Kenworth will offer its 15-inch digital display system as standard equipment on the Kenworth T880 and W990 models. The fully digital, high-definition digital display is already standard on the recently launched Kenworth T680 Next Generation.
Kenworth’s digital display aims to provide a significant level of customization and dynamic information content, the company said. According to the company, "the design is highly intuitive and easily adjustable to enable drivers to match their preferences, while also automatically displaying critical content."
Kenworth pointed out that the digital display allows seamless viewing selection between two minimized views, basic view, maximized view and a driver customizable favorites view. Drivers can scroll up and down using the Kenworth Next Gen SmartWheel, which also includes cruise control and radio functions.
The minimized views show truck speed, tachometer and standard content in the header and footer area for drivers that prefer fewer gauges. The basic view on-screen content adds gauges, such as fuel, air, coolant and oil pressure. A scroll of the SmartWheel to the maximized view will show additional gauges specified on the truck – such as axle temperatures, torque, air filter, and brake application – for drivers that prefer to view all featured truck information.
For vocational customers utilizing vehicle-mounted equipment – such as pumps, dump trucks, and cement mixers – Kenworth also added that there is a specific screen and tachometer mode available for power take-off (PTO) engagement and operations with new set points controllable through either dash switches or the steering wheel.
Once the PTO is engaged, the digital display will provide a readout of the operational PTO rpm. Pre-set PTO rpm speeds can be programmed into the display – at the time of order – for customers with vehicle-mounted equipment requiring multiple speeds to function. Body builder tell-tale availability and associated sounds can be programmed into the display, enabling the driver to engage and disengage their installed equipment on the jobsite.
“We met with drivers from vocational and over-the-road applications as a key part of our design process,” said Laura Bloch, assistant general manager for sales and marketing at Kenworth. “As a result, we put in place the vocational-specific enhancements to benefit our vocational customers. The digital display will serve as a valuable tool for T880 and W990 operators alike.”
According to Kenworth, the driver will automatically be alerted on the screen regarding any warnings or faults, if they were to occur in any viewing of these various viewing modes.
The display also enhances truck functionality when the truck is parked:
- The Exterior Light Self-Test switch will run a full system check for quick analysis and status summary of multiple systems.
- A trip summary view appears when the driver shuts off the truck for the day. If so equipped, the system can also provide a driver performance assessment report and coaching advice.
- A drive summary, which reports statistics on information such as average fuel economy, idle time, cruise control usage, as well as any potential mechanical issues, also appears at day’s end.
The display system’s flexibility supports nearly 50 different layout possibilities across a wide range of possible gauge sensors. According to Kenworth, there are more than 4,500 possible gauge view combinations, including those that a driver could construct into a “favorites” view, so drivers can customize their display to show specific information they find useful.
