A Western Australian family's small road transport operation opts for Western Star trucks to handle the state's rough terrain.
When it can reach almost 50 degrees just standing in the shade, imagine how hot both dirt and bitumen roads can get in the Western Australian outback.
This is where you tough trucks rise to the occasion.
The Desert Enterprise fleet, run by the Lupton family, includes two Western Stars pulling triple road train side tippers from a mine to Port Hedland way up north; and Wayne Lupton’s pride and joy, a near-new Western Star 6900FXC.
Son Todd Lupton is in charge of the two Desert Enterprise road trains. The 2000 model Western Star 4900FX and 2013 4900FX big bangers pull two triple side-tipper sets grossing 141 tonnes.
They each do two return trips in 24 hours. That’s 1,500 kilometres a day, 7 days a week.
Find out more about the Lupton family and their small fleet of Western Stars, see the April editon of Owner//Driver. To guarantee your copy, subscribe here.
Photography: Steve Skinner