Kenworth News: T800's Perfect Match...

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CONTACT:
Jeff Parietti, (425) 828-5196 jparietti@paccar.com
  
Kenworth T800 is Perfect Match for Challenging California Terrain

KIRKLAND, Wash., Sept. 18, 2001 -  The redwoods tower majestically over
Boulder Creek, Calif. Every sight line eventually ends with a tree. Even
their sweet aroma blankets the area.

"There's no place like this," said Eric Jacobson, owner of Jacobson &
Daughters, a construction firm that provides engineering, grading and
asphalting, among other services. But his statement also applies to the
narrow roads, steep grades, and let's not forget - the traffic of nearby
Silicon Valley.

To meet these challenges, Jacobson last winter turned to the Kenworth T800.
The truck  hauls as many as 14 tons up and down the redwood-lined roads. And
while Jacobson owns about a dozen pieces of construction equipment, none are
more important than the truck.

"It's the heart of what we do," Jacobson said of the T800. "Without it, we
can't get the other equipment to the job site, or we can't fill the bed and
get the materials where we need them."

But getting to the job site had become a challenge last fall for Jacobson &
Daughters. (The "& Daughters" honors the Jacobsons' two girls, adults now
but babies when the business started 25 years ago.) The vehicle in use at
the time, which Jacobson had purchased 15 years earlier, was in the shop as
often as it was on the road. He knew it was time for a change, but he also
wanted an upgrade.

"Specifically, we needed a truck with maneuverability and climbing power,"
Eric said. As wife and business partner Kathie puts it: "We go to some
out-of-the-way places. We wanted the truck customized for this area."

The Jacobsons got exactly that with the T800SH. The "short hood" truck is
112 inches from the bumper to the back of the cab, compared with the
121-inch BBC of the standard T800. "That makes a big difference when you
have to turn around in a narrow driveway, or just for handling on the road,"
Eric said. The Jacobsons also spec'ed a vehicle with a 194-inch wheelbase.
"It's the smallest I'm aware of," Eric said. "The turning radius is
incredibly tight."

Power comes from a Cat C-12 engine - 395 h.p. at 2,100 r.p.m. The torque is
1,450 pounds at 1,200 r.p.m. "The torque provides climbing power no matter
what I'm pulling ."

Leaving the jobsite can be as challenging as getting there. The T800
features fully-locking rear differentials, where all eight wheels pull
together to find traction. "That already paid off," Eric said. "I had dumped
a load of gravel and got stuck. We were empty, so there was no weight in the
back for traction. I flipped on the locks and drove out. It would have
easily cost me $300 to get towed."

A Fuller RTO14908LL transmission provides extra low gearing. "I've already
needed that a few times, too," Eric said.

The Jacobsons have also customized their business over the years. "Our niche
is to provide complete service," said Eric. As a licensed engineer, he
handles all design work. "We'll put in driveways, or drainage systems, or
retaining walls, or whatever else a customer wants," he said. "We handle
design and construction."

Eric has learned the importance of being at the job site, where money is
made or lost. "You have to be out there, where the decisions are made," he
said.

Being "out there" is hard work. That point was proven this spring, when a
paver broke down and Eric and two others laid 14 tons of asphalt - with
shovels. "It wasn't the customer's fault the paver broke down," Eric said.
"We made a commitment, and we honored it."

The statement is a reflection of the Jacobsons' business philosophy. "It's
common sense," Eric said. "Be courteous. Be straightforward." That includes
telling customers about the "extras" that are sure to crop up. Eric doesn't
start work before receiving a down payment and a signed contract that
specifies what his company is expected to do.

The Jacobsons often apply customer payments toward the replacement of
existing equipment, which includes a paver, compactor, blade and backhoe -
among other construction machines.

"We weigh each purchase carefully," Eric said. "We also buy to last. And
whatever we buy had better be up for a challenge because we put our
equipment to work."

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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Captions:
jacobsonslr.jpg -- Kenworth T800SH
jacobons1lr.jpg -- Eric and Kathie Jacobson


NOTE TO EDITORS: If you would like high-resolution versions of the attached
low-res JPEGs, please reply to this email. Thank you.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michael Wasem
The Siefkes Group
317 NW Gilman Blvd., Ste. 10
Issaquah  WA  98027
Phone: 425-392-2611
Fax: 425-392-2454
Web: www.siefkesgroup.com