Re-Engineered from the Wheels Up

Our engineers threw out the regular playbook on heavy duty trucks to build the Cascadia. Then they tested, retested, then kept on testing so you’d have the most reliable and aerodynamic truck with an ultra-quiet and safe cab.

Pencils, Clay and Aluminum

We started with the must-have: giant radiator, engine, and chassis that would pass EPA ‘07. Designers sketched it up from there, with pencil drawings and small clay models. Lasers then scanned the clay model, and a 3D milling machine created a full-size clay and composite model to see how it fared in the wind tunnel.

Modeling the Future

Freightliner engineers embraced computer 3D modeling of the truck early on. Because aerodynamic changes are so complex, designers and engineers could try wild ideas in the virtual wind tunnel to see what worked best without waiting to test prototypes in the wind tunnel.

Born in the Wind Tunnel

Engineers then proved the computer model’s aerodynamics by logging over 2500 hours in our wind tunnel. By comparison, other trucking companies just rent time, paying usually for only 200 hours in the wind tunnel. Ours is the only wind tunnel owned by a North American truck manufacturer.

Shake It Up: A lifetime of bad roads in just a few weeks: "The Shaker" proves how well the Cascadia will stand up over the years.

Can You Hear It Now?

Our sound engineers threw down the gauntlet: no racket in the Cascadia. They gridded off the entire interior, and listened to every square inch with a super-sensitive microphone. They measured noise while the engine roared. They isolated and stopped wind noise in the wind tunnel. And they tracked down and killed the buzzes, rattles, and squeaks. Shhh. Just enjoy the quiet.

Robotic Precision: The Freightliner Cascadia's tight fit and quiet ride comes from micro-precise construction techniques.

Built Like a Luxury Car

Double skinned, stamped walls make the truck stronger — Cascadia easily passed all safety tests — and reduced audible vibration frequency by 50 percent. In fact, no other heavy duty truck on the market has stamped cab walls put together with such micro-precision. Even in the car market, only luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, and Audi are manufactured this way.

A New Truck with Years of Experience

With new features like available rack and pinion steering and an overhauled HVAC, we couldn’t let Cascadia on the road until it passed some extreme testing. Take a tour of the torture chamber:

• Climate Chamber: Components must keep working, wet or dry, from -40 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Torture Track: Two miles of rocks, potholes, curbs and curves.
• The Shaker: We record the torture track jolts, then replay it for six straight weeks.

Boot and Glove Engineering

Our test fleet was fertile ground for ideas. We counted more drivers at both ends of the size spectrum: big men who needed a bigger seat, and small women who needed a more adjustable chair. They got it. Then we noticed drivers banging their feet around near the pedals, so we increased footwells to comfortably fit working boots. And we built all controls in the cab to be usable, even with work gloves on.

DD15: Advanced Doesn’t Mean Complicated

When Detroit Diesel designed the DD15, they focused on integrating simple, smart technology for added power and fuel efficiency. Turbocompounding adds up to 50 horsepower without a drop of extra fuel. The integrated Jake Brake is more powerful and quieter. And the Amplified Common Rail System saves wear and tear on the fuel injection system while producing fewer emissions with no loss of power. Pull over to DetroitDiesel.com for more info.