Freightliner 114 Coronado truck and dog: Review

Truck and dog operators have to tread a pretty fine line to get maximum weight per load while still allowing general access to all roads without having to go down the PBS route.

Freightliner has come up with a solution with the new 114 Coronado tipper which has been shortened in the wheelbase at the factory by 500mm.

To save space and move more weight forward onto the steer axle, Freightliner moved the batteries into the cab, fitted a more space efficient 420-litre fuel tank onto the right-hand side of the truck. They then fitted split tanks (210/210 litre) to the left side of the truck and installed a horizontal exhaust as opposed to the more traditional vertical stack.

The result is a rig as you see here. A truck and quad dog with a length of 19 metres and general access at 50.5 tonnes. However, the shortened truck still fits within the PBS regs required at 19 metres and can be legally driven at up to 57.5 tonnes when approved.

Power comes from Detroit DD15 rated at 500hp (upgradeable to 560hp) and 1850lb/ft (2508Nm) of torque fed through an Eaton UltraShift Plus 18-speed automated manual transmission. Rear axles are Meritor RT46 with Driver Controlled Differential Locks (DCDL).

It’s a good-looking truck and cuts an imposing figure sitting in the yard at Daimler Truck and Bus HQ in the Melbourne suburb of Mulgrave.

Inside
Climbing up into the cab, the Freightliner exudes the familiar aura of an American bonneted truck. It’s altogether homey and comfortable. The faux-woodgrain dash accents and the woodgrain and leather steering wheel give a hint of luxury while the analogue gauges suggest the more traditional side of the company.

But let’s not mistake that for old-fashioned. The digital screen above the speedo and tacho provide instant information to the driver on all aspects of the truck, while the switches on the wrap-around part of the dash operate such features as the cruise control, exhaust brake, lighting and air-cond.

It’s a roomy cab with plenty of storage for all your paperwork and oddments. There are ample cup holders (as you’d expect in an American truck), 12-volt outlets for your fridge and chargers and a USB port as well. The Steering column is air adjustable for tilt and reach and with the comfy suspension seat, it’s really easy to get comfortable.

Hitting the road
As I sat in the driver’s seat familiarising myself with the layout and controls I noticed how near everything was. Wiper controls (which I needed) were on the dash but quite close, lights, and the other afore-mentioned switches were similarly handy. I was surprised to see no controls on the steering wheel in this day and age, but hey, you can’t have everything.

I noted too the good vision out the windscreen and down the sloping bonnet, the electric heated mirrors were excellent too. A flick into drive on the UltraShift and we eased out of our parking spot between a couple of trailers. Next to note was the manoeuvrability of the rig.

To get out of the carpark, we virtually had to do a lap to line up for the boom gate and I was really surprised at the way the big rig handled the tight going – especially seeing that we had to negotiate several poorly parked AMG sports cars that would have come off a very poor second if I’d dragged the big Hercules four-axle dog along their shiny paintwork.

But the Sports cars survived, and we were soon out on the road. Again the manoeuvrability impressed around the suburban streets onto the freeway on-ramp. The truck turned in tightly and the dog tracked beautifully and I quickly got used to the rig.

On the freeway, we were up to speed quicker than I thought we’d be with a full load. The Eaton AMT skipped through the gears and we cruised effortlessly east toward Gippsland.

Quiet achiever
In the cab, it was quiet with the hint of a roar from the Detroit and a slight but reassuring whine from the turbo. Certainly not noisy. I was chatting easily with my passenger not raising my voice as I commented on how easy this big Freightliner was to punt down the freeway.

The showers cleared as we left the suburbs behind and soon it was paddocks and cows replacing the bricks and tiles. The miles rolled under us at a leisurely 90-100km/h with the Coronado taking the little hills in its stride with a kick-down here and there to maintain momentum.

A check of the gauges reminded me that we might need to make a pitstop to ensure the next driver had enough range for his drive, so we hauled into a roadhouse for a break and a gulp of diesel. Here, the Freightliner’s manoeuvrability came to the fore once more as we wriggled around the pumps and other parked trucks and back on to the highway.

All too soon, we had to turn around and get my co-pilot back to his base for another round of meetings, and as we turned our nose back west for the Big Smoke, I mused at how fresh I felt and how I could easily have continued on through East Gippsland and up the coast to warmer climes…

Summing up
As you maybe can tell, I really enjoyed my drive of the Freightliner Coronado 114. It’s a grunty truck that seemingly enjoys the work of hauling a load around town or on the highway. It’s comfortable, quiet and ergonomically sound.

The short wheelbase adds to the manoeuvrability and on the highway it tracks beautifully. Admittedly, this was a factory-fresh example and no doubt perfectly loaded, but if that’s how they come, I could easily live with one.

Specifications:
Freightliner Coronado 114
Engine: Detroit DD15
Power: 500hp (Upgradeable to 560)
Torque: 1850Nm (2508Nm)
Transmission: Eaton UltraShift 18-speed automated manual (Eaton 18-speed manual opt)
Brakes: Meritor S Cam with auto slack adjusters, Wabsco ABS
Front Axle: Detroit (7258kg) with parabolic taper leaf spring (7258kg)
Rear axle: Meritor RT46-160GP 106tonne, Driver Controlled Diff Locks (DCDL)
Rear Suspension: Freightliner AirLiner air bag 106 tonne
Chassis: Frame section 8.7 x 88.9 x 277.8mm
Fuel Tanks: 420 (right) 210 + 210 (left)
Cab: Day Cab

Hercules tipper body and hoist
Volume: 14.3 cubic metres 6x4 rigid with trailer fitout
Dimensions: 4220 x 2270 x 1530mm (internal)
Long members: Hercules extruded wide bridging type including body guides
Fixed sides: 5mm high-tensile with extruded corners and top rails
Floor 8mm high tensile
Front: 5mm high tensile
Tarp cover: Hercules 7mm HDPE
Tarp and bows: Electric Roll Rite hoop mesh tarp system; hard wired switches to cabin; DC control unit mounted outboard with heat shield
Tailgate: Forward hinged, double acting SMC air ram with over-centre locking design, fold-down ladder fitted on RHS with steps inside