It is the flagship truck of one of the most recognizable and trusted names in commercial trucking. The Freightliner Cascadia is the semi-truck of choice for transporting and hauling goods and materials across the country.
Freightliner’s Cascadia is not only the top-selling class 8 truck on the road today, but it is also one of the most high-tech commercial vehicles around. No semi-truck has a more impressive array of features, including driver-assist, built-in camera and radar, and unmatched fuel efficiency.
There is a lot to know about the Freightliner Cascadia and we have all the information that matters about the semi-truck that will likely set the standard for commercial trucks for years to come.
What is a Freightliner Cascadia? We Have the Answers
When it comes to commercial trucks, Freightliner is one of the biggest names out there. In fact, Freightliner is the best-selling semi-truck brand in the U.S., with over 190,000 units sold per year and a 40 percent share of the commercial truck market. Headquartered in Fort Mill, SC, Freightliner is manufactured by Daimler Truck North America, which is a subsidiary of Daimler.
Not only is Cascadia the flagship truck of Freightliner’s lineup, but it is also the top-selling class 8 truck in all of North America as well as a familiar sight on streets and highways across the country with its sleek, aerodynamic lines and sloped nose.
Key Specifications for Freightliner Cascadia
Much like the luxury cars manufactured by its sister company Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner Cascadia is all about performance and the story begins under the hood so that is where we will start.
Here are some specs for Freightliner Cascadia:
- The Freightliner Cascadia is a class 8 truck, meaning that it has a gross vehicle weight rating of over 33,001 pounds and is occupied primarily by the commercial vehicles most commonly referred to as big rigs
- Depending on the engine option, the Cascadia’s horsepower ranges from 350 to 615 with up to 2,215 lb-ft of torque
- There are no less than 7 engine options, including Detroit DD13/DD13 Gen 5, Detroit DD15/DD15 Gen 5, and Detroit DD16
- Available automatic transmissions include the 12-Speed Detroit Series and Allison 3000, 4000, and 4500 series, as well as 9, 10, 13, and 18-speed manual transmissions
- The Cascadia’s innovative Detroit Integrated Powertrain seamlessly synchronizes the engine, transmission, and axles to deliver unmatched power and efficiency
Now, let’s see the cab configurations.
Freightliner Cascadia Cab Configurations
While Freightliner’s Cascadia may not have the signature long-nosed hood of Peterbilt semi-trucks, it does have a distinctively aerodynamic architecture with sleek, sloped lines from the bumper to the back of the cabin.
There are three main cab configurations and here is how they measure up:
- Day Cab – 116” BBC or 126” BBC
- Sleeper Cab Mid Roof XT – 116”/126”/BBC 48”, 116”/126”/BBC 60”, or 116”/126”/BBC 72”
- Sleeper Cab Raised Roof – 116”/126”/BBC 60” or 116”/126”/BBC 72”
Now, let’s see what a Freightliner Cascadia is used for.
What Are Freightliner Cascadias Used For?
With so many available powertrain and cab options, the Freightliner Cascadia is a flexible semi-truck platform that is suitable for a number of commercial applications.
They include:
- Bulk hauling
- Temperature controlled (reefer) hauling
- Regional distribution
- Truckload (TL) and less than truckload (LTL) shipping
Particularly in the long-haul arena, with its unique performance capabilities and flexible configurations, the Freightliner Cascadia has few peers.
Freightliner Cascadia’s Impressive Safety Features
What we found to be most impressive about the Freightliner Cascadia is the way that it goes all-in on safety with an impressive array of features that not only provide comprehensive protective measures for driving on open highways but also on crowded city streets and in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Here is a sampling of the technologically advanced features that caught our attention:
- Detroit Assurance 5.0 is the Freightliner Cascadia’s built-in safety system that performs functions like adaptive cruise control, automatic deceleration, pedestrian warning systems, and emergency braking
- A blind-spot monitoring system is capable of detecting objects along the entire length of the Cascadia’s trailer
- Driver-assist technologies including lane-departure warnings and lane-keeping capabilities are available as optional features
- Freightliner is on track to produce future Cascadia models that will be the nation’s first production Level 2 semi-autonomous trucks in North America
Now, let’s see their radar system.
Freightliner Cascadia Radar Systems
At the heart of Cascadia’s suite of safety features are state-of-the-art camera and radar systems that work in concert with the truck’s sophisticated software to keep drivers, other motorists, and even pedestrians, safer.
The capabilities of these systems are impressive, particularly:
- The Cascadia’s bumper-mounted radar system prioritizes 6 types of objects, such as other vehicles and pedestrians
- The high-definition camera system prioritizes 4 types of objects
- Together, the radar and camera can detect up to 40 objects as far away as 800 feet and their data feed is refreshed 200 times per second for real-time monitoring
While the notion of completely self-driving commercial trucks seems far-fetched at the moment, the benefits of the advanced assistive features that are engineered into the Freightliner Cascadia cannot be overstated.
Conclusion
What is a Freightliner Cascadia? In a nutshell, it may very well be the future of not just class 8 semi-trucks, but commercial trucking as well, particularly where technology and road safety converge.
