Some trucks look to be designed for a particular task, and Tim Giles finds when driving a Western Star 47X as a tipper and dog, it is a truck within its comfort zone.
There is something about tipper and dog work which is not the same as other freight tasks. The requirements are different, and so are the preferences of the transport operators. Many will only run a bonneted truck in this application and, in fact, they do predominate around Australia in this role.
Getting on board a new Western Star 47X tipper, with a quad dog on behind seems the most natural thing in the world. The Bruce Highway from Brisbane to Mackay was the route, and negotiating the many and varied road works en route was the frustration.
The first thing to say, when approaching this combination, is that the 47X looks designed specifically for this task. It has the no-nonsense look we expect from a tipper, and there’s enough shiny metal on the front to satisfy the tipper driver.
Climbing up inside the cabin, this is a North American truck and feels, to a certain extent, like its predecessors. There’s enough switches and dials to satisfy the traditionalists and only a relatively small information screen directly in front of the driver looks, which gives a hint of the arrival of modern technology.
Under the skin, of course, this is a very modern truck. Under the hood is the Gen 5 Detroit DD13 engine putting out 525hp (386kW) and with the classic 1850 ft lb (2508Nm) of torque, when needed. This is the latest iteration of the engine, the state of the art from the Daimler Group.
Axles front and rear come from Meritor and this truck runs with an industry standard 1:3.42 rear axle ratio.
The wiring is multiplexed with a level of sophistication to run the engine, the Detroit DT12 AMT, plus the myriad safety systems which are onboard and mandated from 2025. The DT12 uses the Performance Off-road package, ideal for this kind of work.
The safety package is the Detroit Assurance Active Brake Assist, which includes active cruise control and automatic emergency braking. The system does have an off switch, and the ACC can bring the truck’s speed down to to zero km/h. It also has ABS, stability control, Safeguard Assist and also the Detroit lane departure warning system with a 15 minute timeout.
This is a thoroughly modern truck, but it is still ‘Western Star enough’ to satisfy those who prefer to be a little more old school. Getting that blend of ancient and modern right can be a fine balance, and Western Star seem to have come close to pulling it off.