Newly Equipped: Equipment updates from Bridgestone, Isuzu, Kenworth

Bridgestone launches new all-weather trucking tire with Enliten technology

Bridgestone Americas recently launched the new Bridgestone W920 tire, engineered to meet the year-round needs of trucking fleets. This tandem-axle radial drive tire is designed to excel in all weather conditions. The W920 features Bridgestone’s next-generation Enliten technology, tailored for extended tire life and maximum traction while promoting a focus on enhanced sustainability.

“Weather plays a significant role in every fleet’s journey. Our aim with the W920 is to mitigate risks and elements that weather brings to the road and give drivers more confidence in these uncertain conditions,” said Brad Booth, director, Canadian commercial sales, Bridgestone Americas. “The Bridgestone W920 tire with Enliten technology illustrates our company’s passion for bringing products to the market that directly respond to the needs of fleets in different regions.”

The Bridgestone W920 is the third Enliten tire for the commercial truck segment to debut so far in 2025. Through Enliten technologies, the new tire builds upon its predecessor, the Bridgestone W919, with key features including:

• All-weather performance: The Bridgestone W920 is three-peak mountain snowflake certified, designed to provide drivers with dependable traction in rain and snow.
• Longer wear life: With 6% longer life, the Bridgestone W920 tire helps your fleet go further.
• Optimized tread pattern: The non-directional tread pattern of the W920 helps simplify mounting, rotation, and overall management for fleets. The tread pattern also features enhanced stone rejector platforms, specialized tread compounds, and full-depth sipes for additional all-weather defense.
• Retreadability: The Bridgestone W920 is outfitted with a premium casing, designed to deliver multiple retread cycles.

Produced at the Warren County Plant in Tennessee, the Bridgestone W920 will initially launch in 11R22.5 with additional sizes coming in 2026.

See also: 2025 FleetOwner 500: Top private landscaping/tree care fleets

Isuzu hosts 2025 national competitions celebrating top talent in sales, service, and parts across North America

Isuzu Commercial Truck of America recently held its National Sales Walkaround, Service Walkaround, Parts Salesperson Product Presentation, and North America I-1 Grand Prix Technical competitions. Over 800 contestants submitted entries and completed training in 2025 to qualify for this event. Finalists gathered in Pittston, Pennsylvania, at Isuzu’s Center of Excellence during the week of August 4 to showcase their talents and skills.

“It is so fun for our staff and competitors to spend time and compete with the best of the best for 2025!” said Shaun C. Skinner, president of Isuzu Commercial Truck of America and Isuzu Commercial Truck of Canada. “It speaks volumes of the talent our Isuzu dealers have recruited and trained to get to this level. I know this is a big competition, but more than that, it is a celebration of the contestants’ hard work and giving their best for the Isuzu brand and their dealership.”

2025 Isuzu National Sales Walkaround Competition

The Isuzu National Sales Walkaround Competition featured participants who had first won their district and regional contests, earning their place to compete at the “Isuzu Week of Weeks.” Their challenge was to present a 2025 Isuzu FVR Derate with a Voth aluminum dump body to a fictitious “customer” who had never owned an Isuzu or a low-cab-forward truck. 

• National Champion (Isuzu Winners’ Circle Gold trip to Prague, Czech Republic, and Vienna, Austria, in February 2026) Southern Regional Champion
  • Walter Strick, Truckworx
    Birmingham, Alabama
• Second Place (Isuzu Winners’ Circle Silver trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, in March 2026) Northern Regional Champion 
  • Matt Sherman, Isuzu Truck of Providence
    Providence, Rhode Island
• Third Place ($2,000 in cash) Western Regional Champion 
  • Brady Christenson, Pritchard’s Isuzu Truck
    Forest City, Iowa

2025 Isuzu National Service Walkaround Competition

The Isuzu National Service Walkaround Competition consisted of four regional champions who had only 10 minutes to demonstrate their Isuzu product and maintenance expertise to a fictitious service customer on a 2022 Isuzu NRR. 

• National Champion (Isuzu Winners’ Circle Gold trip to Prague, Czech Republic, and Vienna, Austria, in February 2026) Southern Regional Champion
  • William (Will) Little, Truckworx
    Birmingham, Alabama
• Second Place (Isuzu Winners’ Circle Silver trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, in March 2026) Western Regional Champion
  • James Beuchner, PTR Isuzu
    West Chicago, Illinois
• Third Place ($2,000 in cash) Northern Regional Champion 
  • Chris Wodarcyk, Fyda Isuzu
    Walton, Kentucky
• Fourth Place ($1,000 in cash) Canada Regional Champion
  • Tanya Doolan, Western Isuzu Truck
    Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

2025 Isuzu National Parts Product Presentation Competition

The Isuzu National Parts Product Presentation Competition took place in a replica dealership parts counter that was constructed at the Isuzu Center of Excellence to study the retail presentation and experience of parts customers. Contestants were challenged to effectively communicate with a mock customer who visited their dealership to purchase parts for an older fleet of Isuzu trucks.

• National Champion (Isuzu Winners’ Circle Gold trip to Prague, Czech Republic, and Vienna, Austria, in February 2026) Western Regional Champion
  • Shaela Medley, Pierre Isuzu Truck of Everett
    Everett, Washington
• Second Place (Isuzu Winners’ Circle Silver trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, in March 2026) Southern Regional Champion
  • Luis Moreno, Tampa Isuzu Truck
    Tampa, Florida
• Third Place ($2,000 in cash) Northern Regional Champion 
  • Wayne Werkhoven, Isuzu Truck of Providence
    Providence, Rhode Island
• Fourth Place ($1,000 in cash) Canada Regional Champion 
  • Ryan Avera, Lewis Isuzu
    Barrie, Ontario, Canada

2025 Isuzu North America I-1 Grand Prix Technical Competition

Without a doubt, the most grueling of all the “Isuzu Week of Weeks” competitions is the I-1 Grand Prix Technical Competition for service technicians. Each technician was required to pass a challenging 75-minute entrance exam in a single try. The 12 technicians with the highest scores were invited to enroll and participate in the competition held this week.

The competition featured three rounds where technicians were challenged to diagnose and repair trucks, complete a physical exam, and navigate some of the most demanding repairs possible on an Isuzu chassis, all while under observation. The winners are:

• First Place (Invitation to participate in IML’s 20th Isuzu World Technical Competition; $5,000.00 cash; I-1 Grand Prix Finalist certification on ITU transcript for 2025)
  • Micael Lechasseur, Pare Isuzu Truck
    Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
• Second Place (Invitation to participate in IML’s 20th Isuzu World Technical Competition; $4,000.00 cash; I-1 Grand Prix Finalist certification on ITU transcript for 2025) 
  • Rick Engler, Transwest Isuzu Truck Henderson
    Henderson, Colorado
• Third Place (Invitation to participate in IML’s 20th Isuzu World Technical Competition; $3,000.00 cash; I-1 Grand Prix Finalist certification on ITU transcript for 2025)
  • Juan Bisono, Gabrielli Isuzu Truck Long Island
    Long Island, New York
• Fourth Place ($1,000.00 cash; I-1 Grand Prix Finalist certification on ITU transcript for 2025) 
  • Candido DeLeon, Rush Dayton
    Dayton, Ohio
• Fifth Place ($1,000.00 cash; I-1 Grand Prix Finalist certification on ITU transcript for 2025) 
  • William Nields, Faulkner Isuzu
    Westchester, Pennsylvania
• Sixth Place ($250.00 cash; I-1 Grand Prix Finalist certification on ITU transcript for 2025) 
  • James Lucero, Ton’s Truck Center
    Santa Ana, California
• Each finalist will receive $250 on their Winners’ Circle
  • Michael Marrs, Coffman Isuzu Aurora, llinois
  • Riley Dodson, Rush Isuzu Dallas; Dallas, Texas
  • Tristan Smithey, Scarff Isuzu; Auburn, Washington 
  • Richard Nonamaker, Rush Isuzu Truck Waco; Waco, Texas
  • Justin Carter, Eagle Isuzu; Shreveport, Louisiana
  • Joseph Donlon, Maher Isuzu; St. Petersburg, Florida

Kenworth W900 Legacy Edition Truck featured at Cummins Jamestown Engine Plant event

Kenworth recently showcased its new W900 Legacy Edition truck at the Cummins Jamestown Engine Plant during its "Bring Your Kid to Work Days," where plant employees and their families had the chance to tour the facility and see Kenworth’s latest special edition W900 that will soon enter production.

Cummins partnered with Kenworth to produce X15 engines painted in legacy Cummins beige at its Jamestown, New York, plant for the W900 Legacy Edition—the final special edition of the iconic W900. The classic engine color is just one special vintage touch on each Legacy Edition. To complement the engine, a curated selection of iconic paint schemes—including the classic VIT ’63 paint scheme featured at the Cummins Jamestown event—are available with the W900 Legacy. Kenworth is producing just 1,000 of these models, which are available in Extended Day Cab, 72-inch Flat Top, and 86-inch Studio Sleeper configurations.

“This event is a celebration of the incredible people at Cummins whose craftsmanship and commitment bring our trucks to life,” said Kyle Kimball, Kenworth’s director of marketing. “We were honored to bring the W900 Legacy Edition to Jamestown to recognize the team that helps power these iconic trucks that are beloved by generations of drivers.”