DETROIT, July 18, 2019 – The old saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words. While pictures may have influenced the decision by Joey Bushway, owner of Joey’s Towing and Recovery, to add a new Kenworth W990 to his fleet, the excitement reached new heights as he watched his truck going down the line at the Kenworth Chillicothe plant in Ohio.
“It was an experience like no other,” said Bushway. “I’ve toured other truck manufacturing plants before, but nothing compares to the Kenworth plant in Chillicothe. The process behind the build of a truck is so efficient and the quality of the products used are top-of-the-line. Touring the Chillicothe plant really validated my decision to purchase a Kenworth W990.”
Joey’s Towing and Recovery runs a fleet of 17 heavy duty trucks, providing heavy duty towing and recovery services within a 75-mile radius of Detroit as well as long-distance towing services in 48 states and Canada. Bushway decided to add the Kenworth W990 to enhance its long-distance towing services. Bushway purchases all of his trucks from Miller Industries, who installs the towing bodies. Miller Industries receives the Kenworth chassis from MHC Kenworth – Chattanooga.
“After the Kenworth W990 was unveiled in Las Vegas last fall, it wasn’t too much later I knew I wanted to purchase one,” said Bushway. “It was time to transition out of one of our older trucks that makes long distance runs, and the latest Kenworth long-hood model seemed like the right truck to replace it. I met with Kipp Felice, (Miller Industries vice president of marketing and business development), who I’ve worked with for years, and I put in a W990 order last November.”
Bushway’s Kenworth W990 is equipped with a 13-speed automated transmission and 76-inch mid-roof sleeper that includes the Limited Edition interior package. Miller Industries installed a Holmes heavy duty detachable towing unit (DTU), and displayed the truck at the Florida Tow Show in April in Orlando, Florida.
“The Florida Tow Show was the first time I got to see my W990 after Miller Industries completed the Holmes DTU installation,” said Bushway. “It was a fun experience. The truck stirred up a lot of attention. Not many people previously had the chance to see a W990 in person. I couldn’t wait to take the truck back with me to Detroit and put it into service.”
After adding some finishing touches, including a new graphics wrap, Bushway began operating the Kenworth W990 in May. The truck has accumulated more than 11,000 miles, splitting time between regional and long-haul tows.
“With our Holmes DTU, we can offer towing service to heavy duty vehicles, such as trucks and buses,” he said. Bushway and the W990 retrieve and transport the vehicles back to the customer’s main terminal during these long-distance jobs.
“While we added the W990 to provide long-haul tows, we don’t limit its use to just that,” said Bushway, who is the truck’s primary driver. “Whether it’s providing five-to-seven regional tows in a day, or driving across the country, the W990 provides service to customers every single day of the week.”
According to Bushway, the key differences he notices between the W990 and other trucks he has driven are most easily seen during his long-haul jobs.
“Right off the bat, I could feel the difference in the way the W990 drives and handles compared to previous trucks I’ve driven,” said Bushway. “The W990’s ride is so smooth and comfortable. On a recent trip to Texas, I was really surprised by the increase I was getting in fuel economy. The fact that I was averaging eight miles-per-gallon* in a long-hood is something I didn’t expect. It’s just another side-perk offered by the W990.”
The Kenworth W990 has received much attention from Bushway’s customers and other drivers on the road. At a truck stop in Texas, there happened to be another W990, and according to Bushway, the two trucks were quite popular.
“It seemed like everyone at the truck stop I was at in Texas wanted to take a photo of my truck,” said Bushway. “The driver of the other Kenworth W990 and I were pretty popular at the truck stop, but it seems to be like that at most truck stops I visit. I’ve received a lot of positive comments about the way my truck looks. It’s hard to tell how many photo requests I’ve had…too many to count. It’s been fun.”
While Bushway’s Kenworth W990 has received a lot of attention so far, adding the truck was not part of a marketing campaign, or a way to entice new customers. The decision to add a Kenworth W990 primarily was based on the past performance of other Kenworth trucks he has operated over the years.
“Kenworth builds trucks that last for years. To be quite honest, I added the W990 based off my past success of running Kenworth trucks and receiving excellent performance. While it’s an added bonus to get all the attention from other drivers and customers, at the end of the day, if a truck can’t perform well, it’s all show. By adding a Kenworth truck like the W990, we know we are getting a great looking truck that will provide our customers with great service for many years.”
