Freightliner and International are two of the most popular truck brands among vehicle entrepreneurs and enthusiasts.
They offer almost similar quality features and specs when it comes to trucks and semi-trucks, which creates debate among their patrons on which is the one that offers the best overall performance on the road.
In this article, you will discover which is better between Freightliner and International trucks.
A Quick Answer to Which Truck is Better, Freightliner or International:
Freightliner trucks are typically more fuel efficient and have more features whilst International trucks offer a better comprehensive warranty. Both offer high-quality performance in a semi-truck, and either one may be a great choice depending on your finances and preferred features or specs.
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Are International and Freightliner the Same Company?
International and Freightliner do not belong in the same company.
Navistar International Corporation has owned the brand International trucks since 1986. It was the successor of the defunct International Harvester.
The history of ownership goes a long way back to 1902. At the same time, Daimler Trucks owns the Freightliner.
Which Truck Lasts Longer: Freightliner or International?
Freightliner and International trucks can last up to 750,000 mileage or about 15 years. Some trucks from these two brands can reach the one million mark in total mileage.
The total duration, however, will depend on your usage and preventive maintenance. Not all engines can last a lifetime, so it can also affect the life of your truck in general.
Which Truck has a Better Build Quality Freightliner or International?
Regarding the build quality, Freightliner and International trucks have a fair share of pros and cons.
The International truck, particularly their Durastar box-truck models, features a high-strength construction for its cab due to standard cold-rolled steel and low-alloy double-sided galvanized steel.
In addition, it also features a 50,000 to 120,000 psi chassis that gives it indestructible durability.
On the other hand, Freightliner trucks may not have the same level of durability in their materials, but it is still the perfect option for long-distance hauling.
The best example is the Freightliner M2 106, which many truckers consider the most powerful and reliable truck model in the market for hauling.
Which Truck is Cheaper, Freightliner or International?
Freightliner and International trucks have manufactured several models over the years, and they all vary in price depending on the class, specs, make, etc.
On average, Freightliner trucks can cost around $160,000, while International trucks have a price range of $155,000 to $230,000.
To give you an idea, here’s a price comparison between the current Freightliner and International medium-duty trucks, severe-duty trucks, and heavy-duty trucks.
| Freightliner Truck | Price | International Truck | Price |
| Freightliner M2 106 Plus | $116,000 | International MV Series | $93,000 – $230,000 |
| Freightliner Cascadia | $161,000 | International Prostar | $313,500 |
| Freightliner 114SD Plus | $195,000 – $235,000 | International HV Series | $180,000 |
Which Truck has Better Fuel Economy, Freightliner or International?
Regarding fuel economy, you can save more fuel on longer routes with Freightliner trucks.
Many truckers agreed that the Freightliner Cascadia is the most fuel-efficient semi-truck. But Almost every Freightliner truck from each class acquires an average of 10 mpg (miles per gallon), as you can see on the chart below.
On the other hand, international trucks can also offer an average fuel consumption ranging from 6 to 10 mpg. As the truck class gets higher, the mpg increases as well.
| Freightliner Truck | Fuel Consumption (mpg) | International Truck | Fuel Consumption (mpg) |
| Freightliner M2 106 Plus | 10 mpg | International MV Series | 6 – 8 mpg |
| Freightliner Cascadia | 10 mpg | International Prostar | 9 mpg |
| Freightliner 114SD Plus | 10.67 mpg | International HV Series | 10 mpg |
Which Truck has a Better Range of Applications, Freightliner or International?
These two popular truck brands offer various applications to make your life more convenient on the road. But Freightliner has many more cool features to offer than International trucks.
Freightliner’s main features include air disc brakes, an electronic stability control system, a smart drive camera system, a traffic line display, and more.
Even though Freightliner beat International regarding this aspect, the latter still has its unique application, which can provide a safer drive for you.
It features highway departure braking equipped with CMs multi-lane emergency braking.
Which Truck is Cheap to Maintain, Freightliner or International?
It is hard to come to a conclusion on which is easy to maintain between Freightliner and International.
There are factors you need to weigh before you can say which one can cost lesser maintenance than the other. These are the available parts, labor cost, and maintenance issue itself.
Since these two are popular truck brands, you can be assured it is easy to find the parts you need.
However, when it comes to labor, Freightliner trucks are a bit harder to work on compared to International trucks.
Thus, it may have a more expensive cost than the other. But it will still depend on the issue you need to fix on your truck.
What Truck has a Better Warranty, Freightliner or International?
Freightliner and International have almost similar warranty terms. However, you may find that the International truck has a more extended warranty than the Freightliner, which is a trade-off since it is slightly more expensive than the latter.
International trucks have a 500,000-mile engine warranty and 400,000-mile or up to four years of a comprehensive warranty.
The terms are a bit longer than Freightliner’s, which is only 350,000-mile or up to three years of a comprehensive warranty. But both have a 500,000-mile engine warranty.
Which Truck has a Better Resale Value After Five Years Freightliner or International?
Over time, a value of an object or a property may appreciate or depreciate, depending on the demand and the quality. And it is similar to trucks.
For those planning to sell or trade a Freightliner or an International truck, you must first understand what resale value means.
Resale value is the amount your vehicle initially purchased and the time of your ownership before you sell or trade it. In this case, it is five years.
Determining the price of your truck after five years is not something you can decide. There are professionals in this field that will help you find out its resale value.
Suppose you compare which among the Freightliner and International offers a better resale value after five years. In that case, you can expect more on International trucks.
The Price Digest, a platform for automotive data, included two International model’s in their list of trucks with good resale value.
These are the International 7000 heavy-duty truck and the International WorkStar 7400 heavy-duty truck.
If you own any of these two International trucks and planning to sell or trade them, you can expect a good return on the money you have invested in buying them.
Which Truck is More Easily Accessible to Buy, Freightliner or International?
Considering that both truck brands are popular, you can easily find a dealer where you can buy them.
Both truck companies claim to have over 700 dealer networks and service locations in the U.S. alone.
Thus, whichever Freightliner or International truck you own whenever you are in the country, you can guarantee that there is a trusted dealer and service provider from these truck brands that you can access if you need help with maintenance and repairs.
Which Truck is More Popular, Freightliner or International?
Claiming which among the Freightliner and International trucks are more popular is a subjective decision of a trucker or vehicle entrepreneur.
These two truck brands offer similar purposes on their truck models and have significant differences or unique features that set them apart.
However, many believe that the Freightliner is the more popular since it is also the best-selling semi-truck in the U.S. market.
Every year, Freightliner sells over 190,000 truck units, making up 40 percent of the market share in the country, while the International only has 11% of shares.
It is also the largest truck manufacturer and has about 3,000 workers from its factories in Mt. Holly, North Carolina, and Cleveland.
The company Navistar International has been older than Freightliner for almost 40 years. Still, the latter manages to stay on top of the competition.
Since Freightliner has more extensive numbers regarding sales, shares, company size, etc., it is safe to say it is more popular than International.
But it does not entirely mean that Freightliner beats International regarding their trucks’ overall quality build.
