Freightliner widens vocational focus

March 17, 2005
Freightliner soups up vocational truck line for ride-and-drive event

LAS VEGAS. At a ride-and-drive event held here at the ConExpo-Con/Agg show, Freightliner LLC unveiled several enhancements to its vocational truck line and announced that it wants to build up its vocational market share to at least equal its share in the Class 8 over-the-road segment.

“We want to balance out the cyclical swings of the Class 8 market with a much greater presence in the steadier vocational segments,” said Alex Bernasconi, Freightliner’s vp-sales.

“We have 38.3% market share in the Class 8 segment and have reached 27.8% share in the medium segment,” he added. “The thing often missed is our vocational offerings and that’s a substantial element of our business. So we intend to provide a broader-based vocational line that can fit into more of the vocational niches in the construction, municipal, fire & rescue, towing & recovery, and refuse businesses.”

Bernasconi said Freightliner is increasing production of its heavy-duty FLD SD Class 8 vocational model, built in Santiago, Mexico, this April to keep up with market demand.

The company also unveiled new options available in July for its medium-duty Business Class M2-V product line, such as a new one-piece heavy-duty bumper, a hood access hatch for snowplow applications to allow for engine service without raising the hood, and an air-intake pre-cleaner to help extend the life of the primary air filter. A front-engine power take-off (PTO) can also now be spec’d without the need for frame rail extensions, he said.

Finally, an all-wheel drive option is coming for the M2-V line this year to better help Freightliner position itself as a “one-stop shop” for vocational customers, said John Randall, the company’s director of marketing.

“We aim to achieve the same market share position in the Class 6 to 7 vocational segment as we have in the Class 8 segment,” he said. “These improvements are going to help us get there.”

About the Author

Sean Kilcarr | Editor in Chief

Sean Kilcarr is a former longtime FleetOwner senior editor who wrote for the publication from 2000 to 2018. He served as editor-in-chief from 2017 to 2018.

 

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of FleetOwner, create an account today!

Sponsored Recommendations

The Road Ahead: 2025 Trucking and Fleet Insights

Discover how fleet operators are impacted by challenges like driver onboarding delays and complex compliance, and the critical need for technology to boost efficiency and cut ...

Driving Growth: How to Manage More Freight

Ready to grow your trucking business? Whether you have 25 or 200 trucks, this guide offers practical tips and success stories to help you expand with confidence. Discover how ...

How to Maximize Fleet Management with Vehicle Bypass

Join us on February 18th to learn how truck weigh station bypass systems boost fleet performance and driver satisfaction.

Optimizing your fleet safety program using AI

Learn how AI supports fleet safety programs with tools for compliance monitoring, driver coaching and incident analysis to reduce risks and improve efficiency.