A Partnership That Changed The Industry - Looking Back with Palmer Trucks and Kenworth Truck Company

Kenworth Trucks was born in 1923 when the company was officially named after the two major stakeholders, Harry Kent and Edgar Worthington. Housed in the Pacific Northwest, the business set out to create logging trucks. The headquarters were established in Seattle, Washington and by 1929, a new, state-of-the-art factory was opened. A little over twenty years later, Pacific Car and Foundry bought Kenworth after Paul Pigott struck a deal with the owners. Throughout World War II, Kenworth produced military vehicles along with their commercial trucks. Sugar plantations in Hawaii became large customers and by 1950, foreign sales accounted for 40% of sales.

In 1955, Kenworth unveiled the cab-beside-engine design and it became an instant hit. The next year, the 900 series is rolled out.

Throughout the 1960s, two new models are unveiled – the W900 and the K100. The W900 introduced a larger cab and redesigned instrument panel, while the K100 cabover maximized cargo. A plant in Kansas City, MO also opened. In 1966 – just a year after the grand opening – Palmer Trucks, then known as Indiana Truck Center, added the Kenworth truck line.

While Kenworth was opening its plant in Chillicothe, Ohio and introducing the raised-roof AERODYNE sleeper in the 1970s, Palmer Trucks moved to an expanded facility on the west side of Indianapolis, liquidated its Dodge heavy-duty stock, and expanded to a second location in Cincinnati.

The 1980s brought the aerodynamic Kenworth T600, an Indianapolis body shop and PacLease addition, and three new locations in Evansville, Indiana, Terre Haute, Indiana, and Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was in 1985 that current Chief Executive Officer and Eldon Palmer’s son-in-law, John Nichols, joined the company.

In 1993, Kenworth opened a new facility in Renton, Washington and introduced the AeroCab integrated cab/sleeper. Palmer Trucks opened its sixth dealership location in Dayton, Ohio. Kenworth continued to unveil new models in 1994 with its first-ever medium duty conventional T300 and in 1996 with the T2000.

By 1999, the PacLease locations were renamed to Palmer Leasing Group and became a franchise.

Palmer Power & Truck Equipment was established to assist with dump body installations in 2001. The following year, the fabrication shop completed its first major job for Monroe County and by 2004, it became a Muncie Master Warehouse. Throughout the 2000s, two of Eldon Palmer’s grandsons, Jacob and Scott Nichols, joined the company. In 2007, Kenworth introduced its T660 which refined the art of designing aerodynamic highway trucks. The following year, Palmer Indy East was opened and shortly after, a TRP Parts Store was added.

The 2010s began with the production of the T700. In 2012, Eldon Palmer’s company officially became Palmer Trucks, Inc and Kenworth Truck Company set a new industry standard and debuted the T680. From 2014 to 2020, the company grew rapidly. A dealership Effingham, Illinois was added in 2014 and dealerships in Louisville and Bowling Green, Kentucky were acquired in 2017. Northern Kentucky became home to a second TRP Parts Store in 2018, followed by a third in Sellersburg, Indiana in 2019. In 2020 and amidst the wake of COVID-19, Palmer Trucks celebrated 55 years of business and opened two new facilities, a dealership in Sellersburg, Indiana and a second Indianapolis location on the east side.

Palmer Power & Truck Equipment is celebrating 20 years of business this year and Kenworth Truck Company has announced the revamped medium-duty line, the T680 Next Gen, and the first electric vehicles in its lineup, the K270E, K370E, and the T680E. As it is only halfway through 2021, Kenworth Truck Company and Palmer Trucks still have a lot of room for growth, prosperity, and innovation.