Daimler Truck Nears Site Pick for New U.S. Plant

Daimler Truck Narrows the Search

Daimler Truck has narrowed its search for a new U.S. greenfield manufacturing plant to a couple of sites, CEO Karin Radstrom told Transport Topics at an event ahead of the IAA Transportation conference in Hannover, Germany.

The facility would become the truck maker's largest manufacturing plant in the United States. Daimler Truck still expects to pick a location soon enough to begin construction before the end of 2026, with operations planned for 2029.

Capacity Is the Strategic Reason

The company framed the plant as a capacity decision, not a tariff reaction. Radstrom said Daimler Truck has missed some peak-demand volume in the past and sees room to grow in vocational, Class 8, and medium-duty truck sales.

Daimler Truck North America's Cleveland, North Carolina, site is currently its largest U.S. manufacturing plant, while much of its North American output is assembled in Mexico. Transport Topics noted that the Carolinas are a strong candidate region because North Carolina already anchors a large DTNA and Freightliner production base, including Cleveland, Mount Holly, and Gastonia.

Why Fleet Buyers Should Watch

Fleet teams will not feel the effect immediately, but the timing matters. A 2029 plant opening lines up with replacement cycles that many fleets are already modeling around emissions rules, vehicle availability, and total cost of ownership.

More domestic truck assembly capacity could give Daimler Truck more room to serve Freightliner and Western Star demand when order books tighten. It also gives procurement teams another reason to keep an eye on allocation, build slots, and vocational body lead times as the company reshapes its network, including the planned Oct. 30 closure of the Swan Island plant in Portland, Oregon.