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, and 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.
It followed up with the acquisition of Peterbilt Motor Company in 1958, and it 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.
Kenworth Truck Company
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. It was 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, which featured a new cab over engine layout. Another cool truck 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.
Peterbilt Motors Company
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 to Peterbilt. In fact, the Peterbilt name has fascinating origins as well, reportedly being inspired by a type of wooden door built at Peterman’s lumber factory. Some of his 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 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 volume, Peterbilt focused on attention to detail and quality and initially limited truck production to just 100 units a year. Over the years, the trucks got innovative features 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. Also, Peterbilt trucks are cool enough to be on a pinup calendar.
Some of Peterbilt’s notable trucks are 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 with air disc brakes and impressed with its aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.
DAF Trucks
DAF Trucks has its roots far from America, in the Netherlands. In 1928, Hub Van Doorne set up a small workshop in Eindhoven that specialized in welding and forging parts. By 1932, the business diversified into manufacturing trailers, resulting in the company changing its name to Van Doorne’s Aanhangwagen Fabriek, which translates to Van Doorne’s semi-trailer factory or DAF for short. It soon gained popularity for its welded chassis, which were lighter and could handle higher payloads. In 1949, the company began producing trucks, which again led to its name changing to 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 for better aerodynamics and superior drive 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, which was 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).
However, DAF’s real innovation came in the form of engines. Early on, DAF used Hercules and Perkins gas and diesel engines in its trucks. However, in 1957, DAF started manufacturing its own engines. 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 went on to be used in all DAF trucks and around 40% of Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks.
Leyland, Foden, and Dart
Some of the 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. The Leyland Truck Company traces its origins to a 1.5-ton steam-powered van. It was built in 1896 by James Sumner and Henry Spurrier, who went on to form 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. In 1907, it changed its company name to 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.
Like Leyland, Foden Trucks traces its origins to the United Kingdom and dates back to 1856, when Edwin Foden apprenticed at Plant and Hancock, an agricultural manufacturing company. Soon, he became a partner in the company and took over when the owner died, renaming the company to Edwin Foden & Sons. Foden started producing steam lorries at the start of the 20th century and, in the 1930s, switched to internal combustion engines. Paccar acquired Foden in 1980 and retired the brand in 2006.
Dart Truck Company was started in 1903 in Anderson, Indiana, and specialized in highway trucks and heavy-duty mining machinery. Its claim to fame is the Dart 75-TA, which set the world record for its size and 75-ton rating. In 1958, Paccar acquired Dart and later sold it to Unit Rig and Equipment in 1984, which was acquired by mining mobility giant Terex Corporation in 1988.
