The Peterbilt Model 384 Truck: Class 8 Truck of The Year for 2010

The Peterbilt Model 384 Truck was recently awarded the 2010 Class 8 Commercial Truck of the Year by American Truck Dealers this year, during the 2010 annual convention and exposition by American Truck Dealers in Orlando, Florida. One of the most popular Peterbilt trucks for sale in the United States, the Model 384 was selected by a judging panel composed of journalists hailing from a variety of leading truck publications in the United States. The Model 384 was selected by the American Truck Dealers panel due to the superior features and design of the Peterbilt truck. Among the features offered by the Peterbilt Model 384 truck is an exceptional value for the customer and propriety modifications to the aerodynamic profile of the truck for the purpose of maximizing fuel efficiency. The interior of the truck has also been updated to provide a more efficient operating environment for the driver. The Peterbilt Model 384 is perhaps the most versatile truck offered by the company, with the capability and reliability to perform well on regional routes, short routes, and the longest hauling routes available, while supplying the horsepower necessary to transport the heaviest payloads across the country.
The General Manager of Peterbilt Motors Company, Bill Jackson, also the Vice President of PACCAR, stated that Peterbilt received the Commercial Truck of the Year award as an honor, and credited it to the team's attention to the needs of the customer, as well as to the work of Peterbilt dealers across the country. He described the company's goal as that of designing and manufacturing quality trucks that offered innovative features, considerable value, and the exceptional maneuverability required to use the trucks in a wide variety of settings.
The Smartway program by the Environmental Protection Agency recognized the Peterbilt Model 384 Truck as one that was not only fuel efficient but also environmentally friendly. The Model 384 was designed to offer a competitive advantage to companies that purchased it, and was also designed with an optional natural gas configuration, enabling it to be used as a power platform that was friendly to the environment. The body of the Model 384 was additionally designed with aerodynamics in mind, which resulted in significant gains in fuel efficiency and drag reduction; the truck is up to 12 percent more fuel efficient than previous iterations and 24 percent less affected by drag. These numbers are attractive to heavy duty industries that rely on highly efficient and flexible workhorses for transporting goods across the country. Truck fleets that are fuel conscious and forward thinking will also be drawn to the improvements made in the Peterbilt Model 384.
Additional modifications made to the Model 384 include the improvements in the widened range of suspension, drivetrain, and brake options to satisfy a range of tanker, delivery, pickup, and short haul applications. The SmartSound package that is also available in the Peterbilt Model 384 is designed to provide greater comfort to the truck driver with improved insulation in both thermal and acoustic domains.