School me on freightliner models

Columbia was post Century I think 2002 era. My Century was brand new as of 2000-2001 year.

Before that there were Classic XL which was the biggest Freightliner there was to date. Before that there was the famous FLD120 That one I think should have stayed in production with improvements.

Before the FLD, you get into a situation where Dahlmer Mercedes did not own freight-liner then. (Spelling?) and you are working back towards the White Corporation. There was a mix of daycabs, cabovers in particular the COE models which evolved from around 1965 though the 1995 model year.

My first tractor was a 1958 or so white day cab. That truck taught me so much. I would give my leg to drive it again just for a while.

Everyone pretty much stopped buying cab overs in 1995 because drivers were quitting to join companies that had condos only. No cab overs. People left JBH, Pumpkin etc in enough numbers to force a industry change towards conventional. I personally refused to deal with them myself until the very end of my OTR work. And sure enough as I warned the company, I took another car out. Be my third. All in a Cabover. I am safer in a conventional believe it or not. I was not fired for it. Nor was I for the other two either.

In my time being a newbie back in the 80's you were given the worst trucks in the fleet. The ones that are so ratty, half the stuff rusted out not working etc. So that if you did wreck them things, it's not a loss at all. They would not put you into the newer nicer trucks for a while, as in a few years if ever.

At the same time, the Truck Building Industry hollowed out the American Tractor, using materials that border on pretty cheap. While doubling or tripling the retail price at the showroom from 60000 to 150000. No more iron etc. It's all plastic and fiber glass etc. You have to ask yourself when is enough enough?

 

The century replaced fld120, and flc 112
The columbia is still made
The Coronado is a columbia/ century with long hood, and forward steer axle.

Before the above I'm not sure on models the Classic was made until about 2009.

In other news the the Volvo now is based on the original Volvo cabs designed by GMC, and White who owned Volvo I believe.

 

my company actually has an older frieghtliner i think its a classic. its the only freightliner in the fleet, in fact none of the milk haulers really use too many freightliners i dont think the typical cascadia is heavy duty enough for the weight we pull. almost 100% paccar

 

The Century was mated with a Classic...out came the Coronado

 

Not to sure on that one.

 

The fact your sitting on the engine almost. It's called the dog house because you get on all four to crawl to the bunk.