Star Power

So yahoo! asked the question, “What was the best truck you ever owned?” Obviously expecting me to expound on the virtues of the Ford F-150 or the Chevy Silverado, maybe the Toyota Tundra or some Nissan 4×4.
Well this oughta have the editors scratchin’ their heads.
Anybody ever hear of the Western Star 4964EX? Unless you’re a trucker you probably haven’t. But if you’re an honest-to-God CDL holdin’ million miler like me, pour ya a cup and let’s talk trucks
The Western Star 4964 is a class 8 commercial truck, and in my experience it’s top of the heap.
Guys, I’ve driven every make and model of big truck out there. I’ve owned two: a 1990 Peterbilt 379 and a gorgeous jade green 2000 Western Star 4964EX with a Caterpiller 3406E at 475hp and an Eaton-Fuller RTL015LL 15-speed transmission.
Now “Ol’ Pete” was a good truck, but this “Star Car” put it to shame.
I got it in September 1999 for just under $100,000.00 with 18.8 miles showing on the odometer and ran it hard under a reefer for 666,678.3 miles by the time I sold it in October of 2002. In all that time, I only had three real problems with it.
The first was a steer axle problem that wouldn’t allow it to stay aligned. Cost me a couple of steer tires before the service department at Lubbock Truck Sales figured it out and put it right.
The second problem was when that much-hyped HVAC system had a come apart in, of all places, Phoenix, Az during, of all times, August 2000. Yessir, it was a tad warm that day. The service department at the dealership there took care it and did so quickly.
The third problem was actually a Caterpiller problem: the injector harness puked on me in the port at Wilmington, Delaware in April 2001. The Cat dealer in Big Bear, De handled that one. Even put me up in a good motel for a couple of days. Sadly, the only restaurant within walking distance was a Hooter’s.
All three problems were under warranty. As a matter of fact, when the truck was sold there were still active warranties on it.
As far as creature comforts go, this thing had Talledega seats in a buckskin tan interior with chocolate brown carpeting, a 76 inch “Starlight” sleeper with a huge picture window on either side, tons of storage, fridge, 6-speaker stereo, cruise control, power windows, lotsa lights, extra chrome, aluminum and stainless, diamond plate step boxes, shiny dual 140 gallon fuel tanks…if I ever buy another truck, I’m havin’ those damn tanks painted! Too much trouble keeping them polished, especially in winter with all the road salts.
All this was sitting on Michelin tall rubber with Alcoa wheels and 8-bag air ride. Add in that 265-inch wheelbase and this thing had one helluva nice ride.
Oh yeah, I forgot the train horns ( once a chicken hauler, always a chicken hauler!).
While Petes, KW’s and such ride low to the ground, mine was a tall truck with lots of ground clearance.
Yeah, I know those low sitting trucks look cool, but when you come from a construction, rock hauling and oilfield background like I do, it’s really hard to argue with ground clearance. It also helps a bit when your driving through snow. Although the truck was intended as a highway hauler, it would’ve performed well in a construction application, and that ground clearance would have saved it some of the damage my Pete suffered.
As far as fuel mileage goes, given the big engine, heavy loads, pulling hills and such mine wasn’t too bad: I averaged 6.75 to 7.25mpg. I had it as low as 5 and as high as 9.8mpg on a few occasions.
Now mine was a pre-Freightliner merger truck, built in Canada. Give ‘em their due boys and girls: Canadians know how to build ‘em.
If I ever get crazy enough to go back into trucking, I’ll do it in a Western Star.