White · 1972–1983

White Road Commander

The White Road Commander was a series of heavy-duty cab-over trucks built by the White Motor Corporation and later Volvo Trucks from 1972 until 1983. Then the model was sold as the White High Cabover.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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Design

In 1975 the modernized Road Commander 2 was introduced, with a split wraparound windshield and redesigned cabin using the "tapered" doors seen across the White lineup (many "2" version Autocars, and other classic White-owned Autocar and Western Star trucks sharing the White classic cab). Originally fitted with single round headlights, in the 1980s twin rectangular units also became available. The Road Commander 2 has a bolted frame made of high tensile steel, while the all-aluminum cabin is hydraulically tilted. This allows access to a wide range of available diesel engines from Cummins, Caterpillar, and other manufacturers. The available range in 1977 was from 190 to 450 hp (142 to 336 kW). An unusual feature for the time was the RC2's pull-out drawer containing all electrical fuses and connections, located inside the cab. The later White High Cabover was available in WHS ("White High-cab Short"), WHL ("White High-cab Long"), WHE ("Extended") and WHM ("Medium") versions. After the White nameplate was combined with that of GMC in 1988 the design continued to be built as a White GMC.

Foreign sales

The RC2 was also sold in many export markets, as such models met all period EEC and ECE regulations. It was sold in several European markets such as Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Western Star

Western Star had originally been created by White in 1967, specifically to target the west coast trucking markets dominated by west coast makers Peterbilt and Kenworth. After White was purchased by Volvo in 1980, Western Star went its separate way — but the White-built cabovers continued to be available in Canada and in some western states with Western Star badging. The Western Star model never received the diagonal crossbar logo that other Volvo-built White trucks had. The Western Star Cabover also has a riveted on shield beneath the front windshield, helping to alter its appearance.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

White Road Commander

aka

White High Cabover, Western Star Cabover

Manufacturer

White Motor Corporation, later Volvo Trucks

Production

1972-1983, New River Valley, VA

Predecessor

GMC Astro

Class

Class 7-8

Layout

4x2, 6X4

Body style

Cabover truck

Engine

Cummins NTC, Detroit Diesel 8V71, Detroit Diesel 8V92, Detroit Diesel 6V92, Caterpillar 3406

Transmission

Eaton-Fuller RT-910, Eaton Fuller R—915, Eaton-Fuller RTO-9513, Eaton-Fuller RTO-12513, Eaton-Fuller RTO-12515, Eaton-Fuller RT-11609, Allison HT-Series

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17102265CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Road_CommanderCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1373447045 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1979_White_Road_Commander_2.jpgCC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Hornernealw · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.