Sterling

 

The original business was founded in 1906 by William Sternberg as the Sternberg Motor Truck Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The brand name changed to Sterling in 1915, after anti-German feeling was stirred up by World War I. 

 

1910 Sternberg – Wisconsin Historical Society

 

Early models had one-, 1.5-, 3.5- and 5-ton capacities and Sterlings were purpose-designed as heavy-duty trucks for commercial, construction and military customers. They were not built on beefed-up car frames, but featured steel chassis with solid oak fillers pressed into them, to add strength and help deaden road shock.

The early trucks were forward-control models, powered by four-cylinder petrol engines with outputs of 29-44bhp. Transmissions were cone and disc two-speeds, with chain final drive. Bonnetted models were introduced in 1914.

 

1914 Sternberg with Sterling authority Warren Richardson driving – Steve Skurnowicz

 

During World War I Sterling produced ‘Liberty Trucks’ for the US Army.

 

USA National Archives

 

Progress saw constant mesh transmissions with up to six ratios offered, along with worm drive rear axles on some models. A six-cylinder, 135bhp petrol engine was developed in the mid-1920s and powered a six-wheel model that featured a central differential and a chain drive tandem.

 

HCVC photo

 

HV is indebted to the USA’s Sterling authority, Warren Richardson, for information on the company’s interesting dual-chain-drive tandem rear end with a Krohn high-friction, lobed differential that allowed limited slip on pavement to minimise wheelspin in loose or slippery conditions. A Sterling could have one drive wheel in slick mud or on ice and still put power to the other wheels. 

 

1935 Sterling HC115 – Timber Crest Farms

 

In 1932, Sterling took over the La France Republic Corporation and, in 1935, this expanded company launched a cab-over with the cab tilting rearwards to provide easy service access to a Cummins diesel engine.

 

1939 Sterling JC137 – Timber Crest Farms

 

During World War II, Sterling produced a range of 6×4 and 6×6 trucks, with the largest being a prime mover powered by a Ford petrol V8 tank engine. Post-War Sterlings dispensed with the wood-lined, bolted steel frame design.

 

1943 Sterling HWS160 – Mecum Auctions

 

In 1951, the Sterling Truck Corporation was acquired by the White Motor Corporation. Also, in 1951, the expanding White Corporation and Freightliner had formed a co-operative sales and service agreement, so that Freightliner could concentrate on production. Soon after, vehicles began to carry the White-Freightliner name. 

Sterling-White branded trucks continued until 1953, when they were replaced by heavy-duty Autocar trucks, which had been acquired in 1953 to become another division of White. 

In May 1981, the Freightliner truck manufacturing business and the Freightliner brand was sold to Daimler-Benz. In 1988, Freightliner took over American La France, which had become a specialist manufacturer of fire trucks and with it came the dormant Sterling nameplate.

 

 

Although the Sterling brand had been discontinued, it was destined to return, following a series of mergers and takeovers in the US heavy truck business.

 

 

Sterling reborn

 

For this topic we’re indebted to research done by the late Colin McKenzie, who held senior engineering and marketing positions with the Australian arms of International, Ford and, finally, Daimler-Benz. 

In mid-February 1997 came the shock announcement that the Freightliner Corporation was to buy Ford USA’s heavy truck business, with the agreement to be completed by the end of 1997. 

The agreement covered the new technology of the Louisville and AeroMax (HN 80) trucks, parts and service business, and all the tooling for Louisville trucks. Also included was the Brazilian based Cargo series, which was being successfully sold in the USA.

Not part of the sale was the Ford Blue Oval trademark badge, but all Louisville badged parts – most notably the prominent Louisville radiator surround – had indents to accept oval badges. Daimler-Benz simply designed an oval-shaped Sterling logo, with a prominent ’S’, to fit into these positions.

 

With the change of ownership, the ex-Louisville, now-Sterling, assembly operations were moved from Ford’s Louisville plant in Kentucky to a Freightliner plant in St Thomas, Ontario, Canada. Sterling production started at the St Thomas plant during the first quarter of 1998. 

Sterling-brand trucks were sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.

 

 

The Sterling name was applied by Freightliner to Class 8 tractors, as well as a range of medium- and heavy-duty cab/chassis. With bodies added by third-party body builders, these vehicles were used for freight distribution, as well as heavy vocational uses, including construction, snow plowing and refuse collection.

Initially the grille design of the rebadged Louisvilles was unchanged, but late in 1999 the grilles of all models were redesigned to give the Sterling its own distinctive appearance.  

At the outset of this agreement Sterlings were to be sold through Ford Heavy truck dealers who had previously been handling the Louisvilles. Later on, when Freightliner purchased Western Star, this model line was also added to the Sterling dealer agreement. These dealers continued to sell the Ford Heavy F series which were also being sold through accredited Ford car dealers. 

To further strengthen the Sterling brand, Sterling introduced the Acterra, an F series equivalent based on a Freightliner chassis. A similar concept had been planned by Ford but never made production. 

As soon as the Sterling program settled down, a component rationalisation program to reduce costs and to provide more option flexibility was started. The major components introduced included Freightliner designed and manufactured air rear suspensions, tapered variable-rate steel spring, six-rod tandem rear suspension, fuel tanks, front axles and driver and passenger seats. 

In 2006 a major change was made to replace the Sterling chassis with the Freightliner assembly, with the only significant changes being made to match up the mounting points of the cab and hood. The short multi-leaf front springs of the Louisville and the longer tapered-leaf variable rate front springs of the AeroMax were also dispensed with, in favour of a standard length. 

Sterlings were able to retain the market share that had been achieved by Ford with the Louisville. In particular, Sterling followed the success of the Louisville in the vocational markets, but didn’t gain a strong foothold in the American linehaul business that had also eluded Ford.

In its last years of operation Sterling also marketed light to medium-duty cab/chassis vehicles from corporate siblings: the 360, a rebadged Mitsubishi Fuso Canter and Bullet, a badge-engineered Dodge Ram chassis/cab. These were typically outfitted with bodies suitable for use as light vocational trucks: including fire trucks, garbage trucks, dump trucks, concrete mixers, tanker trucks and snowplows.

After years of struggling to meet sales expectations, on October 14, 2008, Daimler Trucks North America announced a plan to discontinue the Sterling product line. The company stopped taking orders for new trucks in January 2009; the St Thomas manufacturing plant closed in March 2009 and the Portland, Oregon, plant was closed in June 2010.

 

Original Sterlings, spanning 1907 to 1953

 

 

Sterling Down Under

 

In December 1998, the Sterling brand was launched in Australia, by Jim Hebe, the flamboyant CEO of Freightliner and the driving force behind the purchase of the HN model line from Ford. 

All Ford Louisville dealers took up the Sterling franchise and were enthusiastic over a program of further model development and availability of much needed options. Key staff from Ford Australia also moved over to DaimlerChrysler.

Sterlings went on sale in early 1999, with Pioneer WA taking delivery of the first truck, an LT 9500.

The initial Sterling models were basically the same as the Ford HN they replaced, with the major change being the replacement of the LT 8501 with the LT 7500. The LT 7500 was developed by Ford prior to the sale to Sterling, to provide a significant improvement in visibility for the driver over the 8501 in urban applications. The change involved the introduction of a new bonnet that was more sloped and rounded than the very square 8501 front.

Although the 8501 was replaced by the 7501, the squarish bonnet continued to identify the LHD 9501, 8511 and 9511 models that were not included in the RHD program. 

 

Sterling in New Zealand – 111 Emergency photo

 

In May 1999, Caterpillar C12 and, in 2000, C15 engines were introduced as options. The C12 was of great interest to the market as its maximum  power ratings were higher than were available from the Cummins ISM engine.

In June 2000 a new grille was introduced in the 9513 series, to separate the Sterling line further from its Louisville heritage. Coincident with the introduction of the new grille, a 3099mm (122-inch) BBC model was added to the range under the banner of the ‘Silver Star’ 9500. Being 230mm (nine inches) longer than the standard 2870mm (113-inch) BBC model, it provided more engine space for the 500hp/1850lb-ft Detroit Diesel Series 60 and Cummins N14 engines. In 2002 Cummins discontinued the N14 series, replacing it with the ISX /Signature range. 

In 2006, at the time of chassis standardisation with Freightliner assembly, the ISM and C12 engines were discontinued and replaced by the Detroit Diesel MBE 4000 Mercedes-Benz engine. 

The 7500 was popular in the construction industry, continuing the trend that was forged by the Louisville LNT 8000 when it was introduced in 1975. To further its appeal a twin steer front axle option was released during 2007.

 

 

The Sterling had, over the 10 years since its introduction into Australia, lived up to its early promise of continuing development. During this period, around 4000 RHD vehicles were produced for the Australian market.

In 2008, major changes were needed, to meet the more stringent exhaust emission standards associated with ADR 80/02 – equivalent to EPA 04 (USA) and Euro IV (Europe). These included the installation of larger radiators and ‘under-run’ protection bumpers. 

Although the Cummins ISC continued to power the 7500 series, the grille on the 2008MY 7500 was attached to the radiator and did not tilt with the bonnet.

In the 9500 models the available engines were the Detroit Diesel MBE 4000 – the Mercedes-Benz engine first introduced at the time of the chassis standardisation program in 2006 – and the Detroit Diesel Series 60.  Both Detroit Diesels included EGR technology to comply with ADR 80/02. The Caterpillar C15 series-turbocharged Acert continued as an option in the 9500 HD model and was emission-compliant without change.  

With the introduction of these Australian 2008 models, the ‘L’ in the series nomenclature was discontinued and they were known as the HX 7500 and the HX 9500. 

That’s where the Sterling range sat when the hammer fell in 2009, ending the second era of Sterling Trucks.