FREIGHTLINER Trucks Upcoming Auctions

About Freightliner

A familiar sight on the interstates and highways of the U.S. and Canada, Freightliner claims to be the best-selling brand of heavy-duty trucks in North America. It is owned by the Daimler Group, as is its primary drivetrain supplier Detroit.

Notable Models

The Freightliner Cascadia and its Cascadia Evolution variant are on-highway tractors optimized for bulk transport, regional distribution, TL and LTL (truck load and less-than-truck load) transport, reefer/temperature-controlled haulage, and more. The (currently) 350- to 605-horsepower (261- to 451-kilowatt), Class 8 Cascadia comes in 4x2, 6x2, and 6x4 configurations with day cab and mid-roof and raised-roof sleeper cab options. It is available with a variety of Detroit and Cummins engines and manual, automated manual, and automatic transmissions from Detroit, Eaton, and Allison. A Cascadia Natural Gas model with 400 HP (298 kW) and an 80,000-pound (36,300-kilogram) gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) offers a lower carbon footprint, while the new, 500-HP (373-kW) electric eCascadia with a maximum gross combined weight (GCW) of 82,000 lbs (37,200 kg) avoids emissions altogether.

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Freightliner eCascadia Conventional Day Cab Truck

Originally called the Business Class M2, the M2 is a medium- to heavy-duty series of tractors and straight trucks variously used as box trucks, dump trucks, flatbed/stake-bodies, refuse/garbage trucks, moving trucks, snowplow trucks, service trucks, sweepers, tankers, towing/recovery trucks, and more. Freightliner says that its Class 6 to 8 M2 106 model is the No.1 best-selling medium-duty truck in North America. It produces 200 to 350 HP (149 to 261 kW) and has a GVWR of up to 66,000 lbs (29,900 kg). The on-highway, Class 7 and 8 M2 112 comes in day cab, extended cab, and crew cab models ranging from 260 to 505 HP (194 to 377 kW). A natural gas M2 112 produces 260 to 320 HP (194 to 239 kW) with a GVWR of up to 80,000 lbs. The new electric eM2 currently comes in 26,000- to 33,000-lb (11,800- to 15,000-kg) gross vehicle weights.

Freightliner’s SD, or Severe Duty models serve as dump trucks, construction trucks, crane trucks, fire and rescue trucks, sewer vacuum trucks, tankers, cement mixer trucks, and more. This rugged family comprises the 108SD, the 114SD (including a natural gas variant), the 122SD on-highway truck, and the EconicSD waste collection truck.

Other Freightliner models often found on the used market include Century, Columbia, Coronado, FLD120, FLD132, and MT45 models as well as Sprinter cargo vans.

Freightliner Features

Like other commercial truck manufacturers, late-model Freightliner trucks may be equipped with a number of advanced systems for fleet management, fuel efficiency, and safety. An example of the first is Detroit Connect telematics with remote diagnostics and over-the-air software updates.

Working together, a Detroit integrated powertrain—engine, transmission, and drive axles—can conserve fuel and maximize efficiency in a Freightliner truck. Preloaded terrain maps allow the powertrain to proactively adjust cruise speed, engine speed, and gearing for most routes. The system can also use eCoast, which automatically disengages the transmission for fuel economy when the truck can benefit from a downhill grade.

Active safety features such as adaptive cruise control help to prevent accidents in recent Freightliner trucks. The Detroit Assurance 5.0 collision mitigation system supplies driver aids such as Active Brake Assist, forward impact warning, and emergency braking. The Active Lane Assist lane departure warning system helps drivers stay between the lines, while a blind spot side guard assist feature provides visibility along the entire length of the trailer.

Freightliner’s SmartPlex programmable electrical system provides more flexibility for customization of a truck. There are other systems and technologies available depending on the model year.

History

Freightliner’s history stretches back to 1930, but it was in 1942 that founder Leland James changed the name of his Freightways Manufacturing to Freightliner. The company had been formed to build cab-over-engine (COE) heavy-duty trucks with aluminum components. The firm briefly began to produce the Model 600 “shovelnose” truck before switching to materiel for the war. Later, Freightliner developed the four-wheel-drive Mountaineer tractor in 1954 and the trucking industry’s first 90-degree tilt cab in 1958.

The Aluminum Hood WFC became Freightliner’s first conventional, long-hood truck in 1974. Daimler-Benz AG acquired Freightliner in 1981. The FLD brought aerodynamic features to the company’s conventional tractor format in 1987. In 1989, Freightliner introduced its minimal-maintenance AirLiner air bag suspension, which it says became the bestselling air suspension in history and is still available today.

The year 1992 brought the Freightliner FLD120 with a sleeper integrated into a cab with a raised roof, both well-received innovations. In 2001, the popular Business Class M2 arrived with aluminum components in key areas. After Freightliner built North America’s first full-scale wind tunnel for full-size commercial vehicles in 2004, the aerodynamic Cascadia tractor appeared in 2007 with a low cost of operation and a wider variety of cab and sleeper options.

The Run Smart Predictive Cruise system (2009) was Freightliner’s first to use elevation maps and GPS to adjust its trucks’ cruise control speed. In 2011, Freightliner debuted its SD Severe Duty line of vocational trucks. Its Inspiration model became the first licensed, autonomous commercial truck to operate on a public U.S. highway in 2015.

Find Freightliner Trucks

Come to TruckPaper.com and find thousands of new and used Freightliner trucks and vans for sale, including Business Class M2 series, Cascadia, Columbia, and Sprinter van models.