Freightliner FS-65

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article needs attention from an expert in Automobiles. The specific problem is: needs additional information on development and design. WikiProject Automobiles may be able to help recruit an expert. (February 2017) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Freightliner FS-65" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Freightliner FS-65
2004 Thomas Built Buses FS-65 of Calvert County, Maryland
Overview
Manufacturer	Freightliner Custom Chassis (Freightliner LLC)
Production	January 1997 – December 2006
Assembly	Gaffney, SC
Body and chassis
Class	Type C (conventional)
Layout	conventional 4x2
Body style(s)	Cowled chassis school bus commercial bus specialty vehicle
Vehicles	see listing
Related	Freightliner FL60
Powertrain
Engine(s)	Caterpillar 7.2 L 3126 I6 Caterpillar 7.2 L C7 I6 Cummins 5.9 L ISB I6 Mercedes-Benz 4.3 L OM 904 LA I4 Mercedes-Benz 4.8 L OM 924 LA I4 Mercedes-Benz 6.4 L OM 906 LA I6
Transmission(s)	Fuller FS6305A 5-speed manual Allison 2000 automatic Allison 2500 automatic Allison 3000 automatic Allison AT545 automatic Allison MD3060 automatic Allison MT643 automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	150–276 in (3,810.0–7,010.4 mm)
Curb weight	18,000–35,000 lb (8,164.7–15,875.7 kg) (GVWR)
Chronology
Successor	Freightliner C2

The Freightliner FS-65 is a cowled school bus chassis (conventional style) that was manufactured by Freightliner from 1997 to 2008. Derived from the Freightliner FL-Series medium-duty trucks, the FS-65 was produced primarily for school bus applications, though commercial-use buses and cutaway-cab buses were also built using the FS-65 chassis.

While developed by Freightliner before its acquisition of the Ford heavy-truck product range at the end of 1996 (and medium-duty truck lines were not included as part of the sale) the FS-65 would go on to serve as an indirect successor of the long-running Ford B-Series chassis. After 1998, Ford concentrated bus production towards van-derived chassis, leaving Freightliner to acquire much of the market share of full-size bus production owned by Ford.

The FS-65 chassis was assembled in Gaffney, South Carolina by the Freightliner Custom Chassis subsidiary of Freightliner; as an incomplete vehicle, the chassis was shipped to body manufacturers for final assembly of a bus. After a total of 62,764 units were produced, the final Freightliner FS-65 chassis rolled off the assembly line in September 2006, owned by O'Brien Bus Service, Inc. based out of Maryland.^[1]