“We are concerned about land, water and air pollution,” Nielsen says. “Our goal is to have our new factories above the standards set.”

For example, the company’s new manufacturing plant in Saltillo, Mexico, under construction and set to open January 2009, will serve as a benchmark on how it will impact the environment. For example, all the water used on site will be filtered and 100 percent recycled, he says. “Not one drop will be returned to the sewage system,” he adds.

Aesthetics are also important to truck customers, Nielsen adds. “Companies want trucks that are nice-looking and can attract drivers,” he says. “Major fleets have a hard time retaining drivers. They want to drive in [style].”

Growth Plans
The company is proud of being the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, Nielsen says. It manufactures 470,000 vehicles annually, double the amount of its closest competitor. “We are proud to be a part of Daimler,” he stresses. “We are proud to be the biggest and the largest, and one of the most excellent [in the world].”   

Daimler prides itself on being a global company. It has had great success with Mercedes-Benz in the Latin American market, outside of Brazil and Argentina, and sells used trucks in Russia.

“They have great value,” Nielsen says. “They typically have between 400,000 and 500,000 miles, and have been operational for three to four years. They are maintained very well and are almost new.”

It is currently focusing its growth in the Asia-Pacific region, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, South Africa and other “right hand drive” countries. “We’ll continue to grow our Sterling brand and Western Star brands,” he adds. “We will also have growth in the school bus business and have room to grow in the motor home business, especially for diesel-powered motor homes.”

Business Units
DTNA is comprised of nine business units:

• Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation. - Based in Gaffney, S.C., the subsidiary manufactures premium vehicle chassis for walk-in vans, motor homes, school buses and commercial buses.
• Detroit Diesel Corporation - An affiliate company, it is the leading manufacturer of on-highway medium- and heavy-duty diesel engines for the commercial truck market. It is based in Detroit and offers 170- to 515-horsepower engines for the on-highway market, Series 60 engines and Mercedes-Benz engines.
• Freightliner Trucks - DTNA’s largest division manufactures Class 5-8 trucks that serve commercial vehicle applications and heavy-duty Class 8 trucks, such as the Columbia, Century Class S/T, Coronado, Classic/Classic XL and the new Cascadia. It also offers the medium-duty Business Class M2.
• Daimler Trucks Remarketing Corporation - The largest buyer and remarketer of used trucks, it offers industry-exclusive finance programs, customized specifications and warranties of up to three years or 300,000 miles.
• Sterling Truck Corporation - Based in Redford Township, Mich., this division manufactures a full line of Class 3-8 trucks, such as A-Line on-highway trucks, the Set-Back L-Line highway or off-road tractors and the Sterling Set-Forward, geared to the dump, utility and government/municipality markets. It also offers the medium-duty Acterra, LCOE Sterling 360 for urban use, and the Sterling Bullet for construction, utility and government/municipality applications.
• Thomas Built Buses Inc. - Thomas Built is a school bus manufacturer headquartered in High Point, N.C.
• Western Star Truck Sales Inc. - The Redford Township, Mich., subsidiary serves the heavy-duty Class 8 owner-operator, premium vocational and specialty/extreme markets.
• Government Vehicles - This unit sells Freightliner, Sterling and Western Star trucks to the U.S. and Canadian governments, as well as custom-built vehicles that transport bulk goods and light construction equipment for the Army.
  
• Exports - Daimler sells heavy-duty trucks to 38 countries outside the NAFTA region, including Australia, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa. Its most popular exports are the Freightliner, Sterling and Western Star new and used heavy-duty trucks.