What a Western Star truck costs in Australia

Used Western Star prime movers are listed from $79,000 for a 2019 5864SS to $236,500 plus GST for a 2018 4964FXC with 288,226 km. A new 48X sleeper is listed at $400,000. Most new 49X and 48X listings are price on application. Kilometres, engine and rating move the price more than age.

Western Star is the bonneted American truck many heavy haulage and road train operators price against a Kenworth. A 2013 tipper at 1.5 million km asks $120,000 while a 2018 prime mover at 288,226 km asks $236,500 plus GST, and new X Series trucks are mostly price on application. So the number you pay depends on kilometres, engine, rating and spec, not the badge. This guide sets out what 11 dealer listings in NSW, Victoria and South Australia ask, what is published on new trucks, how the price compares with Kenworth, and how a Western Star is financed.

What Western Stars are listed for

Western Star is the bonneted heavy truck most often priced against a Kenworth. Penske Australia and New Zealand distribute it, and the Western Star site publishes no prices, so the market you can see is dealer listings. The table below surveys eleven listings on truckdealers.com.au on 31 October 2026, each opened and checked. Older trucks are still advertised as 4800 and 4900 models, with 4864, 4964 and 5864 build codes. The X Series (47X, 48X, 49X) is the current range. Figures are the dealer's, indicative market data and not Ventas offers.

Three things stand out. Kilometres swing the price harder than age: the 2016 4900FXT at 1,313,487 km asks $129,000 including GST, while the 2018 4964FXC at 288,226 km asks $236,500 plus GST. Gross combination rating matters too, because a 131 t road train truck is a different tool to a 90.5 t one. And the sample is thin by state. The listings we could open sit in NSW, Victoria and South Australia, with none from Western Australia or Queensland, so road train buyers in the west should check local dealers. Several listings also contradict themselves on location or GST, so confirm both with the dealer before you rely on a figure.

New Western Star prices: what is published

Western Star does not publish a new price list in Australia. The official site points visitors to dealers, and the two 2026 49X listings above and a 2024 48X are all price on application. That is normal for a truck built to spec, and we will not guess a figure. What is published comes from two dealer listings, summarised below with the engine and use as the Australian press describes them.

Add the build-up. The 2025 48X listing is described as ready for build-up to specification, with items such as a walk plate, JOST turntable, alloy bullbar and polished tanks listed as part of the build, and warranty of 24 months unlimited kilometres on the truck plus 48 months or 800,000 km on the Detroit engine. A bare cab-chassis and a fitted road train prime mover are different prices, so ask the dealer for a quote to your spec, not a starting figure.

Western Star against Kenworth on the used market

Buyers weigh a Western Star against a Kenworth on the same jobs, so here are three Kenworth prime movers from the same site on the same day. For our own model-by-model view, see the Kenworth prices guide and the Mack prices guide.

No two listings match on age, kilometres and spec, so this is a guide, not a like-for-like. Still, the pattern is clear. A 2023 Western Star 48X at $170,500 including GST sits below a 2023 Kenworth T610 at $355,000 including GST, about 48 per cent of the price (our arithmetic). The 48X has done more kilometres (933,500 against 696,853) and has had a replacement head and a new transmission, so part of the gap is wear. A 2021 Western Star 4800 FXB at $150,000 plus GST ($165,000 including GST, our arithmetic) against a 2020 Kenworth T909 at $359,000 shows a similar gap. Kenworth carries a premium because its used market is deeper, with more buyers and more comparable sales. A Western Star often costs less to buy for similar work, but it may also sell for less at the end.

What moves the price of a Western Star

• Kilometres. The listings run from 77,895 km to 1.5 million km, and the price follows.
• Engine and rebuild status. The dealers advertise Detroit DD15 and DD16 and Cummins X15 engines. A listing with a new engine, a replaced head or a rebuilt chassis usually says so. Ask for the paperwork.
• Gross combination rating. The listings quote 72 t for a B-double, 90.5 to 106 t for typical prime movers and 131 t for the road train truck. Road train rated trucks suit remote and mining haulage but cost more to run.
• Sleeper and cab. The listings range from a day cab to 36, 40, 54 and 60 inch sleepers.
• Body. A tipper bin or tub adds weight and price, and the body ages separately from the truck.
• GST and charges. Dealers quote some trucks plus GST and plus on-road costs, and others including GST. Compare on the same basis, as the listings in the table do not.

Who buys them: road train and heavy haulage operators, owner operators and fleets in regional and mining work, and quarry and bulk tipper operators. Truck and Bus Australia also describes traditional bonnet buyers, including former Western Star owners who had moved to Kenworth.

Financing a Western Star

Truck lenders finance Western Stars, and a late model truck with a clear work contract is a routine deal. Lenders are more cautious on the oldest, highest-kilometre trucks. A 2013 prime mover at 1.5 million km may get a shorter term, a lower advance or a bigger deposit, and a thin used market for the model gives the valuer fewer comparable sales than a Kenworth. These are general broker observations, not published lender policy, and every lender decides for itself. Ventas is a broker, not a lender, so we do not quote rates here. They depend on the lender, the truck, the security and your trading history.

Illustrative only, subject to lender assessment. A used 2021 Western Star 4800 FXB at the Queanbeyan listing price:

And how it is typically funded:

The chattel mortgage is written over the truck, which is valued on what it would sell for, not the vendor's ask. GST is paid at purchase. Whether you can claim it back, and how a chattel mortgage affects your tax, is a question for your accountant. A property-backed loan secured on a home or other property can fund the deposit or most of the purchase, with your property at risk if the truck does not earn.

What makes a heavy truck deal fundable:

• Work behind the truck. A contract, a haulage run or an existing business with invoices.
• Trading history. Business financials and BAS, or for a new owner operator a clear plan and driving history.
• Deposit or security. Cash, trade-in equity or property.
• The truck. A fair price, service history and, for an older truck, evidence on the engine.

To get a number from Ventas, send the listing or dealer quote, the kilometres and rating, how the truck will earn, and what deposit or security you have. Start at truck finance, read the prime mover finance answer, or test repayments on the truck finance calculator. Finance is subject to lender assessment and approval.

This is general information only and not financial, credit, or tax advice. Figures are indicative market data from the sources listed, not Ventas offers, and move with the market. Consider your own circumstances and speak to a professional. All finance is subject to lender assessment and approval.

This article is general information only and not financial, credit, or tax advice. Ventas Asset Lending is a finance broker, not a lender. Approvals are subject to lender assessment. Consider your own circumstances and speak to a qualified professional, including your accountant for any tax questions.