Overdrive readers as the winner in the Pride & Polish Interior and Working Combo categories.Matt Cole
Peterman addressed rumors that the availability of manual transmissions might be limited, too.
"Every truck that's produced by Kenworth has a greenhouse gas score. Improved scores come from the aerodynamic T680 with full fairings, and any truck equipped with options such as low rolling resistance tires, idle shutdown timers, max speed limiters, idle reduction devices such as battery and fuel-fired APUs, lower horsepower engines, certain rear axles and automated transmissions," he said, adding that Inland would take steps to ensure manual transmission components "remain available as long as possible."
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