Freightliner

Subject:
Freightliner
FLD-120
Kit Used: Italeri 1/24

Review & model by:
Bob Blevins
Pictures: R. Forys

History: In 1929, a young trucker from Portland, Oregon named Leland James started a freight hauling company call Consolidated Freight Lines. In a search to increase profits, James wanted lighter trucks that could haul more freight and stay under weight limits. Unfortunately, truck manufactures of the day did not share his ideas. This caused James to start modifying stock trucks to meet his requirements. By the mid-1930s, Consolidated mechanics were experimenting with aluminum in brake shoes, suspension hanger brackets and pulleys for reefer trailers. The ideas worked well and Consolidated began building truck and trailer bodies from the new lightweight metal. James also had another idea. He came up with a blunt-nosed, cab-over-engine design that would allow him to lengthen the trailer, carry more freight, and still stay under the 60-foot length limit that was common in many states. In 1937, Consolidated was the first truck line to use the COE design in fleet service, and 20 more were built by the end of the decade.

[The biggest deficit of the kit was that the decals were a little thick.]

In 1940, the company name changed to Consolidated Freightways, and in the same year, they teamed up with 5 other western carriers to launch Freightways Manufacturing Company, Inc., to build trucks for their combined fleet. A plant was opened in Salt Lake City, and large scale production of the COE design commenced. Leland James didn't really intend to be in the truck making business. His plan was to prove his designs to established manufactures so they would start building the trucks he wanted. However, the other manufactures were slow to pick up on these innovative ideas, so Consolidated decided that they would have to do it themselves.

The "Freight-Liner" logo first appeared in 1940 in a coat hanger shaped recess at the top of the aluminum radiator. The following year, it changed to "Freightliner", and by 1942, the company officially changed its name to Freightliner Corporation. However the war years were tough on the country and the young Freightliner Corporation. Parts and materials were hard to come by, and soon the Salt Lake plant stopped producing trucks, and started making airplane parts and ship hatches. By 1944, the Utah plant shut down entirely and operations / maintenance moved to corporate headquarters in Oregon. Normal production didn't resume until 1947.

[The kit was built out of the box with the only exception the addition of spark plug wires.]

The post-war years were an economic boom time, and Freightliner prospered. It continued its tradition of innovation, pioneering the use of aluminum alloys, perfected during the war years. From the beginning, Freightliners had been built to supply Consolidated Freightways with a better truck, but in 1948 James was convinced that the product was good enough for the open market, and the first outside sale came that year.

In 1950, the Hyster Company of Portland ordered the first Freightliner sleeper cab tractor, and Freightliner's reputation as a quality "custom" truck manufacturer grew. The company was building over 100 trucks a year, and their success made them realize that with the right sales support, the company was ripe for expansion. In 1951, Freightliner entered into an agreement with the White Motor Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio, to market and service Freightliners across the country. By 1960 sales of Freightliners reached 1000 units.

[A reproduction of the car is now on display in Indiana.]

In 1973, Freightliner introduced its first conventional truck. It was a difficult period for the transportation industry. Fuel prices soared and truck sales suffered substantially. In 1975, Freightliner ended its relationship with White and began building its own dealer network. Three years later, in 1978, Freightliner opened its first East Coast manufacturing operation and became a true national corporation.

By the start of the 1980s, Freightliner was making waves in the trucking industry. The ripples caught the attention of Daimler-Benz AG, who was trying to market Mercedes-Benz trucks in the U.S. with little success. In 1981, Daimler-Benz purchased Freightliner from Consolidated Freightways. Daimler provided Freightliner the engineering resources it needed, and Freightliner provided Daimler the reputation in the market it needed to grow in the U.S. Within a decade, in 1992, Freightliner had captured the #1 market share position for Class 8 trucks.

In 1995, Freightliner purchased its first non-traditional truck company, American LaFrance, makers of fire trucks and emergency vehicles. Soon, Freightliner expanded even more, purchasing Ford Motor Company's heavy truck business in 1997 (later renamed Sterling); bus maker Thomas Built Buses in 1998; and Western Star trucks in 2000. Today, the Freightliner Group is the leading commercial vehicle maker in North America. Volume in 2002 exceeded 111,000 vehicles and its products were shipped to 30 countries.

The Kit: This excellent Italeri kit was not an easy build, although the instructions were fairly decent. It featured good part fit and nice detail in most areas, however the level of detail did not extend into the interior, where the instrument panel is weak, with only a decal provided to supply detail. The instructions were also a little vague on placement of some parts.

[The kit was painted Tamiya pure white.]

The exhaust pipes were replaced with aluminum tubes and were then further enhanced with a layer of "Bare-Metal" foil. The Italeri Truck Accessories kit supplied the light bar, air hoses and fittings, while other additions included a piece of screen under the cowl panel, and the "Truck Mates" on the mud flaps. Finally, some grease was applied on the 5th wheel.

The model was painted with Tamiya black lacquer #TS-14, from a rattle-can, and the decals came from the kit, with the exception of the flag, which came from Micro Scale. The only weathering applied was dry brushing on the frame using Tamiya acrylics.