Kenworth began in Seattle, Washington, in 1923 after Harry Kent and Edgar K. Worthington sought to help loggers in the Pacific Northwest deal with heavy loads and rain-soaked roads. Building trucks capable of withstanding the demands of the loggers was a difficult task, but within a few years, the group was producing 50 trucks per week. The Kenworth brand has continued building large trucks since then, and one of its semi-trucks possibly even inspired the original Optimus Prime.
One of the best trucks the brand has made is the soon-to-be-discontinued W900L. With its nearly 11-foot-long cab, the W900L helped prove how luxurious driver cabins could be with its incredible driver’s studio. It’s well-known how impressive the truck is, but what do the letters in its name mean?
The Kenworth W900L is named after one of the brand’s creators, Edgar K. Worthington. The “W” refers to Worthington’s surname, while “900” comes from the truck’s original 900-series name from 1939, when it was introduced to replace the Kenworth 500-series. The “L” at the end means it has a long hood that’s 10 inches longer than the one on the W900B.
What About The Other Kenworth Vehicles?
Kenworth also has the T series, C series, K series, and L series trucks in its product lineup. The Kenworth T series of trucks includes the T680, T680E, T880, T880E, T180, T280, T380, and T480, with some claiming that the “T” stands for “transport,” as these vehicles are typically used for transporting goods on the highway. Unfortunately, Kenworth doesn’t specifically mention what the “T” signifies. The “E” in the T680E and T880E stands for electric, as they’re both green big rigs with electric motors…