The Peterbilt 348 was the vocational model at the top of the medium-duty range from 2009 to 2021. It replaced the 340 and shared the revised cab, with its single-piece windshield, that Peterbilt introduced on the medium-duty line in 2007.
Peterbilt 348 at a glance
| Maker | Peterbilt Motors Company (PACCAR) |
|---|---|
| Production | 2009–2021 |
| Class | medium-duty, Class 7/8 |
| Use | vocational applications |
| Replaced | Model 340 |
| Cab | single-piece windshield, 2007 generation |
| Range | 330, 337 and 348 |
| Related models | 330 in Class 6, 337 in Class 7 |
| Predecessor of the number | 348 of 1970–1986, an unrelated truck |
History of the Peterbilt 348
The 348 belongs to the 2009 revision of the medium-duty range. In that year Peterbilt dropped the 335 and 340 and replaced them with the 337 and 348, the numbers marking Class 7 and Class 7/8 positions. The new models adopted the single-piece windshield that had come with the 2007 generation, along with updated equipment, and the 348 was aimed squarely at vocational work: dump bodies, tippers and service bodies rather than long-haul tractors.
The number had been used before. From 1970 to 1986 a Peterbilt 348 was a conventional truck designed for cement mixers and dump trucks, the first Peterbilt with a sloped fibreglass hood. The 2009 model is a different vehicle on a different cab, and the two are connected only by the designation.
The 348 continued in the range until 2021, when the medium-duty line was renewed once more. It shared its cab with the 330 and 337, so a fleet running several of the medium-duty models could standardise on parts and training. In its Class 7/8 form the 348 carried the heaviest bodies the medium-duty chassis could take.
Design and features
- Vocational focus: built for dump, tipper and service bodies rather than highway haulage.
- Single-piece windshield: part of the 2007 medium-duty revision, shared with the 330 and 337.
- Class 7/8 chassis: the heaviest of the medium-duty models of its generation.
- Shared cab: one cab across the medium-duty family simplified fleet maintenance.
Peterbilt 348 versions
- 348 (2009–2021): the Class 7/8 vocational model.
- 330: the Class 6 model of the same generation.
- 337: the Class 7 model between the two.
- 348 of 1970–1986: an unrelated earlier truck with the same number.
The lighter member of the family is covered with the Peterbilt 330, and the heavy vocational line continues with the 367 and the 365. All models are under Peterbilt.
Sources
- Peterbilt, English Wikipedia: 2009 revision, replacement of the 335 and 340, PACCAR engines
- List of Peterbilt vehicles, English Wikipedia: production years, class, vocational role, 1970-1986 namesake
