Sterling Trucks

Sterling Trucks Corporation (commonly designated Sterling) was an American truck manufacturer from 1998 to 2009. Specializing in heavy-duty (Class 6-8) commercial trucks, the company was established following the 1997 acquisition of the heavy-truck product lines of Ford Motor Company by Daimler AG, parent company of Freightliner. Within the Freightliner product range (later Daimler Trucks North America), Sterling was slotted between Freightliner and flagship manufacturer Western Star. Sterling-brand trucks were sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sterling Trucks was the namesake of Sterling Truck Motor Company, which closed its doors in 1953. In place of the Ford Blue Oval emblem, Sterling Trucks maintained an oval emblem with a sterling-silver "S"; for much of its production, the company continued production of the second-generation Ford Louisville/Aeromax product line. In the 2000s, the company expanded its product range with medium-duty (Class 5–7) trucks.

Headquartered in Redford Township, Michigan (Detroit), Sterling assembled its conventional-cab vehicles in St. Thomas, Ontario and Portland, Oregon. After years of struggling to meet sales expectations, Daimler discontinued the Sterling Trucks line in 2009.

History

Sternberg/Sterling Motor Truck Company (1907–1953) The original company was founded in 1906 by William Sternberg as the Sternberg Motor Truck Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Early models offered were of cab-over design, in 1-, 1.5- 3.5- and 5-ton capacities. Sternberg changed the company name to Sterling at the onset of World War I. Sterling built many different heavy-duty trucks for commercial, construction and military customers in the ensuing years. In 1938, Sterling sold 267 units and in 1939 it increased to 326 trucks.

The company was bought by White Motor Corporation on June 1, 1951. About two years later, the Sterling nameplate was retired.

As the Sterling trademark had become dormant for so long, when Freightliner (whose own trucks were distributed by White Motor Corporation from the 1950s to 1975) sought to use the name in 1997, there were no grounds for objection from Volvo. Year Production Model Serial numbers 1914 2,5 t 3 t 5 t 6 t change from Sternberg to Sterling The sale to Great Britain with the change from the German last name to Sterling should be improved. 1915 66 2,5 t 200001-200066 174 3,5 t300001-300174 44 7 t700001-700044 1916 94 2,5 t200067-200160 294 3,5 t300175-300468 101 5 t500000-500100 86 7 t700045-700130 1917 304 2,5 t200161-200464 160 3,5 t300469-300557, 3560-3630 173 5 t500101-500211, 5202-5263 50 7 t700131-700180 1918 208 2,5 t2465-2672 278 3,5 t31000-31052, 3631-3855 167 5 t5264-5430 20 7 t700181-700200 1919 216 2,5 t2673-2888 129 3,5 t31053-31103, 3856-3904, 3971-3999 104 5 t5451-5530, 5592-5615 318 7 t9000-9317 1920 1,7321,5 t10011-11561 ↑ 2 t10022-11742 78 2,5 t2926-2999, 21000-21003 163 3,5 t3921-3946, 31111-31247 5 t 7,5 t 1921 1922 1923 1924 , , 1925 DW 8 DW 10 DW 8X DW 12 DW 14 DW 13D DW 16 DW 15D EW 20 EW 19D EW 23 EW 22D EC 23 EC 22 EWS 25 EWS 24D EW27 ECS 24 ECS 23D EC 26 EC 25D EC 29 EC 28 EC 35 EC 34D 1926 DW 9 DW 10 DW 12 DW 10S DW 12S DW 14 DW 18 DW 14 S EW 20 EW 23 EC 23 EW 27 EWS 25 ECS 24 EC 26 EC 29 EC 35 1927 DW 9 DW 10 DW 12 DW 10S DW 12S DW 14 DW 18 DW 14 S EW 20 EW 23 EC 23 EW 27 EWS 25 ECS 24 EC 26 EC 29 EC 35 DW 18 ( 4 cyl.) EC 24 ( 6 cyl.) DW 18 (6 cyl.) 1938 ~ 267 1939~ 326 1946 1947 717 1948 445 1949 249 1950 402 1951 207 June 57, thereafter included in White 1952 1953 the Sterling nameplate was retired Sum ~ 12,000 Model in angle bracket =

Sterling Trucks Corporation (1997–2009) The Sterling name was applied by Freightliner to Class 8 tractors, as well as a range of medium- and heavy-duty cab/chassis vehicles as a continuation of the Ford L-Series after Freightliner's purchase of Ford's heavy truck product lines and the Louisville production facility. With bodies added by third-party upfitters/body builders, these cab/chassis vehicles were used for freight distribution as well as heavy vocational uses, such as construction, snow plowing and refuse collection.

In the last few years of operation, the company also marketed light to medium-duty cab/chassis vehicles from corporate siblings, such as the 360 (a rebadged Mitsubishi Fuso Canter) and Bullet (a badge-engineered Dodge Ram Chassis Cab). These were typically outfitted with bodies suitable for use as lighter vocational trucks — those designed to perform jobs other than straight freight hauling — including fire trucks, garbage trucks, dump trucks, concrete mixers, tanker trucks, and snowplows.

Discontinuation On October 14, 2008, Daimler Trucks North America announced a plan to discontinue the Sterling product line in an effort to consolidate its North American truck manufacturing operations under the Freightliner and Western Star brands. The company stopped taking orders for new trucks in January 2009, the St. Thomas manufacturing plant closed in March 2009, and the Portland, Oregon, plant was closed in June 2010.

Models

From 1997 to 2009, Sterling produced several lines of trucks. Within Daimler-Benz, the Sterling product range was slotted between the Freightliner and Western Star product lines. Through much of its existence, the Sterling product range served as continuation of the second-generation Ford Louisville/AeroMax conventional product line (introduced in 1996). Sterling 360 – a rebadged Mitsubishi Fuso Canter medium-duty cabover sold as the Fuso FE model in the U.S. and Canada and the Fuso Canter in Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. A line – set back Acterra – (1999–2009) Class 5-8 medium-duty, using L-line cab with Freightliner Business Class chassis. Bullet – a cab/chassis model based on the third generation Dodge Ram 4500/5500 platform Condor – rebadged Freightliner cab. Was used commonly on garbage trucks. L line – set back, set forward

Sterling Trucks

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