PORTLAND, Ore. — Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is discontinuing the Western Star 5700 XE at the end of the year.
DTNA spokesman Fred Ligouri wrote in an e-mailed statement to The Trucker that “an official announcement and additional details regarding an all-new, state-of-the-art successor product for the 5700 XE will be shared in the near future.”
The 5700 XE has been in production since 2015, “successfully answering the market need for the previously unaddressed premium on-highway segment … Western Star will continue to serve that segment and our valued customers well into the future,” Ligouri’s statement read.
Ligouri didn’t say why the company will no longer manufacture the model.
The discontinuation of the 5700 XE has hit hard for at least one would-be customer.
In a report by Freight Waves, owner-operator Alex Kholb said his order for a Western Star 5700 XE was abruptly cancelled, with no options for a replacement given. Kholb, whose family owns AKA Trucking in Southampton, Pennsylvania, told Freight Waves that he was refunded his $1,500 deposit on the $165,000 tractor.
He, like many owner-operators, is having difficulties finding tractors due to supply chain and chip shortages. There is often a year-long wait or more for new rigs to be delivered.
Ligouri did not respond to questions about the remaining orders for the 5700 XE model. A search of Daimler’s Western Star web page shows that four of those models are available for sale at separate dealers across the country.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
