Introduction

A Foundation of Quality and Innovation

Founded in 1942, acquired by Daimler-Benz in 1981 and under the DTNA name since 2008, Freightliner Trucks, built on Leland James’ singular commitment to quality through innovation, is the most successful on-highway trucking brand in North America. 

The beginning of an industry

It all began with James’ passionate determination to build an aluminum chassis for his Consolidated Freightways brand of commercial trucks—despite the skeptics who didn’t think it could work. It worked. Mr. James’ innovation was a quick success, and Freightliner soon became a trucking industry leader. Freightliner has been at the forefront of commercial trucking ever since, for nearly three quarters of a century, backed by an uncompromising tradition of unparalleled quality through innovation. This tradition includes a comprehensive approach known as trucking down to a science, which builds on every breakthrough with a firm commitment to the best that cutting-edge engineering and design technology can offer.

Freightliner’s innovation leadership is inspired by two purposes: addressing market needs and resolving customer challenges. This steadfast dedication to research and innovation enables us to produce the highest-quality, most efficient trucks in the transportation industry. We start by incorporating new, cutting-edge technologies into our concept trucks. Inspired by new technology and driven by a passion to innovate, technological advancements in our Revolution Innovation, SuperTruck and Inspiration concept vehicles have transformed the industry.

The unveiling of the Inspiration, “the first licensed autonomous commercial truck to operate on an open public highway in the United States,” across the Hoover Dam in late 2015, was a major trucking-industry event. At Freightliner, we turn these concepts into reality, bringing more innovations to the marketplace with each new truck in production, yesterday, today and tomorrow.