Freightliner adds disc brakes to entire line, offers Business Class lease

June 1, 2005
Freightliner Trucks now has Bendix air disc brakes available as an option on all Class 8 and Business Class M2 trucks. In an announcement made at the

Freightliner Trucks now has Bendix air disc brakes available as an option on all Class 8 and Business Class M2 trucks. In an announcement made at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky, Freightliner officials said that the Bendix braking system offers improved brake pedal feel and reduced brake fade.

Freightliner first offered air disc brakes in the 1970s.

To make the disc brake option possible, trucks must be ordered with Freightliner proprietary front axles. The brakes are available for vehicles equipped with 24.5-inch tires.

A new leasing program for Business Class M2 trucks — 2005 BizLease Program — allows qualified users to lease up to five trucks with a minimum cash advance for terms of 48 or 60 months. The program is based on fair market value, so customers can walk away from the vehicles at the end of the term or purchase them at current fair market value.

Freightliner says the BizLease Program represents a way to offer M2 trucks to customers at a reasonable rate as well as help dealers develop a long-term relationship with medium truck users. The program applies to M2 106 trucks with GVW ratings of 25,500 lb or 33,000 lb. The trucks must be equipped with Mercedes-Benz MBE 900 engines, use Freightliner proprietary axles, and either Mercedes-Benz or Allison transmissions.

The basic lease limits trucks to 30,000 miles annually in applications including refrigerated, dry van, flatbed, or stake bed service. Lease operators may purchase up to 20,000 additional miles per year for a maximum annual mileage of 50,000.

The company also has a new purchasing program for the Coronado highway tractor aimed at independent contractors. Called Coronado Quest, purchasers have the option of a retail load with a balloon payment at the end or a TRAC lease. The program is limited to 2006 model year Coronado tractors with premium interior packages, 70-inch mid-roof or raised-roof sleepers, aluminum wheels on all 10 positions, 13-speed transmissions, and engines rated at 500 hp or more.

Freightliner has two new noise abatement packages for its Business Class M2 106 and M2 112 medium trucks and its Columbia highway tractors. The standard package uses a decoupled barrier of lightweight foam spaced away from the firewall, engine tunnel, and floor. A premium package for Business Class trucks increases firewall insulation thickness by 50%, and adds additional noise dampening material to the floor, rear wall and roof along with a layer of acoustical foam on the rear wall and roof. The abatement package can reduce interior noise by 50%, Freightliner says.

In addition to the two new insulation packages, Freightliner has a new tunnel/firewall engine noise shield to keep engine noise out of the cab.

Noise abatement for the Columbia comes in five sub-packages matched to the hood and firewall, the floor, cab sides, roof, and rear wall. Packages can be specified to match vehicle configuration and interior options. The Columbia abatement package includes additional thermal insulation and arctic door seals.