Orders for Class 6-8 trucks are running well ahead of a year ago and the fundamentals are in place for strong sales through this year and into 2005 and 2006, says Freightliner LLC president and CEO Rainer Schmueckle.

While improvements in the overall economy and increased freight movement are the basis for demand growth, he said most of the sales to date are fleet replacements -- not expansion.
Freightliner is projecting NAFTA sales for this year at around 240,000 Class 8 units and 160,000 to 165,000 Class 6 and 7 units. He also indicated that the 2004 totals will be affected by materials shortages, which aren’t expected to ease until sometime next year.
Freightliner just announced it will add a second shift at its Portland, Ore., plant, which builds Freightliner and Western Star trucks. The company also recently added a third shift and 593 workers at its Cleveland, N.C., plant, which produces Freightliner trucks.
Freightliner parent DaimlerChrysler reported a "very positive" trend for its Commercial Vehicles Division in the second quarter, with worldwide unit sales of 184,900 vehicles, up 47% from a year earlier. Revenues for the division were $10.9 billion, up 36%. Operating profit was $570 million versus $270 million for second quarter 2003.