Western Star taps new market with vocational ‘bad-ass’

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Western Star has come out with its first new truck in more than a decade, aimed at six core vocational segments including: dump; mixer; crane; roll-off; snow plow; and sewer vac applications.

The new, self-described “bad-ass” model 4700 is aimed at “value-minded” construction and municipal customers, Mike Jackson, general manager of Western Star, said before unveiling the new truck at the Work Truck Show here today. Available in either a set-forward or set-back configuration, the 4700 boasts a short 110-inch BBC, which Western Star officials claimed to be the tightest in its class.

Western Star will begin taking orders for the 4700 in the third quarter of 2011 with deliveries beginning in early 2012, Jackson said.

“While we kept our customers’ wallets in mind, make no mistake, this is every bit a Western Star, hand-built with every attention to detail,” Jackson said. “Durable, rugged and stylish and with one of the widest ranges of power ratings in its class.”

The new offering will come with the Detroit Diesel DD13 under the hood, or the Cummins ISC and ISL if a 13-litre is not required.  

It has been a good year for Western Star, and the truck maker seems to have rediscovered its swagger. The overall Class 8 truck market’s order intake grew 16% last year while Western Star outpaced the overall market and saw its own order board surge 45%.

“Despite the continuation of one of the worst trucking markets last year, Western Star saw dramatic improvements in volume and order intake,” Jackson said. “We are building on the momentum achieved in 2010 by expanding our vocational presence with lighter applications and new engine offerings and the continued product enhancement for our current segments.”

Western Star engineers involved dealers, customers and body builders in the design of the new truck, soliciting advice and designing a truck that’s body builder friendly. Not only does the 4700 have a clean back of cab, but Daimler’s tightly packaged one-box exhaust aftertreatment system occupies minimal frame rail space. The SCR system comes with either a six- or 13-gallon diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) tank and in-cab batteries free up an additional 17 to 34 inches of frame rail space for equipment installation. The DEF and air tanks can be placed under the cab to free up additional frame rail space, the company says.

The body builder interface and transmission control unit are located in the cab – away from road debris and contaminants – which should reduce wiring issues. The 4700 also boasts a bolt-in, pass-through plate in the cab floor that eliminates unnecessary drilling as well as a dedicated body builder wiring raceway, an easily accessible routing path through the cab floor.

“We’ve already received praise from those who have seen the new raceway,” Jackson said.

A full range of transmissions will be available on the 4700, including all the usual manual options as well as Allison automatics and the Eaton UltraShift Plus automated transmission.

Drivers too, should like the 4700. The truck comes with a sloped hood for improved visibility and a 55-degree wheel cut that provides good maneuverability in tight spaces.

“We understand the unique needs of the vocational job sites, so we designed the truck to shine in tight urban spaces or busy construction sites,” Jackson said. “Drivers will feel at ease operating the 4700.”

Mike Jackson introduces the Western Star 4700 here.

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