PACCAR plans to introduce PACCAR Connect, a factory-installed touchscreen and fleet application platform, across its Kenworth and Peterbilt Class 8 trucks from early 2027. Announced Monday at the American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference & Exhibition in Charlotte, North Carolina, the system is designed to bring vehicle information and digital services into a single in-cab environment.
Covered by the factory warranty, PACCAR Connect is intended to reduce the number of aftermarket devices fleets need to install in their trucks. It will also provide access to Platform Science’s Virtual Vehicle application marketplace, allowing operators to integrate third-party software into their existing fleet operations.
The launch builds on PACCAR’s relationship with Platform Science, in which the truck manufacturer made a minority equity investment in March 2023.
Connected vehicle technology has become part of PACCAR’s broader investment strategy. In July, Chief Financial Officer Brice Poplawski identified connected services as one of the company’s investment priorities, alongside new powertrains and manufacturing expansion, as reported by FreightWaves.
“PACCAR Connect advances our connected vehicle strategy,” said John Rich, PACCAR’s chief technology officer, in the company’s announcement.
One platform for fleet management and in-cab applications
PACCAR Connect is intended to bring several vehicle management functions together through a single portal. Fleet operators will be able to access vehicle health data, remote diagnostics, mileage, location, warranty status and engine idle time through the PACCAR Connect Portal.
Previously, Kenworth and Peterbilt customers purchased remote diagnostic services through separate subscriptions. By 2022, Kenworth’s TruckTech+ and Peterbilt’s SmartLINQ were managed through the PACCAR Solutions portal, according to Truck Parts & Service.
PACCAR has not clarified whether the new platform will replace TruckTech+ and SmartLINQ or operate alongside the existing services.
The portal will also allow fleets to activate third-party applications and integrate their preferred workflows and technologies directly into the truck. The aim is to consolidate digital tools and give fleet managers greater flexibility in how they manage their vehicles and operations.
Different displays for Peterbilt and Kenworth
The driver-facing hardware will vary by truck brand.
Peterbilt will use a 13-inch portrait-format touchscreen, which will become standard on Models 579, 589 and 567 equipped with Class 8 interiors from the first quarter of 2027, according to Truck News. Kenworth will feature a larger 15-inch central display.
Both systems are designed to support a range of driver and vehicle functions. The voice assistant will recognise more than 250 commands in English, Spanish and French, according to Transport Topics.
The display can accommodate up to eight camera inputs. It can also change camera views automatically when the truck reverses or activates a turn signal, helping drivers monitor their surroundings.
For connectivity, the system supports simultaneous Bluetooth pairing with two phones and is compatible with Apple CarPlay. A selection of preloaded PACCAR applications will be available without an additional subscription charge. These include a digital operator’s manual, driver tutorials, vehicle health information and a dealer locator, Truck News reported.
The Virtual Vehicle partnership goes back to 2023
The planned rollout follows an earlier agreement between PACCAR and Platform Science. When the companies announced their collaboration in January 2023, they said Virtual Vehicle would be deployed in Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks starting in 2024, according to American Journal of Transportation.
The latest announcement does not specify how much of that initial deployment had reached vehicles before the newly announced PACCAR Connect launch.
Virtual Vehicle was developed in collaboration with several truck manufacturers, including Daimler Truck North America, Navistar and PACCAR. Daimler was the first manufacturer to integrate factory-installed telematics into the platform, doing so in May 2020, as reported by FreightWaves.
DAF already offers PACCAR Connect in Europe
PACCAR has also introduced the platform through its European truck brand, DAF. In April 2024, DAF began offering PACCAR Connect as standard equipment on every new XB, XD, XF, XG and XG+ truck, with 10 years of service included, according to DAF.
The European offering combines an online fleet management portal with an optional detachable tablet, providing a different hardware configuration from the integrated displays planned for North American trucks.
Pricing and retrofit options remain unclear
Despite the announced launch timeline, several commercial details have yet to be disclosed. PACCAR has not provided pricing for the display, the fleet portal or third-party marketplace applications. It has also not identified which aftermarket devices operators might be able to remove once PACCAR Connect is installed.
The North American announcement does not name Platform Science directly, although Transport Topics reported that the trucks’ application store connects to the company’s marketplace.
Existing Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks will not be eligible for a retrofit installation, according to Truck News. The announced system is therefore intended for new vehicles rather than as an upgrade for trucks already in service.
Rich said PACCAR Connect would enable the company to “continuously expand capabilities, integrate new technologies and enhance the driver experience.”
For fleet operators, the key development is the integration of a factory-warranted display with vehicle data and access to third-party applications. However, the extent of the potential savings will remain difficult to assess until PACCAR publishes pricing and clarifies which existing devices and subscriptions the platform can replace.
