Freightliner LLC is a truck manufacturer. The company is owned by DaimlerChrysler. The company is known mainly for the heavy duty class 8 diesel trucks that it produces, as well as class 5-7 trucks. As of 2005 Freightliner is the largest manufacturer of heavy duty trucks in North America.
In the 1930s, Consolidated Freightways decided to produce their own truck line out of reconstructed Fageols, after finding that most existing heavy trucks did not have sufficient power to climb the steep grades found in the mountain regions of the western United States. The truck line eventually became known as Freightliner, a division of White Motor Company between 1951 and 1977.
In 1991 FL Business class series was the first class 5/6/7 freightliner made.
FL50- a Lighter duty and the baby freightliner class 5
FL60- a 5-ton truck that is used for a moving truck rentals and pickup and Deliveries and flat beds class 5/6
FL70- a upscale of the FL60 can be used as the same Applications as above. class 6/7
FL80- a Government use and pickups and deliveries and flat beds class 7
FL106- Upscaled FL80, for class 7 applications, there are many being used as tractors.
FL112- the tractor model. class 7/8
Freightliner's current main brands in the class 8 are the Columbia, the Century S/T, the Coronado and Classic, and Classic XL. They also make a cab over engine model, the Argosy. Their current class 6/7 truck is the M2. Freightliner also sells in North America the popular Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, a delivery van, and the Unimog utility vehicle.
Subsidiary brands
In 1998 Freightliner aquired Ford's heaviest truck division, (the old Ford Louisville, also known as L-Series Trucks). They renamed it Sterling Trucks, and it now handles production of the company's medium-duty vocational trucks, while the Freightliner nameplate focuses on heavy-duty hauling trucks.
The Western Star brand of heavy duty class 8 trucks are produced by the Freightliner group, and sold throughout North America.
Freightliner currently owns and builds the Thomas Built Buses line of school buses.
Under the nameplate of Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation Freightliner builds complete power trains and chassis for luxury motor homes, school buses, delivery vans, and shuttle buses.
Freightliner purchased the firetruck company American LaFrance, and continued to produce pumper and ladder bodies on their M2 and the Sterling Acterra chassis, until selling the company in December, 2005.
Resources
American Semi Trucks, by Stan Holtzman.
External links
- Freightliner Company Web Site
- Freightliner Trucks Web Site
- RV St-Cyr RV Dealer. Freightliner authorized service centers located in Quebec.
| Members and holdings of DaimlerChrysler : |
| Chrysler Group: Chrysler | Dodge | Jeep |
| Defunct Marques: Barreiros (1959-1978) |Commer (1905-1979) | DeSoto (1928-1961) | Eagle (1988-1998) | Fargo (1920-1972) | Hillman (1907-1976) | Humber (1898-1975) | Imperial (1955-1975, 1981-1983) | Karrier (1908-1977) | Plymouth (1928-2001) | Simca (1934-1977) | Sunbeam (1901-1976) | Singer (1905-1970) | Valiant (1960-1966) |
| Mercedes Car Group: Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) | Maybach | Mercedes-Benz | Mercedes-AMG | Smart |
| Commercial Vehicle Brands: Freightliner | Mercedes-Benz | Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation | OriOn | Setra | Sterling Trucks | Thomas Built Buses | Western Star |
| Participations in: EADS (30.17%) | Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (85%) | Freightliner | McLaren Group (40%) |
Categories: DaimlerChrysler | Emergency services equipment makers | Truck manufacturers
