DTNA Revitalizing Western Star Brand, Looking to Double Market Share
By Jim Park, Equipment Editor

There has been a relative flurry of activity from Western Star this past year. It's not your imagination and it's not a coincidence. Daimler Trucks North America is pushing hard to revitalize Western Star's stagnant market position, and the numbers show the efforts are paying off. Sales increased 45% between 2009 and 2010, going from 1,616 units sold in the U.S. and Canada to 2,345. As of July 2011, 1,885 units have rolled off the company's Portland, Ore. production line.

That may seem like small potatoes compared to Freightliner's sales, but DTNA is not interested in comparisons. General Manager of Western Star Truck Sales Michael Jackson says the company sees Western Star as a brand with a great deal of potential -- not just in the U.S. and Canada, but in many countries around the world.

"It was clear that with some increased investment, specifically in new products, in dealer tools and training and in communication, that the brand could grow," Jackson says. "Our vision is not to ever be what I would call a mainstream player, and we will never see significant market share in the overall market. Instead, we will continue to focus on building the highest quality trucks in North America, with the highest level of craftsmanship and customization and subsequently increase share in those segments where we focus."

Western Star unveiled its new 4700 model in February at NTEA in Indianapolis. It's specifically targeted to dump, mixer, crane, vacuum, snowplow and roll-off customers. It also launched a significantly improved new interior with new colors, cabinetry, technology and quality at the Mid-America Trucking Show in March.

Jackson says he'd like to see Western Star's market share for Canada and the U.S. hit between 4% and 5% next year, and Australian market share to top 15%. Currently, Australia is at 11%.

"With projected sales of the 4700 model next year, we're confident that we'll make our targets," says Jackson.

Both of these product line additions are in preliminary production phases now, and there's more to come, Western Star says.

Traditional Markets

Western Star has always been strong in specialty sectors such as mining, petroleum, forestry, and specialty/heavy haul. The vehicle transporter market has been a good fit for the LowMax model, with its low roof height. Earlier this month, the company introduced a new auto hauler package featuring a specialized front and rear suspension combined with a lower cab mounting system. Combined, those features provide 101.4-inch cab-to-ground height without third-party modifications to the cab roof.

There has been very strong demand in the oil field segments in recent years, Jackson says. That demand, along with new product and legacy market sales, have already sold out production until February 2012.

"Those are all segments where Western Star wants to be number one and two within the markets in their respective countries," Jackson says.

Looking at the Daimler Trucks presence in North America, it's hard to ignore Freightliner, the proverbial elephant in the room. Its market share dwarfs Western Star, but Jackson maintains the Freightliner and Western Star brands cross in very few places.

"We're not competing for the same customers excepts in very small ways, he says. "There are some key differences. First, a Western Star customer tends to be a much smaller operator -- the vast majority purchase one to three trucks a year, with many of those only operating one or just a few vehicles. The typical Freightliner customer tends to purchase many more vehicles, even up into the hundreds of vehicles, year over year. So, size of the customers operation is one key difference."

Another difference is what motivates the customers to select one of the brands over the other.

"Western Star customers tend to make their decision based on the reputation and heritage of the brand, resale value and their desire to purchase a high end truck. They want to be recognized as being unique and don't want to own a truck that everyone else is driving," notes Jackson. "Freightliner customers tend to look for a high level of parts availability, fuel efficiency, overall dealer support and their initial purchase price is important."

The Western Star brand has survived more than 40 years under several corporate banners, and it looks like DTNA is now giving the name the recognition it needs to flourish. The Portland assembly plant now produces 100% Western Star product for domestic and export markets. These are tough times for truck makers, so DTNA's decision to maintain and grow the brand can only be seen as good news for fans of the last truly custom-made trucks in North America.

Cat Recalling Engines EPA Says Didn't Meet Emissions Standards; Will Pay $2.55 Million Fine

Caterpillar is recalling more than 590,000 on-highway and off-road diesel engines and will pay a $2.55 million penalty to resolve alleged Clean Air Act violations for shipping the engines without the correct emissions controls. Caterpillar also allegedly failed to comply with emission control reporting and engine-labeling requirements.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a settlement with Caterpillar last week.

From February 2002 to November 2006, the government says, Caterpillar shipped nearly 600,000 engines, both off-road and on-highway, to more than 50 original equipment manufacturers, that were not equipped with the aftertreatment devices and/or fuel programming software that were present on Cat engines that were certified by EPA.

As a result, says the EPA, the engines emitted excess nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.

In cases where the aftertreatment device was the problem, the table of engines in the legal complaint notes that the aftertreatment devices were shipped separately from the engines.

"Caterpillar denies any wrongdoing, but does agree that the decree represents a good faith effort between the parties to resolve their differences and avoid potentially lengthy litigation," said Cat in a statement. "Caterpillar is committed to following the terms of the decree."

The company also notes that many of the engine in question have already been fixed as part of an earlier recall, reports ENR.

Caterpillar will recall the affected engines and install the correct aftertreatment devices and reprogram the fuel injector and fuel map settings. This recall will continue until all engines with incorrect catalysts, fuel injectors or fuel map settlings have been addressed or until December 31, 2011, whichever is earlier.

In addition to the recall, Caterpillar will mitigate excess emissions through permanent retirement of banked emission credits.

The proposed settlement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. For more information: www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/caa/caterpillarinc11.html

Commercial Vehicle Safety Technology Bill Provides Installation Tax Credit

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Act of 2011, S. 1233, introduced by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) would provide a tax credit for commercial vehicle owners to install stability control systems, collision warning and other safety technology.

Identical to its House companion, H.R. 1706, which was introduced by Reps. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) earlier this year, the bill outlines tax benefits for upfitting vechicles with safety equipment. The House bill is currently co-sponsored by Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), David Dreier (R-Calif.), Michael Michaud (D-Maine); Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.).

The bill:

* provides a tax credit equal to 50 percent of the cost of a qualified system, up to $1,500.
* allows a total credit of up to $3,500 per vehicle.
* limits the qualifying taxpayer to a maximum credit of $350,000 per taxable year.
* extends credit eligibility for the purchase of school buses, intercity buses and vehicles used in commerce weighing over 26,000 pounds.

The covered safety technologies are brake stroke monitoring systems, stability control systems, lane departure warning systems and collision warning or mitigation systems.

The list of eligible technologies was crafted with the help of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and is designed to target the causes of approximately 60% of commercial motor vehicle accidents, as identified in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Large Truck Crash Causation Study.

The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association and its affiliate organization, the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association, strongly support the bill. Leaders of both organizations said the bill will help reduce accidents and fatalities on our roadways. Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems also supports both bills.

According to the Department of Transportation, over 3,600 people were killed and more than 75,000 were injured on our nation's highways in accidents involving heavy-duty vehicles in 2009.

6/22/2011  Western Star Offers Bluetooth-Enabled Radio for Full Product Line

A Bluetooth-enabled radio is now available as an option for Western Star's full product line, including the Western Star 4700, 4800, 4900 and 6900 truck models.

Mounted in the cab's overhead console, the Bluetooth technology enables drivers to talk on cell phones hands-free. Operating through the cab speaker system, the technology mutes the radio when the driver places or receives a call, helping drivers keep their eyes on the road and stay in compliance with hands-free cell phone laws.

Navigation systems with Bluetooth capability will also work with this new system. Similar to the phone, the radio is muted when the navigation system announces a driver's next turn.

The new Bluetooth-enabled system comes standard with Sirius XM Radio.

Diesel Continues Falling; Crude Once Again Rising

On-highway diesel prices continued falling last week, although not quite as steeply as the week before.

According to the Energy Information Administration, the national average price fell another 4.9 cents to $3.948. A week earlier prices dropped 6.4 cents nationally. Diesel fuel is still nearly a dollar more expensive than this time last year.

Moreover, prices dropped in every region of the United States, with the Rocky Mountains taking the biggest cut at 8.1 cents. The Gulf Coast is still cheapest at $3.884, California the most expensive at $4.227.

The dollar once again weakened vis-à-vis the Euro as Germany considered dropping its push for an early rescheduling of Greek bonds in order to facilitate a new package of aid loans for the debt-laden country. This three-week high against the dollar pushed oil prices back up: Light, sweet crude for July closed at $102.70 on Tuesday, gaining 2.1 percent.

Additionally, crude oil prices were also pushed upward by a major pipeline shutdown in the U.S. A modest 40-barrel spill at a Kansas pump station along TransCanada's Keystone network led the operator to shut down the entire pipeline system, which connects heavy-oil fields in Alberta with the oil hub of Cushing, Okla., which is the delivery point for the Nymex light, sweet oil contract. Record oil levels at Cushing have depressed the front-month Nymex contract versus other contracts in recent months, and the outage on the network, which can deliver up to 591,000 barrels a day to Cushing, is causing the Nymex contract to regain territory.

Mitsubishi Fuso Unveils All-New 2012 Canter FE/FG Series Work Trucks—Designed to Deliver Lower Cost of Ownership

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Inc. (MFTA) introduced its new Canter FE/FG Series trucks at The Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, IN. Bringing the name Canter to the North American models for the first time, the company is applying its long-standing global branding to the trucks it believes represent the future of transport technology in North America.

Across the board, the new line-up of 2012-model Mitsubishi Fuso cabovers evidence enhancements and upgrades. Five models, covering weight ratings from class 3 through class 5, address virtually every vocational need from dry freight, refrigerated delivery, landscaping and delicate cargo transport to auto recovery, municipal roadwork and snow plowing.

The line includes standard chassis designs for class 3 through class 5 — the Canter FE125, Canter FE160 and Canter FE180, but also extends to a 7-passenger crew cab model, the Canter FE160CC, and the only 4-wheel-drive medium duty cabover in the industry, the FG4X4.

“This is the most extensive redesign we’ve undertaken in seven years,” says Todd Bloom, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Inc. (MFTA). “We had to develop new drivetrains to meet EPA 2010 regulations, of course. But we asked our designers and engineers to go beyond that, and to put everything they’ve learned about powertrain technology and efficiency into the new Canter FE/FG series of commercial trucks. The resulting trucks don't just represent an incremental improvement over our previous models. The 2012 models represent a new approach to the technology of transporting goods by truck, and they are specifically designed to deliver lower cost of ownership."

The most advanced drivetrain available on a medium-duty commercial truck
The company’s new 4P10 dual-overhead-cam, dual-balance-shaft, turbocharged, intercooled 4-cylinder diesel engine is coupled to an advanced Mitsubishi Fuso Duonic 6-speed, dual-clutch automated manual transmission — the only dual-clutch transmission available in a commercial truck. The combination helps contribute to the Canter’s higher fuel economy as well as its easy operation.

Western Star Truck Sales, Inc. introduced its all-new Class 8 vocational truck, the Western Star 4700. The 4700, combined with the Western Star 4900 and 6900 truck models, provides customers with a full range of premium truck options to suit any need.

Available in a set-forward and set-back configuration, the 4700 features a 110” BBC – the shortest BBC in its class – and is the ideal solution to meet the needs of the dump, mixer, crane, roll-off, sewer vac and plow segments.

“The Western Star 4700 broadens our product line-up to meet the growing needs of value-minded vocational customers who still demand the attributes found in a traditional Western Star truck,” said Mike Jackson, general manager of Western Star. “Hand-built with unmatched attention to detail, the 4700 features the same durability, ruggedness and reliability our customers expect from Western Star.”

The Western Star 4700 is ready to take on the most demanding of applications, and is available with the broadest range of powertrain options in a single truck model, including the Detroit Diesel DD13® engine and the Cummins ISC and ISL engines.

A broad range of transmissions are also available for the 4700, including the latest Eaton Ultrashift PLUS transmission, and Alison 3000 and 4000-series transmissions.

Body builder friendly features are key in the vocational market – not only for ease of upfit, but for reducing body installation time. And while the 4700 features standard spec’s such as clean back of cab, in-cab batteries for clear frame rails, and front frame extensions, the 4700’s attention to detail puts it in a league of its own.

The truck’s body builder interface connectors and transmission control unit is located in-cab, providing greater protection against harsh or corrosive environments, ultimately preventing the possibility of wiring shorts and downtime.

Also included is a bolt-in pass-through plate in the cab floor that eliminates unnecessary drilling, and a dedicated Body Builder Wiring Raceway. An easily accessible routing path through the cab floor, the Raceway provides plenty of room for body builders to route wiring more efficiently.

The truck also features point-to-point wiring, and an add-on multiplex option is available.

Vocational applications demand strong, yet lightweight frames, and the 4700 meets this need with a new, half-inch, 3.2 million RBM single-channel frame rail option that reduces weight and maximizes payload in a single frame. Plus, the single-channel rail is custom-punched to eliminate unnecessary holes that can reduce frame strength.

In addition to the frame, the 4700 features multiple mid-chassis packaging solutions to help body builders achieve the clean back-of-cab they need for optimal body installation.

The routing and clipping of air and electrical lines down the chassis are suspended away from the frame rails to reduce the chance that the lines will rub against the rail, creating issues that can result in downtime.

The Western Star 4700 will be available to order in the third quarter of 2011, with targeted delivery in early 2012.

For more information on Western Star, visit www.westernstartrucks.com. 

Western Star to Unveil New Truck at Work Truck Show

Feb 2, 2011 12:25 PM

Western Star Trucks Sales, Inc. will expand its current product line with the launch of its new Class 8 vocational truck at The Work Truck Show 2011 in Indianapolis.

Designed specifically for the construction, crane, dump, mixer, roll-off and municipal segments, the new truck will be on display in the Western Star booth (#933).

“Western Star was built on providing rugged and durable premium products for the vocational market, and our new truck will meet and exceed our customers’ growing demand for a lighter weight, high quality, customizable product,” said Mike Jackson, president, Western Star. “We couldn’t be more excited to introduce our current and new customers in the various construction and municipal segments to a new Western Star product that will help them get the job done – both efficiently and with style.

For additional details about The Work Truck Show, visit: http://www.ntea.com/worktruckshow/.

For more information about Western Star, and to find a local dealer, visit www.WesternStar.com or call 866-850-STAR (7827).

1/26/2011
ATA Tonnage Index Jumps 2.2 Percent

The American Trucking Associations' advance seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 2.2 percent in December after falling a revised 0.6 percent in November. The latest improvement put the index at its highest level since September 2008.

The seasonally adjusted index for December is was 111.6 (2000=100) in December. In November, the SA index equaled 109.2.

The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment, equaled 107.2 in December, down 1 percent from the previous month.

Compared with December 2009, seasonally adjusted tonnage climbed 4.2 percent, which was higher than November's 3.3 percent year-over-year increase. For all of 2010, tonnage was up 5.7 percent compared with 2009. In 2009, the index plunged 8.7 percent.

ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said that December's improvement fits well with the sea-saw pattern that many carriers are reporting. "Fleets continue to tell me that freight volumes are very choppy - up one week, but down the next. That is a trend that is likely to continue this year as the economy is not growing across the board yet."

Still, Costello said it was a positive sign for the economy that SA tonnage reached the highest level in 27 months. "I continue to expect truck freight tonnage to grow modestly during the first half of 2011 and accelerate in the later half of the year into 2012."

Are You Greasing Right?
By Deborah Lockridge, Editor

The best grease in the world won't do the job if it doesn't get to where it's needed. That's why it's important to train technicians on proper greasing procedures.

"When basics aren't followed, it's going to cause reduced life," says Dan Arcy, Shell OEM technical manager. For instance, too much grease can be just as bad as not enough. As an example, overgreasing a U-joint can cause O-ring damage, and cause just as many problems as not having enough grease, he says.

"It's quite common that bearings get overlubricated, say on a trailer," Arcy says. "Too much grease is put in, the bearings aren't torqued down to the correct tightness, and those things can all compromise the life of the component." Too much grease, he says, can trap heat. "Typically your component manufacturer will have a certain amount of grease they want in the bearing - and most of the time, that's not packing the things as full as you possibly can."

Kirk Altrichter, vice president of maintenance for Washington-based Gordon Trucking, has an extensive training program for his technicians, and grease is one part of it. "We have a mockup slack adjuster on a stand to show examples of over greasing and under greasing," he says. "We can clean it out pretty quickly and have a go at it again."

Overgreasing is especially common on fifth wheel top plates. That extra grease just goes all over the frame, the shop, the yard, and the road.

"I know techs like to put that Zorro ribbon of grease on there because it's faster, and they think the trailer is going to do the rest of the job, but that's not the best way to do it," says Mark Betner, Citgo heavy-duty lubricants manager.

Altrichter developed a six-page slide presentation to educate his technicians on the proper way to apply grease to the fifth wheel.

"One of the things we've done is to get away from using so much grease on the fifth wheel," he says. "As soon as you hook to a trailer, it just pushes it off the fifth wheel onto the drivetrain or the ground. We went to just applying it to the lower third of the fifth wheel, so it then pushes it across the rest of the fifth wheel" when coupling the trailer. "We use a trowel to spread it, like you're putting glue on the back of tile. We're not tracking grease through the building, nor are we wasting as much grease."

Another area of concern is proper storage of grease canisters. "Grease is to be stored upright, not lying flat," explains Chuck Hamilton, technical service specialist for CHS, which makes Cenex brand lubricants. If they are stored lying on their side, air pockets can be introduced into the grease gun. This may be the problem if you think the grease tube wasn't filled right.