Peterbilt 281 – specifications
Series: Other models
Build year not documented · Data origin: Reference work (Wikipedia/Wikibooks) · sources
The Peterbilt 281 is a tractor unit from Peterbilt.
Power is transmitted through a 5-speed Spicer manual13-speed Fuller Roadranger10-speed manual gearbox.
Peterbilt 379: US tractor unit with a long engine hood, a six-cylinder engine of 14,900 cm3 displacement, 23,587 kg gross vehicle weight and a 7,400 mm wheelbase for long-haul transport
Peterbilt is a US manufacturer of heavy trucks based in Denton, Texas, part of the Paccar group, known above all for its long-nose tractor units in North American long-haul transport. The 379 is one of the brand's best-known series and was for a long time a favoured truck among owner-operator drivers.
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The 379 is powered by a six-cylinder engine with 14,900 cm3 displacement; the register lists engines from Cummins, Caterpillar, Detroit Diesel or Paccar as options. Gross vehicle weight is 23,587 kg, unladen weight 8,740 kg, overall length 8,930 mm, and wheelbase 7,400 mm. Top speed is 85 km/h, and the vehicle rides on six wheels.
The long 7,400 mm wheelbase is typical of long-nose US tractor units: it creates room for the far-forward engine hood and for a sleeper berth behind the driver's seat, standard for multi-day runs in North American long-haul work. As a tractor unit, the 379 carries a trailer's load through its kingpin onto the fifth-wheel coupling.
When buying a used example of this model, the frame along the long hood and the wheelbase deserves particular attention for corrosion and cracking, since long-nose US tractor units rack up high mileages in long-haul service. Depending on which engine is fitted – Cummins, Caterpillar, Detroit Diesel or Paccar – service intervals and parts availability differ significantly, which is worth clarifying before purchase. Brakes and running gear should be checked for even wear at this gross weight.
Sources: SpecCodex-Register: Kennwerte des Modells Peterbilt 379, Peterbilt (manufacturer)
Technical data
Engine
| Engine | Cummins NTC350 small camcorrect |
|---|
Drivetrain and chassis
| Gearbox | 5-speed Spicer manual gearbox13-speed Fuller Roadranger10-speed manualcorrect |
|---|
What to check before buying
- Check the hour meter against the service records — a replaced instrument is the most common gap.
- Compare the data plate and chassis number with the papers.
- Shift the gearbox cold and warm — jumps only show up at temperature.
- Ask about parts availability for this build year — the running costs hang on it.
A general list for this type of machine — no substitute for an inspection or an appraiser.
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This page carries 2 individual figures for this model. They come from 1 recorded source; every figure can be traced there. What we cannot document is not here — we leave gaps open rather than estimate them.
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Sources: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) (retrieved August 2026) · Values adopted and presented in our own form; changes from the source are possible. · Data sources and cross-checks
Truck in 3D section
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