Freightliner Trucks

1. www.truckmarket.com

2. Freightliner Trucks Facts
Freightliner Trucks are manufactured by the American truck brand with
the same name and is a division of Daimler Trucks North America. This
division is popular for producing heavy-duty class 8 diesel trucks but also
offers class 5-7 trucks.

3. History of Freightliner
To best understand how Freightliner reached its
status in the market, it is best to understand how
the brand and the company started.

4. Freightliner Trucks Facts
Freightliner Trucks are manufactured by the American truck brand with
the same name and is a division of Daimler Trucks North America. This
division is popular for producing heavy-duty class 8 diesel trucks but also
offers class 5-7 trucks.

5. Early Years
In the 1930s, Consolidated Freightways, in the lack of trucks that have sufficient power to
climb steep mountain grades in the western United States, decided to produce their own
truck line out of reconstructed Fageols. The trucks were then rebranded as “Freightliners”
and were first produced in the Consolidated Freightways maintenance facility in Salt Lake
City in 1942. Production of Freightliners was interrupted during WW II.
1960
In 1961, manufacturing began in Burnaby, British Columbia to reduce the duty penalty for
vehicles sold in Canada. The assembly plants in Indianapolis and Chino, California
complemented the plant on Swan Island to serve the US market. The new assembly plant
on North Basin Street was opened in 1969.

6. 1970s
The 1970s became a rather trouble era for
Freightliner as expansion projects into appliances
and agricultural equipment consumed much of the
capital but with no return. It didn’t help that the
relationship with Consolidated Freightways
became frayed. The distribution agreement ended
in 1974. It led Freightliner Corp. to become a
freestanding manufacturer and distributor. One of
the first dealers were from the White Motor Co.
network although there were others that are not
associated with the dealer.
This decade also saw the production of its first

7. 1980s
Daimler-Benz took over the company which
allowed the expansion as management attention
and financial resources was handed to them. This
came at a time when the company was struggling
to survive.
1990
The Daimler-Benz take over meant that
Freightliner became the company’s flag bearer in
the medium-duty market. This decade saw the
increased production of Freightliners from the
Santiago Tianguistenco Mexico, a plant of

8. 1980s
Daimler-Benz took over the company which
allowed the expansion as management attention
and financial resources was handed to them. This
came at a time when the company was struggling
to survive.
1990
The Daimler-Benz take over meant that
Freightliner became the company’s flag bearer in
the medium-duty market. This decade saw the
increased production of Freightliners from the
Santiago Tianguistenco Mexico, a plant of

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