Daimler Truck North America announced on August 6 that it will build an all-new truck manufacturing facility in the United States — a greenfield project the company bills as its largest U.S. truck plant once complete. Construction is slated to begin late this year, with production targeted for 2029. One thing DTNA isn't saying yet: where.
What we actually know
Greenfield build — a new plant from scratch, not a retrofit of an existing site
Construction starts late 2026, trucks roll out in 2029
Location not chosen: DTNA is still evaluating multiple sites on workforce, supply chain access, logistics infrastructure and business climate
“Thousands of DTNA jobs over time,” per the company — no exact headcount and no dollar figure disclosed
Designed to flexibly build diesel, electric and autonomous trucks on the same floor
“ Our industry never stands still, and neither can we. We are building for the future by creating a manufacturing network that is more flexible, resilient, and aligned with our customers' evolving needs. ”
Why start from a bare field instead of upgrading one of the five plants DTNA already runs across the Carolinas? O'Leary was blunt with reporters: “It's very difficult to just kind of gut a plant and then reconfigure it with new technology. It's far easier to do it from a greenfield.” As for tariffs pushing production stateside, the CEO downplayed the theory — there are “several other factors that are far more important,” he said, noting a plant finishing in 2029 is a long-term call, not a reaction to this year's trade headlines.
The Portland shadow
The timing is impossible to ignore. The announcement landed just one week after DTNA notified Oregon officials it will permanently close its Portland Truck Manufacturing plant on Swan Island on October 30 — ending 387 jobs and relocating production of the Western Star X-Series and the electric Freightliner eCascadia and eM2 to existing plants in North and South Carolina. Portland keeps DTNA's headquarters, engineering and testing operations, but after decades of building trucks there, the factory floor goes dark. The company hasn't framed the new plant as a replacement — but drivers and dealers will be watching where those cranes go up.
Why it matters
New-truck capacity decisions made now set the price and availability of equipment small carriers will buy used in the 2030s. A flexible mega-plant also signals Daimler expects the U.S. market — diesel and electric alike — to keep growing despite the current freight slump.
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