When the Peterbilt truck plant in Denton, TX opened in 1980, it was originally designed to manufacture only 16 trucks a day. Fast-forward today, and the factory is able to produce more than ten times the original amount or trucks each day. It’s what one might call a well-oiled machine – and five members of the Women In Trucking Association’s (WIT) staff team experienced it first-hand earlier this year prior to a board of directors meeting in February.
“The sheer volume of trucks that can be made in a day was eye-opening,” says WIT President and CEO Jennifer Hedrick, CAE. “Given the complexities of the manufacturing, the size of the job, that painting is included, and the number of supplies/parts needed.
Just a few months earlier, Peterbilt celebrated the production of the 750,000th truck assembled at this manufacturing facility. This milestone truck, a Model 579, represents Peterbilt’s dedication to excellence in manufacturing and the commitment of our employees to maintain superior production quality since the facility opened, according to Erik Johnson, Denton plant manager.
During the two-hour tour, the WIT team learned that it requires less than a single shift from the time the chassis starts to be built until the final product rolls out the door. “Seeing the facility’s truck manufacturing process first-hand is impressive, considering the fact each truck is customized for its customers,” says Brian Everett, Group Publisher and Editorial Director for Redefining the Road, WIT’s official magazine. To illustrate Everett’s point, the tour leader mentioned that company made trucks in over 1,200 different colors last year. They even have over 50 different hues of white.
“This was an outstanding tour and an opportunity for our team to see the process for manufacturing trucks and the systems that are used—from human effort, to automated vehicles and robotics—all working together in a seamless, coordinated process,” says Carleen Herndon, who leads Member Services and Sales for WIT.
“To me, the small amount of time it takes to complete one vehicle was astonishing,” says Jenny Fall, WIT Director of Driver Engagement. “I understand it requires less than a single shift from start to finish. The speed that it takes to go through every process was amazing. For me, getting a glimpse at the mechanics and the technology involved with this sort of production is incredible.”
Peterbilt Pride Is Apparent
“It was obvious the pride that employees took in the work they are doing and this was further evident from the average tenure of Peterbilt employees,” says Hedrick. “The training that the company is willing to provide employees, from entry level to those with more seasoned experience, is impressive. And, a small tidbit of information mentioned in passing that I have a hard time grasping is that most of their parts inventory is there just two hours before it’s used.”
Cassidy Mullins, Special Projects and Accelerate! Conference Manager, agrees: “It was extremely impressive to walk through and see how smoothly everything ran on the production lines. You can tell their employees are trained to work quickly, but not once did I see someone rushing around. With so much going on, it seemed relatively calm. Not to mention the employees seemed to be having fun while working – which is always so nice to see.”
“I was impressed with the magnitude of the plant, but more importantly, the precision and speed they can complete a full tractor,” concludes Fall. “Witnessing the technology in action and the positive attitudes of the staff were highlights on this facility tour.”
A version of this article is featured in Edition 2 of 2024 in our official magazine, Redefining The Road. Download the latest edition here.
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