Industry Profile

Freightliner

Did you know that the largest employer in Rowan County is Freightliner with over 4,000 employees locally? Freightliner LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler, is the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America and a leading manufacturer of medium-duty trucks and specialized commercial vehicles. With their largest Manufacturing Facility location in Cleveland, most of us know someone who works directly or indirectly for Freightliner and understanding their business helps to understand the County.

Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, the company was founded in 1942 and employs over 19,000 people directly and more than 24,000 when Detroit Diesel Corporation and other affiliated companies are included with almost 9,000 of those employees in North Carolina. Freightliner LLC manufactures, sells and services several renowned vehicle brands, including Freightliner (heavy-duty and medium-duty trucks), Sterling (trucks for vocational applications and local and regional distribution), Western Star (heavy-duty over-the-road and vocational trucks), Freightliner Custom Chassis (custom chassis for motor homes, school and shuttle buses) and Thomas Built Buses (school buses). The company operates a vast dealer/service network in North America, including over forty used truck sales centers (SelecTrucks). Freightliner is also the largest exporter of heavy-duty trucks from North America, marketing vehicles in over 35 countries outside NAFTA. Since 1989, the Freightliner full line of Class 8 truck has been constructed locally including the Century Class S/T, Columbia, Classic, Classic XL, FMC, and the Argosy cab-over-engine models. Additionally, the Cleveland facility initiated the production of the business class medium-duty model which was then transferred to the Mount Holly, NC truck manufacturing plant.

In serving its customers, Freightliner LLC offers a selection of high quality proprietary components, including Mercedes-Benz engines and Alliance parts. Customers of Freightliner LLC brand also benefit from the company’s affiliations with key DaimlerChrysler companies in North America.  Detroit Diesel Corporation, based in Detroit, Michigan, is one of the largest manufacturers of heavy-duty engines in North America. DDC’s famed Series 60 heavy-duty engine is offered exclusively in North America in Freightliner LLC products. Axle Alliance Company, based in Redford, Michigan, builds commercial vehicle axles.

Freightliner LLC has a history of commitment to the environment including not only designing the most fuel-efficient vehicles possible, but also reducing emissions and waste in all the company’s operations. Freightliner has begun the building of EPA 2007 emissions-certified heavy-duty Detroit Diesel Series 60® engines that pass the ‘white handkerchief test’ where a white hanky placed over the exhaust pipes of the running truck showing there is no soot or odor emitted. These first 2007 emission-certified engines were installed in vehicles beginning on January 8, with initial customer deliveries planned before the end of January.