Daimler Truck Eyes Reset as Steady DTNA Awaits OTR Rebound

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Daimler Truck North America had a steady fourth quarter of 2024 and full year, but the rest of Daimler Truck is set for a substantial reorganization and strategy revamp, with job cuts in the cards in Europe.

DTNA sold 46,802 trucks and buses in the fourth quarter, down 3% compared with the year-ago period, Daimler Truck said March 14.

The North American subsidiary of the world’s largest truck maker — which owns the Freightliner and Western Star brands — posted revenue of $6.49 billion in the three months that ended Dec. 31, 0.46% below Q4 2023’s $6.52 billion. Daimler Truck reports earnings in euros and conversions were correct as of March 14.

DTNA’s sales margin, however, rose to 12.3% in Q4 from 12% in the year-ago period, with the parent company citing higher prices and a larger share of sales from vocational trucks, which return a bigger profit.

“The fourth quarter in 2024 was impacted by lower volumes, increased material costs and [foreign exchange] headwinds. This was offset by pricing and customer mix,” Chief Financial Officer Eva Scherer said during a March 14 conference call with analysts.

Portland, Ore.-headquartered DTNA sold 190,428 vehicles in 2024, down 2.35% from 195,014 in 2023, confirming preliminary results released Jan. 14.

Freightliner sold 86,470 Class 8 trucks in 2024, a decrease of 11.2% from 97,370 in 2023, according to Wards Intelligence data, also released Jan. 14.

Western Star sold 11,612 trucks in 2024, up 39.5% compared with 8,326 purchases in 2023, Wards data shows.

“Our vocational strategy is paying off. We’ve increased our vocational Class 8 unit sales by