After a million-plus hours of design work Freightliner has launched the new Cascadia on-highway truck. It’s said to deliver a fuel-economy improvement of three percent based on a 20-percent gain in aerodynamic efficiency alone, according to Freightliner LLC President and CEO Chris Patterson.

That’s compared to previous Century Class models, which delivered fuel economy on par with the industry’s best, he adds. It’s the first truck built and engineered using Freightliner LLC’s wind tunnel in Portland, Ore. — the only such testing facility in North America built specifically for class 8 vehicles.

The Cascadia, which replaces the Century Class and Columbia, will come in two BBC lengths, 113 and 125 inches, first in day cab and 72-in. sleeper versions. It’s ready for order now, with trucks rolling off production lines in August. By June 2008 there will also be 48- and 60-inch sleeper models.

The 638 Freightliner and DaimlerChrysler people involved in the creation of the new machine seem to have worked very hard. Fully 150,000 hours of test engineering time, 2,500 hours in the wind tunnel, thousands of hours of customer discussions… you see the point. It’s a well-developed truck, and the 10 or so trucks on hand in Charlotte, N.C., — a mix of day cabs and sleepers — did seem very well finished. On the road there were no squeaks or rattles, and the details — how edges match up, for instance — looked right.

The new Cascadia is probably the best
Freightliner yet, both the company and reviewers say

The core of the Cascadia is the all-new stamped-aluminum cab that’s 20-percent bigger as well as aerodynamically efficient. One example of that efficiency is the unique door and fender mirrors, looking very “slippery” while sitting on the most substantial mounts I’ve ever seen. On the road, there’s no mirror shake to be found. Not incidentally, all mirrors easily fold back to sit flush against the body.

Other fuel-saving features on the new truck include a fully integrated, battery-powered auxiliary HVAC system (available early in 2008) and an engine cooling system that minimizes engine fan and air-conditioning compressor on-time. Characterized by its huge, 20-percent larger grille to accommodate the high heat rejection of this year’s engines, and those of 2010, the truck’s standard radiator is 1,625 sq in., up from 1,200 sq in. on the 2004 Century Class. A 1,750-sq-in. rad is available for engines over 500 hp.

One of the keys to the Cascadia is that it’s mostly ready for 2010 engines. With that big grille — in front of a new hood that’s no ­higher than on the Century Class, so forward vision remains fine — the truck will easily accommodate big cooling ­systems. Given that the all new Detroit Diesel engine coming later this year is an in-house product that will be the truck’s only offering in three years’ time, the engineering advantage is significant-the packaging is already done.

Present engine choices include the standard Detroit Diesel Series 60, with 425 to 515 hp; the MBE 4000 with ratings of 370 to 450 hp and the Caterpillar C15 with ratings from 435 to 550 hp are available options. The Eaton Fuller FRO-15210C 10-speed manual transmission is standard fare, with both UltraShift and Autoshift available as options.

Another key is the multiplexed electrical system that “leverages the best of DaimlerChrysler,” and will allow buyers to program a gazillion parameters.

Dr. Jerome Guillen, Cascadia project leader and Freightliner’s general manager of new product development, told me that if it’s controlled electronically, it can be programmed. For example, if you want cruise control disabled when the outside temperature falls below freezing, you can do it.

The Cascadia sits on the ‘P3’ chassis that’s also beneath the Century Class, Columbia, and bigger Sterlings. It got new cab and engine mounts, so the ride is smoother, but the chassis didn’t need fixing, Patterson says.

Freightliner’s rack-and-pinion steering system — the first of its kind installed on heavy trucks — is an available option. It improves durability through lower system pressure and temperature, provides quicker steering response, and reduces steering effort. It eliminates bump steer, and roll steer is significantly reduced, which reduces driver fatigue. Rack and pinion also offers a 45-lb weight saving.

Berth For Girth: The cab is designed to
accommodate today’s bigger drivers.

Service savings are said to be part of the Cascadia’s feature set, by way of improved diagnostics, an HVAC system designed to reduce repair frequency, and breakaway side extenders. There’s also an optional two-piece roped-in windshield that can be changed in 16 minutes instead of most of a day, extended-life headlamp bulbs changeable by the driver, and easy access to the engine bay. Both hood and bumper are three separate pieces, making repairs potentially cheaper and faster.

From a driver’s perspective, the much larger cab is good news. The door openings are 29-percent bigger, there’s 24 in. between the seats even though the seats are bigger, and there’s more space in general. Plus double door and window seals, additional insulation, easier-to-use switches and climate controls, and a hydraulic clutch. Outward vision is excellent, and things are pretty quiet inside — no wind noise, hardly any road noise, and it’s probably as good as the best in those terms.

By the way, according to Mike Delaney, senior vice president of marketing for Freightliner LLC, that bigger cab is no coincidence. He says the average driver weighed 190 lb in 1983, but that had risen to 215 lb by 2001. Today, drivers weigh on average 230 lb.

“With studies showing that about 73 percent of drivers are on the larger side these days, it’s clear that older interior sizes just don’t address the realities now,” he said.

Other specs include a GVWR up to 92,000 lb; standard front taper-leaf suspension rated at 12,000 lb; optional spring suspension at 14,600 lb; standard rear AirLiner suspension good for 40,000 lb; and an optional AirLiner suspension rated at 21,000 lb.

To sum it up, the new Cascadia is probably the best Freightliner yet.

Handsome, it sports many subtle points of excellence that don’t make themselves apparent right away, as well as the more obvious ones like cab space. The Cascadia will be somewhat more expensive than the Century Class, specifics unknown at this point. Patterson says, however, that the higher price will be justified by extra value.