Freightliner

Allison is now the standard transmission for Freightliner’s natural-gas vehicles, including the new Cascadia 113 natural gas day cab tractor.

Freightliner said that the Allison transmissions are the perfect choice for their natural gas trucks, thanks to their torque converter technology which improves the engines performances.

Robert Carrick, vocational sales manager – natural gas, for Freightliner Trucks declared, “Allison transmissions are the ideal option for alternative fuel vehicles because of their torque converter technology that results in improved startability at the launch of the vehicle, full power shifts and better performance.”

The Freightliner Cascadia will get the Allison 4000 Series Transmission, while the M2112 and 114SD trucks (equipped with Cummins Westport ISL G 8.9L engine) will be mated on Allison’s 3000 Series transmission.

Jim Wanaselja, vice president North American marketing, sales and service, for Allison Transmission said, “Natural gas technology is an exciting option in the commercial trucking market and we’re proud that Allison is a leader in this area. Customers anxious to experience the new Cascadia 113 natural gas tractor will be able to take advantage of all that natural gas engines have to offer while getting Allison’s renowned reliability, durability and performance.”

Freightliner has recently revealed the first details about the new Cascadia Evolution that will be introduced as a 2014 model. In a press conference held not long ago, the company declared that theirnew Cascadia Evolution will be able to offer up to a 7% fuel economy improvement compared with the current model.

To prove that they are talking serious about the performances of the new model the company had organized a series of real-world tests hosted at Freightliner’s manufacturing facility in Detroit.

Mr. Tim Tindall, director-engine & component sales for Detroit, was the host of the event and said that 40 new Cascadia Evolution models were handed in customers’ hands to be tested.

Ten of these tractors were equipped with DD13 engines and had day cab configurations, while the rest of 30 vehicles were fitted with the new DD15 engine and came with sleeper cabs.

Tindall said, “All of these trucks are equipped with the visibility package [which is part of Virtual Technician], so we can look at fuel consumption at anytime on any of these customer trucks. The program is aimed at showing that the truck does what we say it does and that the reliability is what we say it is.”

After the tests, Tindall revealed that the new Freightliner Cascadia Evolution scored a 6.7 % improvement in fuel economy compared to the original Cascadia.

The second step of this demonstration will be made in September, when 61 additional Cascadia Evolution trucks will be delivered for extra tests. The trucks will be fitted with both DD15 (35 units) and DD15 (26 units ) engines and 16 of the DD15 models will also get the new Detroit DT12 transmission.

The Freightliner Columbia is a medium duty truck designed for short or regional transportation. The vehicle has a highly versatile character and can cope with various medium duty jobs. At the moment the truck is sold in South Africa, New Zeeland and Australia.

Designed to for construction or short haul applications, the Freightliner Columbia offers a light tare weight and ideal axle positioning, being available in 6x4, 8x4 and 10x4 configurations for construction work, and 4x2 or 6x4 for distribution jobs. Furthermore there is also the option of a Day Cab or a 34” Mid-Roof Sleeper.

Under the hood, the Freightliner Columbia is equipped with a Cummins ISLe5 engine which delivers a maximum output of up to 400 hp and 1,254 lb-ft of torque. Thanks to its powerful engine and the solid chassis the Freightliner Columbia can be rated to 40,000 kg Gross Combination Mass.

The Condor model is part of the past, as at the moment the truck has stopped being manufactured by Freightliner. For its time however, the truck was seen with pretty good eyes thanks to its flexible character and its capable performances.

The truck had a low entry cab configuration designed especially for refuse industry and offered a maximum GVW (gross vehicle weight) rating of up to 98.000 lbs.

To make it cope with tight city streets or congested traffic situations, the truck received a set-back front axle which improved the over-all maneuverability. The Condor was offered with a wide range of Cummins and Caterpillar engines which developed between 275 hp and 375 hp.

The Freightliner Century Class is around from some time now and was designed especially for long haul operations. The truck features a conventional cab configuration with an aerodynamic design which gives it a low drag coefficient.

Moreover, the Freightliner Century Class uses strong, lightweight components in the hood and fenders to reduce the overall weight thus allowing for increased payload. The truck has a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 26000 kg for the 6x4 model and 30800 kg for the 8x4 version. There are also available both day and sleeper cabs and the truck is powered by a Detroit Diesel engine which develops between 470 hp - 525 hp.

Freightliner has revealed its new generation of the Cascadia heavy duty Class 8 truck which will be introduced as a 2014 model.

The main trait of new Cascadia Evolution is its increased fuel efficiency and the improved aerodynamics. The truck is equipped with Detroit diesel engines and thanks to a few significant aerodynamic improvements and engine tweaks it offers up to 5 percent improvement in fuel economy compared to the 2013 Cascadia.

Talking about the new model, David Hames, general manager, marketing and strategy for Daimler Trucks North America said “With the introduction of the Cascadia and Detroit DD15 in 2007, our priority was to help customers lower their total cost of ownership through improved fuel efficiency and performance. Now, with the Cascadia Evolution, we are building upon our commitment to maximizing our customers’ bottom lines with new product advancements that will deliver unprecedented fuel efficiency.”

The Freightliner Argosy received a major upgrade in 2011 and features a new exterior style and a host of technical modifications. A few years ago, Freightliner decided to withdraw the truck from the US market, and focus especially on the Australian and South African markets.

Compared to the old generation the latest model is a major evolution, as besides the exterior and interior upgrades it also comes with a wider range of engines and transmissions which make it more versatile. Moreover, the truck is also fitted with a improved air management system along with a much larger radiator.

There are two engine options available for the Freightliner Argosy, namely the Detroit Diesel DD15 and Cummins ISX. The engines offer maximum outputs that can go up to 600 hp with 2050 lb-ft of torque.

Available in 90”, 101”, 110” midroof and 110” raised roof variants, the Argosy’s cabins offer a high level of versatility and are designed to cope with a wide range of road missions. The new generation Freightliner Argosy is also available in 6x4 and 8x4 versions and can be rated up to 140 tonnes GCM (gross combination mass).

Daimler North America is recalling three models build in due to two small defects. According to the report the models that have been found with problems are the Freightliner Cascadia, Western Star 4900 and Freightliner Business Class M2. All the recalled vehicles will be serviced for free in Daimler facilities.

According to the press release, the Cascadia and 4900 models manufactured from Dec. 22, 2011, through Feb. 23 may be “equipped with driver’s seats with seat bases that could have out-of-specification welds that allow the seat to buckle unexpectedly”, hence affecting the driver’s position which could translate in losing control of the vehicle.

The 2012 Freightliner Business Class M2 and Cascadia vehicles manufactured from Jan. 20 through Feb. 17 may have been assembled with a steering wheel nut that may not provide the clamp load required to fully seat the steering wheel on the steering shaft.

The campaign starts this month and owners can contact the company at (800) 547-0712 and specify campaign number FL-624 for the seats problem or FL-623 for the steering wheel problem.

Freightliner has made available the Eaton UltraShift PLUS Vocational series automated transmission for the 114SD and Coronado SD models. The UltraShift PLUS transmission was designed especially for vocational applications and features extended low and reverse gear rations which make it perfect even for the most demanding work situations.

TJ Reed, director of product marketing for Freightliner Trucks said, “With options like the UltraShift PLUS Vocational series of transmissions, we provide our customers spec choices to ensure they can meet the demands of the toughest jobs. Strength, driveability, durability, and flat out bottom line efficiency are the core of our SD Series of trucks. Freightliner Trucks continues to expand its SD Series of products to meet the demands of our vocational customers.”

For maximum performances, the transmission features smooth and fast gear changes and is combined with the company’s shift logic which constantly adapts the gear changes according to the payload, grade and power to offer maximum performances with low fuel consumption. The UltraShift PLUS Vocational transmission also comes with a series of useful features which include hill start aid, auto neutral and automatic, manual and low modes.

The Coronado is Freightliner’s traditional on-highway truck and features an aerodynamic design, a spacious cab and a wide range of powerful engines. In the last years, the truck has been continuously improved as Freightliner added a host of advanced technologies and a wide range of enhancements to make it able to go head to head with success against the other trucks in the segment.

The Freightliner Coronado is suited for a wide area of applications such as local or single-trailer distributions or major B-double line haul jobs. The engines available for Freightliner’s rig are either the Detroit Diesel DD15 or Cummins ISX units with power options ranging from 485-600 hp.

The Freightliner Coronado is priced around $120.000 and is available in three cab versions (Day, Extended and Sleeper) with four heights configurations.

Freightliner has announced that has made available the powerful Cummins ISX12 engine for its Cascadia day cab truck. The Cummins ISX12 has a capacity of 12 liters and was designed especially for heavy duty requirements and for long haul operations. The engine offers high power and torque ouptuts at relatively low rpms and pretty low fuel consumption.

Talking about the new addition, TJ Reed, director of product marketing for Freightliner Trucks said: “We want to give our customers the best tools to be as productive as possible, and the Cummins ISX12 is yet another option that benefits overall profitability. The engine’s impressive fuel economy improvements and powerful performance makes it a smart choice for the Cascadia.”

The common rail engine features an electronically activated VGT turbocharger and develops between 310-425 hp with a maximum torque of 1650 lb-ft.

The Freightliner Cascadia was already available with a range of four engines including the Detroit DD13, Detroit DD15, Detroit DD16 and the Cummins ISX15.

The Freightliner 114SD is the evil brother of the already rugged 108SD model. Compared to its smaller brother, the 114SD is stronger and more capable, having a maximum GVW (gross vehicle weight) rating of up to 91.000 lbs.

The truck is available with a wide range of engines including the Detroit DD13, Cummins ISC, ISL and the efficient ISL-G units. The company says that the 108SD has been put through rigorous testing to make it one of the most performant and reliable trucks in its class and judging by the positive market response they are not far from the truth. The truck is priced around $120,000 and is available in Day Cab, Extended Cab and Crew Cab configurations.

There are plenty of trucks out there, but some of them are the toughest big rigs you can get and they usually deal with the most demanding working conditions. The Freightliner 108SD is one of them, as it was designed to conquer the most severe environments that require maximum maneuverability and strong towing capacity.

The Freightliner’s 108SD severe duty model is available with a bunch of strong Cummins engines, multiple power take-off (PTO) options and a solid chassis engineered for arduous missions.

With a GVW (gross vehicle weight) rating of up to 79,000 lbs., the truck is also pretty versatile and is available in both front engine and rear engine configurations with many PTO options available. The Freightliner 108SD has a starting price of $78.700 and is available in three cab configurations including the Day Cab, Extended Cab and Crew Cab.

Freightliner revealed a new truck concept at Mid-America Trucking Show in Kentucky. The new Revolution concept wants to gives us a glimpse of how it will look the future of big rigs in Freightliner’s vision. The truck features a host of innovative technologies and upgrades which make it very aerodynamic, lightweight, easy to maneuver and efficient.

Talking about the new concept, Michael Gatza Senior Engineer, Advanced Engineering at Freightliner trucks said: “We reconfigured key powertrain components, incorporated new technologies, and integrated a raised roof to reach a new level of innovation.”

The Freightliner Revolution concept is powered by a Detroit DD13 engine mated on a lightweight manual automated transmission.

The Freightliner Business Class M2 was slightly redesigned in 2010 and it was developed for both medium and heavy duty vocational applications requiring a front engine PTO and front frame extensions. The M2 106 was designed for easy maintenance, and features easily accessible components, as well as see-through fluid reservoirs, to make inspection and service easier.

The M2 106 is one of the most versatile truck build by the American manufacturer and can be used for refuse collection, snow plowing, crane or other utility operations and fire/emergency needs. The truck has a starting price of $70,390.00 and is available in three cab configuration including Day Cab, Extended Cab and Crew Cab.

The Cascadia is the newest truck developed by Freightliner and features a host of new technologies which make it better suited for the long haul operations. The main advantage of the Freightliner is its small weight, achieved thanks to the heavy use of lightweight aluminum parts for the cabin. The rig also incorporates a new, common Electric/Electronic Architecture, and a host of features and systems designed to be easily accessible, repairable, and replaceable. However, despite all these features many truckers have complained about the reliability of its electronic systems such as cruise controls, lights, wiper or others and the Freightliner trucks have hard times convincing drivers about its reliability.

Apart from those issues however, the truck is fitted with strong and efficient engines and it is available with a choice of three cab configurations namely the Day Cab, Raised Roof and XT.

Freightliner trucks is a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC and in 2012 celebrates 70 years of history. With this occasion the company launched a new anniversary website (www.freightlinertrucks.com/70years). On the new site the company presents its history and the innovations made along the years. There are also presented the most relevant products and the technological achievements developed in its 70 years of history.

Freightliner Trucks also announced that it will continue its anniversary celebration at the 2012 Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, Ky. (March 22-24). At the show the company will present its latest vehicles and technologies including a new concept truck, fully loaded with cutting-edge advancements and unique features.

David Hames, general manager, product marketing and strategy for Daimler Trucks North America said: “Seventy years ago, Freightliner Trucks first set industry standards with our products and technologies, and we’ve continued to raise the bar by developing vehicles that enhance productivity, reliability and driver comfort. We’re proud of our history, and even more excited about what’s ahead. Our concept vehicle will show that we’re continuing to lead the way with revolutionary innovations and ideas that will maximize performance and profitability.”

Freightliner Trucks is a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and is the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets Class 4-8 trucks and is a Daimler company, the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer.

Hit the jump to see the anniversary video