Freightliners Popular

They are like the Ford Escort of trucks. They'll get you there despite being not a fancy ride. Most workable models are fairly inexpensive (as far as trucks go).

I never had any respect for them myself until I ran a 2015 last year and had zero shop time for things like EGR or turbo issues. The DD15 was a workhorse- an anemic one to be sure- but a workhorse just the same. I've had fancy trucks that were always in the shop, but this little guy was like the Energizer bunny of trucks.

 

You don't have to fight with them to get warranty work done.

 

They are slowly getting nicer these days, as well. I drove a brand-new Cascadia daycab for my last job, and it was pretty cushy. Of course, it matters how they are spec'd. There are all kinds of guts you can get in them.

 

I think there are several reasons you see freight shakers and PROSTARS in fleets. The first is cost. The cost difference between a Freightliner and a Pete or Kenworth can be as much as $10,000 or more per unit. Another reason is on display in almost any truck stop on any given day. Take a walk and look at the older tractors there. How many Freightliners do you see that is over five to ten years old. Not very many, right? And when you do see one how much duct tape and bungee cords do you see on it? Right now can you remember the last FLD you seen? Or maybe Century or Columbia. I admit i'm a Pete/Kenworth guy. But its been my experience based on my observations that Freightliners are not built to last like Petes are, and the price you will pay for them backs this up. Look at it this way. If you buy 100 tractors and can save 10,000 per unit that's a million bucks saved. Unfortunately most of the larger carriers are forced to play this number game.

 

All those old ones you don't see at truck stops are busy in town dragging containers around. Raggedy fo sho!

 

I always had Freightliners, either Century, Columbia or Classics and after buying my first Kenworth I sold all of them.
There's a big difference.

 

I'll run my FLC till I die. '87 was the golden year.

1.2 million and rolling. I'll take an under dog over popular vote anyday

 

Now that's funny!

I always thought of them as throwaway trucks. Use 'em up, and toss it.

 

Same thing the bird sang when she flew over Kmart cheap cheap