Serving the food and beverage industry across 48 US states, Navajo Express has a well-deserved reputation for excellent service and on-time deliveries. Based in Denver CO, this long-time Kenworth customer stresses that any success it has achieved rests on the hard work and day-to-day commitment of its drivers.
“When our drivers succeed, we all succeed,” said Navajo President Don Digby Jr, whose father founded the company 36 years ago. “By giving drivers the right equipment that won’t break down, by giving them a quality cab and sleeper where they are comfortable driving and resting, they can have success.”
To help recruit and retain top drivers, Navajo began purchasing Kenworth T680 76-inch sleepers in 2014. It now operates 437 T680s with the Paccar MX-13 engine.
“The T680 with Paccar engine has been a very good truck for us with its aerodynamic fuel efficiency and, more importantly, the comfort it provides our drivers,” said Digby. “If you want the best drivers, you better have the best equipment. For us, Kenworth was a simple choice.”
The Navajo fleet has grown to 831 trucks, including 700 Kenworths. Navajo driver Charlie Hamilton got his new T680 about nine months ago.
“It’s a smooth ride, comfortable cab and one of the quieter trucks I’ve ever driven,” said Hamilton, now in his 17th year with Navajo. “Yesterday’s run I finished at 8.2 miles per gallon hauling 33,000 pounds. So far I’ve put 124,000 miles on the truck and have had no issues—zero downtime.”
On this particular day, Digby said, 18 trucks are down system-wide. “None of them are Kenworths,” he said. “The T680 and Paccar MX-13 engine are proven reliable.”
So much so that Navajo will be purchasing up to 225 more Kenworth T680s in 2017. Digby especially appreciates the power, performance, fuel efficiency and reliability of the Paccar MX-13 engine. “Our drivers prefer the MX-13 engine because it’s considerably quieter,” said Digby. “They’re standing in line waiting for the Paccar MX-13.”
Navajo specs its T680s with many additional driver-friendly features like the Bendix Wingman Advanced system, which delivers adaptive cruise control with braking features along with collision mitigation technology that can help drivers in collisions, potential rollovers and loss-of-control situations.
When it comes time to spec new trucks, Navajo looks to its dealer, MHC Kenworth–Denver, for assistance.
“We like to try new things, the latest and greatest in terms of driver comfort,” said Digby. “MHC is a true partner at bringing new ideas and new visions to the table. Plus, MHC Kenworth blankets the United States with coverage and is really able to help our drivers with any situation.”
“I haven’t been inside a dealer since I got my T680,” said Hamilton. “It runs really well, smooth and quiet—and no downtime.”
Learn more at www.kenworth.com/drivers.
