Kenworth's Iconic W900 Semi-Truck Is Ending Production After 63 Years

[mahatmakanejeeves]

NEWS TRUCKS
Kenworth’s Iconic W900 Semi-Truck Is Ending Production After 63 Years

The W900 put in more than six decades of service and is now being put out to pasture as Kenworth focuses on the next generation of trucks.

CALEB JACOBS
Posted on Mar 21, 2025


KW W900
Kenworth

If you’re of driving age in the United States, you’ve almost definitely seen thousands of Kenworth W900s on the road in your life. Spend any time traveling our country’s interstate system and you’ll spy several eating up the miles with a tall set of exhaust stacks and a trailer in tow. Amazingly, the W900 has been around since 1963, though Kenworth announced this week that it’s canceling the iconic semi-truck next year. If there was ever a time to pour one out, this might be it.

As you could have guessed, Kenworth is sunsetting the W900 due to ever-changing emissions regulations and component constraints. The manufacturer is also discontinuing the T800W and C500 for the same reasons. You hate to see it, though it’s worth noting that electrification isn’t mentioned anywhere in the announcement.

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[lapfog_1]

1. I used to own one... not as a driver / operator, but just as an investment

I bought it used with 700,000 miles on it... driver ran it for another 2 years to 1,000,000 miles. Great truck.

However, it is not very aerodynamic. more modern trucks can improve their diesel mileage by adapting a more "bullet" like shape.

Fun Fact... having worked at NASA next to the National Full Scale Wind Tunnel... I remember back in the late 1980s the push by NASA to design the air dams and cowlings for today's trucks... That one design innovation ( taxpayer dollars at work ) saved the trucking industry ( in fuel costs ) to more than enough pay for NASA's entire budget, thus making all of the other innovations from NASA a great ROI. Cutting NASA's budget is, in reality, hurting the nation.

it was fun to see trucks with trailers mounted on the stand in the full scale test section of the wind tunnel.



The yellow crane moves planes / trucks / whatever you want into the full scale test section.

[Buddyzbuddy]

2. That was a great workhorse.

I drove trucks for 10 years as a driver and an owner/operator. I spent most of those years in the Kw W900 and in the T800. I owned the KW first and then I bought a Peterbuilt dblsleeper Cabover. Best sleep I ever had until it was stolen. A story for another day. I just surrendered my class A last month, it was time. I surrendered my real estate license in November after 27 years. Don't let them tell you,
"You can't teach an old dog new tricks" I loved both of those careers but trucking a little more. Loved the road but missed my family.
Keep it between the lines and be well.