In late November 2024, Kenworth sent a sales bulletin to its dealers notifying them they could only spec out 10 per cent of their customers’ new truck orders with a manual transmission. That bulletin was leaked to the public, and it started a considerable amount of chatter on social media.
At the moment, the restriction applies only to Kenworth trucks sold in Canada.
According to the company, it was necessary in order to comply with Canada’s increasingly strict federal vehicle emissions standards.
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“Kenworth other OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) are faced with increased compliance regulations,” Kenworth responded to an inquiry in a written statement.
“At the beginning of 2024, there was a step change in the CO2 standards per the GHG Phase 2 regulations, making the vehicle CO2 standards five to eight per cent more stringent than last year.
“To meet those and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, some spec’ing options need to be considered. With automated transmissions being more fuel efficient, manual transmission options will be fewer, and this is starting to apply in the Canadian market. Kenworth is committed to working closely with our dealers and customers to provide the best truck for their business while meeting regulatory compliance.”
In March 2022, the federal government announced an objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent below 2005 levels by 2026.
Allowable emissions levels in the federal Heavy-duty Vehicle and Engine Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulations are categorized by the type of trucks in a specific group, which takes into account a number of different features and design specifications.
If a truck is configured in a way that cannot meet those limits, the manufacturer must rely on accumulated “credits” to permit their manufacture. Credits are granted when aggregated emissions from a category of trucks is lower than the maximum permissible level.
Companies that build mostly aerodynamic long-haul models with an emphasis on fuel economy will accumulate more credits than a brand like Kenworth, which builds a high percentage of vocational trucks.
That limits the type of options and specifications Kenworth can offer. So nearly all new W900, W990 or T880 trucks ordered for the 2025 model year will have to be ordered with an automated manual or automatic transmission. It will be up to each dealer to decide which customers will get the manual transmissions they prefer within the 10 per cent maximum.
