Building
Freightliner Leland James, who founded Consolidated Freightways, was a true visionary who built the truck he needed but could not buy. The company he and his successors later led formed the foundations for what is, today, North America’s leading heavy truck manufacturer. Leland James founded Consolidated Truck Lines, Inc. in 1929. The company was made up of four struggling truck lines that operated under the Consolidated name.

James had a vision for the structure of his company. He began purchasing various truck lines around the country, eventually leading to a trans-continental network that was the formula of the company’s success. With each new purchase, Consolidated inherited employees and equipment. Shop mechanics were wasting valuable time working on the various makes and models of trucks owned by the company.

James decided to standardize the fleet and was one of the first to use diesel-powered trucks exclusively. James also instructed his shop mechanics to begin experimenting with designs, specifically with aluminum parts.

The first cabover attempts weren't much to look at. The first attempts were dubbed the "Monkey Ward" since they looked like their were built with mail-order parts. James also instructed his shop mechanics to begin experimenting with designs, specifically with aluminum parts.

The first cabover attempts weren't much to look at. The first attempts were dubbed the "Monkey Ward" since they looked like their were built with mail-order parts. Following the end of World War 2, many western states began to loosen the restrictions on length.

James immediately began using double trailers in an effort to move more freight into each unit. This became standard practice, despite initial concerns from state officials.

Many of Freightliner's early experiences were with 4-wheel drive cabs that could haul doubles through winter mountain roads. Under Leland James, the Freightliner culture revolved around being the “Hallmark of Custom-Built Trucks” for many years. In the early days, many trucks were first developed from a customer’s need or idea. “No” was not part of the Freightliner culture or vocabulary – it was a word never heard if a customer asked for something special or custom. If a customer had a unique need, Freightliner would build it.