Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Earnings Watch: Trade Dispute Hits Daimler Earnings, Corporate Restructure Announced

Daimler AG reported a decline in profitiability and revenue in the second quarter and also announced a corportate restructuring which will split off Mercedes-Benz AG, Daimler Truck AG, and Daimler Mobility AG.

Evan Lockridge
Evan LockridgeFormer Business Contributing Editor
July 26, 2018
Earnings Watch: Trade Dispute Hits Daimler Earnings, Corporate Restructure Announced

 

3 min to read


Germany-based truck and passenger vehicle manufacturer Daimler AG on July 26 reported second quarter earnings that showed a decline in both profitability and revenue.

Ad Loading...

Net profit fell to 1.73 billion Euros ($2.02 billion) in the quarter from 2.44 billion Euros a year ago, according to MarketWatch. Revenue fell to 40.76 billion Euros from 41.21 billion Euros the prior year.

Ad Loading...

MarketWatch also reported the reason for the declines was that earnings at the company’s core Mercedes-Benz Cars division came in significantly lower, due to an escalating trade dispute between the U.S. and China.

“In June, Daimler warned that Chinese retaliatory tariffs on U.S.-made vehicles would hit sales and profits of its U.S. made vehicles,” MarketWatch said.

Despite this, the company once again increased its total unit sales compared with the same quarter of the previous year. In the months of April through June, Daimler sold a total of 833,000 cars and commercial vehicles worldwide, which is 1% more than in the prior-year period 

This was primarily driven by Mercedes-Benz Vans, with a new second-quarter record of 110,900 units sold, and by Daimler Trucks. Daimler Trucks’ unit sales of 123,900 vehicles were 6% higher than in the second quarter of last year, compared to 116,400 the same time a year ago. The sales volume in the North American Free Trade Agreement region increased to 44,300 units, up from 42,300 a year earlier.

The company has forecast its total unit sales for Daimler Trucks this year will be significantly higher than in the previous year.

Ad Loading...

“This is largely due to the significant recovery of some important markets. In the NAFTA region, the division expects a significant sales increase compared with 2017 as a result of the ongoing market recovery,” Daimler said.

The news came as Daimler announced a new corporate structure in which it will set up three independent entities; Mercedes-Benz AG, Daimler Truck AG, and Daimler Mobility AG; all under the umbrella of Daimler AG.

“Under the new structure Daimler plans to give its divisions greater entrepreneurial freedom, position them even closer to their markets and customers, while empowering them to enter partnerships more easily and quickly,” Daimler said in a statement.

Once the new structure has been fully implemented, the Mercedes-Benz Cars and Vans division, under the leadership of Mercedes-Benz AG, will have around 175,000 employees worldwide.

The Daimler Trucks and Buses division, under the leadership of Daimler Truck AG, will have around 100,000 employees worldwide, according to the company.

Ad Loading...

Already legally independent, Daimler Financial Services AG will be called Daimler Mobility AG going forward. “With its around 13,000 employees, the division today already stands for mobility services within the group,” Daimler said.

The new corporate structure will be submitted for approval by shareholders at the annual general meeting of Daimler AG in 2019.


Related: Daimler Talks Truck Sales, Tariffs, and Globalism

More Fleet Management

ATA President Chris Spear.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsMarch 17, 2026

ATA’s Spear Warns Fuel Prices, Trade Policy, and Global Conflict Could Stall Trucking Recovery

Speaking at the TMC Annual Meeting in Nashville, ATA President Chris Spear said trucking faces mounting pressure from rising fuel prices, geopolitical instability, and uncertainty around trade policy.

Read More →
Illustration of author headshot with black-and-white old-fashioned rig in the background

New Entrants, Chameleon Carriers, and Safety: Is It Too Easy to Start a Trucking Company?

More than 100,000 new trucking companies enter the industry each year, but regulators manage to audit only a fraction of them. That churn creates opportunities for inexperienced startups — and for “chameleon carriers” that shut down after safety violations and reappear under new identities. Read more from Deborah Lockridge in this commentary.

Read More →
Panel discussion
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeMarch 12, 2026

Fleet Managers Invited to Apply for Exclusive HDT Exchange Event

HDTX is an intimate event that connects heavy-duty trucking fleet managers with industry suppliers through small-group discussions, educational sessions, and structured one-on-one meetings.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
DAT iPhone Widget.
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 12, 2026

DAT Launches iPhone Widget to Help Owner-Operators Find Loads Faster

New DAT One feature shows top-paying loads directly on an iPhone’s home screen, helping carriers react faster to spot-market opportunities.

Read More →
Optimal Dynamics Scale screen shot
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 12, 2026

Optimal Dynamics Launches AI System to Help Carriers Choose Better Freight

Optimal Dynamics says its new Scale platform uses AI agents and optimization to help carriers find and secure freight that improves network balance and profitability.

Read More →
DAT March 2026 trucking conditions.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsMarch 12, 2026

DAT: Flatbed Demand Climbs as Van and Reefer Rates Soften

DAT Freight & Analytics data shows tightening flatbed capacity, easing produce markets, and softening van and reefer rates.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
YouTube thumbnail with Mike Roeth of NACFE saying "NACFE's Messy Middle: Which Fuel Wins?"
Fuel Smartsby Deborah LockridgeMarch 11, 2026

Run on Less “Messy Middle” Data Shows Multiple Paths Forward for Truck Powertrains [Watch]

NACFE's Run on Less - Messy Middle project demonstrates the power of data in helping to guide the future of alternative fuels and powertrains for heavy-duty trucks.

Read More →
Illustration of crowded New York street overlaid with dollar signs
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeMarch 11, 2026

Federal Court Lets NYC Congestion Pricing Continue

A federal court ruling allows New York City’s congestion pricing program to continue, leaving truck tolls in place for fleets delivering into Manhattan.

Read More →
Fontaine Modification Access365
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 10, 2026

Fontaine Modification Launches Real-Time Truck Modification Tracking Portal

Fontaine Modification has introduced a new customer portal designed to give fleets real-time visibility into the truck modification process, addressing one of the most common questions fleet managers face: “Where’s my truck?”

Read More →
Ad Loading...
FTR Tucking Conditions March 2026.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsMarch 10, 2026

FTR: Trucking Conditions Index Climbs to Highest Level Since 2022

Strong freight rates, rising volumes and tighter capacity push trucking conditions higher, though diesel prices could temper gains in the near term, FTR cautions.

Read More →