DTNA to Consolidate Bus, Specialty Chassis Units
Freightliner Parent Eyes Added Efficiency, Innovation
Key Takeaways:
- Daimler Truck North America said it will merge Thomas Built Buses and Freightliner Custom Chassis into a new unit called Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles.
- The consolidation aims to improve efficiency and customer service without layoffs, though it follows a year of weak demand that cut DTNA sales 20% in the second quarter.
- The new division will be led by T.J. Reed, with Daimler Truck set to update its forecasts when it reports third-quarter earnings Nov. 7.
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Daimler Truck North America announced it will consolidate its Thomas Built Buses and Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. businesses into a new division — .
Portland, Ore.-based DTNA said the decision would create greater synergies, enhance customer service, improve operational efficiency and accelerate innovation across the specialty vehicle segment.
The creation of Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles will not lead to any layoffs or site closures, a spokeswoman for the parent company said Sept. 30.
High Point, N.C.-based Thomas Built Buses employs around 2,000 people. Gaffney, S.C.-headquartered Freightliner Custom Chassis employs more than 1,000 people.
Freightliner Custom Chassis manufactures chassis for walk-in vans, motorhomes and commercial vehicles, including school buses for its fellow Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles unit.
Chassis for the buses are built in Gaffney, only 25 miles down the road from the High Point manufacturing plant, Jeff Allen, DTNA senior vice president of operations, noted during a tour of the facility in July. He noted at the time that the North American bus market is expanding.
“By bringing together the strengths of Thomas Built Buses and Freightliner Custom Chassis, Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles is now positioned to move faster, serve customers even better and operate with greater focus,” said T.J. Reed, who will lead the organization as president and CEO of Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles.
“With a strong manufacturing footprint in the Carolinas and a unified team, we are ready to meet the needs of our dealers and customers with renewed agility, confidence and purpose,” added Reed, who became CEO at both Thomas Built Buses and Freightliner Custom Chassis in September 2024.
Reed was previously president of Daimler Truck Remarketing and the SelecTrucks brand. He replaced Kevin Bangston, who became CEO of Daimler Truck Financial Services North America in September 2024. Bangston took over as CEO at the chassis maker in May 2024. Prior to that he ran Thomas Built Buses, where he was appointed CEO in June 2021.
Joining Reed on a leadership council at Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles will be Chief Financial Officer Caleb Judge, Head of Engineering Kendra Eads and Head of Quality and Customer Experience Nick Rini.
The creation of Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles comes after a turbulent year for DTNA, its parent company Daimler Truck and the North American trucking industry in general.
High Point, N.C.-based Thomas Built Buses employs around 2,000 people. (Daimler Truck North America)
DTNA does not publicly disclose sales for individual brands, but overall truck and bus sales fell 20% year over year to 38,580 units in the second quarter of 2025 from the year-ago period’s 48,246 total, its German parent company said in August.
Demand for trucks in particular has been so weak that in July DTNA announced plans to lay off around 2,000 employees at five sites across North America.
Employees at production facilities in Mount Holly and Gastonia, N.C.; Detroit; Portland, Ore.; and Saltillo, Mexico, were laid off. The Portland and Mount Holly layoffs took place on July 18; Gastonia employees were laid off on July 25 and Detroit plant staff on Sept. 18. DTNA currently has about 28,000 employees across North America.
In May, Daimler Truck cut its 2025 global and North American truck sales guidance as a result of the weak U.S. freight market and trade policy uncertainty.
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DTNA was forecast to sell 155,000 to 175,000 trucks in 2025 across all classes, down from a 180,000 to 200,000 range previously, with Daimler Truck citing the Trump administration’s decision to introduce a variety of tariffs and the reciprocal actions of its peers.
In North America, heavy-duty Class 8 sales are expected to be in a range of 260,000 to 290,000 vehicles, compared with previous expectations in a 280,000-320,000 trucks range, it added.
Globally, Daimler Truck expects to sell between 430,000 and 460,000 trucks and buses in 2025, compared with prior expectations in a 460,000-480,000 range, it said May 13.
Daimler Truck will release its third-quarter 2025 earnings on Nov. 7, when those forecasts could be updated.
Also, Daimler Truck said July 8 it plans to eliminate around 5,000 jobs in Germany and refocus on high margin areas.
