LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Western Star will be heading into this summer with a slimmer look. At the Mid-America Trucking Show, the truck maker unveiled a “weight-optimized” 4900 SA tractor it claims is ideally suited for weight-sensitive operations such as bulk and regional hauling.

This vehicle is spec’d using current production components to achieve maximum weight savings.

“Our lightweight 4900 SA truck is important to the Western Star product line because it addresses a critical need for many of our bulk and specialized haul customers,” said John Merrifield, senior vice-president, sales and marketing for Western Star Trucks.

“Our vehicles have long been known for their strength, durability and toughness. This truck is no exception, employing the same lightweight Star Light sleeper technology our customers have grown accustomed to. Now the truck has additional components that offer the greatest weight savings.”

The tractor on display had a dry chassis weight of approximately 15,300 pounds, equipped with a highly specified 68″ Stratosphere sleeper and a 435-horsepower MBE4000, which is the lightest 13-litre engine available in the marketplace today, according to Western Star.

The MBE4000 is at least 125 pounds lighter than comparable large bore engines on the market today, the truck maker says.

Other significant weight-saving features include the Eaton “Lightning” 10-speed manual transmission; a 1,300-square-inch cross flow aluminum radiator, aluminum cross members; lightweight carrier housings for drive axles; and Michelin X-One single tires on tandem axle wheel ends.

For long haul customers, Western Star’s lightweight vehicle is available specified with all of the standard and optional equipment available on the Stratosphere Sleeper.

The Stratosphere sleeper features walk-through capability, and the cab features include wood grain accents, full-height wood finished cabinets, a soft-touch dash and Bostrom “Motion Master” high back seats.

The new 68-inch Stratosphere sleeper is available on all Western Star 4900 models, including the EX (132″ BBC set forward front axle), 4900 FA (set forward front axle in both 109″ and 123″ BBCs) and 4900 SA (set back front axle in both 109″ and 123″ BBCs).

“To engineer this vehicle, we looked at each individual element of a Western Star truck and optimized components with weight-savings in mind,” said Jim Crowcroft, product marketing manager for Western Star.

Like all Western Star trucks, the new 4900 SA lightweight vehicle comes standard with factory-applied PPG paints available in a wide variety of colors.

It also includes remote keyless entry, an option that will be available soon on all 4900 series vehicles.

LowMax now includes 123-inch BBC option

There’s a new LowMax option for the 4900 FA model. Expanding the LowMax package to include a 123-inch BBC (bumper-to-back-of-cab) configuration, this option is an ideal choice for premium owner-operators looking for a shorter hood, stylish design, and the same big bore engine power as the original 4900 EX LowMax, Western Star says.

“With an overall cab height of less than 103 inches and a powerful line-up of available engines, this vehicle was designed for customers who want the LowMax with a shorter BBC,” said Merrifield.

“Since the launch of the LowMax two years ago, the list of options has been expanded to include several new offerings, such as the 68- and 82-inch Stratosphere Star Light Sleepers. We are pleased to expand our options once again to include the 123-inch BBC 4900 FA.”

The 123-inch BBC 4900FA LowMax offers many of the same features as the original 4900 EX, including 22.5-inch low-profile tires, reduced rear suspension height, redesigned lower cab mounting, low-profile oil pan, and special exhaust routing packages. While shortening the hood length by approximately nine-inches, Western Star continues to offer some of the most powerful engines available, including Caterpillar and the Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine.

Western Star also debuted the availability of the Front AirLiner suspension for the LowMax, which features a lower axle drop and suspension height.

Dealer footprint more than doubled

Western Star has more than doubled its dealer and service locations in the U.S. and Canada over the last five years, including a 22 per cent increase in 2003, company officials announced.

“We know that time equals money to our owner/operator customers, and by adding coverage in 14 major markets since 1999, Western Star helps them keep their businesses running smoothly,” said Merrifield.

For example, a trucker travelling out of Los Angeles on one of the continent’s most travelled interstates, I-10, will pass 12 locations before reaching Jacksonville, Fla.

In 1999, the same trucker would only have passed two, Merrifield said.

For more information visit www.westernstar.com