Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
New Kenworths like this will soon be almost exclusively automatic transmissions. Some models will not survive and will soon be done. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
Everything in the oilpatch rolls on trucks, and a huge number of those trucks have manual transmissions. Well, maybe not for much longer.
It appears that in yet another climate change initiative, the federal government is forcing manual transmissions to all but disappear in new truck sales in the name of reducing emissions. In very short order, only 10 per cent of Kenworth trucks in Canada will be available with a manual transmission. The change means several models will soon no longer be available as they do not have the required replacement.
And apparently it’s an issue facing not just Kenworth, but the broader industry.
Pipeline Online came across this in a Nov. 26 service bulletin that was posted to social media and confirmed that Saskatchewan Kenworth clients in the oilpatch had received an email with similar points. Here is the body of that email, verbatim:
As you are most likely aware, the evolution of our industry with Emission Standards and Greenhouse Requirements is very much at the forefront of conversations right now. We are on the path for major changes in our trucks and how we operate and order these units, and we are trying to give you the facts to help make some purchasing decisions for your fleets going into these incoming changes. In Western Canada, we seem to face these challenges with more difficulty than the rest of North America due to our conditions and the industry our trucks work in, yet we get looped into these blanket changes, making things quite challenging. Change can be difficult, but it is coming and we are trying to be prepared.
Here are some key items to consider moving into the next 12-24 Months;
Manual Transmissions
- As of January 1st 2025, we are limited to 10% of our order board to be Manual Transmissions. This is a challenge because some of our Product Offerings do not have the recommended Automated replacement available (T800WH/W900/C500)
- If a Manual Transmission is requested, it is not out of the possibility for us to say we cannot offer this. We need to meet these parameters to avoid MAJOR Greenhouse Gas Surcharges and Fines. Manual Transmissions will be limited to Vintage Models (T8/W9/C5) but our availability on these models will also be limited as we cannot exceed the 10% threshold for Manual Transmissions. This is industry wide, NOT just a Kenworth issue
- Endurant XD (Cummins) and TX18 (Paccar) Automated Transmissions along with Allison Transmissions will make up the bulk of orders going forward. The Automated Transmissions have been in production for a few years now and have been performing very well and has received positive feedback from owners, operators, and fleet teams as it increases the driver pool, provides better fuel economy, and reduces driver fatigue. These transmissions have been engineered to work in most applications we work with in our region and overall, most customers who have gone down this path already are quite happy and no longer request manual transmissions
- Price Point – Over the past few years, the price gap between Manual Transmissions and Automated Transmissions we significant (Approx $10-12K more for an Automated). In the past 6-8 months, we have seen this gap narrow due to more aggressive discounting being applied to the Automated Transmissions and Surcharges being applied to Manual Transmissions. In 2025 – In most cases the Automated Transmissions will now actually come in line if not better than Manual Transmissions
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Cummins Engine
For now, the X15 Engine remains relatively unchanged from what we have been ordering in the past 3-4 Years, but major changes are coming with availability and product changes
- With this upcoming MAJOR EPA2027 Change, Cummins will be ahead of curve and will begin offering their 2027EPA Compliant Engines for Performance Series (525HP, 565HP, 605HP) in March of 2026 and Efficiency Series Engines (500HP) in July 2026. What these means, is in March and July 2026, the New Next Gen Cummins Diesel Engine will now include a 48V Alternator (re: Generator) that is meant to support Heaters/CPU required to run the new engine system THIS WILL ALSO BE THE END OF PRODUCTION FOR T800WH, W900, and C500 MODELS – There will be a new version of the C500 being released but most likely not until late 2027/2028. It should be noted that our Paccar Engine will also be receiving the same changes in January 2027.
- With these upcoming changes to the Next Gen Cummins and Next Gen Paccar Engines, we are told we will see a significant price increase for this new hardware which will be in the neighborhood of $20,000 – $30,000 USD. Included in this price increase will be new standard of 5Yr Engine Warranty (Note: Cummins Engines built from March 2026-December 2026 will NOT have the cost associated with the 5Yr Warranty as this will not be mandatory until January 2027 when EPA2027 Kicks in)
Other Greenhouse Gas Initiatives
- Side Extenders – Canadian Day Cab and Sleeper Tractors will require side extenders. Any exceptions will require approval through the Greenhouse Gas Team. We are working on exceptions for certain industries (eg: Logging, Winch Tractors, Heavy Haul)
- Predictive Cruise Control – All Canadian 2.1M heavy-duty tractors (T880/T680/W990) must be equipped with Predictive Cruise Control for all compatible vehicle configurations
- Tire Pressure Monitoring – All Canadian tractors and trucks will be required to incorporate the new Sensata Tire Pressure Monitoring System when it becomes available for compatible vehicle configurations
It is important for us to have these conversations now to help determine your fleet requirements going into these changes. It is our responsibility to get ahead of this and to help avoid additional costs for our valued partners as I expect there to be a significant pre-buy of these pre 2027EPA Engines and with that our lead times are going to be drastically affected as this becomes more known in our industry. The dates listed above are hard dates. Order date is not as important as Chassis online date – Any trucks being built AFTER March 1, 2026 (Cummins Performance), July 1, 2026 (Cummins Efficiency), and January 1, 2027 (Paccar Engine) will be subject to these initiatives and the applicable costs associated with these changes.
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- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
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