September 22, 2004 12:55 PM, EDT

DaimlerChrysler: Report on Schmueckle’s Departure 'Pure Speculation'

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ANOVER, Germany — DaimlerChrysler AG officials labeled as "pure speculation" a German newspaper report that Rainer Schmueckle, chief executive officer of the company's Freightliner LLC truck unit, would soon leave his post to take an accounting job at the company's Mercedes-Benz automobile division.

ie Welt, citing unnamed sources, reported on Wednesday that Schmueckle would make the shift "before the end of the year," to follow his current boss, Eckhard Cordes, who will be leaving as head of DaimlerChrysler's commercial vehicles division to run the luxury car maker on Oct. 1.

"It's pure speculation," said Othmar Stein, Cordes' chief spokesman. "When changes are made, we announce them.”

Schmueckle's chief spokesman, Jeff Fisher, said, "I have no knowledge of" any such change.

While attempts to reach Schmueckle on Wednesday were unsuccessful, during an interview with Transport Topics the day before, he said, "I have a good job. I've got a five-year contract, and I've completed three of them." He said he intended to complete his contract, "and to get it renewed."

Schmueckle said, "I feel very comfortable” with Andreas Renschler, who will be his new boss when he succeeds Cordes. He said he has known and worked with Renschler for many years.

Schmueckle is also believed to be on good terms with Cordes, who he thanked for their time together during the interview.

The German newspaper account said that Schmueckle would be replaced at Freightliner by Albert Kirchmann, who is the director of controlling for DaimlerChrysler's commercial vehicles unit, of which Freightliner is a key part.

Portland, Ore.-based Freightliner is the largest truck maker in North America, and controls almost 32% of the market.

Under Schmueckle, Freightliner has returned to profitability in the past three years, after difficult times when the North American market sank during the recession at the start of this decade.

As he began the interview on Tuesday here -- where he and most of the company's trucking officials were attending a large truck show – Schmueckle said, "I'm not going to say that things couldn't by better, but they're very good."