Heat Waves: Daily Truck Inspection and Maintenance Tips for Summer
Your truck is loaded and your route is set, but the forecast is predicting triple-digit heat. On days like that, every mile asks more of your equipment. Hot pavement, heavy payloads, steep grades, traffic, and long idle times all add stress to the systems that keep a truck safe and productive. Daily inspections matter in…
Long and Short Hauls: Benefits of Day Cabs and Sleeper Cabs
Long and Short Hauls: Benefits of Day Cabs and Sleeper Cabs Choosing the right cab configuration is a critical business decision. Route length, driver schedules, payload requirements, fuel costs, maneuverability, and maintenance access all matter. At Papé Kenworth, we help fleets compare day cabs, sleeper trucks, new and used inventory, truck financing, leasing, rentals, parts,…
Rent vs. Buy: When Semi-Truck Rentals Make Sense for Your Fleet
Rent vs. Buy: When Semi-Truck Rentals Make Sense for Your Fleet In the fast-paced world of logistics, flexibility is everything. Fleet managers need dependable trucks, predictable costs, and enough capacity to meet demand. Buying can be a smart investment for steady, year-round work, but many operations face shifting demand, short-term projects, maintenance downtime, or unexpected…
Buying Used Vocational Trucks: How to Choose the Right Truck and Customize It for the Job
A used vocational truck can be a smart investment when it matches the work ahead. The key is to focus on capability, uptime, and long-term fit instead of chasing price alone. For contractors, municipalities, logging operations, utility crews, and owner-operators, the best truck is the one that supports the job every day and leaves room…
Keep Mixed Fleets Moving with All-Makes Parts and Service
Downtime means added pressure. A single parked truck can affect delivery timing, dispatch coordination, customer commitments, and overall productivity across the day. That challenge grows when a fleet includes more than one make. Different trucks often require different maintenance schedules, replacement needs, and service considerations, which adds complexity when time matters most. At Papé Kenworth,…
How the Kenworth T880 is Used in Ready-Mix and Aggregate Operations
For aggregate and ready-mix producers, uptime is one of the clearest indicators of operational health. Trucks in the shop and delayed repairs can tighten already demanding schedules. Miles Sand & Gravel, a fifth-generation Pacific Northwest supplier, runs a vocational Kenworth fleet centered on the T880 across mixers, Super Dumps, tractors, and dump trucks. Their experience…
Plan Now for New EPA Heavy-Duty Truck Regulations Coming in 2027
If you plan to add or replace any heavy-duty trucks in the near future, now is the time to prepare. New EPA regulations under the Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards—impacting model year 2028 trucks—are expected to reshape diesel engine technology, influence truck pricing, and tighten equipment availability…
International Roadcheck: A Smart Time to Tighten Up Your Inspection Game
May brings more daylight, changing freight patterns, and one of the most visible safety events on the trucking calendar. This year, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) International Roadcheck is scheduled for May 12–14, 2026. During this 72-hour enforcement, inspectors across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico will focus on driver compliance, vehicle condition, and cargo…
The Papé Kenworth Guide to Test Driving Used Trucks
Buying a used truck is all about finding one that fits your application, supports uptime, and is ready to work for your business. Specs, service records, and photos matter, but the test drive is where you get a clearer sense of how the truck will actually perform. A good test drive helps you move beyond…
Driver Wellness: Staying Alert During Longer Spring Days
Spring can feel like a welcome shift after long winter miles. There is more daylight, changing weather, and those winter road closures open up again. That extra light can be energizing, but the longer days can create a false sense of alertness, making it easier to push past the point where real fatigue begins to…
