Companies have long used product line differentiation to target market segments. It's classic marketing theory taught in schools all around the country. Sears pioneered it more than 100 years ago with their "good/better/best" brands. General Motors pulled together car companies to fill demand from all levels of customer; Chevrolet for the masses, Cadillac for the super-achievers, and Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick for those in between.

Freightliner similarly segments its line of tractors. In 1995, they introduced the Century Class, the then-new aerodynamic, spacious cab on a new platform for the new century. The Century was followed by the Columbia and Coronado. The Columbia is the basic fleet truck, successor to the FLD, while the Coronado was designed to be the eventual replacement for the Classic XL, Freightliner's top-of-the-line owner-operator model. With the introduction of the Columbia, the Century became the Century S/T, with all the safety and technology features in a redesigned package.

Now, an owner-operator can option-up a Columbia to get a fuel efficient, aerodynamic truck he/she can be happy with.

Thanks to Tom Woodly Jr., senior development engineer at Freightliner's New Carlisle, Ind., proving grounds, I got to drive two new Columbias. One was a 112-inch bbc (bumper-to back-of-cab) day cab; the other, a 120-inch bbc model with a 70-inch mid-roof sleeper.

The contrast was dramatic. Yes, the Columbia can be a plain-Jane basic fleet truck, well suited to weight sensitive loads and in-city cartage. But it can also be spec'd as a luxurious over-the-road long haul dream truck.

I spent the day hauling concrete road dividers, ballast that brought total weight of the sleeper model and its van trailer to just over 72,000 pounds. The day cab had a Caterpillar C-13 rated at 430 hp. The sleeper model had a 500 hp Detroit Diesel Series 60. Both engines pulled well through their Eaton Fuller 10-speed boxes. Both produced 1,650 pound-feet of torque.

Since so many Road King readers are over-the-road drivers, I'll concentrate on the sleeper model. The first things I noticed were the mirrors. The west coast and convex mirrors were separate, mounted on a single round bar for better aerodynamics. The separation provided sight lines between the mirrors, to eliminate mirror shadowing, a type of blind spot. The right west coast mirror is powered. The Columbia's EzyRider seats were comfortable enough-not the best, but far from the worst I've seen in a fleet truck. The driver's seat has a seat position indicator for easy identification of seat adjustments for team drivers. All the adjustments were convenient to use, so if anyone is uncomfortable, it's not the seats' fault.

The cab was fitted with as many gauges as could fit on the wood-grained dashboard. The plastic surrounds and the interior plastic panels all had non-glare textured surfaces, with a quality look missing in some earlier Freightliners.

The quality look carries over to the sleeper, with padded vinyl interior bulkheads. The upper bunk easily swings up out of the way, and the lower bunk pivots up for easy access to the lower storage compartments. Those areas were well lit with four lamps; one in each outside "tool compartment" and two in the center area. There's a good-sized hanging closet over the refrigerator. The closet has built-in door pockets and a fold-out mirror on the right door. In the bunk area, near the sleeper's head, you'll find a dome lamp, a spot reading lamp over the right shoulder, a 12-v power point and audio system controls. The Columbia has ample cabinets and shelves, and even a magazine rack within an arm's reach of the bunk, hanging on the closet wall. The sleeper has an escape hatch/window on the passenger's side.

Driving the Columbia was easy and enjoyable. With its leaf-and-half front suspension, the front end stayed where it was pointed with no noticeable wander. The 50-degree wheel cut gave excellent maneuverability in the tightest turns. One feature I really appreciated, one that can be a great help for less experienced drivers, is Freightliner's color-coded tach. Around the outside, there's a yellow band from 1000 to 1300 rpm, a green band from 1300 to 1700 rpm, another yellow from 1700 to 2100, orange from 2100 to 2500 and red to the tach's limit at 3000. The 0-to-3000 rpm range keeps the ideal engine speed, 1500 rpm, right at the 12 o'clock position. The ideal rev range, 1300 to 1700, is roughly a 30 percent step, approximating the gear steps of many transmissions. By shifting up or down when rpm's broke into the yellow, and matching gears at the yellow at the other end, shifting was smooth and easy.

There was an annoying rattle that developed after we hit a particularly large bump. The wiring harness for the marker lamps built into the sun visor shook loose from a retaining clip. Once it was diagnosed, the problem was easily fixed, but due to where it came from, the rattle seemed to be all over the upper cab. That's part of what a warranty is for.

Cruising on state roads, both two lane and divided, the top of the green in 9th was 54 mph. Shifting into top gear, I held 57 mph at 1300. On one long upgrade, I missed a shift and went up a gear instead of down one. The Detroit was not happy with me, shuddering and bucking at 500 rpm. But under the circumstances, my best choice was to feed fuel and keep going rather than trying to find the right gear. Once the Detroit reached 650 rpm, it smoothed out, and by the time I got it to 950 rpm, acceleration picked up noticeably. Torque multiplication in lower gears coupled with a tolerant engine can do wonders. The ride was stable and comfortable over a variety of surfaces. This Columbia has the same Airliner suspension available on the Century Class.

The Columbia is a workhorse. It was not designed to be a premium truck, but it can be ordered with many premium features. When budget is a consideration, you'll find this Freightliner to be a competitive option.

Specs

2004 Freightliner Columbia 70-inch Mid-Roof Sleeper

Engine: Detroit Diesel 14 liter 500 hp @ 2100 rpm, 1,650 pound-feet @ 1200 rpm

Transmission: Fuller 16210C 10-speed transmission

Suspension: Freightliner Airliners

Tires: Michelin 275/80R22.5 ZXA1+ tires