Kenworth Truck Co. has added its 38-inch AeroCab FlatTop sleeper as an option for its C500 vocational model. The company also announced that its manufacturing plant in Renton, Wash., recently received a 2009 Best Workplace for Recycling and Waste Reduction Award from King County’s Solid Waste Division for Kenworth’s outstanding efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle.
The tough, durable Kenworth C500 is designed to handle heavy loads over punishing terrain and is suited for severe applications, including heavy haul, oilfield services, coal mining and construction. Kenworth’s 38-inch AeroCab FlatTop sleeper is designed to enhance the C500, providing additional space for customers that may need to log time in the sleeper berth while waiting on jobsites but cannot sacrifice the length. The compact sleeper is designed to allow the C500 to remain highly maneuverable with more driver comfort and versatility than a day cab configuration.
Kenworth says the compact 38-inch AeroCab sleeper — available with the company’s Splendor interior — offers plenty of headroom, a liftable bunk with a 24-by-78-inch tilt-up mattress, over-and-under bunk storage, a full headliner, insulated rubber floor mats, vented access doors, swivel reading light, lockable luggage compartments and a separate sleeper control console. The Kenworth C500 also is available with a standard day cab, 42-inch FlatTop sleeper and Kenworth Extended Day Cab.
The Renton plant’s latest key initiatives include implementation of an onsite vehicle no-idle policy, and establishment of a “Zero Waste to Landfill” goal. To date, Kenworth-Renton’s recycling efforts have resulted in nearly 80 percent of all material being diverted away from landfills, according to the company; the success is attributed to the strategic positioning of recycle bins throughout the plant, use of returnable shipping containers, reduction in packaging material, and segregation of waste streams. Kenworth-Renton also implemented food waste composting in its cafeteria, and sends waste to Cedar Grove Composting in Renton for recycling into usable compost.
“Kenworth is honored to receive this prestigious King County environmental award,” says Marilyn Santangelo, assistant general manager for operations for the Kirkland, Wash.-based truck maker. “The Kenworth Renton plant is committed to waste reduction, conserving natural resources and protecting the environment.”
This past spring, the Kenworth plant in Renton was honored by the King County Industrial Waste Program with the county’s Commitment-to-Compliance Award for five consecutive years of outstanding compliance with the plant’s industrial wastewater discharge permit. It marked the plant’s second consecutive Commitment-to-Compliance award, which represents 10 consecutive years of no wastewater violations of any kind covering discharge, permit, ordinance, reporting, self-monitoring and King County monitoring.
“This latest award recognizes the diligent efforts of employees to reduce, reuse and recycle,” says Reid Nabarrete, Kenworth-Renton plant manager. “Our environmental program is of special importance, and it is especially gratifying to receive this award for our significant accomplishments.”
Kenworth’s plants in Renton and Chillicothe, Ohio, both have earned ISO 14001:2004 certification for effective environmental management systems established to help build Class 8 trucks in an environmentally sustainable manner. Kenworth’s medium-duty products are produced at the Paccar manufacturing facility in Ste. Therese, Que., which also holds ISO 14001:2004 status.
