Western Star 49X: The Next-Generation Vocational Truck Has Arrived

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The all-new Western Star 49X is available for ordering this winter, with first deliveries expected to begin in early 2021. (Photo courtesy of Daimler Trucks North America.)

When designing its new 49X vocational truck, Daimler Trucks brand Western Star went with a clean-sheet design approach highlighted by an all-new frame and X-series cab built to meet the needs of demanding vocational applications. The 49X is built on a chassis that’s both stronger and lighter than its 4900 predecessor, offering a weight savings of over 350 pounds (158.8 kilograms) in like-for-like specs and a Resisting Bending Moment (RBM) strength rating of up to 3.7 million pounds-inch on the single-channel frame rail. Western Star says the Western Star 49X platform also provides fleet managers with greater versatility, as it is designed from the ground up for easier upfits.

Ready For Harsh Conditions

“To engineer the 49X with the durability and reliability our customers need, we went to their jobsites—the oil fields of west Texas, plowing operations in New Hampshire, and logging operations of British Columbia,” says David Carson, senior vice president, vocational segment, Daimler Trucks North America. “We developed the 49X with the input of those customers, and then tested it where they work to ensure it’s ready for the toughest environments.”

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Single-channel frame rail options on the Western Star 49X are available in a variety of thicknesses and feature best-in-class RBM (Resisting Bending Moment) strength rating of up to 3.7 million inch-pounds. (Photo courtesy of Daimler Trucks North America.)

One example of the 49X’s robust design elements are its C-channel frame reinforcements rated for an RBM of 5.4 million inch-pounds. Western Star also points out that multiple parent rail front frame extensions options are available for applications requiring front-mounted equipment, such as a plow. Meanwhile, Western Star’s back-of-cab packaging, such as the forward-mounted DEF tanks, multiple air tank mounting locations, and optimized fuel tank sizes, help provide the aforementioned easier upfits.

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“We’ve completely rethought the foundation of the 49X to make it easier to upfit, deliver greater durability, return greater payload and improve productivity at the jobsite,” says David Carson, senior vice president, Vocational segment, Daimler Trucks North America. (Photo courtesy of Daimler Trucks North America.)

A Tougher, Safer Cab

The steel-reinforced aluminum X-Series cab is said to offer 13% more space while being 8% lighter than competing vocational cabs. For optimal stability and to reduce driver fatigue, Western Star’s new cab mount system uses vocational cab isolators mounted outboard. Visibility is improved, as well, thanks to a single-piece roped-in windshield that Western Star says is 28% larger, with a 37% improved wiper zone. The sloped hood, which is enabled by splayed frame rails and a lowered engine position, features a patented ISO Tech Hood Suspension system that behaves similarly to a coil-over shock suspension to absorb and dissipate vibration from the chassis for greater hood durability.

Source: Daimler Trucks North America