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DTNA likely to reveal new U.S. plant site by Christmas
Daimler Truck CEO Karin Radstrom says land purchase is being finalized
Daimler Truck CEO Karin Radstrom at IAA Transportation 2026: Daimler Truck Media Night. (Daimler Truck)
Key Takeaways:
- Daimler Truck North America is finalizing a land purchase for its largest U.S. manufacturing site and expects to reveal the location before Christmas.
- The plant, scheduled to open in 2029, would expand DTNA’s U.S. manufacturing footprint as the company anticipates increased U.S. and Canadian demand.
- Construction remains scheduled to begin by year-end 2026, with the Southeast considered a likely location as DTNA optimizes its production network.
The location for Daimler Truck North America’s largest manufacturing site in the United States will likely be revealed before Christmas, Karin Radstrom, CEO of parent company Daimler Truck, said Nov. 6.
DTNA is in the midst of finalizing the land purchase for the greenfield site, Radstrom told analysts and investors during Daimler Truck’s third-quarter 2026 earnings call.
“As you can imagine, there are some negotiations underway, which is why it doesn’t make sense to talk about it now, but we will update you once possible, but [DTNA is] very well on track there,” Radstrom said during the call.
Construction of the facility is still scheduled to begin by the end of 2026, the executive said, noting: “We’re on track with everything.”
Radstrom told Transport Topics in mid-September the truck maker had narrowed the hunt for the site to a couple of locations and a decision would be made shortly afterward.
“We have a couple of sites, so I hope we make a decision pretty soon,” Radstrom said Sept. 13 at an event preceding the IAA Transportation conference in Hannover, Germany.
Daimler Truck Interim Report Q3 2026
The executive’s most recent comments indicate that decision has been made, but the truck maker is keeping the location under wraps.
DTNA, the parent company of Freightliner and Western Star, revealed plans for the facility in early August, promising an expedited timeline due to an expected increase in demand in the United States and Canada. The plant is expected to begin operations in 2029.
The Cleveland plant in North Carolina is currently DTNA’s largest manufacturing site in the U.S., although a majority of the company’s trucks built in North America are assembled in Mexico, where it owns two plants.
DTNA said when unveiling plans for the new plant that key considerations in choosing a location would include access to a stable and efficient supply chain and skilled workforce, transportation and logistics infrastructure, a favorable business environment, and alignment with the company’s long-term manufacturing strategy.
Daimler Truck is looking to optimize its production network. As a result, the southeastern U.S., particularly the Carolinas, is a heavy favorite for the greenfield facility because North Carolina has long been a production nucleus for DTNA and Freightliner. Alongside the Cleveland plant, the Mount Holly facility — which opened in 1979 — and the Gastonia plant are also in the Tar Heel State.
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Speaking to reporters Aug. 6 from Stuttgart, Germany, after winning Daimler Truck approval for the plant, DTNA CEO John O’Leary said the plans took a number of years to formulate and were part of long-term ambitions to retain and build market share rather than a response to the Trump administration’s tariff policies.
“Every time you think of how you run a business, if you stand still, it’s kind of like a shark, you die,” he said. “You have to constantly be moving forward.”
