WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — Kenworth Truck Company, Navistar’s International truck brand, and Petebilt have each earned top marks from customers as part of the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Heavy Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study.

Kenworth received the highest customer satisfaction ranking among truck owners in the Heavy Duty Dealer Service Segment.

“Kenworth is honoured to receive the prestigious Heavy Duty Dealer Service Award from J.D. Power and Associates,” said Gary Moore, Kenworth general manager. “Kenworth employees and dealers are dedicated and committed to provide the highest quality service and The World’s Best trucks to customers.”

Navistar ranked highest in customer satisfaction among Class 8 truck owners in the Pickup and Delivery segment, commonly known throughout the industry as regional haul.

“We are very pleased that customers have recognized our commitment to providing trucks and engines that satisfy their business needs,” said Jack Allen, president of Navistar’s North American truck group. “We know that more and more customers in the industry are shifting toward regional haul, and we are well positioned with our product portfolio of ProStar, TranStar and DuraStar. But most of all we are honoured to be recognized for our efforts.”

Peterbilt ranked highest in the vocational truck segment, performing particularly well in the engine and cost of operation factors.

The annual study ranks customer satisfaction by evaluating manufacturer performance. This year’s study results are based on interviews with primary maintainers of one-year-old (model-year) Class 8 trucks.

Kenworth was well-ranked in the study’s key service categories, which include Dealer Facility, Service Quality, Service Delivery, Service Initiation, and Service Advisor.

The award marks the second time in three years, and fourth time overall (2005, 2006, 2009 and 2011), that Kenworth has received the Dealer Service award since the heavy duty awards were introduced in 2003. Overall, Kenworth has now received 17 J.D. Power and Associates Heavy Duty customer satisfaction awards. Kenworth is also the current recipient of the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates award for “Highest in Customer Satisfaction for Medium Duty Truck Dealer Service.”

International brand Class 8 commercial trucks scored highest in each of the six categories measured: Engine, Cost of Operation, Warranty, Cab and Body, Ride/Handling/Braking and Transmission. Officials said International trucks achieved a significant increase in their overall score in this segment when compared to the 2010 study, where they placed second. International trucks score 46 points higher in the 2011 study than they did in 2010.

The 2011 Heavy-Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 1,651 primary maintainers of 2010 model-year Class 8 heavy-duty trucks. The study was fielded in February and March.