Coming off the best year in Western Star history, the truck manufacturer will roll out “the best vocational truck in the industry” this summer, promises David Carson, senior vice president, vocational sales and marketing, Daimler Trucks North America.
Western Star provided a “sneak peek” of its newest truck in the vocational truck product portfolio during a Facebook live event Thursday. In the broadcast, Carson reached as if to remove the cover from the vehicle before admitting he had “teased” the audience for the time being.
He emphasized the new Western Star is not a “repurposed” highway truck, but a dedicated vocational vehicle built with the global resources of Daimler in collaboration with vocational customers, dealers, and truck equipment manufacturers (TEMs).
“What you see is the result of a project we started over six years ago—six years solely focused on building the best vocational truck in the industry—a project that will deliver a truck built from the ground up as a true vocational truck,” Carson said. “This will be the safest, most advanced, most tested, and most upfit-friendly Western Star ever built, period.”
The new Western Star truck, which will be fully unveiled in summer 2020, is part of parent company DTNA’s recently announced segment strategy to deepen its focus on segment-specific needs. The structure is designed to strengthen DTNA’s customer- and application-focused commitment to vocational customers. The new truck is billed as a prime example, leveraging the global design and engineering resources of Daimler for the most proven truck in Western Star history.
In 2019, Western Star introduced an enhanced version of its best-selling truck model, the 4700, which includes updates such as a refreshed interior, more powertrain options, additional TEM-friendly features, and new active safety features.
Western Star, founded in 1967, recently built its 200,000th truck and its newest truck the company will continue Western Star’s emphasis on productivity, driver comfort and safety while retaining the distinctive styling of a Western Star truck, Carson added.
