Western Star 5700XE

Last week I issued a bounty for photos of the new Western Star 5700XE in a “natural” environment. I was hoping to grab some shots of this new rig outside of the usual press photos that you can find all over the web. Andrew answered the call very quickly and really capitalized on the natural element in his photos.

Western Star 5700XE

Here we see the 5700XE as it passes through some scenic territory on the way to the press event in Nevada. These photos are exclusive to Daily Diesel Dose by the way.

Western Star 5700XE

Andrew has declined to collect his bounty due to his connections with Western Star so there are plenty of opportunities left to grab your prize. If you see the new 5700XE on the road, a dealer lot, the factory line, or any other real location Email Me! T-Shirts, Stickers, Mouse Pads and other gizmos are ready for the taking!

Other Active Bounties: The Cat CT681

Thanks again Andrew! For more information on the 5700XE click here.

 

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Autocar Mondays – The Last Autocar?

The City of Syracuse, NY used to run many, many heavy duty Autocars. They still have one in the form of this AWD Wrecker and years ago I found the remains of one hiding in the weeds. All other trucks of this once vast fleet have seemly disappeared. Their Detroit Diesel screams left only to memory. No doubt they returned to the earth in the form of a giant pile of salt corroded rust. Such was the fate I had slated for the truck below as it has been sitting on dirt mound near the entrance to the DPW garage for some time now. I figured it was done for, left to rot until eventually pushed onto the auction lot. To my pleasant surprise it turned up at a local repair shop a few days ago. It may have been towed but I prefer to believe it drove in under its own power.

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Blue painted wheels give a clue to a fleet color that has been left by the wayside. At one  time you would have found a yellow cab with blue hood to go along with those wheels. Now the trucks come in either solid white or yellow. Better than purple I suppose. Either way, you are looking at the second to last Autocar in the fleet. Historic!

Would you like to help Autocar Mondays stay a regular occurrence? Email Me any photos or videos that you have!

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Mixer Truck Funday

Sunday is a day of rest. Enjoy today while looking at photos of other people working. In particular drivers and crew from Cranesville Block, Robinson & Vitale Ready Mix, and McConnell Concrete.

Cranesville Block Cement Truck

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Lost and Found – Santaro Trucking

I can’t tell whether this truck is coming or going. It was located at a local heavy duty truck repair shop so it’s possible someone has dropped it off for a complete tear down and rebuild. However, it’s much more probable that the truck is just in the process of being parted out. It’s like a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book! This picture now stands as a record to another fallen flag of both the trucking industry and of Syracuse area industry in general.

Santaro Trucking

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Neverending Road Work

It has been awhile since I’ve shared some photos of the neverending road work taking place in downtown Syracuse. Progress is starting to show with half of the once torn up streets now paved. Some still require a final layer but soon they will be as smooth as glass. We’ll see how long that lasts. Here are some of the trucks and other equipment I’ve watched during my lunch breaks over the past month.

Hood scoops = Turbo Power. This Mack CL of Vestal Asphalt was seen applying a layer of tack coat.

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It’s always a pleasure to see older trucks on the job like this Ford of Chris Coker Trucking.

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The Cat paver in the gallery below appeared to be almost brand new at the time of the photos. A Barrett Paving crew was running the machine despite the Villager Construction logo on the side.

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Western Star 5700XE

Early this morning Western Star unveiled their very first aerodynamic truck, the 5700XE.

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Months ago I received a teaser email from a Daimler rep promising a big addition to the Western Star line up. I was intrigued to see what an aerodynamic Star Car would look like considering their line up has historically been made of large, boxy, heavy built trucks. Imagine my surprise when I saw the first photo and realized I’ve seen this truck before. In fact millions have. You probably did too and never noticed.

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The latest Transformers movie this summer came along with a new cast and more importantly a new truck as Optimus Prime. So long Peterbilt hello Western Star 5700 XE. All this time the new design was hiding among us, just like a real life transformer. Maybe I missed the press release and this hasn’t been a big secret all along?

What do you think of the new look? I believe I like it. Like all new truck designs, it will take time to grow on me but this one isn’t as offensive as most. According to the official website, www.allnew5700.com, only Detroit power train combos will be available as they have been specifically designed to maximize the fuel efficiency of the 5700 XE. A 10 13/16 inch single frame rail, super single tires and aluminium fifth wheel help reduce total weight and fuel consumption. There is no mention of actual wind tunnel testing results which I find a little odd considering similar aero minded trucks from other manufacturers often lead off with MPG numbers. I do like that the trucks are assembled in either Cleveland, NC or Portland, OR. It seems like rival builders go out of their way to hide there manufacturing locations.

If you want all the juicy information and more luxurious photos check out the official website noted above and below. Also, let it be known that I am putting out an official bounty for photos of the Western Star 5700 XE in the real world. No press photos. Your reward will be official Daily Diesel Dose swag. It could be a T-Shirt, mouse pad, or sticker. First come first serve! The same bounty applies for pics of the Cat CT681.

Image Source: Western Star Trucks

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ATCA Northeastern PA – The Videos Part III

I don’t mind living in the past when it contains great trucks like these from the ATCA show in Harford, PA. These videos just about finish the coverage of this fine event. I hope you have enjoyed the fine diesel splendor.

To begin we return to the fairly steep grade trucks must climb before entering the show grounds. A conveniently placed stop sign at the base of the hill prevents trucks exiting I-81 from approaching the grade with any sort of speed. This makes for good video of smoking pipes and growling engines.

Most of the trucks arrive under their own power while a select few are trailered to the event. These aren’t trailer queens by any stretch, the owners simply want to arrive to the show sometime this century! More of the red Autocar can be seen by clicking here!

As you can tell from past videos almost everyone shows up at the same time to this show. Long periods of empty roads are suddenly replaced by convoys of classic iron all trying to enter the show gates at the same time. Travelling with friends is not only fun but safe when dealing with old trucks.

I can hardly wait till next year!

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Still Working – Chevy C50 Dump Truck

This Chevy C50 dump truck is still in use at a local golf course so I deem it to be a fine candidate for the Still Working portion of Daily Diesel Dose. The yellow portions of grill hint at a previous life as a municipal truck that has since be concealed by a layer of flat black paint. A very large and very deep crease in the driver’s door surely make for a easy time entering the cab. Like the fleeting days of summer how much longer does this truck have left?

Chevy C50 dump truck

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Autocar Mondays – Retirement Time

Nobody works forever….unless you’re really unlucky. It looks like this Autocar Construcktor 2 is ready to move into the golden years of its career now that it has been retired from Utopia Precast. Clarence sends in these photos along with some details.

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Power is derived from a 290 Cummins and of course a trusty 8 speed can be found in the cab. This is a neat old truck that has held up rather well considering its line of work for the past three decades. Thanks for sharing Clarence!

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ATCA Northeastern PA – The Videos Part II

Woooooow, it’s taken a long time to get these done. The mix of never ending footage and my default nature to procrastinate has proven to be quite deadly. Nevertheless I’ve gotten most of the footage processed. Here we go!

I’ll start with this vintage B-Model tow truck. It was loud and slow and very cool.

Another survivor, my favorite type of show truck, was this 1974 Brockway 360.

I’m not done with the Brockway footage from Harford until I post this video. Did your favorite make the cut?

We’ll finish for today with a genuine convoy of Mack trucks.

More to come later starting Tuesday!

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