Cummins Takes Innovation Back on The Road with 2027 Engine Tour

Cummins is taking its growing engine lineup directly to customers this spring, reviving a road-tested marketing strategy first used nearly a century ago by founder Clessie Cummins.

Following a successful introduction at the American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting, the Forever Rising Tour will travel nationwide through May 2026.

Five trucks equipped with the company’s latest engines will travel cross-country to trade shows and custom events nationwide, a concept drawing on inspiration from the company’s legacy of hands-on demonstrations and direct customer connection.

Under the hood

Headlining the Forever Rising fleet are three 2027 X15 diesel-powered trucks—a Peterbilt 579, Kenworth T680 and International LT625, all of which are sleeper models. The company’s technical experts say the new diesel complies with 2027 EPA emissions regulations while improving power, fluid economy and maintenance costs.

A Freightliner Cascadia sleeper equipped with the X15N natural gas engine, along with a Freightliner 114SD crew cab equipped with the upcoming X10 diesel engine round out the Forever Rising fleet. 

Following TMC, the tour’s planned stops included the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, Kentucky and the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Las Vegas in May. 

Custom events are also planned at Cummins Sales and Service and dealer locations.

The Forever Rising fleet will ultimately be deployed as part of Cummins’ demo program for customers interested in getting more time behind the wheel. 

Building on a proven approach

The strategy echoes the approach Clessie Cummins used in the 1930s, when he drove diesel-powered vehicles across the country to demonstrate reliability and fuel efficiency at a time when gasoline engines dominated the market. Those high-profile road trips helped establish diesel as a viable alternative during the Great Depression. 

A revised tactic proved effective in 2015 during the Redefining Tour, which introduced the 2017 X15. That campaign sent five trucks across the country and generated strong engagement both at events and online.

Jim Nebergall, Cummins Executive Director of Marketing Strategy, recalls how the earlier tour established that performance is best demonstrated, not just described.

“It began as a simple spark, an insight from our past where we saw the potential to elevate and shape into something much bigger for the future,” Nebergall said.

Mario Sanchez-Lara, Cummins General Manager for National Accounts Private Carriers, served as a marketing director during the Redefining Tour. He praised Clessie Cummins’ over-the-road promotions as an effective way to build better relationships across the industry. 

“This gives us an opportunity to bring the show and the technology to their backyard,” he said. “People are energized from that. You can see it. Some of the most insightful conversations happen one-on-one.” 

Nebergall said the project became one of the most rewarding roles of his career.

Redefining reflections

Cummins CEO and Chair Jennifer Rumsey was leading the company’s heavy-duty engineering team in 2012 when she asked Nebergall to head a newly formed cross-functional business team to launch what would become the company’s flagship product, the 2017 X15. 

The 2017 X15 marked a significant shift for the industry. It introduced a single-module aftertreatment system, new Efficiency and Performance Series ratings and a suite of fuel-saving technologies.

Brainstorming sessions pushed the team beyond its comfort zone. The long-running ISX name was replaced with X15. Traditional promotional images gave way to bold photo collages emphasizing performance, efficiency, value and resilience.

Then came a bigger decision: how to bring the engine directly to customers.

“In our brainstorming session it turned into, ‘Hey, let’s do a cross-country tour,’” Nebergall said. “And that was a play on Clessie Cummins and his advertising strategy of showing the performance and capability of what our engines can do. We agreed to take our product to the people.”

A custom trailer allowed visitors to walk through, examine the X15 and related components and ask questions.

When the trucks hit the road in 2015, online buzz followed, said Abby Snively, now a Cummins Account Executive for National Accounts. At the time, she was an intern helping manage online customer inquiries. 

“I remember the excitement,” Snively said. “Everyone was asking where the next stops were and watching footage of the trucks on the road.” 

Snively later rode along in the convoy. The wrapped trucks drew attention on CB radios, from nearby motorists and at fuel stops.

“When we fueled up, we would fuel up five trucks at a time. We dominated the station,” she said. “We definitely got questions and many drivers would let us know they proudly had a Cummins. It was a smart way to have a moving billboard that created excitement.”

Sanchez-Lara, who rode along for roughly a third of the 2015 tour, said the convoy sometimes attracted followers.

“We found that some trucks were following us and wanted to stop when we stopped to understand what was going on and what was inside the trailer,” he said. “It created a lot of engagement and conversation.”

When the Redefining Tour concluded, Cummins leaders pointed not only to strong engagement but to a renewed understanding of the company’s role in customers’ daily operations. In a post-tour reflection, then–Engine Business President Srikanth Padmanabhan wrote that meeting drivers and fleets across the country underscored the human impact behind Cummins technology.

“Ultimately, we truly make our customers’ lives better in whatever they do through our products,” Padmanabhan wrote. “Our customers live with our products every day, relying on them to bring them back home to their family and friends after every trip.”

A broader portfolio

Given the success of the Redefining Tour, Nebergall said he is eager for the Forever Rising Tour. 

In addition to the featured engines, the tour also highlights Cummins’ expanding portfolio within a mobile display trailer. The so-called PowerHouse includes Cummins’ medium-duty B6.7 Octane and B7.2 diesel engines, products from Cummins Drivetrain and Braking Systems and zero-emission technologies from its subsidiary, Accelera by Cummins.

Unlike the 2015 tour, which centered primarily on a single engine launch, Forever Rising showcases broader offerings that Nebergall says reflect changes in customer demand.

“The Forever Rising fleet includes a broader mix of engines and technologies, a clear reflection of Cummins’ expanding portfolio. It is truly exciting to see.” 

For Cummins, the tour signals more than a product launch. It represents a return to a hands-on approach that defined the company’s early growth. Nearly 100 years after its founder took diesel technology on the road to prove its value, Cummins is again turning to America’s highways to introduce the next chapter of its powertrain strategy.