Poison Ivy: Chad Williams’ Western Star 4800FXB

Taking pride in his ride is Chad Williams. Chad works with his dad Kelvin Williams in the family transport business, Black Hill Transport. He was on the North Star Western Star dealership stand at the Newcastle Transport Awareness day with his new Western Star 4800FXB when ACT caught up with him.

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Chad is only in his mid-20s but has been driving trucks since 18 and taking every opportunity to upgrade as soon as he possibly could.

At 18 he got his MR, at 19 his HR, at 20 he got his HC and at 21 got his MC and now drives everything down from a B-double.

Growing up Chad says he was always his old man’s right hand man and would go with him everywhere.

“Wherever he went I went, he trained me up driving the forklift around the yard pretty much since I could walk, then we progressed from there. Forklift into a car, and then a car into a truck.

I was driving B-doubles around the yard since I was 13 and backing semi-trailers since I was eight. I learnt through the experiences my dad gave me, he taught me well,” Chad tells ACT.

Black Hill Transport has nine vehicles in its fleet ranging in sizes from utes to three prime movers rated up to 26-metre B-doubles.

The other prime movers in the fleet are both Scanias, a 2002 model and a 2006 model. Chad admits he likes the American style of trucks but concedes his father, Kelvin, leans more to the European models for their smoothness and comfort. Both traits Chad says are also in the new Western Star.

He says he enjoys the challenges that transport industry offers and how the job changes on daily basis.

“The job varies each day, one day you may be carrying a car, the next you could be carrying chemicals or other dangerous goods or loaded up with 24 pallets of general freight,” he says.

The company is steadily growing with its main depot based in Blackhill and another depot in Wetherill Park, in Sydney. Chad says the Wetherill Park depot is the base for the company’s warehousing and distribution operation.

“From Sydney we can go to Melbourne or Brisbane,” he says.

“We usually cart general freight, a whole lot of packaging between Sydney and Newcastle.

We service a lot for the vineyards in the Hunter Valley region for all their packaging needs.”

Black Hill Transport is also responsible for the distribution of Elf Racing Fuels and Lubricants in New South Wales.

The 4800FXB is powered by a Detroit DD15 560hp engine, which is connected to an 18-speed Roadranger transmission. Running on 46,000lbs Airliner suspension and fitted with Meritor RT46-160lb (4.30:ratio) differentials, it can boast two 750-litre and two 300-litre custom made fuel tanks and a spacious 40” Stratosphere sleeper with a hybrid sleeper A/C and an upgraded stereo, DVD and TV system. Mark Sepos at North Star extensively bling’d up the Western Star with chrome accessories from SLS Custom Stainless based in the region. The stainless accessories compliment the beautiful green colour scheme which is derived from a Commodore ute the company has done up.

“We have changed the colour from white to “Poison Ivy Green” because of our Commodore ute that is done up the same colour,” explains Chad.

He says Danny Showman did the unique scroll work.

“He took three days to complete the job all with the company logo and dad’s favourite saying from John Laws, “Keeping the dream alive”.

“We have changed the fuel tanks from round to square. We changed to two big square tanks, two small square tanks and the two centre tanks, one is a hybrid system for my sleeper air conditioner which was what I believe was a first for MVM Autos,” he says.

The passenger side of the centre tank holds six batteries, two additional to run the TV and the electric side of the hybrid air-conditioning unit.

With all the added extras it is a comfort to learn that the Ecowind airconditioning unit can actually be used to re-charge the truck batteries if something is left on. Worry about flat batteries is now a thing of the past.

“We can get a flat battery, but it shouldn’t hold you up, because the hybrid airconditioning system, if the batteries do die in the truck, you can manually start it with a button in your truck and it will charge your truck batteries, the diesel Kubota engine will charge the batteries,” he says.

While most of the fitting and customisation was done by North Star, utilising SLS Custom Stainless parts, MVM Autos fitted the TV, the stereo system, sub-woofer and extra two speakers, amps and all the electronic devices for charging laptops and phones and all the additional green LEDS and lights both on the inside and the outside of the cabin. MVM also added the tank skirts.

The cabin is made for the modern truckie with outlets for all sorts of phones, laptops and other devices needed for a trip away from home including hooking up Foxtel of all things.

“There is not much this truck can’t do,” Chad smiles as he explains how the TV can be hooked up to the laptop via a cord which is built into the system.

“I am not away often, but when I do go away all these creature comforts are handy to have,” he says.

“I am also set up with a Ballrace Slider type of turntable to fit under my short trailers so that it doesn’t hit the back of my cab and the swing where the chassis is.”

“We use the Ballrace more for the ride, so when you turn, you don’t get the sway.”

He says that it also allows some flexibility when carting oils and wine. “I can hit the button when we are carrying oils and wine, because they are heavy, and we can still maintain our legal limits.”

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