Kenworth Makes Digital Display Standard for T880, W990

Kenworth announced that it will offer the new 15-inch digital sisplay system as standard equipment on Kenworth T880 and W990 models. The digital display is already standard on the recently launched on the T680 Next Generation.

Kenworth’s digital display provides customization and is adjustable to enable drivers to match their preferences, while also automatically displaying critical content. The display resulted from countless hours of driver observation, user testing, iterative prototyping and meticulous design work to create this advanced user experience, Kenworth officials said in a press release.

The digital display allows viewing selection between two minimized views, a basic view, maximized view and a driver customizable ‘favorites view.’ Drivers can scroll up and down using the standard Kenworth Next Gen SmartWheel, which also puts cruise control and radio functions at the driver’s fingertips. 

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 Kenworth Next Gen 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 – there is a specific screen and tachometer mode available for power take-off (PTO) engagement and operations. There are new set points controllable through either dash switches or the steering wheel.

Once the PTO is engaged, the display provides 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. 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,” said Laura Bloch, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing. 

The display screen offers a trip summary view when the driver shuts off the truck for the day. If so equipped, the system also can 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. There are more than 4,500 possible gauge view combinations.