JFC International, North America's leading importer and exporter of Asian foods, recently became the first PacLease customer to take delivery of the new Kenworth K370 Class 7 cabover.
JFC, which leases under a full-service lease contract from PacLease's company-owned location in Toronto, operates the cabover from its branch location in Mississauga, Ontario. JFC delivers frozen foods and dry goods to Asian supermarkets, corner grocery stores and restaurants in downtown Toronto. The company leases eight other Kenworth medium duty trucks, including the conventional models, T270 and T370, to deliver its products.
The K370 is equipped with a 220-hp PACCAR PX-6 engine, an Allison 5-Speed automatic transmission and a 24-foot refrigerated van body, with a moveable divider to separate dry and refrigerated loads. The 63.4-inch BBC (front bumper to back of the cab) length on the K370 provides a 55-degree wheel cut for excellent maneuverability.
"Driving in downtown Toronto with its narrow streets and busy intersections with pedestrians crossing can be difficult and nerve-wracking," said Steve Ritchie, Mississauga warehouse manager for JFC, "We're pleased with the performance of the Kenworth K370 and the visibility and maneuverability it offers our drivers." JFC has plans to lease more K370's from PacLease.
"Based on this performance, JFC and its drivers can benefit from the maneuverability, visibility and durability the new Kenworth K370 offers," said Chris Maccio, director of sales for PacLease. "We think that this new cabover, and its smaller sibling, the K270, are going to be well sought-after models, particularly among customers operating in urban surroundings where visibility and maneuverability are key.
"Providing truck operators like JFC solutions that meet their unique transportation needs is a distinct benefit PacLease offers with its full-service leasing contracts," Maccio said. "With full-service leasing enjoying unprecedented demand, particularly among medium duty truck operators, PacLease and its franchises are well positioned to satisfy that demand now and into the future."
Ritchie said full-service leasing from PacLease offers JFC clear advantages in its operation.
"By leasing trucks, we get the latest in Kenworth and PACCAR engine technology and the benefit of having PacLease handle the maintenance," Ritchie said. "It lets me concentrate on managing the warehouse and it allows our company to preserve capital for other business needs."
