For Canadians who need a more substantial truck for local vocational work, Freightliner Trucks is finally getting down to business with its Business Class M2 line. Its new 112V model fills the gap in the company’s second-generation medium-duty truck line with the kind of muscle that will appeal to construction, refuse, and municipal fleet customers.

Consider the standard features. The 112V comes with a front engine power take-off (to run a wide variety of equipment from refuse packer bodies to mixer drums), a stationary grille, and L-section front frame rail extensions. The integral frame extensions provide a solid mounting point for hydraulic pumps, winches, front stabilizers, and snow plows and are available in 12-, 18-, and 24-inch increments so you can more easily package the extensions and bumper around your body equipment.

The 112V has front axles rated from 12,000 pounds to 23,000 pound and with rear axles from 23,000 pounds to 58,000 pounds. Freightliner’s heavy-duty TufTrac rear suspensions (40,000 pounds, 46,000 pounds, and 52,000 pounds) and Freightliner’s smooth-riding AirLiner suspensions (40,000 pounds and 46,000 pounds) are options. Additionally, a variety of Hendrickson air and walking beam suspensions are available. Standard power is the 12.8-litre Mercedes-Benz MBE4000 engine with ratings starting at 350 horsepower and 1,350 foot-pounds of torque.

Like other Business Class M2’s, the 112V has a clean back-of-cab for easy body installation and multiplexed wiring. Colour-coded wires, see-through fluid reservoirs, and simplified electronics make the M2 112V easy to maintain, and a range of component and cab options are available, including factory-installed crew and extended cabs.

The 112V joins the Business Class M2 112, 106, and 100 BBC models. The M2 line succeeds Freightliner’s Business Class products, introduced in 1991. For information, contact a Freightliner dealer or visit www.freightlinertrucks.com.