If you are a semi truck aficionado, chances are you have heard of Paccar. This colossus of the commercial trucking world is an unassuming giant for the uninitiated, but it quietly owns (or once owned) some of the most recognizable truck brands. That includes marques like Kenworth and Peterbilt, as well as DAF and Leyland, for those living across the pond.
Before we get to these brands, though, let’s brush up on the history of Paccar, the industrial giant. The Paccar story is both long and colorful, with a lot of changing hands and renaming. It spans back more than a century, to 1905, when William Pigott Sr. founded the Seattle Car Manufacturing Company. The company initially made logging and railway equipment in Seattle.
Later, Pigott Sr.’s company collaborated with the Twohy brothers to transform into the Pacific Car and Foundry Company. The business was bought by the American Car and Foundry Company in 1924. It wasn’t until 1945 that the company ventured into the trucking business, when it bought out Kenworth Motor Truck Company, which was also based out of Seattle.
Paccar followed up with the acquisition of Peterbilt Motor Company in 1958 and also entered the world of mining with the buyout of Dart Truck Company. In 1972, the company changed its name to Paccar to accurately identify its work and products. In 1981, Paccar went global by taking control of Foden Trucks, based in the United Kingdom. It went on to acquire DAF Trucks in 1996 and Leyland Trucks in 1998.
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### Kenworth: Over a Century of Innovation
Like Paccar, Kenworth has been around for over a century. Kenworth Truck Company was founded in 1923 by Harry Kent and Edgar Worthington — whose names were combined to create the Kenworth brand. The manufacturer had humble beginnings, selling just 80 trucks in its second year of operation. However, by the third year, Kenworth started producing close to eight trucks a month.
Soon, it shifted to a larger factory, which allowed the company to push capacity to 50 trucks a month. By 1952, it was producing 1,000 trucks per year.
Kenworth made a name for itself with the help of several firsts. It was the first American truck maker to offer a diesel engine as standard fitment — a 100-horsepower, four-cylinder HA-4 Cummins diesel engine. The truck also debuted vertical exhausts, an industry first and one that went on to become a style signature for semi trucks in general.
Kenworth was also the first to offer an integrated sleeper cab in its long-haul trucks.
In 1936, the Motor Carrier Act had many states pushing for weight limits to protect their old bridges and highways from heavy vehicles. To counter this, Kenworth introduced aluminum cabs and hubs, a move that saw the rest of the industry follow suit.
Some of Kenworth’s iconic trucks include the 500-Series, also called the Needle Nose, which was known for working flawlessly in tough conditions and hauling more loads than the competition. After Paccar acquired Kenworth, the truck maker came up with a new 500-Series nicknamed the Bull Nose, featuring a new cab-over-engine layout.
Another impressive vehicle was the monstrous Model 853 tractor-trailer created for the Arabian American Oil Company (known as ARAMCO). Fun fact: Kenworth once made a pickup truck.
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### Peterbilt: Focused on Quality and Innovation
Peterbilt, too, has a humble yet interesting origin story. Theodore Alfred Peterman was a plywood manufacturer and logger who wanted to figure out a better way to transport his logs to the lumber mill. For this, he bought military surplus trucks and modified them to serve as lumber trucks.
In 1939, he bought the Fageol Truck and Motor Company’s Oakland division and later renamed it Peterbilt. The Peterbilt name reportedly came from a type of wooden door built at Peterman’s lumber factory.
Some of Peterman’s first trucks were chain-driven models that weren’t suited for logging purposes but were fantastic for regular hauling duties. Like Kenworth, Peterbilt relied on feedback, sending engineers out to truckers to understand their needs. This feedback extended beyond the engine to other parts of the truck, like cab visibility and comfort.
Instead of focusing on volume, Peterbilt concentrated on attention to detail and quality and initially limited truck production to just 100 units a year.
Over the years, Peterbilt trucks featured innovative elements such as aluminum cab and chassis construction, a more practical cab-over-engine design, and even an aluminum tilt hood, which shifted 90 degrees for easier access to the engine. Peterbilt trucks are also culturally iconic, even landing spots on pinup calendars.
Some notable Peterbilt trucks include the 1984 Model 349, which had features like a self-steering lift axle and rear engine power take-off. In 2011, the company introduced the Model 386, which used alternative fuels, and the Model 587, which came equipped with air disc brakes, impressing with its aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.
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### DAF Trucks: Dutch Innovation
DAF Trucks hails from the Netherlands. In 1928, Hub Van Doorne set up a small workshop in Eindhoven specializing in welding and forging parts. By 1932, the business diversified into manufacturing trailers, prompting a name change to Van Doorne’s Aanhangwagen Fabriek — translating to Van Doorne’s semi-trailer factory, or DAF for short.
DAF soon gained popularity for its welded chassis, which were lighter and could handle higher payloads. In 1949, the company began producing trucks, leading to another name change: Van Doorne’s Automobiel Fabriek.
What DAF lacked in size, it made up for in innovation. DAF truck cabs featured rounded corners and a sloping front grill, improving aerodynamics and driver comfort. To further enhance driver comfort, DAF added suspended seats, bunk beds, and all-around windows for improved visibility.
DAF also introduced the demount trailer, developed to easily load containers from trucks onto trains. Other innovative features included a semi-trailer coupling that automatically retracted the support legs once attached to a tractor and the swing axle, which allowed the axle load to support up to 9,600 kilograms (over 21,000 pounds).
DAF’s real innovation was in engines. Early on, DAF used Hercules and Perkins gas and diesel engines. However, in 1957, DAF started manufacturing its own engines. Two years later, in 1959, DAF improved the DD575, making it the company’s first turbocharged diesel engine. This was followed by the introduction of an intercooler for the turbo in 1973.
In 2005, DAF introduced the Paccar MX engine, which is now used in all DAF trucks and around 40% of Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks.
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### Other Paccar Brands: Leyland, Foden, and Dart
Some other truck makers that Paccar owns or previously owned, such as Leyland Trucks and the Dart Truck Company, are either defunct or no longer build trucks.
**Leyland Truck Company** traces its origins to a 1.5-ton steam-powered van built in 1896 by James Sumner and Henry Spurrier. They formed The Lancashire Steam Motor Company, which built steam vehicles like buses, trucks, and even a mail van. In 1904, the company introduced its first gas-powered truck, also called The Pig. By 1907, the company was renamed Leyland Motors Limited. Diesel engines were introduced in the 1930s.
In 1987, Leyland merged with DAF before being acquired by Paccar in 1998. Today, Leyland does not make its own trucks but assembles trucks for DAF.
**Foden Trucks** also traces its roots to the UK and dates back to 1856, when Edwin Foden apprenticed at Plant and Hancock, an agricultural manufacturing company. He later became a partner and renamed the company Edwin Foden & Sons. Foden began producing steam lorries at the start of the 20th century and switched to internal combustion engines in the 1930s. Paccar acquired Foden in 1980 and retired the brand in 2006.
**Dart Truck Company** was started in 1903 in Anderson, Indiana, specializing in highway trucks and heavy-duty mining machinery. Its claim to fame is the Dart 75-TA, which set a world record for its size and 75-ton rating. Paccar acquired Dart in 1958 and later sold it to Unit Rig and Equipment in 1984, which was then acquired by mining mobility giant Terex Corporation in 1988.
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Paccar’s legacy is one of strategic acquisitions and innovative truck manufacturing, spanning continents and over a century of history. From its early days in Seattle to becoming a global industrial giant, Paccar continues to shape the commercial trucking landscape with its iconic brands and cutting-edge technology.
https://www.jalopnik.com/2017243/all-paccar-semi-truck-brands/
