Jus looking for a lil, bit of comparative info.
I'm in the market for another used truck, and I've narrowed it down to these two trucks, which I have no experience with .
1st the KW T600, has a N14 500HP Cummins, 13 speed, 3.90 rears... daylight doors, sunroof, full fairing, 72" sleeper...etc.
2nd the FTL Classic XL, w/ 3406E Cat 550HP, 13 speed, 3.73 rears, condo sleeper...
I pull intermodal trailers, 20-45k lbs. I tend not to speed 62-68mph.
What I need to know is, which of these two trucks will be most beneficial to me..... I love the interior of the KW, yet that FTL is "Classic". Which has the better ride? Which engine to choose? I need help, so I'm callin out to the best source for this info..... truckers. THX..........Peace

I'd say the engines are very close, you should see better fuel mileage with the Cummins. I love the big Cats and I love the N-14.

The Kenworth has a better interior but maybe less space and will ride tons better then the Frieghtliner. The Kenworth will also retain it's value resulting in a higher resale value.

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you say that you pull "intermodal" but you don't say which part of the country. if its here on the east coast, i think the freighliner will get the crap kicked out of it real quick. this i knwo from personal experience driving here along the eastern seaboard. but, the kw will take a beating too. it comes down to repair costs not just resale value. i see more "cheaper" trucks like freightliners, sterlings, macks doing intermodal here than pete's or kw's.............at least not "up to date" petes and kw's, just really beaten ones pulling containers............

Friends don't let friends drive Freightshakers.
Julie

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If man wasn't meant to have triple digit trucks God wouldn't have invented Cat engines.

you know, i have driven old freighshakers.

i have driven new freightshakers

one thing i always noticed is that the new ones start shaking, rattling, squeaking right off the showroom lot, or at least after a mere 5,000 miles...........some things never change......

Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. There's a reason PACCAR trucks cost a little more. Internationals are almost as bad as Freightshaker. Must have used their wealth of experience in building farm equipment to build their OTR tractors.
Julie

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If man wasn't meant to have triple digit trucks God wouldn't have invented Cat engines.

T600 all the way.... Ive driven both of em

I have driven both. The freitliner has more interior room, but doesn't have the ride. The condo is too tall for eastern city work. The Classic is lighter than the T600. The Classic is a "hood", and limits your forward visability, not good in city traffic.

The T600, has the ride, but is lacking on interior room. The sleeper with the fairing removed is ok for in city work in eastern cities. The T600 is heavy, but should still be fine for work up to 48k lbs. TheT600 has better visability because of the sloped hood, and better aerodynamics for hwy use, than the Classic.

Contrary to statements made in other posts, the T600 has only marginally better resale than a Classic, a virtual tie depending on the region. The W900 has the resale, the T600 is still shunned by far to many as the ugly little brother of the W900. Yes, there is a price difference at resale, but buying used, and running intermodal you will beat the resale right out of it quickly regardless of which one you choose.

I own a Classic, have driven and love the ride of the T600, love the room of my Classic, and only take it to Rush Peterbuilt's to have it worked on. lol. And I still duck driving under anything under 14' in my condo.

PS. with the rear end gearing, are either of the 13's double overdrive? How much hwy driving will you have to do?

Never driven a T600. But I know that the classic is horrible at turning. I had to drive a classic for my road test. I hit a curb with the steer tire making a left turn. I asked if that hurt me at all, and the evaluator said, "Everyone hits that curb with a classic."

Yes, both are 13 Speed.... I wasn't really worried to much about resale, with the used truck market being the way it is right now... I do 80%-90% hwy driving... all in the Carolinas, and southern VA and GA.