LONG BEACH, Calif. — Freightliner Trucks announced that its new 114 Severe Duty (SD) set-back axle (SBA) truck will be available with natural gas technology.

The truckmaker made the announcement at the Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Long Beach, Calif.

Production will begin on the natural gas 114SD SBA in December 2011.

Designed for vocational and municipal customers such as dump, refuse and sewer vacs, the factory-built 114SD SBA natural gas truck will include the lightweight Cummins ISLG natural gas engine.

The truck will also be equipped with the Allison 3000RDS transmission, which includes patented torque converter technology that results in improved startability at the launch of the vehicle, full power shifts, and a better performing engine.

“Natural gas is quickly becoming the fuel of choice for the refuse market, and has started to gain traction with municipal customers,” said TJ Reed, director of product marketing for Freightliner Trucks. “Based on our conversations with customers in other vocational segments, there’s an increased interest in natural gas, particularly with the recent spike in the price of diesel fuel.”

Freightliner Trucks is a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and is the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets Class 4-8 trucks and is a Daimler company, the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer.