• Thank you for visiting HeavyEquipmentForums.com! Our objective is to provide industry professionals a place to gather to exchange questions, answers and ideas. We welcome you to register using the "Register" icon at the top of the page. We'd appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word of our new site. The more members that join, the bigger resource for all to enjoy. Thank you!

Sterling Diff.

Tyler d4c

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2016
Messages
2,664
Location
Salix Pa
I've never seen that grill on a Sterling before. It looks good. Too bad Ford quit making big trucks. I think the Aeromax was one of the best looking trucks on the market. Freightliner should have kept the Ford designs like the Aeromax and LTL too. I thought Ford trucks were pretty popular.
That ones custom this is what it had this hood /grill was only used in 08ac5de05a-7804-4b6a-92bf-5ae9df9b881c.jpg
 

crane operator

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Messages
10,224
Location
sw missouri
I think you can see design transfer from the Sterling to the current Freightliner 114sd's

Screenshot_20260601-074713.Chrome.png



Considering what Freightliner was building in 2008, the new stuff looks more like "Sterling" than "Freightliner" to me.

Screenshot_20260601-075257.Chrome.png
Screenshot_20260601-074852.Chrome.png
 

Truck Shop

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
25,345
Location
WWW.
Although It looks as though,, there is really no other designs/modification direction
to head to. Similar yes, is it shocking no. Every truck manufacture has just about used
up the bin of new design ideas, only so much can be done with a set back axle or even
standard cab/hood/grille creations and stuff just keeps looking the same.
It's like a house, only so many practical designs, what's unique to one isn't to the mass.
 

Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
18,086
Location
Canada
Do look more like Sterling but still not as nice as as the Aeromax or other Fords. The Freightliners don't look like as heavy duty of trucks. They look light weight more comparable to Ford F series or GM Topkick medium duty trucks. Maybe they are pretty decent trucks though?? Compact can be good.
 

Truck Shop

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
25,345
Location
WWW.
Well--the fact sterling was reignited 1997 and extinguished in 2010 by Daimler AG.
Designed under Freightliner---it's going to have a Freightliner look. But looks are
very deceiving and are changed by just adding a wider/thicker looking grille surround
and headlight doors. Which is a great trick in mock up for grabbing consumer attention.
Which proves turds can be polished, many in the industry felt it was a move to revive
without any real motives of sustaining.
*
The cat truck is another example, of manufacturing in a crowded market with 4 main
companies offering lots of models, no need.
 
Last edited:

Shimmy1

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2014
Messages
5,571
Location
North Dakota
*
The cat truck is another example, of manufacturing in a crowded market with 4 main
companies offering lots of models, no need.
Caterpillar built their own truck for one reason, and one reason only. To try an recoup some of the millions they spent on fines producing OTR engines. I could be wrong, but when they released their trucks, there was only one manufacturer that would still install a Cat in a new class 8 truck, and that was Paccar.
 

Tyler d4c

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2016
Messages
2,664
Location
Salix Pa
Have you had to prop up the dash with 2x4s yet? If not, the day will come.
No this one has all the updated supports and such and i did some extra work it is probably the nicest sterling dash aside from the new aftermarket ones there is it helps that it only has about 480000 miles on it too
 

Truck Shop

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
25,345
Location
WWW.
Caterpillar built their own truck for one reason, and one reason only. To try an recoup some of the millions they spent on fines producing OTR engines. I could be wrong, but when they released their trucks, there was only one manufacturer that would still install a Cat in a new class 8 truck, and that was Paccar.
Somehow I doubt that, and if so it stacked up two disasters. It was some bad marketing ideas
from the top. First year for Cat CT660 was March 2011, Last Cat engine installed by PacCar was
Jan 2007.
 

Tyler d4c

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2016
Messages
2,664
Location
Salix Pa
Somehow I doubt that, and if so it stacked up two disasters. It was some bad marketing ideas
from the top. First year for Cat CT660 was March 2011, Last Cat engine installed by PacCar was
Jan 2007.
Did paccar ever install any of the sdp/lee emissons cats the Sterling is a 08 with a lee/c13
 

crane operator

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Messages
10,224
Location
sw missouri
No this one has all the updated supports and such and i did some extra work it is probably the nicest sterling dash aside from the new aftermarket ones there is it helps that it only has about 480000 miles on it too
Does yours have the Freightliner gauges? I was thinking the real late production ones had a slightly different dash and same gauge cluster as the Freightliners of the same era.
 

Tyler d4c

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2016
Messages
2,664
Location
Salix Pa
Yes its different then the 01 we has and its all can bus for engine stuff where the 01 was oil line and a seprate temp sensor
 
Top