Fontaine Modification Introduces Auto Hauler Option for New Western Star 49X
CHARLOTTE, NC (Aug. 29, 2024) — Fontaine Modification introduces an auto hauler conversion that delivers the low profile car carriers need without sacrificing the toughness Western Star customers demand. Fontaine’s new Western Star auto hauler conversion lowers the roof of the 49X 60-inch sleeper to 100.75 inches to accommodate a car carrier trailer of the customer’s choice.
“Western Star offered low cabs that were a great choice for auto hauler applications in the past, but not as part of the brand’s new X-Series,” explains Harrison Letchworth, Fontaine Modification vocational sales manager. “That’s where we come in. Our team engineered a solution that gives customers the opportunity to take advantage of all the great new features of the Western Star 49X for car carrier applications.”
Fontaine engineers applied more than 20 years of auto hauler design experience to develop solutions to get the truck cab’s unladen height under 101 inches. The team took more than 30 inches out of the cab height and designed all-new cab mounts, exhaust, side cowls and front axle bump stop, as well as a custom replacement roof cap. The result is a truck that retains its factory fit and finish with a lower overall height. Completed trucks meet FMVSS regulations.
The final cab height depends on vehicle specifications including wheel, tire or frame options. Consult your truck dealer sales representative or OEM application engineer for details and recommendations on chassis specifications.
Fontaine modifies the 49X trucks in its Charlotte, NC, modification center near the Cleveland, NC, plant where they’re built. Thanks to Fontaine’s ship-thru agreement with Western Star, the process is seamless and cost-effective for customers.
To learn more about any Fontaine Auto Transport modification, connect with the company’s representatives at the upcoming Auto Haulers Association of America (AHAA) Fall Expo in Grapevine, Texas, Sept. 8-11, or visit fontainemodification.com/auto-transport/.
About Fontaine Modification
Established in 1985, Fontaine Modification is North America’s most comprehensive, engineering-focused provider of post-production services for truck manufacturers, dealers, and fleets.
Fontaine has 10 modification centers strategically located adjacent to OEM manufacturing plants in Charlotte and Statesville, North Carolina; Chillicothe and Springfield, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Garland and Laredo, Texas; Dublin and Salem, Virginia; and Mineral Wells, West Virginia. The company headquarters and new product development center are in Charlotte.
Fontaine Modification is a Marmon Holdings / Berkshire Hathaway company. For more information about Fontaine Modification, call 800.366.8246.