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News from Kenworth: Two Kenworth Trucks Donated to Skagit Valley College


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NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Jeff Parietti, (425) 828-5196 jparietti@paccar.com

Kenworth and PACCAR Technical Center Donate Two Kenworth Trucks to Skagit Valley College

KIRKLAND, Wash., January 24, 2001 - Gary Thompson says he sat in shock for 15 minutes. "This is the neatest thing you can imagine," he grinned, recalling his reaction when he learned that his truck-driving school at Skagit Valley College had just received two like-new premium trucks from Kenworth Truck Co. and the PACCAR Technical Center. "I can't begin to tell you what this does for our program. The trucks were sorely needed and Kenworth and the PACCAR Technical Center came to the rescue with their donation."

Thompson, who is the department chair for the Mount Vernon, Washington-based driving school, says the trucks will be put to use right away for over-the-road training. "Our students are absolutely thrilled and excited about getting the Kenworths," he said. "The T600 AeroCab® and T800 AeroCab are a far cry from the 1988 model trucks we had been using. They have low miles, look great and are powered by Cat engines (475 hp in the T600; 600 hp in the T800)."

According to Ed Caudill, Kenworth general manager and PACCAR vice president, Kenworth and the PACCAR Technical Center were happy to help.

"Gary runs a great program and his graduating students are top-notch," Caudill said. "We feel we have a special connection to the school because they are very close -- not just in distance -- to our Technical Center. Gary even comes out in the summer to train our engineers and technicians who want to earn their CDLs. Gary may have even driven the trucks that we're donating as both were originally test vehicles at the Tech Center."

In addition to the driving school, which has graduated more than 500 students over the years, Skagit Valley has a diesel mechanic school and all but two of the truck shop technicians employed at the Tech Center were graduates of Skagit Valley. "That's testament enough to the great job they're doing," said Bob Morrison, PACCAR Technical Center general manager. "They're a very important educational resource for us."

Skagit Valley's Driver School, in its 16th year, is a six- to nine-month program, and Thompson reports a 97-percent placement record. Plus, more than 99 percent of his drivers pass the CDL exam on their first try.

"Our drivers are still entry level, but we feel they're the cream of the crop," Thompson said. "We have a 1/4-mile track behind our classroom that our drivers use for the first few months to get a feel for driving and learn how to shift and maneuver. Then they graduate to drive along I-5 and I-90 with fully-loaded trailers (hauling food products free of charge for local food banks). We also have them drive along Highway 99 that has 136 different traffic lights between here and Fife -- a distance of 90 miles. When they graduate, they have no problem finding a job."

Along with driving, students perform light maintenance on the trucks they drive. "They adjust brakes and change out some components -- things a typical driver encounters from time to time," Thompson said. "Our students in our diesel class handle all the heavy maintenance and repairs on our vehicles. So, the donation has a positive impact on these students as well."

The PACCAR Technical Center, a division of PACCAR Inc, provides focused technical support and ongoing technology assessment for all PACCAR divisions worldwide.

Kenworth Truck Company, a division of PACCAR Inc, is a leading manufacturer of heavy and medium duty trucks. Kenworth's Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com.

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Note to Editors: A high-res version of the attached low-res JPEG is available by replying to this email.

Photo Caption: Kenworth Truck Co. and PACCAR Technical Center jointly donated Kenworth T600 (left) and T800 models today to Skagit Valley College (Mount Vernon, Wash.) during ceremonies at Kenworth headquarters in Kirkland, Wash. From left are Bob Morrison, PACCAR Technical Center general manager; Lydia Ledesma-Reese, Skagit Valley College president; Gary Thompson, Skagit Valley College department chair and lead instructor; and Ed Caudill, Kenworth Truck Co. general manager and PACCAR vice president.