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WESTERN WRECKER
Western Star is becoming the truck of choice in the extra-heavy duty recovery/wrecker truck community |
Think well beyond 56t gross combination mass (GCM). Think off-road, road-trains, abnormal, wrecker/recovery units, mining and quarrying, and just think big - that's Western Star! A 'Western' is every little boy's and big boy's dream truck. A 'Western' represents tailor-made grunt. Freightliner LLC acquired Western Star in 2001 and at the Freightliner's Portland factory in Oregon, USA, they produce only 30 'Western' units a day. South Africa sells only 30 'Westerns' a year - only one day's entire production of the USA 'Western' assembly line. There's no adaptation of a standard production model - you spec a 'Western' for a really big job and then they will still build in reserve because of 40 years experience logging and mining in tough environments around the world.
Since appointing Liebherr Africa as the official Southern Africa Western Star distributor and not trying to compete with standard line-haul trucks in the on-road market, 'Westerns' have won their niche as a specialist truck. The Leibherr distributorship makes so much sense because Liebherr operate in the specialist off-road mining markets with 4 branches and 6 depots. Add to this the opportunity created for Liebherr to match their loading machines to a 'Western' and the package makes productive sense. South Africa's Freightliner dealer network handles any on-highway sales and back-up service requirements through 17 outlets.
Major components equipping these unique 'Westerns' are also well represented in Southern Africa. Drivelines are Cummins, Caterpillar or Detroit Diesel powered with Allison full automatic or Eaton automated shift gearboxes and Meritor axles.
This is not your off-the-shelf truck chassis with a discountable sticker price. In other words you do not buy a 'Western' you acquire it against extensive, spreadsheet performance calculations - a task that requires on-site investigation and a passion for trucking. There's nothing else like it and Duncan Prince, Product Manager Western Star, who heads up the Division at Mercedes-Benz South Africa, is truly passionate about 'Westerns'.
That's why 'Westerns' have won a market niche.
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EART-THROB TRUCKS
Macho equipment fitted to a 'Western' makes a truckers pulse rate quicken |
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WESTERN ROAD TRAIN AT RBM
Unitrans focus on specialist markets - the road less travelled - and Western Star is the choice at Richards Bay Minerals for this 150t road train |
WESTERN STAR TT
Transcor's tri-drive, abnormal hauler is South Africa's biggest street-legal truck tractor |
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Team
A trucker's service and product team - from left Arthur Lightfoot, MD of Liebherr Africa and Duncan Prince Product Manager Western Star. |
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