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Freightliner Cascadia VS. International LT: Winner Revealed!

If you are looking for a new heavy-duty, long-haul semi-truck, you probably have seen or heard much about Freightliner Cascadia and International LT.

The Freightliner Cascadia and International LT have high-quality features, making it hard for you to choose between them.

To help you decide which one you should choose, here are the comparisons between Freightliner Cascadia and International LT and which wins.

Here is the Better Truck in the Freightliner Cascadia vs. International LT dual:

The Freightliner Cascadia is typically a better truck than the International LT due to its better build quality, larger engine sizes, and the many features it offers. Additionally, the Freightliner Cascadia is more popular amongst truckers and has a better resale value after 5 years.

Which Truck Lasts Longer, Freightliner Cascadia or International LT?

A Freightliner Cascadia with a DD13 engine can go up to 1,000,000 miles with a B50 rating, while those with DD15 and DD16 engines can go up to 1,200,000 miles with the same B50 rating.

Compared to International LT with an A26 engine, it has a lifespan of up to 1,200,000 miles with a B10 rating.

There is not much difference, but the International LT may last longer than the Freightliner Cascadia as long as it follows regular repair and maintenance.

Which Truck has a Better Build Quality Freightliner Cascadia or International LT?

Regarding build quality, it is tricky to decide which wins this category, but you can go to Freightliner Cascadia because of its trusted reliability.

Freightliner Cascadia features a horsepower ranging from 350 (DD13 engine) to 600 (DD16 engine) with a torque of 1,250 lb. ft. to 2,050 lb. ft.

Aside from this, it can also haul up to 80,000 lbs., making it ideal for bulk hauls and regional distribution. It also has more innovative controls to provide a more efficient way to navigate and maneuver your rig.

When it comes to International LT, it only offers a horsepower of 400 to 475 with a torque of 1,450 to 1,750 lb. ft.

This truck is also one of the best options for long hauls because it guarantees comfort to the driver with its spacious cab and sleeper.

Which Truck is Cheaper, Freightliner Cascadia or International LT?

The price is also an essential factor to consider when buying trucks. Thus, you should choose one which is not just cheap but will also guarantee good value for your money.

The Freightliner Cascadia costs an average price of $161,000 up to $240,000.

The International LT trucks price has a similar minimum price of $160,000. It may reach up to $500,000, depending on your desired model.

In that case, you can go for Freightliner Cascadia if you are looking for a cheaper alternative without compromising quality.

Which Truck has Better Fuel Economy, Freightliner Cascadia or International LT?

Regarding fuel economy, International LT has an edge with its 7.71 mpg to 10 mpg fuel economy compared to Freightliner Cascadia’s 7.69 to 10 mpg.

You can save at least 0.35% of fuel consumption when driving an International LT truck.

It may be little for some, but when you sum it up, the said percentage can keep you from spending much on fuel, which is getting pricier these days.

Which Truck has a Better Range of Applications, Freightliner Cascadia or International LT?

Freightliner Cascadia offers a more innovative and wide range of applications than the International LT.

Some of the applications you should know about the Freightliner Cascadia are the Detroit Integrated Powertrain (IDP) which helps optimize your truck, and the Detroit Connect, which connects your vehicle to a service technician anytime you need it.

The latter application has a counterpart in International LT called the OnCommand Connection. It is a remote application you can use to ease the diagnostics and monitoring of your truck.

Which Truck is Cheap to Maintain, Freightliner Cascadia or International LT?

You should always pay attention to maintenance as it helps prolong the life of your truck.

In terms of the maintenance cost, there is little difference between the two. On average, you can spend about $1,000 to $4,000 on single maintenance alone.

But since Freightliner is more popular in the U.S. and has more dealers, you can easily see the part you need for the maintenance. It can play a factor in lessening the total expense you may need.

What Truck has Better Features, Freightliner Cascadia or International LT?

It is hard to choose which among the Freightliner Cascadia and International LT wins in terms of better features.

The features of a specific truck model are subjective. Regardless of how innovative some features of the Freightliner Cascadia are, they may not be as convenient as those in International LT for some drivers, and vice versa.

It will only matter which one fits nicely on your usage better than the other.

What Truck has a Better Warranty, Freightliner Cascadia or International LT?

Similar to other products or merchandise, a truck warranty works similarly to insurance coverage.

If something goes wrong after your purchase and you need to repair it, you can claim the warranty and do not need to pay entirely for the repair or other costs as long as it is still within the coverage.

Freightliner Cascadia and International LT both have two years of unlimited miles, except that International LT has unlimited hours included.

Which Truck has a Better Resale Value After 5 years, Freightliner Cascadia or International LT?

Regarding resale value, the Freightliner Cascadia Heavy Duty Conventional Day Cab Tractor garnered a 5-year resale value of about 35%, making it a better truck option if you sell it one day.

However, considering other International truck models, such as the International 7000 and the International WorkStar 7400, you may even get a higher resale value than the Freightliner Cascadia.

Which Truck is More Easily Accessible to Buy, Freightliner Cascadia or International LT?

In terms of accessibility, we should refer to the number of available dealers the Freightliner Cascadia and International LT have nationwide. The more dealers they have, the more accessible it is to every trucker.

You may think that the Freightliner wins this category since you can see more of this truck on the road than its competitors.

The International LT is more accessible, with its 1,000 dealers available in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil and over 60 dealers in 90 countries.

The Freightliner only has 400 dealership and service locations, 268 elite support dealerships, and 200 service point facilities across North America.

Even if you get the total number of Freightliner dealers and service facilities, the International trucks still have more.

Which Truck is More Popular, Freightliner Cascadia or International LT?

As mentioned, Freightliner Cascadia tops the popularity category among semi-trucks.

The basis for this is the number of sales it acquired last year, which reached 37.7% sales of the total market share last year, December 2021.

The International LT is also topped by other brands, such as Peterbilt, Kenworth, Volvo, and Mack.

Therefore, no one beats Freightliner regarding being famous among other truck brands.

Is There a Clear Winner Between the Two?

Based on all the categories mentioned here, the clear winner is the Freightliner Cascadia, though it only has a one-point lead.

To sum it up, the Freightliner Cascadia has better build quality, offers more horsepower, is cheaper, has good features, has better resale value, and is more popular.

While the International LT may last longer, has better fuel economy, has good features, and is more easily accessible.

Even though the Freightliner Cascadia wins over the International LT, there are better trucks than the latter.

Many truckers may choose International LT over the Freightliner Cascadia because it is too hyped. However, you understand the reason behind its popularity.

Again, choosing the best truck is subjective among truckers. There are several factors and preferences to consider.

A good truck for you may be better for others. Thus, we hope that this comparison between the Freightliner Cascadia and International LT helps you weigh the pros and cons of buying a brand-new truck or checking other brands.