Kenworth has announced it will increase the build rate for its medium duty T300. "Kenworth's T300 continues to grow in popularity in the marketplace, and we've upped our build rate to keep pace with demand," said Mike Parrish, Kenworth's medium duty product marketing manager. "Last year we grew our T300 sales by over 35 percent which is particularly noteworthy since industry-wide, medium duty truck sales were off 20% from the year before." Parrish's remarks came during Kenworth's T300 Chassis Update Seminar Sunday at The Work Truck Show in Atlanta. The show was sponsored by the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA). According to Parrish, customer buying decisions are becoming more focused which bodes well for Kenworth. "In tough economic times, you can't afford to make a mistake with capital expenditures," he said. "Customers are focusing on buying value and that is our strength. Since buyers of medium duty trucks typically keep them for 10-plus years, life-cycle costing is critical and customers are realizing that they can achieve better overall value with the Kenworth T300." "We're seeing the use of more aluminum by body builders," explained Parrish. "In this market, where the body represents a large chunk of the overall cost of the vehicle, it's important to have continuity between the truck and body. Since our cabs are made of aluminum, we're a great match with long-lasting aluminum bodies. Often, bodies will outlast the cab and chassis. But with a Kenworth, longevity of the product is what separates us from our competitors." "Our T300 was developed with the heritage of our Class 8 vehicles - so it's robust and durable," continued Parrish. "We offer a multitude of options - like Cat and Cummins engines and different drive-train components - to fine tune our vehicles to our customer's application. The end result is we produce a truck that has the structural integrity to perform just as well in year 10 as it does in its first year of operation." "Spurring the growth has been our hydraulic brake package," confirmed Parrish. "And, we've recently improved our option package by adding air accessories. With this, trucks spec'ed with hydraulic brakes can also feature air seats and air rear suspensions for a softer, cargo friendly ride. Coupled with the T300's light footprint and 50-degree wheel cut, it's a great universal truck for inner-city deliveries." Kenworth Truck Company, a division of PACCAR Inc, is a manufacturer of heavy and medium duty trucks. Kenworth's Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com.