Do you have what it takes? The Western Star 'Get Tough Challenge' kicks off today, Jan. 18, in the Riviera Lot (near the Diamond Lot in front of the West Hall) and runs through Thursday, Jan. 20. Equipment operators will have the opportunity to pilot Western Star trucks through a grueling skills course that will comprise common challenges found on the jobsite, including backing up, crabbing, and negotiating curves.

Greg Treinen, Western Star's vocational product marketing manager, said the new trucks highlight Western Star's reputation for toughness.

Treinen said the testing that went into Western Star's new line of trucks is what sets Western Star apart. He noted that Western Star put sensors on existing trucks operating in harsh conditions, like the Texas oil fields and the logging roads of British Columbia, and captured data that revealed how trucks operate in those environments.

The data Western Star captured was then replicated at their Madras, Oregon, testing facility, and the trucks were tested in the conditions representing harsh conditions around the world.

"Cab crush tests, door slam tests, you name it. We have a shaker test in Portland," Treinen said. "Really just throttling the hell out of these trucks to make sure they were going to withstand the hell we're going to put them through."

Treinen said the company also solicited feedback from drivers and included a lot of the feedback received into designs of the new trucks. The new trucks are quieter and have a better ability to maintain the climates set by the operator. 

"A lot of the features that went into the interior of the truck are really designed so that the operator never wants to leave at the end of the day," he said.

The Get Tough Challenge, which first began in 2010, is now in its 12th year.

If you have a current CDL, be sure to sign up for this highly anticipated event and take the truck of your choice out on the course. Those who participate will also have the chance to take home a special prize, courtesy of the Western Star team.

This year, Western Star will showcase its all-new X-Series vocational lineup of the 49X and 47X.

The challenge runs during show hours. To see highlights from previous years’ challenges, check out our recent slide show.