Kenworth Truck Ordering Made Easy and Affordable Through National Joint Powers Alliance
With Kenworth offering its heavy and medium duty truck models through the National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA) Kenworth contract, municipalities and cities are finding truck spec’ing and ordering easy and more convenient. And, best of all, according to Kurt Swihart, Kenworth marketing director, they’re getting trucks at attractive, pre-negotiated best prices.
“It’s a win-win,” said Swihart. “The cooperative contract is a growing trend for governmental purchases thanks to its competitively awarded contracts and simple process, which provide a number of time- and money-saving benefits.”
As part of the NJPA bid process, responses from truck manufacturing and supply companies were evaluated against multiple criteria to assure member agencies get the best value when making purchase decisions. The criteria included considerations such as the variety of products and services offered, marketplace success, pricing, and value-added attributes. Kenworth’s program, which includes all models and options as well as any truck body or add on-equipment, offers complete commercial truck solutions to NJPA members.
Pierce County Planning and Public Works - Kenworth T880 Dump Trucks
One of the early municipalities to use the NJPA program with Kenworth was Pierce County Planning and Public Works, located in the Tacoma, Washington area. The department is responsible for covering more than 1,600 square miles and its nearly 100 medium and heavy-duty trucks primarily support road maintenance operations.
The public works department purchased eight Kenworth T880s through the NJPA program, and “we’re planning to purchase another 10 T880s this calendar year,” said Alan Kies, who serves as equipment services manager. The T880s were purchased through Papé Kenworth Northwest.
“The NJPA contract vastly simplifies the ordering process and saves us a lot of time,” said Kies. “Before we would have to write the specs for the equipment and run it through various agencies, all of which took time and resources. Now, with everything pre-approved, all the groundwork is laid and we piggyback. We can save up to three months in the process and get the truck we want at the price that has been negotiated. It’s great. This way we know what we’re going to get and we know how to support it with our technicians in our maintenance facility.”
Pierce County Planning and Public Works - Kenworth T880
According to Kies, the Kenworth T880s are used as dump trucks with 10-yard bodies and have snow plow attachments for winter work. “We have a couple T880s used for catch basin cleaning,” he said. “We’ve been running Kenworths for a long time – and we keep them. We have 2002 and 2003 model Kenworths with more than 350,000 miles and 20,000 hours on the engine. Reliability of equipment is a key metric for us, and Kenworth has always delivered.”
Likewise, the City of Fresno used the program for its latest Kenworth T880 dump truck order. The trucks, which feature the PACCAR MX-11 engine, were purchased through Papé Kenworth. The T880s join Kenworth T370s and a T270 in the Fresno fleet.
City of Fresno - Kenworth T880 Dump Truck
“Instead of having to do a competitive bid on a truck and specs, the NJPA program gives us the freedom to select what we think is the right truck for the right job,” said Cliff Traugh, Fresno’s senior manager analyst, who is in charge of equipment purchases. “It’s a very positive program. We get the quality we’re looking for, and get the highest possible value for taxpayer dollars.”
According to Traugh, the city covers 115 square miles and has 2,300 pieces of equipment, which includes 153 medium and heavy duty trucks. City departments cover everything from road construction to sewer line repairs. “Our ‘fleet’ team is responsible for supplying garbage collection trucks, and even fire department vehicles,” he said. “Equipment varies. We have a lot of diversity.”
Cliff Traugh, senior manager analyst for the City of Fresno, is shown with one of the city’s Kenworth T880s purchased through the National Joint Powers Alliance (NPJA) Kenworth contract.
Before coming to Fresno, Traugh worked in the oil industry and saw how trucks held up in off-road environments. “I saw the Kenworths performing better than the other trucks, in very tough conditions,” he said. “The other trucks were shaking apart from all those rough roads, while the Kenworths stayed intact. I remembered that, especially since we hold onto our trucks for at least 10 years, and it helped me in my decision to purchase Kenworth T880s.”
City of Fresno - Kenworth T880 Dump Truck
More information is available at www.njpacoop.org. NJPA member agencies interested in purchasing Kenworth trucks may contact their nearest participating Kenworth dealer (www.kenworth.com/dealers). For more information, contact Kenworth Truck Company’s Mike Kleespies (mike.kleespies@paccar.com / 813-455-1248) or Ryan Breezee (ryan.breezee@paccar.com / 425-828-5452). The Kenworth contract (081716-KTC) with NJPA is in effect until Nov. 15, 2020.
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Kenworth Truck Company is the manufacturer of The World’s Best® heavy and medium duty trucks. Kenworth’s Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com. Kenworth is a PACCAR company.