Western Star 4800 Constellation: Operator Review

The Western Star 4800 Constellation can serve a diverse range of roles, but in this instance it's plying its trade on the rough and often muddy tracks of the Tasmanian logging industry.

Driver Ryan Lette and I had agreed to meet a little before 4:00am at the Georgetown Road turn-off, near Bridport in Tasmania’s northeast. And sure enough, right on time, a pair of headlights piercing the darkness signaled Ryan's arrival.

Today Ryan was heading through Launceston then winding his way out the back of Ben Lomond, the island’s only ski resort, to the tall timbers of Roses Tier. Once there he'd collect a load of what's referred to as peeler logs, which are used to make veneer timber.

Ryan's been in the logging game for more years than he cares to remember; he admits it's a very good industry to be in, although it can be a very hard industry at times, too.

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Samjack Pty Ltd was established by Noel Gerke and his wife Yvonne two decades ago. Starting off with a single truck delivering sand and gravel, today the Samjack fleet comprises 28 specialised logging trucks.

Their first entry into logging came in the early 1990s, when Noel swapped his tipper bodies for a traditional log jinker. Two years later they purchased another log truck, and then a short time after that the growing fleet boasted six trucks.

"We thought that was a lot of trucks back then," Noel recalled.

Now well up into the mountains, the road's deep corrugations were really putting the Western Star's Airliner suspension to work. However, apart from the odd rattle from the chocks of the jinker on the back, there was nothing inside the cab to indicate the road had deteriorated.

"It is a really well-put-together truck," Ryan said.

"I've been really impressed with its overall performance and so far I haven't had any problems with any of it including the engine, which I cannot fault either."

The ride inside the Western Star 4800 Constellation was exceptional – the best Ryan's had in any truck, he said. Observing his steady hand on the wheel from the rider's seat and the ease with which he guided the Constellation around the winding track, its road manners were equally as impressive.

Around another corner and the countryside changed once more, tall trees now lining either side of the road.

"They're what they call swamp gums," Ryan said.

"They are one of the softer hardwoods and are mostly used for producing veneer paneling.

"You can see here in this clearing where they have logged this small coupe and are ready to replant it," Ryan explained.

"The next stand of timber is left for several years, which leaves habitat for the animals and from a scenic point means the mountain side isn't barren. A little further down the track you'll see where timber was harvested five or so years ago and then around a bit further there is patch that was harvested 10 years ago.

"As you can see, it only takes a few years of growth and it is very hard to tell where the harvesting has taken place.

"These gums that are planted here are fast-growing eucalypt tree that the forestry have developed specifically for the industry. It is not a scene of destruction but a renewable resource we have here," Ryan said.

Like many loggers down this way, Ryan gets a little annoyed when the community is misled with reports about how logging is destroying the forests. He also has little time for people who block the entrances to logging coupes and vandalise machinery, claiming everything as the last tall stand of timber.

"This is the third time this area has been logged," Ryan said.

"There has been a real evolution in the way timber is harvested and how forests are managed over the last four to five decades. You can walk around some parts of the coupe and see this evolution from the old tall stumps, where the fellers would cut the shoe holes for their planks, to the shorter stumps cut with the chainsaw.

"Some of them can't see the wood for the trees," Ryan said.

Today, however, we're here to see how the 4800's new Cummins performs in the bush.

Regardless of their high horsepower ratings, both the Cummins ISX and Signature engines continue to be the benchmark for retarding power – an essential in the logging business – delivering up to 600 braking horsepower at 2100rpm.

"These new Cummins have terrific engine brakes; they're the most effective I've ever had," Ryan said.

Western Star has really focused on enhancing the cabin environment in this model, and that aspect hasn’t been lost on Ryan.

"The first thing I noticed coming out of a truck from another brand was the extra room in the cab," he said.

"I have the seat right back as far as it goes and there is still ample room behind it."

Ryan loves the lavish cabin appointments. The optional FUPS-compliant alloy bumper and bull bar, plus an engine output of ujp to 550 horsepower, make this an ideal rig for maximum capacity 19-metre and 26-metre combinations, where overall length is critical.

"On this run we can get a payload of approximately 28.5 tonne," Ryan said.

"However, on designated airbag-routes we get an extra four tonne, which gives us 32-tonne payload."

The hour or so run from the highway to the logging coupe passed quickly, and before long Ryan had unloaded the jinker and climbed into the waiting excavator to begin loading.

Like most log trucks down this way, Ryan's truck is fitted with on-board scales, and the truck can be loaded accurately to the maximum weight. As the load is nearing completion, Ryan monitors the readout to see how much weight is over each axle group. He can move a log either forward or backward to achieve the correct distribution, while the entire process – from the truck arriving to it having its fresh load chained down and ready to leave – takes around half an hour.

A whoosh of air exited the spring park brakes, signaling it was time to go. As the big-bore Cummins bit hard and the tyres clawed into the dust, Ryan, his truck and 32 tonne of logs slowly moved out of the landing.

It would be another hour and a half before Ryan would reach the mill, at Bell Bay, but he'd be doing it easy in this Western Star 4800.

Engine: Cummins ISXe5
Horsepower: 550hp (418kW) at 1800rpm
Torque: 1850lb/ft (2508Nm) at 1100rpm
Fan: Horton 2-speed Drivemaster
Transmission: Eaton 18-speed Roadranger
Front axle: Meritor FG-941 6.5T
Front suspension: Parabolic taper leaf 6.6t
Rear axles: Meritor RT46-160GP with DCDL
Rear axle ratio: 4.56
Rear suspension: AirLiner 46K with dual leveling valves
Brakes: Meritor S-Cam with auto slacks
Safety: WABCO ABS with traction control and roll stability control
Fuel tank: Polished alloy
Sleeper: Integrated
Interior: Vinyl trim
Dash: Burl woodgrain with bright finish instruments
Seats: Premium driver's seat with armrests
Bumper: Polished alloy