Commercial Truck Manufacturers Coverage
In terms of the trucking industry, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) refers to parts made by the same company that makes the vehicle (as opposed to aftermarket parts, which are produced by different companies and designed to be compatible with as many vehicles as possible). While OEM products may cost more than aftermarket upfront, the price reflects the quality.
The biggest commercial truck manufacturer in the world is Daimler AG (better known as Daimler Chrysler), which produces the brands Mercedes-Benz, Western Star, Freightliner, Sterling Trucks, and Fuso, among others. Other leading commercial truck manufacturers include Volkswagen Group (which produces MAN, Scania and Volkswagen Commercial-Vehicles), Volvo Group (which produces Volvo, Renault, Mack, Eicher, and UD Trucks), and Dongfeng Motor, China’s largest automaker.
Check back here for the latest news and updates related to OEM and trucking. You can also find additional commercial trucking news in our Trucking News archive.
At FreightWaves’ F3: Future of Freight Festival, trucking-focused attorney Matthew Leffler said the $100 million-plus Werner case is “the most important case facing the trucking industry now.”
Wabash National, feeling the impact of lower trailer orders, gets a negative outlook at S&P.
DHL is signing up for hydrogen trucks to be used in Illinois.
The fifth-generation Freightliner Cascadia is not dramatically different from the current model but it brings some driver-friendly changes.
With his legacy assured, Daimler Truck Chair and CEO Martin Daum will retire as CEO on Sept. 30, making way for Karin Rådström.
Trimble customers who gathered in Las Vegas got the big news that Platform Science is acquiring Trimble’s telematics business.
Proficient Auto Logistics, the auto hauler that went public in May, has made its first acquisition since its IPO.
Two key reporting agencies saw a slowdown in truck orders last month.
A key port in New Jersey is adopting propane as a preferred fuel for the vehicles that move around its property.
Orders for new Class 8 trucks rose significantly in May, according to two research firms.
EV startup Harbinger grabbed $400 million in vehicle orders and announced a $73 million Series A funding round.
FleetPulse has spun off from trailer OEM Great Dane and hired industry executives to lead the independent company.
New Class 8 truck orders in April up from a year ago, down from March.
The potential energy and environmental gains from autonomous trucking are laid out in a new white paper from Aurora Innovation.
A possible strike by Daimler North America workers was averted at the last minute late Friday with a four-year deal.
Glen Stewart, director of strategic programs at Wabash, discusses the company’s Trailers-as-a-service (TaaS) offering, which is designed to help increase asset uptime.
Autonomous trucking regulation is already a state-by-state issue. In California, it may become a community-by-community matter.
Class 8 new truck orders were down in March, but the research firms that track them did not see it as significant.
The precise rules granting tax breaks to hydrogen to fuel trucks are still to be announced, and that has some people at CERAWeek concerned.
The Volkswagen diesel scandal settlement is providing more money to buy zero-emission drayage trucks and other vehicles in California.
Cummins Inc.’s environmental citizenship record didn’t shield it from the U.S. attorney general’s criticism when it agreed to pay a record fine.
The latest figures from ACT and FTR show a new truck build market that remains solid but that slowed from a month earlier.
Sweden’s Volvo Group reported strong Q4 results but pointed to normalizing demand, code for lower sales already visible in slackening orders.
Humble leadership at Paccar forgoes a victory lap its as profit streak reaches 85 years with regular dividends paid out since 1941.
Volvo Trucks North America revealed a 90% new VNL over-the-road truck that promises up to 10% better fuel efficiency.
Truck maker Paccar Inc. reached 85 consecutive years of posting net income with record sales and profits in the fourth quarter.
Daimler Truck managed a 1% gain in global sales in 2023, less than expected as supply chain issues still haunted the leading OEM.
Daimler Truck named Eva Scherer as chief financial officer to succeed Jochen Goetz, who died from a reaction to a wasp sting in August.
Hydrogen was a big topic through the mobility and transportation space at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Kenworth Truck Co. has a new general manager while Kevin Baney has been promoted to an SVP role at parent company Paccar.
A lawsuit challenging the waiver granted by the EPA to California for its Advanced Clean Trucks rule will be delayed.
A small victory in court over a new California rule doesn’t slow another part of the state’s march toward zero-emission refrigerated trucks … but not trailers.
Mack Trucks took a hard line against the UAW, which voted to ratify a contract the union had overwhelmingly rejected in October.
Striking United Auto Workers will vote again next week on a Mack Trucks offer it earlier rejected after the company declined more sweeteners.
Daimler Truck reported lower deliveries in Q3, a contrast to its major competitors who reported higher sales but warned of a coming slowdown.
Daimler Truck North America awards Hexagon Purus the work of electrifying its Freightliner eM2 vocational medium-duty trucks.
Electric trucks are expensive, so Mack Trucks figures avoiders might go for a monthly subscription fee and pay by the mile.
Natural gas has long been a bit player in a diesel-driven engine world. That may change with Cummins’ beefier 15-liter offering.
A threat to Mack Trucks’ primary business exists as long as brinksmanship with the striking UAW continues.
Consistent with its rivals, Traton sees orders slowing but strong deliveries across its brands including Navistar.
Paccar Inc. posted record third-quarter net income and continued to build on a streak of beating analyst estimates.
New economic demands from striking UAW employees at Mack Trucks brings a strong retort from the truck maker.
Can Hyliion pivot to make stationary generators the base of its business as it decides whether to pursue the Hypertruck ERX?
Volvo Group reported strong third-quarter results but reported slowing orders as trucking demand returns to normal.
After a week of striking by 3,900 workers in three states, bargainers at Mack Trucks and the UAW will resume talks Thursday.
An electric vehicle charger without data intelligence on when it is available and operating is like a hot dog without a bun.
Most of the styling and design ideas from Volvo’s SuperTruck 2 freight efficiency exercise probably won’t ever see production, but some might.
World Socialist Web Site pressures UAW by inflaming members to seek better deals than their negotiators bring.
United Auto Workers-represented employees at Mack Trucks will strike for the second time in four years after rejecting a tentative agreement.
The Daimler Truck Board of Management has extended the contract of North America CEO John O’Leary through 2026.
A change in a new five-year contract between the UAW and Mack Trucks would extend the work day for 30 minutes for about $3,000 more a year.
Mack Trucks and the United Auto Workers union reached a settlement on a new five-year agreement, avoiding a walkout like four years ago.
United Auto Workers-represented workers at Mack Trucks could strike as soon as Monday if no deal is reached to replace their four-year contract.
Volvo Group had scant interest in producing fuel cell trucks five years ago. Now they play a role in the pursuit of zero-emissions trucking.
Small fleets can get a voucher twice the standard $120,000 when purchasing an electric truck. And they don’t even have to purchase it.
The timing in promoting its growing patent portfolio could suggest TuSimple is trying to find a buyer for its U.S. business.
Mack Trucks filed a recall for 27,418 heavy-duty trucks because their turn signal visibility does not comply with a federal safety standard.
Cal Fleet Advisor mostly geared to smaller fleets; no fee for the service
Daimler Truck CEO Martin Daum will add the role of CFO while the Supervisory Board searches for a permanent replacement for Jochen Goetz.
Hino Motors trucks have been recalled because of inaccurate readings on how much fuel remains in 70- and 90-gallon tanks.
Nikola is recalling about 209 Class 8 battery electric trucks following 2 battery fires, but the trucks can stay in service pending a fix.
Daimler Truck said CFO Jochen Goetz died in a “tragic incident,” but the company gave no cause of death for the 52-year-old executive.
Class 8 truck orders rose in July, but they are still in the summer doldrums and trail replacement demand.
Like other trucking OEMs, Daimler Truck rode higher prices to solid second-quarter results while incoming orders fell.
The waiver the EPA granted to California to allow its Clean Trucks rule to proceed has states lined up in court on either side of the issue.
What’s behind Paccar’s stunning Q2 profits? Inflation is part of the answer. So is a burgeoning parts footprint.
Paccar continued a string of record quarterly performances in Q2, posting a 70% gain in profits and a 24% increase in sales.
The Diesel Technology Forum released data on trucks getting cleaner, but is it enough in the energy transition?
Daimler Truck forecasts a sunny outlook for its business, especially in North America and Europe.
In its first meeting with analysts since going solo, Daimler Truck projected revenue growth of 40%-60% in the second half of the decade.
Paccar Inc. is recalling 4,914 Peterbilt Model 579 Class 8 trucks because a misplaced fastener can chafe alternator insulation to catch fire.
Navistar Inc. is recalling an additional 22,684 trucks and buses for a brake fluid leak that can lead to an under hood fire.
Nineteen states want an appellate court review of an EPA waiver that allows California’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule to proceed.
Federal safety regulators have opened a preliminary evaluation of automatic emergency braking in Freightliner Cascadias.
Daimler Truck and Toyota Motor Corp. plan to merge their Asian units to save money in new technology development.
As electric trucks get most of the attention, Peterbilt’s devoted fans celebrated a new version of an historic oil-burner.
Martin Weissburg is retiring as president of Mack Trucks after five years. He is being succeeded by Stephen Roy.
The Advanced Clean Transportation Expo has grown so large that organizers kept a waiting list for exhibitors.
Once dismissed as a far-off technology, hydrogen fuel cells and infrastructure are getting buzz at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo.
The Freightliner Class 6 battery-electric eM2 will go into production this fall with plans for a range of vocational models to follow.
Like Volvo Group and Paccar Inc., which have already reported, Daimler Truck forecasts a stronger-than-expected first-quarter earnings report.
Paccar Inc. crushed Q1 revenue and profit estimates, a quarter dampened by a $446 million hit related to European price-fixing settlements.
General Motors is recalling 40,000 medium-duty trucks built by Navistar that can catch fire because of leaking brake fluid.
Paccar Inc. is taking a $600 million pretax charge against first-quarter earnings from settlements in a 2016 European price-fixing scandal.
Volvo Group reported record sales and deliveries in the first quarter, projecting a positive note as the first truck manufacturer to release financials.
Daimler Trucks will likely have to issue an equipment recall for over 24,000 trucks after a federal regulator denies the company’s exemption request.
With some big-name backing, Verne is trying to tackle the issue of storing hydrogen on board a truck using it for fuel.
Daimler Truck completed its first year as a stand-alone company with financial results meeting its targets.
Mack, Isuzu and Hino offer new battery-electric medium-duty work trucks as the industry transition accelerates from diesel and gasoline power.
Germany’s Traton Group topped $42 billion in revenue for 2022 with Navistar contributing significantly to the top and bottom lines.
Volvo Group’s CampX has ushered 50 startups through its accelerator. Now it is adding an incubator for early stage startups.
Kenworth Truck Co. joins a select few truck manufacturers in reaching its 100th anniversary, which features two special edition trucks.
Ryder’s 2023 profitability forecast assumes lower numbers due to falling used truck prices.
Batteries. Electrified components. Fuel cells. Cummins Inc. has plans for all of them. But hydrogen-making electrolyzers top the list.
Class 8 truck orders in January fell year over year for the first time since August, lightening the 2023 backlog.
A cross-section of Industry experts offer thoughts on how transportation management systems will integrate with autonomous trucks.
If history is a guide, advanced technologies in Daimler Truck North America’s SuperTruck II prototype could end up in production.
Daimler Truck created capacity for 2,000 battery-electric trucks in 2022, but the lack of charging infrastructure stunted deliveries.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration fined the Volvo Group $130 million for slow reporting of safety recalls.
Deliberate perfectly describes Paccar’s approach to trucking electrification. The company offers nine commercial electric trucks but skips the hype.
