Supporting Saskatchewan’s Trucking Industry Through Commitment and Innovation

Frontline Truck and Trailer has become a cornerstone of the trucking industry in Saskatchewan, offering essential services that help drive the local economy forward. Established with a vision to provide top-tier trucks, trailers, and services to Saskatchewan’s diverse trucking community, Frontline has grown into one of the most respected names in the industry. Since its founding, Frontline has committed itself to not only offering high-quality vehicles but also providing comprehensive support and services that the trucking community needs to thrive. As a proud member of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association (STA), Frontline exemplifies the values that the STA champions – namely, safety, efficiency, and sustainability within the province’s transportation sector. 

A Legacy of Service and Growth

Frontline Truck and Trailer was founded with the goal of serving the needs of trucking businesses throughout Saskatchewan.
Over the years, the company has expanded its offerings and solidified its reputation as a trusted partner for fleet owners, operators, and drivers. 

Frontline’s story began 70 years ago in 1955 as a White Motors dealership. Evolving with the White-Freightliner partnership, Frontline solely represented Freightliner as of 1981. This partnership with Freightliner enabled Frontline to offer the latest and most advanced truck models available, including the Freightliner Cascadia, which has become one of the most sought-after models for fleet owners due to its reliability, safety, and fuel efficiency.

In 2002, Frontline further expanded its reach and service offerings by acquiring the Doepker Trailer franchise. Allowing the company to enter the trailer repair, parts, and rental business. This expansion positioned Frontline as a one-stop solution for all trucking needs, offering a vast inventory of trailers alongside its truck offerings. Over the years, Frontline has continued to grow, driven by its commitment to providing customers with a full range of services, including leasing, financing, and fleet management solutions.

Meeting the Demands of the Trucking Industry

At the heart of Frontline’s services is its dedication to delivering solutions that meet the evolving demands of the trucking industry. Frontline specializes in both new and used trucks and trailers, ensuring that operators have access to a wide range of options to fit their unique needs. The dealership is an authorized Freightliner dealership for Saskatoon and surrounding areas, offering the latest Freightliner models, including the highly regarded Freightliner Cascadia.

Coming Soon, The Freightliner Cascadia fifth generation with advanced safety features, increased aerodynamic efficiency, and the addition of new business intelligence tools to benefit profitability. 

Safety

The fifth-generation Freightliner Cascadia introduces a range of advancements, highlighted by a new electrical architecture that supports improved safety systems. The Detroit Assurance Suite now features enhanced computing power, an upgraded camera, and both short and long-range radar sensors, improving the truck’s ability to detect obstacles and pedestrians. Active Brake Assist 6 (ABA6) now recognizes more complex scenarios, such as vehicles in curves or across lanes, and can perform automatic braking.

The new Intelligent Braking Control System (IBCS) uses brake-by-wire technology to provide smoother braking, with features like Comfort Braking for even brake wear and Endurance Braking for improved driver experience. Additional safety features include paddle-style air brake switches and rollaway protection, which activates the electronic parking brake if the driver leaves the seat.

Active Lane Assist 2 (ALA2) now includes Lane Change Assist to prevent lane departure accidents, while Attentive Driver Protection monitors the driver’s attention and can stop the vehicle if necessary. Side Guard Assist 2 (SGA2) detects objects on both sides of the vehicle.

Scheduled for production in mid-2025, the Cascadia also introduces the MirrorCam System, offering enhanced visibility with cameras and integrated alerts. The new dual-stage LED headlamps are 30% brighter and feature automatic deicing, defogging, and auto-bright/dim capabilities for better night driving.

Efficiency 

The fifth-generation Freightliner Cascadia has improved fuel efficiency by over 35% since its introduction 17 years ago, with an additional 1.9% gain from aerodynamic updates. Key exterior changes include a new hood and grille design, an extended A-pillar deflector, improved front wheel well closeouts, and new bumper air ducts that guide air around the truck and reduce drag, especially around the tires. These air ducts also help cool the service brakes. An optional Max Aero Bumper further enhances efficiency with improved
ground clearance.

The redesigned grille maintains the same size and cooling capacity but is integrated into a restyled hood for better airflow management. Engine options for the 2025 model include the Detroit DD13 and DD15, with up to 505 horsepower, and the Cummins X15 diesel, offering 400 to 605 horsepower. The X15N natural gas engine will be available in 2026, and an EPA’27 compliant DD15 engine will be introduced in 2027.

Profitability

The fifth-generation Freightliner Cascadia incorporates technology upgrades that benefit both operations and cost efficiency. Crete Carrier Corporation’s CEO, Tonn Ostergard, emphasized that their equipment decisions focus on high uptime and low ownership costs. The updated Cascadia features the latest Detroit Connect telematics platform, which enhances fleet management.

Key updates include Detroit Connect Video Capture 2.0, which records safety events and driver behavior data, accessible in near-real-time through the Detroit Connect Portal. A new Remote Lock and Unlock feature allows fleet managers to lock or unlock vehicles remotely, reducing roadside assistance costs. Geofencing enables custom geographic areas with notifications for vehicle movements. Detroit Connect Safety Plus provides remote monitoring of safety systems, and Premium Remote Parameter Updates expands over-the-air parameter updates from seven to more than 50.

Focusing on Fuel Efficiency from Headlights to Taillights

With the ability to provide transportation solutions not just focused on one aspect, Frontline is able to streamline customers’ fleets from truck to trailer. Doepker Industries has focused its product offerings on innovative and quality components. Working with OEM offerings Frontline can offer solutions for customers based on their requirements. Weight savings and longevity are at the top of discussions lately. Ethan Cozart with Frontline states “We work with our customer base to feel out their wants and requirements. From there we can spec a trailer to suit them best.” 

Many new commercially run trailers are the classic steel bulkers produced by Doepker. These trailers offer a superior weight-to-cost ratio and allow fleets to expand and keep profit. New options for weight savings have been the focus of Aluminum landing gear/Lightweight hub and drum/Poly fenders/super single tires/streamlined catwalks and ladders. Doepker trailers are fully adjustable to fit the customer’s needs and wishes with the ability of modular bolt-on parts.

The stable grain bulker has been revolutionized throughout the years. The Doepker Legacy featuring the first to market open end design on the aluminum trailer is a leading aspect in the trailer industry. The Legacy Bulker features an exclusive one-piece aluminum double wall slope that uses a minimal number of rivets and has no horizontal seams or rivets giving unmatchable cleanout. The smooth double-wall aluminum design gives the best of both worlds: an aerodynamic outer skin complimenting optimal inside cleanout. Our “first to market” open-end dual aluminum wall design allows you to easily clean and maintain the suspension and slope area from road contaminants which will ensure the Legacy is the longest-lasting trailer on the road. Couple this with massive curb appeal in combination with its ability to carry the largest payload makes the Legacy irresistible. 

Frontline’s Ongoing Impact on Saskatchewan’s Trucking Industry

With the celebration of the 70-year milestone this year, we look back on everything that got us to this position.  Ethan Cozart discusses “Throughout the years what is today known as Frontline Truck and Trailer has represented numerous truck and trailer brands. Sold everything from travel trailers to log skidders, and occupied five different locations with three different names to suit. One thing that has remained is the passion for the industry and to offer top-of-the-line equipment for every customer. We have tried other brands and they didn’t pass the grueling needs Saskatchewan customers require. For the past 45 years, we have represented Freightliner trucks, knowing their ability to help customers build their business. We are going on 23 years with Doepker Industries, a locally built trailer manufacturer that understands our customer’s requirements. 

We remain Canada’s last standalone Freightliner dealership, still proving we can compete at the highest level. We are set apart with the ability to talk directly with decision-makers on a day-to-day basis which many large organizations lack. Nothing is more frustrating than calling for support and being held on hold until someone with little resources can help answer a question. We were the first Canadian dealership to be nominated for the International Trailblazer Award presented by TPS. We also got our elite support classification from Freightliner this year, which proves we can provide quality service at the highest level. I welcome anyone to stop in and see how Frontline can help your business!”