Papé Kenworth Northwest customer, Chinook Lumber, was recently featured in a writeup by Kenworth Truck Company, highlighting their use of a fleet of Kenworth T880s to deliver customer orders across Washington.
Originally founded in 1988, Chinook Lumber has grown from a single lumberyard in Snohomish, adding two locations in North Bend and Arlington, Washington, further establishing their deeply rooted mission of providing quality building materials and tools for both professional contractors and homeowners alike.
While their entire fleet is made up of eight Kenworth trucks in total, the majority of Chinook Lumber’s fleet consists of the Kenworth T880, a straight model truck with 24-foot flatbeds, equipped with PACCAR MX-13 engines rated at 455 hp, which will take on 60,000 miles a year on average.
“The T880 provides us with plenty of power and the reliability we need,” said Todd Score, Chinook Lumber operations manager. “It’s hard to match the dependability of a Kenworth truck. It’s a large reason why we continue to buy Kenworths.”
With delivery orders making up the majority of their business, and the terrain and infrastructure in Washington varying from region to region, Chinook Lumber relies on the versatility and tight turning radius of the T880 for consistent power and maneuverability wherever their customers need them to be.
“Typically, our drivers will make three to eight deliveries in any given day,” said Score. “Our drivers may make a delivery to a location with rugged terrain and steep grade and later that day find themselves in downtown Seattle or Bellevue. With the T880, we are able to provide our drivers with a truck that is equipped to handle challenging roads without sacrificing the comfortable and spacious cab that the drivers really enjoy.”
Since their trucks are always on the road, Chinook lumber decided to apply custom wraps to uniquely market their brand and make their fleet stand out from all other drivers.
“Our trucks are an extension of our company, and a great way to market ourselves to potential new customers. We take great pride in our Kenworth trucks and run a tight ship to make sure they look like brand new trucks every morning before they hit the road. Kenworth’s established brand helps us portray the image we are looking for, and we’ve received a lot of positive comments about our trucks.”
These new wraps aren’t just meant to attract new customers, but potential recruits as well, “good drivers are hard to come by,” said Score. “We’ve done well in keeping our current drivers and I can attribute that to providing them with equipment that is driver-friendly – equipment that is always kept in quality condition. Drivers care about what they drive.”
Additionally, Chinook Lumber has been looking for ways to give back to their community, starting by participating in the Arlington Fourth of July Parade with two festively decorated Kenworth T880s. “We had a lot of people come up and tell us how great our trucks looked, it was nice to hear,” said Score. “We believe our trucks represent our company well, and we have been looking at showing our trucks at other community events in the future.”
For Chinook Lumber, the Kenworth T880 provides the perfect capabilities for consistent quality and growth for their business, by utilizing exceptional style and performance across their footprint. “It’s hard to match the look and performance of a Kenworth truck,” said Score. “We’ve been a Kenworth company all along and we will continue to represent the Pacific Northwest-based company moving forward.”
We at Papé Kenworth Northwest are proud to provide service and equipment to our exceptional customers and look to continue to support the efforts of Chinook Lumber as they grow and supply outstanding materials and tools for the greater Seattle area.
Interested in purchasing or servicing your own Kenworth truck or fleet? Contact your nearest Papé Kenworth Northwest location to see how we can help improve your uptime and keep you moving.
