The engineers and designers of the Western Star 49X talked to workers in rock quarries and oil fields and timber haulers to learn what they wanted in a vocational work truck. Those boxes are checked. What they won’t expect is to be able to hold a normal conversation inside the cab.
The massive 49X won’t be confused with the family SUV for ride and handling. But the harsh ride and noise one might expect in such a beast of a truck is largely missing. An isolated hood suspension and side mirrors built into the doors all but eliminate vibration in driving.
If you don’t look back — and you should look back — you might not realize you are towing 180,000 pounds of construction equipment on a flatbed.
Or that there is 40,000 pounds of gravel in the dump body.