In 1929, Leland James opened his own freight hauling company. James was always looking for a way to receive more business and increase profits. His only problem was that truck manufacturers didn't share his enthusiasm for innovation. Haphazardly, James began putting a custom twist on stock trucks in order to satisfy his personal requirements. The mechanics for Consolidated Freight Lines, James's freight company, experimented with aluminum in break shoes and suspension hanger brackets and pulleys for reefer trailers.
The innovations that James implemented led to the incorporation of the first cab-over-engine (COE) designs into fleet service. With the new COE design, James could expand the trailer and carry a larger payload. Five other western carriers along with Consolidated, launched Freightways Manufacturing Company to produce James's COEs with heat-treated alloy steel frames and noses.
Despite the look of it, James didn't really care for the truck-building business. He only wanted to prove to established manufacturers that his ideas held merit. The quantity of new and used Freightliner trucks, the extension of the old Freightways, alone proves his point.
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