Daimler Truck North America will build a greenfield manufacturing plant in the United States, with production scheduled to begin in late 2029. CEO Karin Radstrom announced the plan during the company's second quarter earnings call on August 7, describing the project as an opportunity to design a facility around current manufacturing technology and a flexible production system.
Daimler is still choosing a site. The company is weighing multiple locations against supply chain access, availability of skilled workers, transportation and logistics infrastructure, and the local business environment.
The announcement follows Daimler's confirmation that it will close its Portland, Oregon, assembly plant on October 30 and move that production to facilities in North Carolina and South Carolina. Portland will continue to serve as the company's headquarters and engineering hub.
CFO Eva Scherer said a new site should run more efficiently than the existing plants because efficiency gains at older brownfield facilities are harder to capture through incremental upgrades. She said the plant will carry a high automation rate and digital production systems throughout.
Radstrom said the extra capacity gives Daimler more flexibility to shift volume across its North American network, which matters as demand strengthens. Daimler Truck North America reported second quarter order intake above 35,000 units, a 156% increase over the same period a year earlier, while unit sales rose 8%.
The stronger outlook prompted the company to raise its North American guidance. Daimler now expects to sell 160,000 to 180,000 trucks in 2026, roughly 10,000 units higher at both ends of its earlier range. It also raised its return on sales forecast to a range of 9% to 11%, up from 6% to 8%.
Source: Trucking Dive - https://www.truckingdive.com/news/daimler-truck-to-build-new-us-manufacturing-facility/827467/