Day after day we go about our day just taking some thing for granted. The paved roads we drive to work on, the complexity of the roadway traffic light system, and even the cars and trucks we are piloting themselves. When was the last time you marveled at the power it takes to plow the highways during a blizzard? Or how about the massive torque and suspension it takes to move tons of garbage or thousands of gallons of fuel from one place to another with relative ease? Probably not very often, if ever. But when you look closer and see a truck like the Freightliner M2 106, once you get an idea of what goes into these trucks, you might come away with a bit more perspective.
The Freightliner M2 106 is North America’s number one selling medium-duty truck, and after seeing the amount of upfit options the M2 can be fitted with, it isn’t hard to see why so many people choose them. Box truck, dump truck, flatbed, food and beverage hauler, government and municipality, moving, tanker, tow truck, tree trimmer, along with many other service oriented options make for a cornucopia of options to choose from.
The M2 is available as a class 6,7 or 8 in one of three cab/sleeper configurations – Day Cab, Extended Cab, or Crew Cab. There is also a choice of one of four engines available for perspective buyers: A Detroit DD5, Detroit DD8, Cummins B6.7 or Cummins L9 that produces anywhere from 200-350 horsepower, and a massive 560-1,150 pound-feet of torque. That power then gets routed through one of four manual transmissions: a Mercedes 6-speed or Eaton Fully 9, 10, or 11 speed. There area also four automatic transmissions available: an Allison 1000, 2000, or 3000 series or an Eaton Fuller 6-speed auto.
From a productivity standpoint, the Freightliner M2 106 sports a GVWR of up to 66,000 pounds, which allows for a tremendous haul of any number of things. The front wheels can be cut up to 55 degrees, which makes maneuvering around tight city streets a bit easier, as well as teaming up with the tilted hood to offer better access for maintenance purposes. The M2 features a best in class view for drivers thanks to a monstrous 2,500 square-inch windshield, a low profile dash and sloped hood. Safety is also featured in the steel-reinforced aluminum cab as well as the collision mitigation and lane departure warning systems available.
Inside the cabin, the Freightliner M2 106 is wondrously comfortable and designed in a very ergonomic way with the driver have access to all the pertinent data, and upfit switches within arms reach. The seats are supportive and comfortable enough to spend long hours in without feeling beaten up after a day’s work. There is also plenty of storage available to support all sorts of work. The SmartPlex electrical system makes splicing a thing of the past and allows for a basically plug and play setup.
The M2 is made from corrosion-resistant aluminum that is reinforced with e-coated steel to make sure durability remains a calling card of Freighliners everywhere, while high-level quality control thanks to things like factor laser alignment of Detroit axles as well as pre-delivery inspections and also available upon request.
So the next time you happen to drive down the road, try to remember to take stock of not only the fantastic engineering of the roadway you are traversing, but also the tow truck, or snow plow, or dump truck that might have also just cruised on by. You might just end up having a bit more respect for those hard working trucks out there, and those like the Freightliner M2 106 will stop being taken for granted.
