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 Western Star Trucks

Serious Trucks for Serious Work!

The company was founded on the belief that the driver is the most valuable asset in trucking – whether it's a mining truck operator in West Virginia or an over-the-road owner-operator in British Columbia. Always keeping the driver in mind, the company has introduced many products and innovations to the marketplace, including a series of unique sleeper options, the sleek LowMax profile, and a powerful extreme-duty vehicle, all the while continuing to enhance existing products.

Tracing its roots back to 1967, Western Star Trucks began with engineering and operations located at company headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio and production in Canada. To meet its customers’ growing demands for mining, logging, and oil field heavy-duty trucks, the small Western Star plant would eventually become 250,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 50,000 square feet of just-in-time warehousing. During the company’s growth in the coming years, improvements were made in efficiency and engineering as it manufactured custom-built Class 8 trucks for vocational applications.

Throughout the 1980s, Western Star Trucks continued to grow its product line and market share, all the while evolving its manufacturing process and its reputation for durable and reliable custom trucks. One of the first major product development initiatives undertaken by the fledgling company was increasing headroom in the cab and improving driver visibility, which set Western Star trucks apart from other models in the industry. Additionally, a state-of-the-art wrap-around dash catered an individualistic look to a new customer: the highway tractor driver. Western Star’s position as a premium highway tractor in the owner-operator custom truck market continued with the introduction of the Supertilt hood on 1986 model year trucks. This innovation revamped the product line and introduced one of the earliest versions of the sloped hood to the ultra-conservative heavy truck industry. These traditional lines are maintained even today.

A year later, Western Star launched the Cornerstone chassis: a new platform that reduced cost, weight and complexity. By 1990, the extreme duty 6900 XD model was in production for the most rugged applications. In 1992, Western Star won significant contracts with the Canadian military, PT Freeport mining in Indonesia, and highway maintenance trucks for the province of British Columbia. Western Star developed and launched the Constellation cab and sleeper in 1996. The cab featured a large size and superior comfort to the owner-operator market and maintained Western Star’s tradition of welded steel cab construction.

In 1998, the Star Light Sleeper was introduced with a revolutionary new design and an ultra-lightweight polypropylene honeycomb core, sandwiched between two sheets of high-grade aluminum. This was a major weight reduction achievement for Western Star and the industry. In 2002, Western Star moved production to Portland, Oregon. The new plant offered distinct advantages for Western Star from both a production and engineering standpoint, including the plant employees’ significant experience in building a wide range of custom trucks and the close proximity to state-of-the-art development and testing facilities. That same year, Western Star introduced the LowMax package. Available on several models, the LowMax features a sleek lower-profile stance and lots of custom stainless steel accessories.

Three new products were introduced in 2003. The 82-inch Stratosphere was launched, becoming the only walk-through sleeper in the industry that incorporates roof-mounted air horns and marker lights. The 6900 XD model became available with Twin-Steer, offering yet another solution to the extreme-duty market. Plus, the 68-inch Stratosphere walk-through sleeper was introduced, providing an ideal length for Canadian customers and other vocations where a shorter wheelbase is required. In 2004, the 123-inch BBC 4900 FA LowMax was introduced, as well as a lighter-weight 4900 SA with a Stratosphere sleeper.

The Stratosphere sleeper line was expanded in 2006, making it the broadest line of walk-through sleepers in the industry. Known for its unique combination of traditional styling and modern engineering, Western Star's popular Stratosphere family now includes 40- and 54-inch sizes as well as an 82-inch Ultra High model, the industry's largest sleeper by interior volume. Western Star Trucks has long stood for the ultimate in comfort, power, and convenience – while at the same time providing quality, durability, and reliability.

From owner-operator tractors to premium vocational and severe-duty trucks, Western Stars are built exactly to the specifications of its customers and will continue to provide the most advanced and demanded options in the marketplace today, and into the future. Western Star offers the 4900 FA, 4900 SA, 4900 EX, and 6900 XD models for three key segments: Owner-Operator – Western Star has tremendous customer loyalty and pride of ownership and offers three premium models to those looking for a rugged and great-looking truck: the set-forward 4900 FA; the set-back 4900 SA, with super visibility hood; and the 4900 EX extended, conventional hood.

Constructed with superior craftsmanship and featuring a spacious, quiet cab, all of the models are available with several custom options including the LowMax package and five Stratosphere sleeper sizes. Premium Vocational – For the toughest jobs, Western Star offers a full line of rugged premium vocational trucks for applications including, dump, logging, and heavy haul. The 4900 FA, 4900 SA, and 4900 EX can all be customized to meet the specific demands of any over-the-road application. Specialty/Extreme – For extreme applications when the ordinary rules of tonnage and terrain cease to apply, Western Star offers custom-built high-performance trucks. The 4900 SA can be used for severe mixer, military, oilfield, snowplow, and railway maintenance applications; the 4900 FA is ideal for severe mixer applications; and the 6900 XD, which was built to handle the toughest severe-duty applications, is perfect for the most challenging military, oilfield, and mining jobs.

Premium Quality Trucks for Long Haul and Severe-Duty Life Renowned for premium quality trucks and fierce customer loyalty, Western Star® trucks have been the pride of owners for more than 35 years. Western Star serves three market segments in the heavy-duty, Class 8 category: owner-operator, premium vocational and specialty/extreme. For the long-haul owner-operator who spends days and nights on the open road, Western Star offers everything from the 4900 series to the LowMax and the luxurious Stratosphere Star Light Sleeper. Western Star also offers a full line of premium vocational trucks. Custom-built to handle heavy payloads, these vehicles also serve duty as dump trucks, mixers, logging trucks and heavy-haul construction vehicles.

For heavy-duty, off-road and severe service applications, Western Star makes a line of specialty and extreme-duty trucks, customized for specific applications including the mining and oil industries, as well as the military. Western Star trucks are produced in Portland, Oregon. There are a large number of Western Star dealers in the U.S. and Canada, and there's a wide service network for easy maintenance and repair.