See the Kenworth trucks on parade in Ohio hometown of company's plant -

See the Kenworth trucks on parade in Ohio hometown of company’s plant

June 19, 2025 3 min read

The Kenworth truck assembly plant in Chillicothe, Ohio recently held its fourth annual Kenworth Truck Parade in the heart of downtown Chillicothe. This year, the parade honored Kenworth’s iconic W900 model.

The 2025 Kenworth Truck Parade brought more than 50 new, classic and customized Kenworth trucks from all over the United States. The featured Kenworths included a vintage 1923 Kenworth – built the year the company was founded – models from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, through to present day trucks manufactured at the Chillicothe plant.

“The Kenworth truck parade has become a special Ross County community tradition,” said Jack Schmitt, Kenworth Chillicothe assistant plant manager. “The event wouldn’t be possible without the drivers who travel to Chillicothe to share their passion for Kenworth trucks, or without the community support that makes this parade a successful event each year.”

As part of Kenworth’s tribute to the storied history of the classic W900, the last truck in the parade was the newly introduced W900 Legacy Edition, which pays homage to the model series in its final full year in production.

This year’s parade also featured distinguished guest and driver, Army veteran Cory Troxell, who was last year’s Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence” award winner. For the past 10 years, Kenworth, FASTPORT and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes initiative have partnered to search for America’s top rookie military veteran driver who successfully transitioned to the trucking industry following military service.

Kenworth provides the program’s grand prize, which last year was a Kenworth T680, equipped with a 76-inch sleeper and the PACCAR Powertrain featuring the PACCAR MX-13 engine, PACCAR TX-12 automated transmission and PACCAR DX-40 tandem rear axles. Troxell, who drove his new truck in this year’s parade, is employed by Stevens Transport, who also nominated him for the “Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence” award.

Leading up to the truck parade, the Kenworth Chillicothe plant held events at its facility for drivers and their families participating in and attending the parade. Drivers had an opportunity to tour the Kenworth Chillicothe plant to see where many of Kenworth’s trucks are built. The plant also hosted an employee family event on the plant’s property during the day of the parade.

To support the local community, the Kenworth Chillicothe plant and the United Way of Ross County teamed up to coordinate a 50/50 raffle, with proceeds going to the United Way of Ross County. During the parade members of the United Way of Ross County made their way around the event to sell raffle tickets and through sponsorships of the VIP area along the truck parade route. In total, over $43,000 was donated to the United Way of Ross County.

The Kenworth Chillicothe plant opened in 1974 and is located on a 120-acre site 50 miles south of Columbus, Ohio. The 622,000 square-foot plant features advanced manufacturing technologies, including robotic assembly, and a state-of-the-art paint facility that utilizes the latest technology in the industry. Since 2018, Kenworth has invested nearly $400 million in the Chillicothe plant.

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