Western Star 4800 FX truck and dog: Operator review

Name: Western Star 4800 FX truck and dog: Operator review
Brand: Western Star

For Tassie-based Quinn Transport and Spreading Services, this PBS-approved Western Star truck-and-dog combination is delivering major gains

It's a lucky day for any truck when it enters the Quinn Transport and Spreading Services fleet, because it's guaranteed that truck will receive exceptional care and always be kept in showroom condition. And this 2012 Western Star 4800 FX is no exception.

To an outsider, the windswept coastal town of Sorell in southern Tasmania is probably the most unlikely spot you'd expect to find a slick-looking Western Star FX. Then again, the undulating landscape provides the ideal conditions for a vehicle in this class.

Even though Sorell is only 26 kilometres from Hobart, the area has a long history in the agricultural industry, predominantly as a service town for the surrounding farming communities.

It lies in the heart of the site that was once known as the grain capital of 'Van Diemen's Land', although now agriculture production in these parts is more diversified, spanning sheep, mixed farming and dairy produce.

Total reliability

With a proud but largely unsung history that stretches back almost three decades, Tasmanian-based Quinn's of Sorrel has grown and diversified on the back of an ongoing commitment to customer care. It's a philosophy that demands total reliability in every aspect of this family-owned company's operations, including quality equipment like its Western Star FX truck and dog combinations.

As is the case across all transport services, the end-user is always chasing cost reductions, and so conversely operators are looking for the most efficient systems to deliver their services. Such was the case with company founder Noel Quinn, when he set out on his quest to update the firm's bulk transport fleet.

Along with his operation's spreading side, his company also transports bulk fertilizer products with the more conventional truck and dog configurations – combinations that are now enjoying up to a 7.5-tonne payload increase thanks to Western Star's light tare weight and the latest PBS regulations.

Noel has seen his fair share of dramatic changes in equipment and business methods since kicking off with a second-hand army truck spreading fertilizer back in the late '80s. These days though, Noel's content to take a back seat and let son Darren run the majority of the day-to-day operations.

Hobart bound

Shortly before dawn, Darren Quinn flicked the light switch and large industrial lights high up on the shed roof slowly flickered into action, getting whiter by the moment to reveal a shed full of neatly rowed up trucks. Darren smiled and asked me if I was ready…

In the chilled morning air that stirs from the depths of Antarctica, a steady stream of steam rose from my breath. "Yes," I answered.

Darren Quinn handles the day-to-day operations at the family business these days...

Moments later, Darren stirred the Western Star 4800 into life and was guiding it through the dimly lit streets of Sorrell on his way to the Hobart suburb of Derwent Park, where he would soon load his truck and dog with almost the equivalent load of a conventional B-double.

That's because, according to the National Transport Commission (NTC), Performance Based Standards (PBS) offer the potential for heavy vehicle operators to achieve higher productivity and safety through innovative vehicle design. These gains are typically not available under conventional 'one size fits all' prescriptive mass and dimension rules or the state-based permit system.

Basically, PBS brings a fresh, alternative approach to heavy vehicle regulation. It focuses on how well the vehicle behaves on the road through a set of safety, road wear and bridge loading standards, rather than how big and heavy it is in terms of length and mass.

"In other words, PBS governs what a vehicle can do, not what it should look like on paper," an NTC spokesperson said.

"PBS sets minimum vehicle 'performance' standards to ensure trucks are stable on the road and can turn and stop safely. We have tagged them SMART trucks – because they work smarter."

Major gains

In Tasmania, like the mainland states, truck and dog trailer combinations that meet the PBS Level Two will be granted access on a permit basis, enabling them to carry increased mass (57.5 tonnes, up from 50 tonnes) on the B-double and Higher Mass Limits (HML) network.

We're told that the increase to 57.5 tonnes equates to a 15 per cent productivity gain for the quarry and bulk material industry. Over time, this will reduce the number of trucks and trailers on the roads for the exact freight task, which will reduce congestion and see a decrease in carbon emissions. Furthermore, these vehicles will be safer as they've passed a PBS assessment.

A vital part of sustaining top-notch service to customers involves using vehicles specified for the application and maintaining them in top condition to keep downtime to a minimum.

Set and forget

Moving back to Western Star, Darren reiterated his belief that reliability is the most crucial element when it comes to equipment. "It's part of our philosophy of moulding things into the business that we can set and forget," he says.

"Of course, price is always going to be an issue, as well as the ongoing cost of maintenance.

"I know how reliable Western Star trucks are because our older 4800 is still going strong, and it's over six years older than this one now. And it looks and goes like a new truck. In fact, many people have trouble telling the difference between the two."

Under this Western Star's hood is a Cummins ISX EGR engine rated at 550hp and 1850lb/ft of torque. The transmission is Eaton's 18-speed Roadranger coupled to Meritor RT46-160 rear axles with cross-locks in both axles and a ratio of 4.3:1. The truck rides on Western Star's Airliner suspension.

Versatile player

"The versatility of this 4800 Western Star is another big advantage for us, because it's rated up from 70,000kg in single-trailer configuration through to 90,500kg for a road train if we were that keen to tow one," said Darren.

"Also, the vision and maneuverability around tight farm laneways is exceptional, especially when you consider it's really quite a big, heavy-duty spec'd truck.

"I really love the look of these 4800 Western Stars but, from a business point of view, I have to leave my emotions behind and focus on the productivity gains to stay ahead of the game when it comes to the specification our trucks," Darren said.

"The fact that the 4800 Western Star turned out to be the ideal model for our application is just a bonus."