Freightliner

Freightliner is a brand of heavy-duty trucks manufactured by Freightliner LLC, a division of Daimler Truck North America, which is part of the German company Daimler Truck AG. The brand is known for providing a range of commercial trucks for highway use, vocational duties, and medium-duty applications.

Founded in 1942 as the Freightliner Motor Company in Portland, Oregon by Leland James, the firm produced cab-over and conventional tractors designed for demanding American hauling needs. It later became Freightliner Corporation and grew into a major supplier of heavy trucks in North America. In 1981, Daimler AG acquired Freightliner, and the business is now part of Daimler Truck North America, headquartered in the United States.

Freightliner manufactures a spectrum of trucks for highway, vocational, and medium-duty use. Notable current models include the Cascadia highway tractor, the medium-duty M2 series, and the 114SD vocational truck. The brand has also included older lines such as the Columbia and Classic. Freightliner emphasizes fuel efficiency, driver ergonomics, and advanced safety features such as electronic stability, collision mitigation, and telematics.

Production and distribution are concentrated in North America, with assembly and components sourced across multiple facilities and a dealer network serving customers in the United States and Canada; the brand also participates in Daimler’s global commercial-vehicle strategy alongside other brands.

Freightliner remains one of the leading brands in the North American heavy-truck market, recognized for durability and a broad service network, as it continues to adapt to evolving emissions standards and alternative-fuel technologies.