DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Along with the announcement that Freightliner has become the official hauler of NASCAR comes news of new upgrades and options on the company’s highway tractors.

The Freightliner Coronado will now come equipped with compact disc (CD) players as standard equipment. The Delphi XTA-2400 AM/FM/WB CD radio will be the standard stereo on all Coronado orders beginning immediately, announced Freightliner officials.

The CD players are equipped with LED back-lighting resulting in a longer display life. They also come with a theft deterrent system and an alarm clock, the company announced. The Coronado’s wrap-around dash puts the stereo within easy reach of the driver, improving ergonomics, safety and accessibility. The new stereo is also satellite-radio compatible – an option that provides truckers with more than 65 channels of commercial-free music from Sirius Satellite radio.

“For owner/operators, time is money,” said Freightliner director of product marketing, Jonathan Randall. “Our customers tell us they can’t afford to take time away from work to fix a cassette jam. And they want to be able to take their music collection with them on the road. By adding CD capability to the Coronado as a standard feature, Freightliner Trucks hopes to provide drivers with one of the more familiar and reliable comforts of home.”

In addition, Freightliner has introduced new one-piece cabinet doors on its Coronado, Columbia and Century Class S/T. The cabinet doors are made with a durable, scratch-resistant material, says Randall.

The new cabinet door design reduces the number of door panels from two to one, reducing the potential for rattle noise, the company says.

Freightliner has also launched a new chrome interior package for the Coronado, Classic, Classic XL and FLD SD models. The option made its debut on the fleet of Freightliner NASCAR haulers. The interior bright chrome package is made from durable, quality materials and includes switch panels, sleeper control panel trim, dump valve trim, mirror and power window switch trim, trailer brake cover, door kick panel and shift cover, the company says.

“NASCAR races are a great venue to showcase the new interior chrome accessory package,” said Randall. Race teams and fans share our enthusiasm for vehicles that run smart and look good in the process.”