WILLOUGHBY, Ohio — North America’s largest and longest knuckle boom crane has been fitted to a Western Star chassis in Ephrata, Penn.

Weaver Precast chose the Western Star 4900 FA as the truck of choice to equip with the enormous crane. The crane will be used to install basement walls in residential homes. It has a unique telescoping design with a 360-degree working radius.

It can handle up to two tonnes of weight while extended at 100 feet and its design allows the crane to closely hug the chassis making it easy to transport.

The Western Star chosen for this task is equipped with a Cat C15 engine. It is also spec’d with an 18-speed Eaton Fuller transmission and Meritor front and rear axles. The combo has a GVW of less than 75,000 lbs, allowing it to comply with weight laws in other jurisdictions.

“We chose Western Star because of its reputation for rugged toughness while off-road, since we’ll primarily use this crane on residential building sites throughout New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, and Delaware,” said Dan Martin, vice-president of operations for Weaver Precast. “The crane helps us install larger walls than ever before, and our Western Star is able to provide the stability needed for this application.”

He added: “Our operator really likes the layout of the cab. It’s extremely comfortable, which is important when travelling between job sites in the region.”