Cascadia is in Australia

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Diesel News Australia  /  June 2018

A presentation in Melbourne this week has confirmed the Freightliner Cascadia is in Australia to commence a comprehensive testing and evaluation program in the lead up to its launch in Australia in early 2020.

Ever since the introduction of the Cascadia on the US market, back in 2009, there has been a lot of speculation about if and when the model would be introduced to Australia. There was talk of the truck being unsuitable for Australia. In North America it is sold as a mass-produced highway truck used as a generic prime mover to haul the standard trailers on smooth interstate highways at masses below 40 tonnes.

Freightliner in Australia had persisted with the older model designs like the Argosy, Coronado and Columbia. These are based on a vehicle platform which predates the development of the Cascadia, a  design which integrates elements which are common across the Daimler truck family.

The success of the Cascadia in North America has seen Freightliner regain number one status right across the heavier end of the market, as it continues to grow market share to over 40 per cent in the heavy duty prime mover market. US interstates are populated with processions of Cascadias with a few competitor brands sprinkled into the mix.

Initially, the Cascadia is to be tested in its left hand drive form. This is an opportunity to test aspects like driveline and running gear while the right hand drive aspect can be developed and refined. The second wave of evaluation trucks will be right hand drive as Freightliner gets closer to the final specifications required to suit Aussie conditions.

As we are so early in the process, Freightliner are unwilling to be tied down to the specifics of what will be offered to the Australian truck buyer in 2020. However, there are some concrete factors which the company is willing to divulge.

The engines on offer will be the Detroit DD13 and DD16. Top power on the 16 litre is going to be over 600 hp, but how far over is yet to be decided. These engine choices match those available in the heavy end of the Mercedes Benz, which uses the 13 and 16 litre engines based on the same engine blocks.

Gearboxes on the initial test models are the Detroit DT 12, the North American version. of the AMT used in the Benz models sold here. This will be supplemented by an Eaton option both in the form of the 13 and 18 speed Roadranger, but also the Ultrashift Plus AMT.

One of the major selling points for the Cascadia in the US has been its frugal fuel consumption, something which Freightliner here hope to emulate in Australia. Its slippery streamlined shape is one of the factors, but this is complemented by the matching of the Detroit engine and AMT with a sophisticated electronic architecture, designed to wring out the maximum kilometres from each litre of fuel.

These electronics also mean the truck will have the capability to be optioned with the latest in safety technologies, either fitted as standard or available as an optional; extra.This increased level of on board electronics means the Australian arm of the Freightliner business will be able to capitalise on the latest technologies as they are released across the global Daimler truck range. Current Freightliner ,models miss out on some innovations as their electronic architecture cannot support them.

Talking to the Daimler executives at the recent unveiling it is clear the company is invigorated following the success of the release of the latest Mercedes Benz models and are hoping to get a corresponding lift in the fortunes of the flagging Freightliner brand at the point where the Argosy is phased out, also in early 2020.

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Cascadia is Coming to Australia

Diesel News Australia  /  August 2018

After a long gestation period and some false starts, the Freightliner Cascadia is coming to Australia. In fact, there are already Cascadias on the ground, as part of an ongoing development and evaluation program. Diesel News attended an unveiling of the new models in a darkened film studio in Melbourne.

Ever since the introduction of the Cascadia on the US market, back in 2007, there has been a lot of speculation about if and when the model would be introduced to Australia. There was talk of the truck being unsuitable for Australia. In North America it is sold as a mass-produced highway truck used as a generic prime mover to haul the standard trailers on smooth interstate highways at masses below 40 tonnes.

Freightliner in Australia had persisted with the older model designs like the Argosy, Coronado and Columbia. These are based on a vehicle platform which predates the development of the Cascadia. The design of which integrates many more global elements in the design, which are common across the Daimler truck family.

The success of the Cascadia in North America has seen Freightliner regain number one status right across the heavier end of the market, as it continues to grow market share to over 40 per cent in the heavy duty prime mover market. US interstates are populated with processions of Cascadias with a few competitor brands sprinkled into the mix. A completely new Cascadia was launched onto the US market last year bringing the whole vehicle platform bang up to date and Freightliner in the US is claiming fuel improvements up to eight per cent for operators, over the previous model.

“The business case of the truck is unquestionable,” says Daniel Whitehead, Daimler Trucks President and CEO in Australia. “Once operators test the truck and get bums in seats, we’re expecting to be equally successful in both large and small fleets. We have very high ambitions.

“We’ll be selling Cascadias in the first quarter of 2020 and handing over keys. There will be right hand drive Cascadias on the road in early 2109. We learnt a lot of good lessons from the Mercedes Benz evaluation program. Stephen Downes sat down with the Benz guys and went through their whole testing program, and asked what they would have done differently in hindsight. It was a key success factors for Benz and it will be one of the key success factors for Cascadia as well.

“Nothing ends as a result of Cascadia. What we have with the 116 and the 126 is launch group one. When we get to launch group two we haven’t got a clear definition of those models, not yet. Columbia and Coronado, they keep going, there’s no decision yet. When we have defined the later Cascadia trucks, we will revaluate the trucks on the older truck architecture.”

Initially, the Cascadia in Australia is to be tested in its left hand drive form. This is an opportunity to test aspects like driveline and running gear while the right hand drive aspect can be developed and refined back in the US. The second wave of evaluation trucks will be right hand drive as Freightliner gets closer to the final specifications required to suit Aussie conditions.

“For the Freightliner brand in Australia the Cascadia represents an unparalleled opportunity,” says Stephen Downes, Freightliner Australia Director. “It’s an opportunity to reinvent ourselves and deliver all of the things we know operators are looking for. The opportunity is in the technology the model delivers, whether that’s from the safety point of view, connectivity, fuel efficiency, telematics or just the quality and reliability of the vehicle.

“Cascadia is a real game changer for the Australian market, for conventional trucks. If I had told you five years ago we would have a conventional with not one, but two driver airbags, you would have laughed at me. That is not too far away. It’s an opportunity to get safety system you might find in a high level passenger car out into the trucking industry. 

“I need to be 100 per cent certain the Cascadia will be fit for purpose in Australian conditions with Australian operators under our own unique set of circumstances. For that reason we are going through an effort we have never been through before make sure these trucks are really up to scratch.”

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Comprehensive Cascadia Testing in Australia

Diesel News Australia  /  September 2018

As we are so early in the process, with comprehensive Cascadia testing in Australia, Freightliner are unwilling to be tied down to the specifics of what will be offered to the Australian truck buyer in 2020. However, there are some concrete factors which the company is willing to divulge.

The first test truck is the Cascadia 116, fitted with a DD13 engine and the DT12 AMT. The second truck is fitted with the DD16 engine and the DT12 transmission. This is the first time a left hand truck has been run on the road as part of a testing program in Australia.

The engines on offer will be the Detroit DD13 and DD16. Top power on the 16 litre is going to be over 600 hp, but how far over is yet to be decided. These engine choices match those available in the heavy end of the Mercedes Benz range, which uses the 13 and 16 litre Mercedes engines based on the same engine blocks.

The Detroit DT 12 is the North American version. of the AMT used in the Benz models sold here. This will be supplemented by an Eaton option both in the form of the 13 and 18 speed Roadranger, but also the Ultrashift Plus AMT.

“There will be an Eaton option,” states Stephen Downes, , Freightliner Australia Director firmly. “There’s still some work to be done on GCM ratings. The Detroit DT12 will get us a fair way to where we want to be, but if we want to go heavier, we will have to look at alternatives. We’ve got to make sure that what we put in, rear axles, engines, gearboxes, cabs, the whole gamut, is unconditionally ready to go.

“We think we can sell the DT12 along with this truck on the basis of fuel economy and suitability for the driver pool. When you get a chance to drive it, you will see that it is seamless.”

In the US, 93 per cent of Cascadias sold are fitted with the Detroit AMT. The safety systems offered in the US market, as Detroit Assurance, bring all of the global Daimler safety systems, and these are expected to also be on offer here in Australia. This will clearly differentiate the models from the current offering from Freightliner and align with what is on offer in the Mercedes Benz from Daimler in Australia.

Freightliner are spending more than ever before on developing a truck for a non-US market. The company clearly see the Australian market as one which it can grow market share. By bringing the Cascadia platform into Australia the future should see a quicker transfer of all technologies from the US into trucks being sold in North America.

“We have seen, in the past, trucks brought into Australia, which weren’t fit for purpose,” says Stephen. “I vow not to make that mistake. There can be no doubt this truck will be ready when we launch it to market. That’s why we are doing all of this testing. We are going to the Nth degree to deliver to ensure we get it right the first time.

“There’s a massive amount of opportunity for Freightliner with this truck. an opportunity to make sure we, very clearly, get it right, we know what the truck operators expect, and by the end of this program we will have delivered the best bonneted truck to the Australian market, that it has ever seen. That might sound a bit confident, but once you get to drive it, it won’t take much to convince you.”

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Cascadia trial on track

Steve Brooks. Owner-Driver  /  August 3, 2019

A right-hand drive Freightliner Cascadia has been quietly undergoing extensive testing in a Queensland operator’s fleet, prior to its official Australian launch.

It was an opportunity too good to miss and the timing simply could not have been better: a stint aboard the first right-hand drive Freightliner Cascadia test truck in the country, just days before heading to the United States for a detailed look at the testing and development work being done in preparation for the model’s Australian launch later this year. A Cascadia 126 model, the right-hooker has been operating in the fuel haulage fleet of Toowoomba-based Maktrans since February this year and with almost 72,000km under its belt, has done everything expected of it, according to company owner Rob Hannaman.

Maktrans runs nine trucks with Freightliner Coronado punched by Detroit’s DD15, being Rob’s established combination for the 25 metre B-double applications that dominate the business, hauling fuel across a broad expanse of Queensland and NSW. The only exceptions are a recently purchased Mercedes-Benz 2663 model for a new A-double configuration and, of course, the Cascadia test unit punched by a Detroit DD16 dispensing 600hp (447kW) and a tenacious 2,050ft-lb (2,779Nm) of torque.

Joining two left-hand drive test units operating from Victoria, the Maktrans Cascadia is effectively a hand-built pre-production unit brought to Australia to continue the test program that Freightliner is banking on to verify and secure Cascadia’s durability for the Australian market.

According to senior Freightliner insiders, several more right-hand drive trial units are soon to join the local test program, which is being run in sync with an extensive engineering and test exercise in the US. The extent of that exercise and its aim to ensure Cascadia does not suffer the durability dilemmas of some predecessors, is the fundamental reason behind Freightliner’s invitation to visit the US operation.

Meantime, the Maktrans truck is the same unit showcased on the Freightliner stand at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show, obviously with the ‘camouflage’ now removed. It is also the first Cascadia in Australia to sport a sleeper cab – the shorter 36 inch version which will be offered along with 48 inch and 60 inch bunks.

Critically, driver reaction to the Cascadia has been highly positive with Maktrans driver Trevor Conroy quick to concede he’d be more than happy to stay in the trial truck for as long as possible.

"It’s a good thing," said the straight-talking 62 year-old during a run from Brisbane to the top of Cunningham’s Gap on his way to deliver a B-double load of diesel to a roadhouse in northern NSW. "As far as I’m concerned, it’s a better truck all-round than Coronado."

Why? "It’s more comfortable, quieter, a lot better visibility," Trevor says simply. "There are just a lot of things about it I like, including the automated ’box. It’s just so good everywhere, and easier, especially in traffic."

As for handling and road manners, he contends the steering is certainly firmer at low speeds than its Coronado equivalent, "But you couldn’t say the steering’s heavy. Not at all, and it keeps a good line on the road."

Just an hour or so after leaving Brisbane, ride quality and road manners were certainly showcased on the rippled, rutted surface of the Cunningham Highway where the Cascadia delivered exceptionally high standards.

It was on this stretch, however, where Cascadia displayed a surprising and totally unexpected quality totally at odds with most of its predecessors. Despite the fact the truck had shortcomings in some areas of fit and finish, typical of any pre-production unit, there was not one – I emphasise, not one – rattle, squeak or squawk from the moment I climbed in to the time I climbed out at Fisher’s roadhouse at the top of Cunningham’s Gap.

A smiling Trevor Conroy agreed. "Yeah, there are no noises that shouldn’t be there."

Cynical as it may sound, this was an amazing feat for a brand often pilloried for poor attention to detail, suggesting that the Cascadia cab has inherited a level of Benz architectural strength which largely eluded its forebears. Except, of course, for the original and much revered FLC112 model which also happened to have a cab derived from Mercedes-Benz.

Road Report

One of the truck’s two regular drivers, Trevor spends four days behind the wheel before handing over to John Malpress for the remaining three days of the week.

While acknowledging that most drivers have their own ideas and individual preferences on what’s good and what’s not, Trevor is a big fan of the standard seat. "I’m not a tall bloke and my back’s not real good at the best of times but this is probably the most comfortable truck seat I’ve ever sat in."

What about the bunk? "It’s alright for me and it’d probably be fine if you were the truck’s only driver but for our work, a bigger bunk would be better, for sure. It’d make life easier."

Quiet for a moment, he adds abruptly, "The worst thing about it is the mattress. Bloody Yank mattresses are crap." Fortunately, Freightliner in Australia uses a far better mattress.

Any other issues? Again, he takes a few moments before stating that apart from some initial delays with wiring for Dangerous Goods compliance, the truck has been largely trouble-free.

"We’ve just been told to put mileage on it and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing, except when it got taken off the road for the truck show," he remarks.

Asked if he’s noticed a difference in fuel consumption between the 600hp DD16 in the Cascadia and the 560hp (418kW) DD15 in the Coronado he normally drives, both units hauling largely identical B-double tanker sets at loaded weights up to 68 tonnes, an adamant Trevor Conroy insists, "A big difference. This truck (Cascadia) is heaps better on fuel."

He quickly scans through the test truck’s on-board monitoring system to reveal an average consumption of 51.4 litres per 100km, or 1.95km/litre, recorded over the previous 3,500km.

Much of Cascadia’s instrumentation, switchgear and control functions are from the same family store as the latest Mercedes-Benz models and Trevor concedes it took "a little while" to come to grips with the various functions but now, "it’s not a problem".

Time and distance passed quickly and it wasn’t long before Aratula fell behind and the long Cunningham’s climb started to rear up.

As he usually does, Trevor simply set cruise control and let the DT12 automated shifter do its thing for most of the climb until, with just a kilometre or so to go, he switched to manual mode in preparation for a shift down to fifth on the approach to the sharp lip at the top.

In an incredibly strong pulling performance, the DD16 revealed the deep reserves of grit and grunt you’d expect from a big bore engine with such formidable torque output, hauling easily over the lip in fifth gear at 20km/h and Trevor reporting, "My right foot’s not even flat to the floor."

It was, however, the synergy and intuition of the engine and transmission package that truly impressed, with the DT12 in auto mode demonstrating an advanced ability to let engine speed to run to the higher end of the rev range on steep sections rather than regularly jumping to an unnecessary and unwanted upshift.

All up, it’s impossible to judge the long-term suitability of any truck from just a hundred kilometres or so in the shotgun seat. But this much is indeed evident: Freightliner Cascadia is demonstrating the attributes to suggest America’s number one brand of heavy-duty truck will later this year cross the Pacific with far more in its favour than any of its forebears.

Stay tuned, because our next report on Cascadia will also be from the other side of the Pacific.

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Freightliner Cascadia Heads Down Under

David Cullen, Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT)  /  November 25, 2019

A right-hand drive version of that quintessentially American longhauler, the Freightliner Cascadia, is available for order in the Oceania nations of Australia and New Zealand, Daimler Trucks North America announced on November 22.

DTNA said it put a “substantial investment” into the Class 8 tractor to develop the RHD version and to “ensure it was ready for tough Australian and New Zealand environments and use cases.” In addition, the OEM said that an international on-road testing program was conducted in both the U.S. and Australia. On-road testing followed extensive development work performed at DTNA’s Portland, Oregon product validation and engineering center as well as dedicated track-testing at the company’s Madras, Oregon proving grounds.

Dubbed the “Australia Pacific Cascadia,” the model for the lands Down Under will be available with two Detroit engines: The 16L DD16 with up to 600 horsepower and 2050 lb-ft of torque, and the 13L DD13 with up to 505 horsepower and 1850 lb-ft. of torque. Available transmissions will include the Detroit DT12 Automated Manual Transmission and an 18-speed Eaton manual transmission.

“Our reputation for best real cost of ownership is a direct result of listening to our customers,” said Roger Nielsen, DTNA president and CEO. “For demanding Australian and New Zealand conditions, we doubled-down on our customer focus and listened to the voice of customers in the region to bring industry-leading technologies and the single best truck money can buy to markets that are very important to the company.”

At launch, Freightliner will offer the Australia Pacific Cascadia with either a 116- or a 126-inch BBC dimension and in configurations ranging from a day cab to 36-, 48-, 60-, and 60-inch raised roof cabs.

The Cascadia rollout will also mark the introduction in Oceania of the Detroit Connect, system, which enables remote vehicle updates, fault code diagnosis and repair recommendations, and OEM analysis of fuel economy and safety performance in addition to such “traditional” telematics services as GPS route-tracking and incident alerts.

DTNA noted that the RHD Cascadia is now available to order through Freightliner’s Australian and New Zealand dealership network.

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