LOUISVILLE, KY. With the new 5700XE Class 8 highway tractor in the background, Michael Jackson officially handed over the general manager reins at Western Star Truck Sales Inc. – a division of Daimler Trucks North America – to his replacement Kelley Platt, capping off a five-year tenure that witnessed the introduction of two new truck models; the 5700XE and 4700 vocational model.
“It’s been a great ride,” Jackson noted at his last Mid America Trucking Show press confere
Platt joined DTNA in 1989 as Freightliner’s manager of treasury services and played a crucial role in the company’s acquisition of both Western Star and Thomas Built Buses (TBB), where she most recently served as President and CEO.
“I look forward to being a part of this bad-ass truck [company],” she said.
Western Star’s new 5700XE goes into production during the second quarter this year at DTNA’s Cleveland N.C. truck manufacturing plant.
Ann Demitruk, director of marketing for Western Star, noted in a statement that new factory-installed “Phantom Graphic” package will be available as an exclusive option for the 5700XE sleeper and daycab models: graphics that include four matte black vinyl components that can be ordered as separate pieces or as a package for the hood, intake, side, and visor.
In addition to providing distinctive styling, the black vinyl components also enhance driver comfort by reducing sun glare from the hood, she said.
Western Star also announced that it is continuing its partnership with the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and will be providing a new 5700XE to the group at the show.
