Western Star

What’s that in your bag? Swag

Gratuit. Livre. Zadarmo. However you say it, it’s free. At conventions it’s the Stuff We All Get - SWAG. At every trucking convention, nearly every booth features some kind of giveaway, and Truck World 2018 was no different. With more than 500 exhibitors - including more than 75 companies in the two-day recruiting pavilion – my mission was clear: hit every booth and come away with as much free stuff as possible. There was one simple rule – I couldn’t take for anything that wasn’t available to everyone. I didn’t include draws where there was only one prize awarded at the end, but did include gifts which required something from the giftee, as long as it was a simple ask and there were enough prizes for most people who completed the task. I also included prizes available only to children, although I didn’t take them home with me.

Daimler “prints” first metal truck part

STUTTGART, GERMANY - Engineers working for Daimler's European truck brand, Mercedes-Benz Trucks, have successfully used a 3D printer to create a metal thermostat cover - proving a process that could reshape the way spare metal parts are produced and distributed. With the potential of decentralizing production, 3D printing could improve parts availability, shorten delivery times, and reduce warehousing and distribution costs, the company notes. Daimler's brands in North America include Freightliner and Western Star. "With the introduction of 3D metal printing technology, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is reasserting its pioneering role among global commercial vehicle manufacturers," said Andreas Deuschle, head of marketing and operations - customer services and parts with Mercedes-Benz Trucks. "We ensure the same functionality, reliability, durability and cost-effectiveness with 3D metal parts as we do with conventionally produced parts."

IN PRINT — Gold Star: Western Star turns 50

TORONTO, ON -- Western Star Trucks is now 50 years old, an iconic brand in Canada, if a little less so in the U.S. That difference isn't surprising because the truck was born here when White Motor Company built a plant in Kelowna, B.C., and launched what was called the White Western Star. A tough truck, it was essentially hand-built, and if you wanted holes in the frame here as opposed to there, you had only to ask. Its initial target was the forestry world. A logging truck par excellence, as it remains, it also found favor in the oil patch and in mines.

Western Star Expands XD Lineup

PHOENIX, AZ -- Western Star has introduced a new member in its line of XD OffRoad trucks, the XD-25. It's a 25-ton hauler aimed at smaller off-road applications, such as construction, mining, and quarry site hauling. Despite its size and bulk, it can manage on-the-road speeds up to 65 mph or 105 km/h, so in some cases it can be treated as an on/off-road machine. While it looks something like a 4900, much more steel is involved in its construction. It's by no means a converted highway truck. The XD-25 presently comes with a 14-liter Detroit Series 60 Tier 3 engine mated to Allison Off Road Series transmissions and planetary gear sets. The motor will be replaced by year-end with a Detroit DD13.