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Sterling’s Heavy Duty Heritage

The first truck with the name Sterling was built between 1909 and 1910 in Harvey, IL. Only one truck was produced: the Model C. The name resurfaced again in 1916 and became a trusted heavy duty independent nameplate right up until 1951, when it was absorbed into the White Motor Co. It lasted another two years, ironically being moved from its Milwaukee home to White’s production facilities in Cleveland before it became a casualty of the complexity in White’s product offering of the early ’50s.
The year 1916 was not the birth of the second Sterling truck nor the company that made it. In 1907 William Sternberg started manufacturing right-hand-drive cabovers with 1- to 5-ton capacities. A unique feature was the steel frame with solid oak planks pressed and bolted in for durability and a claimed improved ride. In the midwar years, though, Sternberg became acutely conscious of the anti-German sentiment in America and changed the name to Sterling.
Underscoring Sternberg’s commitment to the United States, among the first trucks to wear the Sterling badge were the Liberty models that saw extensive use in Europe and helped bring to a close World War I.
In another ironic twist, Sterling bought the La France-Republic Corp. in 1932 and ran the division until 1942. American La France was bought by Freightliner in 1996 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Portland, OR-based manufacturer, just as the new Sterling is today.