Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. said it is filling an order for 2,121 FCCC gasoline-powered walk-in van chassis from United Parcel Service.


Following last year's successful deployment of a preproduction run of 350 FCCC gas-powered MT-45G and MT-55G chassis, UPS ordered the additional units in February and March 2011. The trucks are expected to be delivered to UPS during the summer months.

Rated at 14,000 to 23,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, the trucks use the General Motors 6-liter, 308-horsepower V-8 engine, and either an Allison 1000 or 2000 series transmission, FCCC said.

Gasoline-powered MT-45G and MT-55G vans share the same chassis as their diesel-powered counterparts. The common platform - everything from frame design to axles and suspension - means increased uptime, based on the easy availability of existing parts during maintenance.

"Our design has been very well-received by our customers, and this order from UPS serves as evidence," said Kris Hus, FCCC commercial product manager. "Their confidence in FCCC's gasoline-powered chassis demonstrates that this product comes with all the reliability, durability, serviceability and performance that our customers have come to expect."

UPS also operates diesel-, hybrid-electric-, and compressed natural gas-powered walk-in vans from FCCC, the company noted.