One of the many wonderful things about my job is that it affords me a wide variety of opportunities, as well as some occasions to experience things most people will never get to do.
One such experience occurred recently, thanks to Wester Star Trucks (www.westernstartrucks.com). With a reputation for ruggedness, it produces custom trucks for highway and vocational applications.
The company held an event at the Michelin Laurens (South Carolina) Proving Grounds to showcase its highway vehicles, new Extreme Duty (XD) Offroad package – engineered specifically for extremely rugged environments – and the just-launched MBT (Multi-Body Transformer)-40 6900XD chassis which has the ability to quickly change from one fully functional in-cab controlled body application to another.
The MBT-40 is the first XD Offroad series offering from Western Star and a new concept for off-road equipment markets.
Prime mover
My rare opportunity was that I got to drive a Western Star 6900 Prime Mover. This “big boy” machine had a 600 hp DD 16 diesel engine and is capable of hauling 240 tons.
Prime movers are power units designed specifically for heavy loads, multi-trailer configurations, mine sites and logging applications.
Why was this such an extraordinary occasion? John Tomlinson, Western Star’s XD and vocational sales manager, explains.
