What truck would you pick from these options?
Posted by PomeloResponsible122@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 18 comments
Peterbilt 579, Kenworth T680, or Freightliner Cascadia? All are said to be 2024 or newer. I have orientation for my new job next week and these are what they offer. (I do realize the chances of actually getting a choice are rare).
I’ve driven basically every modern truck on the road except for the Pete. My last company had me in a 2026 Volvo VNL for my last couple months which was the nicest truck I’ve ever been in, but I left since it was my first CDL job at a mega and the cpm sucked.
Not a fan at all how the T680’s interior is set up and the fridge is garbage.
Cascadias interior and storage is set up really well imo but they drive and ride like shit.
So curious how the Pete stands up to those two.
Princetrix@reddit
Having driven all of them extensively
579/T680 rank #1 for me especially if it has an X15. Just love the solid driving feel they give me, also my favourite interior aside from the W900.
VNL at #2 very quiet and comfortable, like driving a European coach bus if that makes sense. I-shift is nice.
And Cascadia #3, I like the truck itself, I just don’t like driving them personally and have always had back pain with them.
chico-dust@reddit
T680 hands down. Kenworth is the gold standard when it comes to driver centric tractors. Everything about the T680 is designed to make life OTR as comfortable as possible.
AKWV80@reddit
I have 24 KW T680. It's lovely inside. Def take over Cascadia. Has more power too
Temporary_Big8747@reddit
I agree.. the only thing I didn't like about these is the bit of added blind spot while backing..I always had to open my door while backing. Great friggin truck tho with awesome power. Yeah, I'm short & had to open the door while backing..😅😁
AKWV80@reddit
And the turn radius kinda sucks, but I'll take it for that spacious cab! I have a 42" tv mounted in mine
RedlineM5@reddit
42 fits in a Cascadia too.
DukeBradford2@reddit
It depends on the package. The cascadia I have is an absolute beast at hills. Even at 79k lbs I pass more than 90% of all kw/petes on hills, except for the good ole boys that don’t bother with modern emisions/def. Going through Iowa with those rollers really shows off its high end torque. It’s only when you start going up a prolonged upgrade does it start to fall off but only to others that aren’t right at the 80k limit. On some very specific hills that I regularly do and know exctly what speed I do at a specific point on the hill at 80k for kw, international and freightliner I find myself going 10-20mph faster in the current cascadia than any of my previous trucks, including 4 previous cascadias.
RackingUpTheMiles@reddit
I went from an International to a Freightliner and it's easily 100x better in every way. They're also the easiest to get parts for. Meaning less time in the shop if it does break.
PomeloResponsible122@reddit (OP)
Freightliner isn’t my favorite but yeah. Internationals are the worst lmao.
RackingUpTheMiles@reddit
My only 2 complaints about the Freightliner are sometimes it doesn't want to hook a trailer and I'll bounce off it like 6 times before it'll click in. I can usually get past it by pulling up, turning it off and trying again. No idea why.
I've also had it randomly go into neutral and disable the jake brakes and cruise control. I can either get back to drive by switching to neutral and back to drive or dropping my speed to 38.
truckmonkey12@reddit
If you are OTR, I suggest you take the Cascadia. There are far more interior storage options both in the cab and sleeper area. Cascadias turn better too, and the user interface is also better in my experience. As for ride quality… to be honest, the difference between the paccar trucks and cascadias is negligible in the grand scheme of things. I drove both and really was really disappointed by the Kenworth, I was expecting it to be far superior to the Cascadia based on what I heard from other drivers
PomeloResponsible122@reddit (OP)
I just wish I could get back in a Volvo. That 2026 rode like a damn Cadillac.
truckingham@reddit
Cascadias are great if you enjoy your truck sometimes being governed 2-3mph below what its actually governed at for no particular reason
PomeloResponsible122@reddit (OP)
The shaking was the worst. No matter how smooth you try to be the truck is just like oh, lemme just completely engage the clutch as soon as you come off the brakes!
echo78@reddit
Also the shaking.
SheepherderHopeful55@reddit
I've driven all 4 Pete, KW, Cascadia, Volvo VNL and International LT while the Pete and the KW are slightly more comfortable than I will take an International LT over all of them because the layout for the driver is great and the turning radius is also good they are very easy to back up, 2nd place would be the Cascadia because of the turning radius, unfortunately the Volvo's are not made for tall drivers I'm 6'5" and it felt super cramped
deezkeys098@reddit
Pete has about the same space as a kenworth if not less I would go Volvo or cascadia
PomeloResponsible122@reddit (OP)
Well new company I’m going to doesn’t have Volvo unfortunately. But good to hear.