John Logan (left), service manager for MHC Kenworth of Salina, and Ben Wild, a second- year student at Salina Area Technical College, look Friday morning at the carbon rings in the cylinders of a Paccar MX-13 diesel engine donated by Kenworth. [Tom Dorsey / Salina Journal]

Diesel technology students at Salina Area Technical College can now take advantage of working on diesel engines recently donated by truck manufacturer Kenworth.

“It’s absolutely critical that students get the latest equipment,” said John Logan, service manager for MHC Kenworth in Salina. “They become more aware of the newest technology and they’re better prepared to start work.”

Logan said PACCAR, Kenworth’s parent company, announced an initiative about a year ago to distribute engines to technical colleges. He jumped right on it and got Salina Tech and NCK Tech on the waiting list.

Six to eight months later, Salina Tech and NCK Tech became the first institutions to receive engines under the program. Each engine is valued at about $40,000.

Ben Wild, a diesel technology student who also works for MHC, said working on real-life equipment is invaluable.

“I can transfer the knowledge I get here so Kenworth doesn’t have to pay to send me off to training,” Wild said.

Read more at Salina.com