Western Star Trucks Sales, Inc., commonly designated Western Star, is an American truck manufacturer headquartered in Portland, Oregon, United States, and a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America, in turn a wholly owned subsidiary of the German Daimler AG.
In 1967 White Motor Company started the Western Star division as White Western Star with a new plant at Kelowna, British Columbia, sharing headquarters with White in Cleveland, Ohio. It was not included in the 1980 sale of White to Volvo, instead being sold to Bow Valley Resources and Nova Corporation, each owning 50%.
In 1991, Western Star Trucks was purchased by the owners of the Western Star Australian subsidiary, Terry Peabody and Bob Shand. In 1996, ERF was purchased. It was sold in 2000 to MAN.
In 2000, Western Star was purchased by DaimlerChrysler, becoming part of the Freightliner Trucks division.
In 2002, Western Star production was moved to a plant in Portland, Oregon. 4700, 4800, 4900 and 6900 model trucks are still manufactured in the Portland Truck Plant. In May 2015, the Daimler Trucks North America plant in Cleveland, North Carolina, began to build 4700 and 4900 models, as well as assemble all new semi tractor 5700XE models.
Western Star produces a range of Class 8 commercial vehicles for both highway and off-road use. Western Star specializes in trucks tailored to customer specifications. Every Western Star offers several sleeper box sizes, with chassis lengths of up to 486 inches depending on model. Five interior packages are available and sleepers can be trimmed to specifications. Engines, transmissions, axles, suspensions and brakes are available in a number of configurations. Engines used include Cummins and Detroit. Western Star also produces right-hand drive trucks for the Australian, New Zealand and South African markets.
Though styled in a conventional fashion and often used in off-road applications, Western Star trucks are also available with anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, and other modern safety features in order to remain competitive and meet DOT regulations.
The 4700 Series is Western Star's entry-level model and is available in truck and tractor applications, both with a 110-inch (2,790 mm) BBC. In vocational applications, its engineering helps reduce upfitting time and costs for body builders, and can be outfitted for virtually any vocational application. For on-highway use, the 4700 is available only in a daycab configuration and is primarily used in short haul applications.