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85-598: The series takes place at an undefined point after the third War Within series. Optimus Prime and Megatron have disappeared in the Ark , but the Great Shutdown has not happened yet. Blitzwing and Astrotrain are said to be suffering from physical changes, which suggests that the Triple Changer process is, at least in part, a natural one that Shockwave may have been additionally manipulating. The history of

170-460: A Transformation Cog, and along with his best friend D-16, they work in the Energon mines. They secretly enter a race organized by Cybertron's leader, Sentinel Prime, but lose. While Sentinel is impressed by their stunt, a jealous racer drags them to garbage incineration, where they meet the eccentric B-127. The three discover a chip among the junk containing a distress message from Alpha Trion, one of

255-448: A blue body à la Rodimus Prime , his Generation 1 successor. The reason for the change was due to Director Michael Bay 's decree that mass displacement does not occur when they transform, requiring Optimus's vehicle form to have more mass to achieve the desired size in his robot form. Although the character was redesigned to some extent, like the other characters in the film, many classic design elements remain in his robot mode including

340-593: A cab with an overhead-mounted sleeper (further shortening the cab). The first-generation "shovelnose" cab was retired for 1954 in favor of the taller, flatter "WFT" design; as an option, a "Mountaineer" 4x4 system was offered. For 1958, the cab design was updated to tilt forward 90 degrees, increasing access to the engine. To reduce import tariffs imposed by Canada (later removed by Auto Pact ), Freightliner opened its first Canadian manufacturing facility in 1961, in Burnaby, British Columbia . To increase production in

425-881: A closure of the St. Thomas plant. Following the closure of Sterling, the Freightliner model line underwent a transition. While the M2 remained unchanged, the FLD 120/132 Classic/Classic XL were discontinued for 2010; after the model year, the Columbia and Century Class were also discontinued (in North America). In line with the Argosy, production of the Century Class shifted entirely to export. The Coronado long-hood conventional

510-581: A double-bladed Energon axe. He became the leader of the Autobots after Sentinel Zeta Prime fell in battle, but he is not certain he wants the responsibility. In the Transformers: Prime series, he can form bladed weapons or blasters from his hands. He has a telescopic vision and turns into a long-nose semi-trailer truck. Before the Great War, Optimus Prime was originally known as Orion Pax;

595-401: A fire truck. Unlike the other Optimus Primes, this one is much younger. Optimus can change any part of his robotic body into a tool or gadget . He has swing lines on his wrists. His wrists can also capture bolas . His arsenal includes a grappler , a fire extinguisher, and a negative friction spray. Unlike in all the previous series, his face can almost always be seen because his mouthplate

680-486: A new Medium Conventional series (FLC112), using the passenger portion of the cabin from the then recently introduced Mercedes-Benz LK. Mercedes cabins gradually became used for a number of Freightliner trucks. In 1989, Freightliner acquired a standing plant in Cleveland, North Carolina , near Statesville, that had been producing transit buses for German manufacturer MAN . In 1991, parent company Daimler-Benz withdrew from

765-429: A predominantly red torso, primarily blue legs, the presence of windows in his chest, smoke stacks on his shoulders, and a head design influenced by the original, featuring the iconic faceplate and ear finials. The faceplate is able to retract to reveal a mouth. His weapons include his iconic ion blaster, a Barrage cannon, two retractable energon blades that extend from his forearms, which is a homage to Prime's energy axe in

850-449: A sentient robot, and his trailer opens to reveal an ion blaster, forming a combat deck. The combat deck supports a mobile battle- station and command headquarters armed with assorted artillery and beam weapons that fire automatically. The combat deck can also serve as a radio antenna for battlefield communications between the Autobots. The combat deck also included "Roller", a mobile scout buggy meant to scout behind enemy lines. When Roller

935-610: A traditional, unionized carrier that flourished in the era before deregulation, realized it was in a fight for its life. In May 1981, it sold its truck manufacturing business and the Freightliner brand to Daimler-Benz , allowing it to concentrate its management attention and financial resources on its traditional trucking business. Around this time, the Chino and Indianapolis plants were closed permanently. Consolidated Freightways continued carrier business until 2002, when it ceased operation on Labor Day weekend. In 1985 Freightliner introduced

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1020-547: A trucking company, Freightliner sought to establish a distribution network for its product line, allowing for higher production volumes and reduced costs. In 1951, Freightliner entered into an agreement with White Motor Company of Cleveland, Ohio. One of the largest truck manufacturers in the United States at the time, White sold Freightliner COEs under the "White Freightliner" co-branding (all vehicles produced for CF were Freightliners). In 1953, Freightliner introduced

1105-672: A young data clerk who worked in Iacon, under the wing of Alpha Trion. Orion was chosen by the High Council and became Optimus Prime, upon being entrusted with the Matrix of Leadership by Primus himself. In this new show, Optimus Prime serves as an agent of the organization G.H.O.S.T. (Global Hazard and Ordinance Strike Team) a government organization based in Witwicky, Pennsylvania , a union between humanity and his own kind while eliminating

1190-589: Is Optimus Prime, with the other two components treated as mere accessories that disappear off the scene when Optimus Prime transforms from truck to robot mode. Optimus Prime is the fictional protagonist of the Transformers: Robots in Disguise ( Fire Convoy in the original Japanese version) branch of the Transformers universe . Based on the character of the same name, Prime once again leads

1275-421: Is basically the same in the third film as the previous two, and retains the same basic personality. The 2000s film series incarnation of Optimus Prime was met with a warm reception. It was named the 30th greatest movie superhero of all time by " Total Film Magazine ". In Transformers One (2024), Optimus Prime's origin story as Orion Pax is covered, voiced by Chris Hemsworth . Orion is a mining robot without

1360-508: Is deployed, Optimus can see and hear what Roller sees and hears. Injury to one component is felt by each of the others. If the combat deck or Roller were to be destroyed, Prime could survive. However, despite the slight degree of autonomy they possess, the combat deck and Roller would not be able to survive without Optimus. The original specification of the Generation 1 Optimus Prime specifies that Optimus Prime consists of three components:

1445-805: Is implied that the events of the miniseries are what split the Micromasters for good The story revolves around the Autobot Hot Rod Patrol. After one of their number is killed by a rival Decepticon Micromaster team, they desert. They ally with the Decepticon Race Track Patrol (who have also deserted due to mistreatment) and battle the Deluxe Insecticons . However, the Autobot Micromasters Countdown and Groundshaker, as well as

1530-401: Is no longer affiliated with Freightliner. 1996 – American LaFrance was purchased; a 130-year-old manufacturer of fire apparatus, it was Mr. Hebe's first employer. American LaFrance had fallen on hard times and was moribund at the time of the acquisition. At the end of the year, Freightliner acquired the rights of the heavy-truck product lines of Ford Motor Company . 1997 – As a result of

1615-594: Is retractable like in the 2007 live-action film. Animated Optimus Prime, in an Earth-based fire truck mode, appears as a hidden character in the Transformers Netjet video game by Hasbro. Instead of being the leader of the Autobots, Prime was actually a washout from the Elite Guard. Despite no longer being a member, he maintains his military ranking of "Prime". The scale chart released for the series indicates Optimus Prime stands about 22 feet tall. In

1700-468: Is shown to be a well-respected leader who treats those under his command with respect and is partnered with the Minicon Sparkplug. During the events of Cybertron , Optimus Prime is the main protagonist and shows a near- xenophobic reluctance to interact with other cultures, believing that such interaction would cause more harm than good. Consequently, he prohibits his team from mingling with

1785-494: Is the leader of the heroic autobots. He often converted to his super combat mode. In all three series, Optimus' English voice actor is Garry Chalk , who previously voiced Optimus Primal in Beast Wars: Transformers and Beast Machines . During the events of Armada , Optimus looks similar to the original G1 Optimus Prime until he copies himself with a semi-truck, and his design in robot mode changes. He

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1870-525: Is the leader of the main group of Autobots in the iteration of the Transformers franchise primarily marked by the 2010 animated series Transformers: Prime on The Hub . Optimus Prime was created as the last of the Thirteen Primes, the first generation of Transformers, each created directly by Primus as a band of unique warriors to combat and defeat Unicron. Upon his creation, Optimus united

1955-580: Is under a court order to improve safety, and was fined $ 30 million by the NHTSA after an investigation found that Freightliner had failed to recall dozens of known safety defects in its vehicles. In 2019 alone, Freightliner was forced to issue safety recalls 24 separate times by the NHTSA, and there have been over 100 recalls total on its flagship truck, the Cascadia. The judge found that Freightliner had no system in place to track faults, and ordered $ 5 million of

2040-574: The Autobots in their fight against the Decepticons . The Transformers characters were developed for the American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were modified and the coloring was changed; notably, Optimus Prime was colored red, chrome, and dark blue. The popularity of the Transformers toys resulted in comics, movies, and a TV series. In

2125-540: The Discovery Channel featured Optimus Prime singing part of a promotional song. Optimus also appears on the Late Show with David Letterman , giving " The Top Ten Things That Sound Cool When Spoken by a Giant Robot". Optimus Prime is primarily voiced by Peter Cullen in most of his incarnations, who voiced him in the original series. Following the production of the 2007 film, Cullen reprised his role for

2210-477: The Generation 1 animated series, and two retractable energon hooks that extend from his wrists. The trailer contains an energy axe, a shield, and flight gear. In the later IDW comics, he displays the ability to produce a holographic driver. At San Diego Comic-Con 06, it was announced that original Optimus Prime voice actor Peter Cullen would reprise his role for the third film. Cullen has commented that Prime

2295-551: The Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 relaxed weight and length standards and imposed a new excise tax on heavy trucks and the tires they use. No longer was the overall length of semitrailer combinations restricted; rather, only the trailer was specified, to be not greater than 53 ft in length. Individual states retained more restrictive overall length laws, but fundamentally, the rules had changed forever. Consolidated Freightways,

2380-486: The Transformers mythology, Optimus Prime is a Cybertronian, a member of an extraterrestrial species of sentient self-configuring modular robotic lifeforms (e.g., cars and other objects), a blend of biological evolution and technological engineering. He is the primary hero of the story, opposing the Decepticon leader Megatron . Due to the popularity of the Transformers franchise, Optimus Prime has remained one of

2465-580: The Autobot Academy. However, Ultra Magnus pulls some strings so that Optimus Prime can be captain of a strange Space Bridge repair crew composed of a war vet named Ratchet, a fledgling cadet named Bumblebee , and his fellow cadet Bulkhead . Optimus is given command of the starship, the vehicle mode of Omega Supreme . Optimus Prime appears among the characters in Re-Unification , the 2010 TFCon voice actor play prelude comic. Optimus Prime

2550-551: The Cascadia, nearly 20% of trucks produced by the plant (including the Argosy and Century Class) were exported to South Africa , Australia and New Zealand . In 2013, Freightliner expanded its alternative-fuel lineup, adding a natural-gas version of the Cascadia. Introduced as a premium option for the Cascadia, the Cascadia Evolution further enhanced aerodynamics and fuel economy (distinguished by its full rear wheel covers) and improved interior features. The Coronado

2635-536: The Charlotte metropolitan area. Volumes continued to increase. The year 1979 marked a consequential event in the evolution of Freightliner, and of the whole trucking and truck manufacturing industries. President Carter signed bills into law deregulating transport both on the ground and in the skies. Deregulation changed the economics of trucking and removed the system of regulated carriage that protected carriers, instead allowing more competition. Three years later,

Transformers: Micromasters - Misplaced Pages Continue

2720-413: The Columbia conventional. While sharing the same cab structure, the Columbia is developed primarily for fleet applications (though both model lines become popular with owner-operators). The 1990s were a busy era for truck manufacturers in general, and for Freightliner in particular, under the leadership of flamboyant James L. Hebe, a former Kenworth sales executive who joined the company in 1989. During

2805-536: The Daimler acquisition, the Argosy largely eliminated the engine intrusion into the cab, sharing many body components and electronics with the Century Class conventional. In 1997, Freightliner acquired the truck-producing division of the Ford Motor Company and rebranded it as Sterling. In 1999, Freightliner built its one-millionth vehicle. The Century Class conventional model family was expanded, adding

2890-582: The Decepticon Micromasters Skystalker and Skyhopper, have arrived with their own agendas. Countdown tries to recruit support for battling the Decepticons on other worlds, while Skystalker defeats Shockwave and orders an all-out assault on the Autobots. Both are more concerned with a mysterious Golden Disk , which seemingly indicates that the Transformers were created by other hands. The story ends with Skystalker defeated and

2975-729: The Ford heavy-truck acquisition, Freightliner created Sterling Trucks (using a long-dormant nameplate once owned by White Motor Company). Intended primarily as vocational trucks, the Sterling product line consisted of rebranded versions of the Ford Louisville/AeroMax and Ford Cargo . 1998 – Freightliner acquires bus manufacturer Thomas Built Buses , based in High Point, North Carolina . Sterling-brand trucks entered production in St. Thomas, Ontario (sold concurrently with

3060-553: The Great War on Cybertron. While his origins and persona may vary across different storylines, this depiction remains consistent throughout iterations of the Transformers universe. The first-generation Optimus Prime transforms into a Freightliner FL86 cab over semi truck . Within his chest is a mystic talisman, known as the Autobot Matrix of Leadership or the "Creation Matrix", carried by all Autobot leaders. When Optimus transforms, his tractor cab disconnects to become

3145-585: The Hot Rod Patrol leaving to follow their own destiny. This Transformers -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Optimus Prime Japanese : Optimus Prime , also known in Japan as Convoy , is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Transformers franchise. Generally depicted as a brave and noble leader, Optimus Prime is the supreme commander of

3230-576: The Inspiration was loosely based on a Cascadia. A Level 3 autonomous vehicle , the autonomous driving system was equated to the autopilot system of an airliner or a Tesla (requiring operator presence). For 2017 production, Freightliner introduced a second-generation Cascadia, adopting elements of the design from the Inspiration autonomous vehicle. For 2018, Freightliner debuted the EconicSD low-entry COE. Intended largely for refuse applications,

3315-670: The M2 was designed entirely by Freightliner. The Century Class model family was expanded further, debuting the Freightliner Coronado premium conventional. Styled similar to the FLD132 Classic XL, the Coronado shared its cab structure and technology with the Century Class and Columbia, marketed towards owner-operators. In a further expansion of the vocational model line, the Freightliner Condor

3400-414: The Micromasters is different from that previously indicated. Initially downsized Transformers reduced in size to compensate for lower fuel reserves, both Autobots and Decepticons struck a temporary truce to develop the technology further, creating many completely new Transformers and even building a city for them. However, both sides began to recruit amongst the Micromasters, polarising them into two sides. It

3485-523: The Primes bestow Orion with the Matrix of Leadership, reviving him as "Optimus Prime". Optimus then defeats Megatron before exiling him and the High Guard, who become the Decepticons. As Cybertron's new leader, Optimus, holding the Matrix in his hands, restores Cybertron's dried-up Energon rivers and givs the miners transformation cogs. Optimus christens his followers as Autobots and sends a message warning

Transformers: Micromasters - Misplaced Pages Continue

3570-469: The Primes, revealing coordinates to his location on the surface. Accidentally taking Elita, their supervisor, with them, they find Alpha Trion in a cave alongside the corpses of the other Primes. Trion shows them the truth that Sentinel betrayed the Primes and has been secretly working for the Quintessons, giving them regular supplies of Energon in exchange for letting him rule Cybertron while removing

3655-550: The Quintessons to stay away. In the online CGI cartoon Cyber Missions produced by TG Studios for Hasbro's website, Optimus is once again seen fighting Megatron, this time with some help from Sideswipe . Optimus also helps Ironhide against Mindwipe. During the promotion of the Transformers films, Optimus Prime appears in several commercials. Optimus Prime, along with other Transformers, were featured in several commercials for General Motors . Scenes with Optimus Prime were used in several General Motors commercials. A commercial for

3740-520: The Revolution concept vehicle. Constructed of carbon fiber and plastic, the cab featured a redesigned layout. Intended for use by a single driver, the passenger seat was replaced by a jumpseat (converting into a sleeper bed); to optimize trailer hookups, the design included a rear access door. As a result of increased demand for the Cascadia, parent company DTNA announced plans in 2012 to expand its workforce at its Cleveland, NC, facility. Alongside

3825-528: The Thirteen by his greeting All are one. While all of the other members of the Thirteen each possessed unique abilities and artifacts, Optimus wielded no special powers or weapons. It was only his vision and courage that allowed the Thirteen to finally defeat Unicron. Reborn through the Well of All Sparks, Orion Pax became Optimus Prime, a veteran military commander and second in command who wields an ion blaster and

3910-624: The US market in those days, owing to overall length regulations that limited the bumper-to-taillight dimension of a semitrailer unit to 55 ft on interstate highways. Conventionals were popular on western roads due to more convenient ingress/egress, better ride, and easier access to the engine for servicing. In 1979, a new plant in Mount Holly, North Carolina , and a parts manufacturing plant in Gastonia, North Carolina , were constructed, both in

3995-480: The United States, assembly plants were opened in Chino, California, and Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1969, a second facility was opened in Portland for parts production. White Motor Company became troubled in the 1970s. Expansion into appliances and agricultural equipment consumed capital without producing a return, and the relationship with Consolidated Freightways became frayed. In 1974, the distribution agreement

4080-477: The animated series, Optimus Prime was originally in the Autobot Academy and friends with Sentinel Prime and Elita One. When Elita is lost on a planet dominated by a giant spider -like aliens, he blames himself for leaving her behind, where she supposedly dies in the explosion of a wrecked Decepticon warship loaded with Energon. Sentinel doesn't forgive him for losing her, and Optimus takes full responsibility for Elita's demise. This caused Optimus Prime to wash out of

4165-519: The attempt to integrate production of specialized emergency vehicles into a company noted for high volume production capabilities proved unworkable. While remaining the fifth-largest manufacturer in the emergency vehicle segment, American LaFrance was sold in 2005 to private equity fund, with DaimlerChrysler retaining ownership of the Ladson factory. For 2006, the Sprinter van underwent a redesign (for

4250-438: The autobots against the Decepticons. His voice actor, Neil Kaplan , does his voice in a style reminiscent of that of Peter Cullen , the voice of the original Optimus Prime. Wired Magazine nominated Fire Convoy as one 12 most ridiculous Transformers ideas of all time. Hidden on Earth as common, everyday vehicles, the Autobots are forced to emerge when Megatron and his Predacons arrive and wreak havoc in their attempts to attain

4335-441: The bearer of the Matrix of Leadership, he leads the Autobots, engaged in an eternal conflict against the Decepticons. Originating from the ancient Dynasty of Primes, Optimus Prime's selfless sacrifice and rallying cry of "Till All are One" were pivotal in defeating Unicron. Reborn as Orion Pax, he embraced his new identity, only to reclaim his role as Optimus Prime to confront the Decepticons led by his former friend, Megatron, igniting

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4420-721: The company introduced the Freightliner Century Class , its first completely new Class 8 conventional in over 20 years. A year later, the company began production of cowled bus chassis, with the FS-65 derived from the medium-duty Business Class. For 1999 production, the Freightliner Argosy debuted; directly replacing the FLB, the Argosy consolidated four previous Freightliner COEs into a single model range. The first clean-sheet COE design from Freightliner since

4505-556: The company restored profitability when the market rebounded. Significantly, production also commenced in Santiago Tianguistenco, Mexico , about 30 miles (48 km) outside Mexico City, in a plant owned by Daimler-Benz. At that time, the plant was also producing buses, Brazilian-designed medium-duty trucks, and compact Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. Following the introduction of the medium-duty Business Class, Freightliner saw further evolution to its model range. For 1996,

4590-517: The decade, Freightliner made numerous acquisitions to further diversify itself: 1995 – Oshkosh Custom Chassis in Gaffney, South Carolina , became Freightliner Custom Chassis, producing the underpinnings for walk-in vans used by companies such as UPS to deliver parcels and Cintas for uniform laundry services; diesel recreational vehicles; conventional school buses ; and shuttle buses. The Oshkosh and Freightliner partnership has dissolved, and Oshkosh

4675-688: The final Ford heavy trucks). At the beginning of the 21st century, Freightliner was part of DaimlerChrysler, following the 1998 merger of its parent company with Chrysler; several changes in 2000 were made by the merged company that affected Freightliner. Canadian-based Western Star Trucks , a premium truck manufacturer was acquired in its entirety, giving Freightliner a third truck brand (along with assembly plants in Kelowna, British Columbia, and Ladson, South Carolina). Originally an entity of General Motors, DaimlerChrysler acquired Detroit Diesel , integrating its operations within Freightliner. Coinciding with

4760-534: The fine be applied to upgrading outdated paper-based systems and converting to recall software used by other automakers for decades. As of May 2021, Freightliner has at least three open investigations against it for electrical issues, including several fires. Several weeks after the fine was issued by the NHTSA, Freightliner CEO Roger Nielsen was replaced by John O'Leary, a senior executive from Mercedes Benz trucks, and former CFO of their parent company Daimler Trucks. Freightliner traces its roots to 1929; following

4845-537: The first five robot inductees in the Transformers Hall of Fame. In March 2023, Optimus Prime received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards . Freightliner Trucks Freightliner Trucks is an American semi truck manufacturer. Founded in 1929 as the truck-manufacturing division of Consolidated Freightways (from which it derives its name), the company

4930-468: The first three films, he is able to transform into a long-nosed conventional Peterbilt 379 semi-truck rather than the cab over design of his original Generation 1 body. In Transformers: Age of Extinction , he gains a first generation-style trailer form before changing into 2014 Western Star 5700 Concept . Also straying from the G1 design, Prime's vehicle mode is now decorated with red flames painted onto

5015-555: The first time); final assembly shifts to the former American LaFrance facility in Ladson, South Carolina. While sold nearly exclusively as a cargo van, the Freightliner Sprinter is also offered as a passenger vehicle (alongside Dodge and Mercedes-Benz Sprinters). After 2006 production, Freightliner ended sales of the Argosy cabover in North America. The first company to produce a fully tilting cab, Freightliner

5100-441: The founding of Consolidated Freightways (CF) in Portland, Oregon, company founder Leland James set up a company division to produce semitractors for company use. Developed in a CF maintenance facility, Freightways Manufacturing used Fageol vehicles as a starting point for the design, placing the cab above the front axle. Shorter in length, the new Freightways truck allowed for CF to use a longer trailer and remain in compliance of

5185-489: The fragile economy, Freightliner was awash in used trucks it could not sell; following the rapid expansion of the previous decade, Freightliner was left with multiple poor-performing operations outside of its core truck brand which was in decline in a poor economy. Seeking new leadership, DaimlerChrysler installed former company CFO to begin a turnaround for Freightliner. By 2002, the Kelowna Western Star plant

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5270-694: The franchise's most iconic characters, and one of the greatest and most recognizable fictional characters of all time. As an established pop culture icon , his voice has been portrayed by a variety of actors, with the most common being his first, Peter Cullen . Other actors include Garry Chalk , Neil Kaplan , David Kaye , Alan Tudyk and Chris Hemsworth . In the Transformer's story, Optimus Prime, also known as Orion Pax , embodies strong moral values, exceptional leadership, and strategic prowess. Equipped with advanced weaponry and martial arts skills, he champions justice and peaceful coexistence with humans. As

5355-455: The humanoid "Brain Center" (which transforms into the truck cab), the "Combat Deck" (which transforms into the truck trailer), and the "Scout Car", a non-transforming six-wheeled buggy called Roller, which can ride inside the truck trailer. All three components can function independently, but injury to one is felt by the other two. However, in by far most of the fiction, the humanoid robot actually

5440-527: The launch, the company debuts the first truck with an all-aluminum cab. Shifting to military production during World War II, Freightliner resumed truck production in 1947. In 1949, Freightliner sold its first vehicle outside of CF (to Portland-based forklift manufacturer Hyster ); the vehicle is preserved in the Smithsonian collection in Washington, D.C. As it largely existed as a subsidiary of

5525-739: The locals of Earth , Velocitron, and the Jungle Planet during their search for the Cyber Planet Keys . This attitude was drastically changed when Prime realized that the only way to acquire the Cyber Planet Keys from Velocitron and Animatros was to play by their laws. Optimus Prime appears in the Transformers Animated series in 2008 as a red semi-trailer truck , able to be fitted with many "trailer" attachments, most notably one that effectively makes him

5610-447: The medium-duty market in over a decade, the model line met with success. Another pronounced downturn in the industry's fortunes necessitated drastic measures to restore Freightliner to financial health, and Dieter Zetsche , now the chairman of Daimler-Benz's Board of Management, was dispatched to lead the project as CEO. The Burnaby assembly plant was closed, replaced by a new facility in St. Thomas, Ontario. Cost reduction programs across

5695-412: The medium-duty truck segment, shifting its presence to Freightliner. Serving as the replacement for the aging Mercedes-Benz L1117, the Business Class made its debut. Also called the FL series, the Business Class was a downsized version of the FLC112, sharing its cab with the Mercedes-Benz LKN cabover. Along with a lighter GVWR, the FL was given a shorter hood with two headlights. The first all-new entry in

5780-453: The miners' cogs to keep them subservient. Orion receives his cog to transform into a truck and a chip containing evidence of Sentinel's betrayal. Orion and his group manage to escape from Sentinel's guards, but they are captured by the High Guard, the Primes' loyal soldiers in rebellion against Sentinel. While D-16 takes command of them by defeating their leader, Starscream, Orion grows concerned by his friend's increasing aggression since learning

5865-420: The model line is an adaptation of the Mercedes-Benz Econic . In September 2019, parent company Daimler announced that it would be halting "its internal combustion engine development initiatives as part of its efforts to embrace electric vehicles ." As of May 2022, the MT-series step van (called MT50e) is available as an all-electric vehicle, and so are school buses built on Freightliner's chassis. Also,

5950-446: The parent company of the Freightliner Trucks brand, alongside Sterling, Western Star, Detroit Diesel, and Thomas Built Buses. For 2008, the company introduced Freightliner Cascadia , a new-generation Class 8 conventional. Intended as the successor to the Century Class and Columbia, the Cascadia consolidated the two model lines; while styled as a scaled-up M2, the Cascadia was optimized for fuel economy, safety, and reliability. Within

6035-416: The power of Earth's various energy sources. In this universe, Optimus Prime transforms into a fire engine. This is also the first incarnation of Optimus Prime to transform into a fire engine. The " Unicron Trilogy " version of Optimus Prime is a fictional character in this branch of Transformers lore. Appearing in Transformers: Armada , Transformers: Energon and Transformers: Cybertron , Optimus

6120-565: The sequels and supporting media and would even voice Optimus in later series such as Transformers: Prime . Optimus has been voiced by several other voice actors in other series such as Neil Kaplan, Garry Chalk , David Kaye , Jake Foushee and Chris Hemsworth in the series Transformers: Robots in Disguise , the Unicron Trilogy , Transformers Animated , Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy and Transformers One respectively. At BotCon 2010, Hasbro named Optimus Prime as one of

6205-413: The straggling Decepticons with the help of Elita-1 and the repentant Megatron. With the arrival of a new generation of Earth-born Transformers called "Terrans", created by brothers Robby and Mo Malto, it could be the first step on the road to permanent peace. Japanese : Optimus Prime appears in the Transformers live-action film series as the leader of the Autobots and one of the main protagonists. In

6290-483: The stringent length laws of the time. In line with the company name, during the 1930s, Freightways Manufacturing began to brand its truck production under the "Freightliner" name. In addition to their shorter length, the trucks underwent weight reduction using aluminum instead of steel to maximize use of engine power (needed to climb mountain grades in the western United States). In 1942, Leland James renamed Freightways Manufacturing as Freightliner Corporation; as part of

6375-401: The truth and inciting the citizens to rebel, but after defeating Sentinel, Orion and D-16 argue over whether to execute him, resulting in the latter accidentally shooting the former. While initially horrified, D-16 ultimately lets Orion fall to his death, before he kills Sentinel and then, calling himself "Megatron", commands the High Guard to destroy Iacon. The spirit of Primus, the planet, and

6460-407: The truth. Following an attack by Sentinel's guards and capturing D-16, B-127 and half of the High Guard, Orion and Elita fall unconscious after being buried under some rubble and, in the process, the chip is destroyed. Orion, encouraged by Elita, rallies the remaining High Guard members and returns to Iacon to rescue their comrades. They display evidence of Sentinel's actions all over the city, exposing

6545-468: The use of cabover (COE) semitractors, with the Freightliner Argosy later becoming the final example of the type sold in North America. The company is headquartered in Portland, Oregon (the city of its founding); vehicles are currently manufactured in Cleveland, North Carolina , and Mount Holly , North Carolina, and Santiago Tianguistenco and Saltillo , Mexico. As of December 2020, Freightliner

6630-522: The vocational model line, the Condor low-entry COE was discontinued. In 2009, Freightliner began production of natural gas versions of the Business Class M2 in its Mount Holly facility. In March 2009, DTNA discontinued Sterling Trucks, citing substantial model overlap with Freightliner and decreasing market share (in spite of multiple product launches). The closure of Sterling also brought

6715-605: Was added to SD model family, renamed the 122SD. On August 22, 2014, the Cleveland plant built the 3 millionth vehicle of Daimler Truck North America, a 2015 Cascadia Evolution. At the time, Freightliner employed 2600 workers at the facility and 8000 employees in North Carolina. In May 2015, the Freightliner Inspiration was unveiled near Hoover Dam. The first road-licensed autonomous semitruck,

6800-616: Was closed (shifting to Portland), along with a Thomas facility in Woodstock, Ontario (consolidating entirely to High Point). For 2002, the Freightliner product line underwent multiple updates. For the medium-duty segment, Freightliner introduced a second generation of the Business Class, the Business Class M2 , ranging from Class 5 to Class 8 severe-service conventionals. In place of the cab derived from Mercedes-Benz,

6885-505: Was established in 1942 as Freightliner Corporation . Owned by Daimler AG from 1981 to 2021, Freightliner is now a part of Daimler Truck subsidiary Daimler Truck North America (along with Western Star , Detroit Diesel , and Thomas Built Buses ). Freightliner produces a range of vans, medium-duty trucks, and heavy-duty trucks; under its Freightliner Custom Chassis subsidiary, the company produces bare chassis and cutaway chassis for multiple types of vehicles. The company popularized

6970-483: Was introduced as the first low-entry COE; competing with the Autocar Xpeditor , the Condor was developed nearly entirely for refuse applications. In the early 2000s, the operations of Freightliner subsidiaries would undergo multiple changes. Following the acquisition of Western Star Trucks, Freightliner consolidated production of American LaFrance in the previous Western Star plant in Ladson, South Carolina;

7055-544: Was joined by the Coronado SD (developed primarily for vocational applications ). In 2010, Freightliner introduced its first diesel-electric hybrid vehicle, based on a M2 106. For 2011, the company debuted the SD model family. Alongside the Coronado SD introduced the previous year, two new models were added, the 108SD and 114SD, derived from the M2 model family. In 2012, Freightliner celebrated its 70th anniversary, unveiling

7140-507: Was terminated, and Freightliner Corp. began life as a freestanding manufacturer and distributor. Many of the first dealers were from the White Motor Co. network, but some entrepreneurs also signed up to represent the trucks without the White Motor Co. franchise as a complement. At the same time, the company introduced its first conventional model, an adaptation of the high COE mainstay product. High COEs accounted for well over 50% of

7225-508: Was the final truck manufacturer in North America to offer a Class 8 cabover. The Argosy remains in production in North America, sold exclusively for export. In the summer of 2007, DaimlerChrysler was split, with the Freightliner parent company reorganizing itself as Daimler AG. Freightliner begins production of trucks in Saltillo, Mexico. On January 7, 2008, Freightliner LLC was renamed Daimler Trucks North America , LLC (DTNA), operating as

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