While Freightliner Custom ChassisCorporation (FCCC) can claimmany achievements, perhaps the

most important is that it has filled a need forquality mid-size buses in recent years.Among other things, FCCC has vindicatedme in my prediction many years ago thathigher quality body-on-chassis buses wouldsoon become available on the United Statesand Canadian market.

One of the more interesting trends in theU.S. and Canadian bus industry in recentdecades has been the increasing gapbetween the vans and small cutaway buseson the low end and the full-size integralcoaches on the high end. Between WorldWar II and the 90s, the length of most newintegral tour and charter coaches movedfrom 35 feet to 40 feet to 45 feet. Coach man-ufacturers typically discontinued offeringshorter lengths because there were no cus-

tomers, thus increasing this gap in bus sizes.On this side of the Atlantic, bus operatorssaw little or no advantage in buying shorterintegral coaches. The primary differencebetween a 40- and 45-foot coach is only fivefeet of steel and glass. Hence, the sellingprice difference between the two sizes wasminimal while operating costs were virtu-ally the same.

Things are different in Europe wherecoach manufacturers often offer their inte-gral models in different lengths. The advan-tage to the operator is not necessarily in theoriginal purchase price but in the ongoingoperating cost – due in large part to thehigher price of fuel in Europe.

In addition, Europe had developed body-on-chassis buses into a fine art. Jonckheerebuilt some body-on-chassis charter and tourbuses that were not only difficult to tell from

integral coaches but also matched them inamenities. Even Australia had their remark-able GM-Dennings. The United States andCanada needed someone to step in and fillthis gap. Since the traditional low price offuel in the United States and Canada mini-mized the incentive for shorter integralcoaches, it was obvious that the solution tofilling this gap was in the area of higher qual-ity and more sophisticated body-on-chassisbuses. Hence, my prediction that this wouldtake place. Freightliner’s development ofhigher quality and more sophisticated chas-sis became the key to filling this need.

FCCC History

While the Freightliner name is normallyassociated with on-highway trucks, the storybehind Freightliner Custom Chassis Cor-poration involves buses from beginning toend.

National Bus Trader / September, 2009 • 15

The FCCC motto, “Driven by You,” is proudly displayed at the Gaffneyfacility. The saying is appropriate since FCCC works very closely withtheir customers to provide the chassis they need. FCCC.

Hundreds of completed chassis of different types are parked at the FCCCfacility in Gaffney waiting for shipment to customers. FCCC providesseveral different chassis for a variety of applications. FCCC.

The Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation facility in Gaffney, South Carolina covers a totalarea of 74 acres and includes 283,000 square feet under roof. More than 20,000 chassis are builtannually, and more than 600 people are employed at this facility. What makes these FCCC chassisso remarkable is that they are taking the industry to new levels of quality in the area of body-on-chassis buses. FCCC.

Freightliner CustomChassis

CorporationFilling a Need

for Higher Quality Mid-Size Buses

by Larry Plachno

The Fageol brothers were ahead of theirtime. They founded Fageol Motors in 1916in Oakland, California. In 1921, they werethe first company in the United States tobuild a bus from the ground up, instead ofputting a body on a truck chassis. For manyyears the Fageol buses were highly regardedin the bus industry. Fageol also built truckswhich were also highly regarded.

The Fageol brothers moved to Kent, Ohioin 1927 and founded the Twin Coach Com-pany to build buses. Due to the depression,the Fageol company went into receivershipin 1932. A. Peterman, a Tacoma, Washing-ton plywood manufacturer and lumberentrepreneur, purchased the Fageol factoryin 1938. At first Peterman built trucks for hisown use but in 1939 he began to sell hisremarkable trucks to the public. Theybecame known as Peterbilts.

Consolidated Freightways was already amajor trucking company in the late ’30s andused the early roads in those pre-interstatedays. One of their major problems was in find-ing a truck powerful enough to climb the steepgrades found in the mountains of the West-ern states. What Consolidated Freightwaysdid was to reconstruct Fageol trucks in theirmaintenance facility in Salt Lake City. Thesetrucks became known as “Freightliners.”

Following World War II, ConsolidatedFreightways began to sell their trucks to othercompanies. For many years they were soldthrough the White Motor Company. In 1974,Freightliner began selling its own trucks.When deregulation arrived, ConsolidatedFreightways elected to concentrate on truck-ing and sold its truck manufacturing busi-ness and the Freightliner brand to Daimler-

Benz. In retrospect, this may have been thewrong move since Consolidated Freightwayswas a victim of deregulation and discontin-ued its carrier business on Labor Day week-end of 2002 while the truck manufacturingbusiness has flourished under Daimler.

Since its acquisition by Daimler, Freight-liner has had several connections with buses.In 1989, Freightliner acquired a plant inCleveland, North Carolina (near Statesville),that previously built M.A.N. buses. Freight-liner used the plant to build a new line ofmedium-duty trucks called the BusinessClass that proved to be very successful.

In 1998, Freightliner acquired ThomasBuilt Buses in High Point, North Carolina.In addition to producing all classes of schoolbus bodies, Thomas also manufactures for-ward control chassis.

More important to this story was a part-nership with Oshkosh Truck (now OshkoshCorporation) that led to the acquisition ofOshkosh Custom Chassis, which is nowFreightliner Custom Chassis Corporation inGaffney, South Carolina. At that time thefacility was building chassis and chassiscomponents for walk-in vans, diesel recre-ational vehicles, conventional school busesand shuttle buses. In following years, FCCCdeveloped their impressive line of chassisfor mid-size buses.

Bus Chassis Products

The Gaffney facility is located near Inter-state 85 and approximately 55 miles south-west of Charlotte, North Carolina. With atotal area of 74 acres, the site includes 283,000square feet under roof with three produc-

tion lines. Approximately 600 people areemployed at the facility that has the capac-ity to produce more than 20,000 chassis eachyear.

FCCC produces four different types ofchassis for various bus applications. Theseinclude the medium-duty front engine S2chassis, the hybrid-electric MB-HEV chas-sis, the straight-rail front engine MB chassisand the rear engine raised-rail XB chassis.In one way or another, all four of them have“raised the bar” on chassis quality over whatwas available even a few years ago.

S2-Series ChassisFCCC’s S2-Series chassis is popular for

public transportation, resort and hotel shut-tles, local tours and many special trans-portation needs. It is designed for medium-duty applications with front diesel powerand is the only Freightliner commercial buschassis to come standard with a hood infront. The wheelbase varies from 158 to 279inches and the GVWR ranges from a low of19,500 pounds to a high of 33,000 pounds.

A wide range of engines is available inthe S2. The standard engine is a 190 horse-power Mercedes-Benz 7.2 liter diesel butlarger 210, 230 and 250 horsepower versionsare also available. Optional are a range ofCummins 6.7 liter engines from 200 to 260horsepower. Regular equipment includesan Allison 2100 PTS automatic transmissionwhile upgrades are available to the 2200,2500 or 3000 Allison PTS.

Hydraulic disc brakes are standard equip-ment but Meritor air brakes are optional. Stan-dard equipment includes a multiplex elec-trical system with an electrical drop for ADAwiring. Noteworthy features include R22.5“big bus” tires, a 55-degree wheel cut,tilt/telescopic steering wheel, standard cruisecontrol, programmable high idle, andoptional high-output alternators.

The Freightliner S2 chassis is typicallyused on upscale buses with a front hood inwhat is generally known as a “cutaway”design. Bus manufacturers currently usingthe S2 chassis are Champion Coach and Gen-eral Coach. One of the best-known busesbuilt on the S2 chassis is the M1235 sold byABC companies.

Alternate Fuel ChassisFreightliner Custom Chassis Corporation

began developing alternative fuel vehicles in2002. Their newest development in this areais the MB-HEV hybrid-electric chassis thatwas featured at the 2008 Bus Con conventionin Chicago. It uses an internal combustiondiesel engine and an electric motor driven bylithium-ion batteries. The result is an up to40 percent improvement in fuel economy.

The MB-HEV model has a Cummins ISB6.7-liter engine and an Eaton transmissionwith an automated clutch. In addition to the

16 • National Bus Trader / September, 2009

Among the upscale mid-size buses offered in recent years is the Apollo from Glaval Bus Corp.Built on a FCCC MB-55 chassis, the Apollo offers a significant step up from the traditional cutawaystyling. FCCC.

use of regenerative braking to recharge thelithium ion batteries, the hybrid has a sophis-ticated energy-management system thatselects the most efficient mode of operation– diesel, electric or both. FCCC will beganaccepting orders for the MB-HEV chassis inthe fourth quarter of 2009.

FCCC also offers chassis powered bycompressed natural gas (CNG). This offersa significant reduction in emissions. A Cum-mins ISB B Gas Plus engine is used for powerwhich offers an excellent balance betweenlow-end acceleration and high-end torque.

MB-55Freightliner’s MB-55 chassis model is a

front engine straight-rail chassis that is veryversatile and can be used for numerousapplications from light- and medium-dutycommercial transit to airport and hotel shut-tle service. It is available with a GVWR from19,500 to 30,000 pounds and wheelbasesfrom 158 to 300 inches. The MB-55 is popu-lar with flat-front buses with a front engine.

The standard engine is a 200 horsepowerCummins 6.7 liter ISB but upgrades areavailable to 220 or 240 horsepower. Note-worthy is the fact that a 195 horsepowerCummins 5.9 B Compressed Natural Gas(CNG) engine is available as well as a Cum-mins ISB 5.9 engine that runs on LiquidPropane (LP). The Allison 2200 PTS auto-matic transmission is standard equipmentalthough several options are available.

Bosch hydraulic disc brakes are standardbut Meritor axles with air brakes are option-ally available. An air suspension is also avail-able. Service points including hydraulic oil,coolant reservoir, transmissions fill, enginefill, dipsticks and the air cleaner indicatorare clustered in one area to make customerservicing more convenient. Noteworthy fea-tures include a 50-degree wheel cut, optionalfull-size 22.5 wheels, and a tilt/telescopicsteering wheel.

The MB-55 chassis could be consideredFreightliner’s most popular because it is usedby more customers than any of the other chas-sis. It is typically used on upscale flat front,front engine mid-size buses. Bus manufac-turers using the MB-55 include ChampionCoach, Glaval Bus Corp., Startrans Bus andSupreme, ElDorado National, Spanish Trans-portation, Trolley Enterprises, Molly Trolley,Cable Car Concepts, Hometown Trolley, andClassic Trolley. As you can tell, the MB-55 isoften used for trolley-themed buses.

XB SeriesTo some extent, the XB-Series chassis is

the flagship of the FCCC product line.Offered in both straight-rail and raised-railconfigurations, the XB chassis is a diesel

pusher that offers some amazing featuresand can be used on buses with a high qual-ity “big bus” appearance. The XB-S straight-rail chassis is available with a GVWR from26,000 to 32,000 pounds while the XB-Rraised-rail chassis has a higher GVWR rangefrom 26,000 to 37,600 pounds. This hasbecome the chassis of choice for the higherquality buses in this product range.

The XB-Series chassis is powered by aCummins 6.7-liter electronic diesel enginethat is mounted in the rear. Six differentoptions are available starting from a base of200 horsepower and 520 pound-feet oftorque to a high end with 300 horsepowerand 620 pound-feet of torque. An Allison2100 PTS transmission is standard while

National Bus Trader / September, 2009 • 17

The Supreme Trolley is built on an FCCC MB-55 chassis and is sold bySpecialty Vehicles. The MB-55 chassis is popular for various specializedapplications including trolley-themed buses. FCCC.

The 3035RE from ABC Companies is built by GCA. It uses an FCCCXB-R raised rail chassis and offers numerous big coach features includ-ing a restroom and underfloor luggage compartments. NBT.

The MB-55 chassis may be considered the most popular at FCCC because it is ordered by more cus-tomers than any other FCCC chassis. It is a front engine, straight-rail chassis that can be used for numer-ous applications including upscale flat-front buses and trolley-themed buses. The standard engine isa 200 horsepower Cummins ISB, although increased power or CNG engine is also available.

both the Allison B300 and 3000 PTS trans-missions are optional. All are automatic witha push button shifter. Engine braking is pro-vided through the Cummins VG Turbo, avariable geometry turbocharger thatincreases safety while reducing regular ser-vice brake usage.

Special features include options on boththe front and rear axles. Air suspension isstandard including an optional ZF inde-pendent front suspension on the XB-S chas-sis. Meritor® WABCO® ABS air brakes arestandard equipment although Bendix® airdisc front brakes are optionally available onthe XB-R chassis. All of the XB-Series chas-sis use heavy-duty 50,000-psi high strengthsteel frame rails with double dogbone cross-members in high stress areas. The rear sec-tion of the chassis is lowered for the engine.

There are several areas where theFreightliner XB chassis has significantlyraised the bar on quality. The engine com-partment is purpose-built to make main-tenance easier with the dipstick and fluidcontainers more accessible. Drivers like thetilt/telescopic steering wheel that is con-trolled by a foot-lever release. In addition,drivers also like the full dashboard instru-ment cluster that includes an electronicspeedometer and fuel gauge as well as elec-tronic oil pressure and coolant tempera-ture gauges. Included in the instrumentcluster is a driver ’s message center thatprovides information or warnings on sys-tems and components.

The XB-S straight-rail chassis has beenpopular with trolley-themed buses. Manu-

facturers currently using this chassis includeMolly Trolley and Hometown Trolley.

In comparison, the XB-R raised-rail chas-sis is typically used for the highest qualitybuses with a big coach appearance andamenities. Current users of the XB-R chas-sis include ABC Companies and ChampionCoach, Stallion, CAIO and SBM Inc. (Crafts-men Limo).

Success Stories

Several of the bus manufacturers havehad substantial success with Freightlinerchassis. Here are a few who were willing toshare their experiences with us.

One of the pioneers in this area is ABCCompanies. ABC had sold the 40- and 45-foot Van Hool coaches for years. By 2000,their customers were looking for a higherquality mid-size bus that would be com-patible with the big Van Hool coaches. Dueto costs, ABC elected to go with a body-on-chassis product but were disappointed inthat existing products on the market didnot have their desired level of quality. Whatresulted is that ABC elected to use theFreightliner FB65 chassis and have Gen-eral Coach America build a bus to theirhigher quality specifications. The result-ing model became known as the ABCM1035, a very high quality cutaway bus.It offered disc brakes as well as the largestwindshield and longest wheelbase in itsclass.

When Freightliner replaced the FB65chassis with their updated S2 chassis, ABCand General Coach America upgraded theirbus to the new model M1235. Noteworthychanges included improvements in ridequality and a new automotive dash.

Based on the success of the M1235, ABCcustomers began asking for a flat-front, mid-sized 35-foot coach that could run with thebig Van Hool coaches. Once more ABC was

18 • National Bus Trader / September, 2009

The XB-R is a straight-rail chassis with a rear engine and numerous qual-ity features. It is typically used for the highest quality mid-size buses witha big coach appearance and amenities. FCCC.

The Caio G3400 mates a body from Brazil with an XB-R chassis. Whatresults is a mid-size rear-engine bus with a big coach appearance andnumerous big coach features. FCCC.

The FCCC XB-S is a straight-rail chassis that shares several features with the XB-R. It is particu-larly popular with rear-engine trolley-themed buses including the Molly Trolley and HometownTrolley. FCCC.

faced with finding a chassis that met theirquality requirements. Louis Hotard fromABC said: “The raised rail XB-R chassis fromFreightliner Custom Chassis Corporationoffered the best choice. The flexibility of theXB-R chassis made this product look andfeel much like a full-size motorcoach in a 35-foot package.”

What followed were several trips to thefactory where input from the ABC staff andcustomers resulted in a highly customizedproduct with relocated air tanks, and mod-ified engine compartment accessories.Freightliner ’s raised-rail chassis designalso allowed for one of the largest under-floor, pass-through luggage compartmentson the market. Known as the 3035RE, this

new 35-foot flat front rear engine bus wasalso built by General Coach America andwas an immediate success. Many opera-tors feel that it is a smaller version of thebig coaches because of its appearance, rideand amenities.

Louis Hotard went on to say: “Anothermain item offered to ABC customers was thefactory support of the Freightliner CustomChassis Corporation in Gaffney, South Car-olina. As this plant does not build trucks,ABC customers enjoy direct access to FCCCservice departments through ABC CustomerCare, or directly if that is their choice. By nothaving to rely on truck dealers for factorysupport, service issues can be resolved in atimely manner.”

In 2005, Stallion Bus was looking for ahigh-quality chassis to mate with their new38-passenger midsize bus body. John Gorefrom Stallion said that they came up witha “very short list.” He went on to say: “Stal-lion needed a reliable, proven chassis froma manufacturer with a deep understand-ing of the transportation industry, a verystrong power train, parts distribution sec-ond to none, and a nationwide service pro-gram. The solution seemed obvious inchoosing Freightliner Custom ChassisCorporation.”

What transpired is that Stallion’s engi-neers worked with the FCCC engineers atFreightliner’s Gaffney plant to design a cus-tom chassis for its Stallion 938 model – a 38passenger, mid-size bus. The first Stallion938 rolled out of Stallion’s Corona, Califor-nia facility in late 2006 with a FreightlinerXB-R chassis underneath it.

Stallion delivered 68 new buses over thenext two years. John Gore acknowledgesthe impact of the Freightliner chassis: “Withcustomer satisfaction at an all time high,Stallion’s choice of the FCCC chassis hasproven to be the most reliable product inthe midsize market today.” John goes on tomention that in 2008, the 938 went througha 12-year/500,000 mile “Altoona test” con-ducted by the Bus Testing and ResearchCenter at Pennsylvania State University.The 938 was subsequently approved forFTA funds to federal, state and localgovernments.

Stallion’s success with the 938 andrequests from customers prompted thedevelopment of a shorter 30-foot, rearengine bus. The new bus will be introducedin mid-2009 and will also use a FCCCchassis.

John Gore gives a lot of credit to theFreightliner chassis: “The FCCC XB-R chas-sis is second to none in its ability to provide

20 • National Bus Trader / September, 2009

The FCCC XB-R chassis is shown at the start of the General Coach Amer-ica assembly line at their plant in Imlay City, Michigan. CGA builds the3035RE bus for ABC Companies. NBT.

Further down the GCA assembly line at Imlay City, we see the web framebody structure of the 3035RE taking shape. GCA also builds a cutawaytype bus for ABC using an FCCC chassis. NBT.

The 3035RE was designed by ABC Companies to operate in commercial coach fleets alongside bigcoaches. As a result, it has both a big coach appearance as well as numerous big coach features forboth passengers, drivers and service technicians. GCA builds the 3035RE for ABC Companies attheir facility in Imlay City, Michigan using an FCCC XB-R chassis. NBT.

a smooth, stable foundation which defi-nitely makes the difference in overall cus-tomer satisfaction with the ride, durabilityand versatility usually reserved for thelarger over the road monocoque coaches.Its uniquely short-turning radius alsoallows for the coach to be driven in tightconditions usually reserved for smallerfront engine products.”

Brent Phillips from BusWest creditsmuch of their decision to take on and sellthe Caio bus line to its Freightliner chassis.It was noted that Caio in Brazil worksclosely with Mercedes-Benz, a sister com-pany to Freightliner. FCCC sent engineer-ing staff to Brazil to work directly with Caiobody engineers to develop and then vali-date the integration of the XB-R chassis withCaio’s G3400 body.

Phillips says that: “Unique to the Caio isthe fact that the upper C-channels of the XB-R chassis are effectively replaced by the bodysuper-structure of the G3400. The result wasa more tightly integrated body and chassis,reduced weight, improved strength and notthe least, increased baggage capacity. Wewere very impressed by FCCC’s involve-ment in this process and the certification ofthe final design.”

“Freightliner customer support and war-ranty systems are second to none in NorthAmerica” continues Phillips. “FCCC has theinfrastructure and systems of FreightlinerCorporate systems (parts, warehousing, ful-fillment, technical support, online docu-mentation, field service, etc.) with cus-tomized training and requirements forFCCC dealers. Through the BusWest parentcompany, Velocity Vehicle Group (Los Ange-

les Freightliner), we are able to completelywarranty and service the Caio product roofto rubber.”

Based on these and other success stories,it is obvious that Freightliner Custom Chas-sis Corporation has raised the bar on mid-size bus chassis and moved the industry intoa new era of higher quality midsize buses.Due in large part to the Freightliner chassis,today’s bus operators can now add higher

quality body-on-chassis buses to their fleets.Clearly, this is a major step forward for thebus industry and its passengers. ❑

National Bus Trader / September, 2009 • 21

Stallion looked for a higher quality chassis to mate with its bus body from China. They selectedthe FCCC XB-R raised rail chassis. Stallion has been so pleased with the chassis that they put it ondisplay in their area at the UMA Motorcoach Expo in Orlando in January of 2009. NBT.

The versatility of the FCCC staff and products can be seen in the XB-R chassis used on the Caiobus. Upper C-channels on the XB-R chassis are effectively replaced by the body super-structureon the Caio G3400. This provides several advantages including increased baggage capacity. Thefolks from Caio were so impressed with their baggage capacity that they showed it off at the UMAMotorcoach Expo in Orlando in January of 2009. NBT.

From the September 2009

issue of:

National BusTrader

The Magazine ofBus Equipment

for theUnited States and Canada

9698 W. Judson RoadPolo, Illinois 61064

(815) 946-2341nbt@busmag.comwww.busmag.com