Daimler CEO Sees Mixed Outlook for Trucks

Daimler Trucks increased its market share in the first quarter, although its wholesale shipments decreased by 6%, Daimler AG CEO Dieter Zetsche said Wednesday.

Daimler Trucks “anticipates slight growth in wholesale shipments as the year progresses,” Zetsche said in a statement released at Daimler’s annual shareholder meeting, being held in Berlin, Germany.

But Stuttgart, Germany-based Daimler said that European truck demand had taken a sharp hit, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Daimler said it anticipated it would sell more than 500,000 trucks worldwide in 2015 and over 700,000 units in 2020, Zetsche said.

Daimler Trucks North America makes Freightliner and Western Star brand trucks in North America as well as Detroit brand engines, transmissions and axles.