The Cummins X12 diesel engine was awarded the Jim Winsor Memorial Technical Achievement Award by the Truck Writers of North America, an organization of trucking industry writers, editors, public relations specialists and marketing personnel.

“As in previous years, there were a number of very worthy candidates nominated by members of our awards committee, and debate was lively,” said Jim Park, chairman of the Award Committee who writes for Heavy Duty Trucking and Today’s Trucking magazines. “But in our voting, the X12 emerged as the top product from a final field of four.”

The X12’s lighter weight, useful in bulk hauling and vocational applications, along with millions of miles of previous service in Asia and South America, made the engine stand out to TWNA awards committee. The 11.8-liter X12’s dry weight is 2,050 pounds, 150 to 400 pounds less than 11- to 13-liter competitors, yet it makes up to 500 horsepower and 1,700 pound-feet of torque, according to Cummins. Innovative engineering trims pounds from the cylinder block but maintains high strength for long life, while advanced combustion design and effective air and fuel handling and promises high efficiency.

The X12 was made available to North American customers in 2018, making it eligible for the award. The engine is now an option from Autocar, Freightliner and Western Star. Cummins has taken the award twice before, in 2017 for its X15 Efficiency Series diesel and in 1998 for the Signature 600 diesel. In 2007, Cummins Filtration earned the award for its Fleetguard User Friendly filters.

The committee renamed the award two years ago after the late Jim Winsor, a 50-year veteran of the trucking trade press. He served as editor-in-chief at Commercial Carrier Journal and executive editor at Heavy Duty Trucking, and was active in the American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council and its forerunner, The Maintenance Committee. 

Aside from Park, members of the awards committee include John Baxter, a freelance technical writer; Tom Berg, with Construction Equipment and Land Line magazines; Jason Cannon, Commercial Carrier Journal; Seth Clevenger, Transport Topics; James Menzies, Truck News & Truck West; Jason Morgan, Fleet Equipment; Jack Roberts, Heavy Duty Trucking; John G. Smith, Today’s Trucking; Suzanne Stempinski, Land Line; and Steve Sturgess, freelance writer.