By Amanda Raymond
amanda.raymond@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — The new Freightliner Cascadia has been unveiled, with the company stating that it is “the most advanced truck Freightliner has ever designed.”

The models, which will be produced in the Cleveland manufacturing plant, will be available starting in January.

The class eight heavy duty semi-trailer truck has up to 1,850 pound-foot torque and a 350- to 600-horsepower engine.

The new model is optimized for fuel-efficiency with an aerodynamic exterior design and an integrated Detroit Powertrain that has the engine, transmission and axles working together as a unit.

New headlights on the model use a full LED system that help drivers see the road at night and in bad weather, while the new one-piece windshield design is less likely to break and increases wiper coverage by 12 percent more than the current model.

The new model also features a more comfortable driving experience, from improved steering and handling to a sleeper area that can accommodate an up to 26-inch flat screen television.

“With the new Cascadia, we have not just updated past successes. Every aspect of the truck has been re-imagined. We are raising fuel efficiency, connectivity, safety, quality and uptime performance to even greater levels, and also introducing a premium driver experience as a powerful customer benefit and driver retention tool,” Richard Howard, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing for Daimler Trucks North America, said in a press release.

Robert Van Geons, executive director of RowanWorks, said Daimler Trucks North America, Freightliner’s parent company, has continually expressed interest in the county. The production of the new model “bodes well” for the company, he said.

Contact reporter Amanda Raymond at 704-797-4222.