Freightliner Trucks history

In 1949, Freightliner sold its first vehicle outside of CF (to Portland-based forklift manufacturer Hyster); the vehicle is preserved in the Smithsonian collection in Washington, D.C.

Amidst the postwar boom, Portland’s Hyster Company became the first private carrier to order a Freightliner in 1950.

In 1951, Freightliner entered into an agreement with White Motor Company of Cleveland, Ohio.

For 1958, the cab design was updated to tilt forward 90 degrees, increasing access to the engine.

To reduce import tariffs imposed by Canada (later removed by Auto Pact), Freightliner opened its first Canadian manufacturing facility in 1961, in Burnaby, British Columbia.

In 1969, a second facility was opened in Portland for parts production.

In 1974, the distribution agreement was terminated, and Freightliner Corp. began life as a freestanding manufacturer and distributor.

Freightliner history was already being made in 1981 when Daimler-Benz AG bought the company.

In 1985 Freightliner introduced a new Medium Conventional series (FLC112), using the passenger portion of the cabin from the then recently introduced Mercedes-Benz LK. Mercedes cabins gradually became used for a number of Freightliner trucks.

In 1989, Freightliner acquired a standing plant in Cleveland, North Carolina, near Statesville, that had been producing transit buses for German manufacturer MAN.

In 1991, parent company Daimler-Benz withdrew from the medium-duty truck segment, shifting its presence to Freightliner.

With its vast technological resources, Daimler-Benz helped Freightliner reach the top of the North American heavy-duty truck market by 1992.

In 1995, Oshkosh Corporation’s chassis division was purchased, becoming Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation.

For 1996, the company introduced the Freightliner Century Class, its first completely new Class 8 conventional in over 20 years.

In 1997, it purchased the heavy truck division of Ford Motor Company, launching the Sterling brand soon after.

1998 – Freightliner acquires bus manufacturer Thomas Built Buses, based in High Point, North Carolina.

For 1999 production, the Freightliner Argosy debuted; directly replacing the FLB, the Argosy consolidated four previous Freightliner COEs into a single model range.

Consolidated Freightways continued carrier business until 2002, when it ceased operation on Labor Day weekend.

In 2004, Freightliner LLC opened a full-scale wind tunnel in Portland, marking the first wind tunnel in North America fully designed for, and dedicated to testing full-size commercial vehicles.

While remaining the fifth-largest manufacturer in the emergency vehicle segment, American LaFrance was sold in 2005 to private equity fund, with DaimlerChrysler retaining ownership of the Ladson factory.

For 2006, the Sprinter van underwent a redesign (for the first time); final assembly shifts to the former American LaFrance facility in Ladson, South Carolina.

For 2008, the company introduced Freightliner Cascadia, a new-generation Class 8 conventional.

In March 2009, DTNA discontinued Sterling Trucks, citing substantial model overlap with Freightliner and decreasing market share (in spite of multiple product launches). The closure of Sterling also brought a closure of the St Thomas plant.

While the M2 remained unchanged, the FLD 120/132 Classic/Classic XL were discontinued for 2010; after the model year, the Columbia and Century Class were also discontinued (in North America). In line with the Argosy, production of the Century Class shifted entirely to export.

For 2011, the company debuted the SD model family.

In 2012, Freightliner celebrated its 70th anniversary, unveiling the Revolution concept vehicle.

In 2013, Freightliner expanded its alternative-fuel lineup, adding a natural-gas version of the Cascadia.

For 2017 production, Freightliner introduced a second-generation Cascadia, adopting elements of the design from the Inspiration autonomous vehicle.

For 2018, Freightliner debuted the EconicSD low-entry COE. Intended largely for refuse applications, the model line is an adaptation of the Mercedes-Benz Econic.

In September 2019, parent company Daimler announced that it would be halting "its internal combustion engine development initiatives as part of its efforts to embrace electric vehicles."