Daimler Truck North America plans to add what it describes as its largest U.S. truck assembly plant, signaling confidence in longer-term demand for heavy commercial vehicles. Heavy Duty Trucking reported August 6 that the company is evaluating multiple locations and expects the new factory to begin operating in 2029. Construction is scheduled to start in late 2026.
No site has been selected. DTNA said workforce availability, supply-chain access, transportation infrastructure and the local business climate will help determine the location. The plant is intended to build both on-highway and vocational trucks with flexible assembly systems and modern digital manufacturing technology, allowing production to adjust among different vehicle configurations as fleet demand changes.
The expansion comes alongside a significant footprint shift. DTNA notified Oregon officials that its longtime Portland truck manufacturing plant will close permanently at the end of October, eliminating nearly 400 jobs. Freightliner opened its first Portland manufacturing facility in 1947. The company will still retain its Portland headquarters, engineering operations and recently opened testing facility, so the factory closure is not a complete withdrawal from the city.
The announcement follows a difficult start to 2026, when first-quarter truck sales fell 26% from a year earlier. Market conditions have since strengthened, and DTNA says its 2026 order book is approximately 95% full. Fleets should not treat the future plant as proof that equipment prices or delivery times will immediately improve. The practical effect will depend on the final location, construction progress, supplier capacity and the truck market approaching 2029.
Build Your CDL Career With Patriot CDL
Explore professional Class A, Class B and restriction-removal training in Levittown, Pennsylvania.
Talk With Admissions