Nutzfahrzeughersteller: Daimler Truck setzt nach Gewinneinbruch auf zweites Halbjahr

Daimler Truck, a commercial vehicle manufacturer, has reported a decline in profits in the second quarter, but remains optimistic for the rest of the year. The profit dropped by 48% compared to the previous quarter, falling from 245 million euros to 128 million euros. The DAX company based in Leinfelden-Echterdingen near Stuttgart reported this.

Strong sales in the US and recognition of US value creation and resulting tariff improvements have boosted the company's confidence. The truck and bus manufacturer expects an accelerated profit growth in the second half of the year and increased its forecast recently. "The strong performance of Trucks North America, the prospect of higher sales figures, and the lower expected tariff burden in the remainder of the year encourage us to raise our year-end forecast," said Daimler Truck CEO Karin Rådström.

Daimler Truck CFO Eva Scherer told the Deutsche Presse Agentur that demand in the US has recovered strongly since early this year and that the company is benefiting from its customer structure. Regarding the second half of the year, Scherer said the company's production program is almost at capacity. The company's order intake rose 27% in the second quarter, driven by orders in North America.

However, tariffs continued to burden profitability, according to the announcement. Sales grew by 5% to around 12.3 billion euros. The operating result (Ebit) fell by 9% to 360 million euros. Excluding financial services, profit from industrial operations fell by 20%. Despite selling more vehicles, sales dropped by 8% compared to the previous quarter, reaching a total of 86,707 trucks and buses.

Finanzvorständin Scherer described the second quarter as a turning point and stated that the positive effects would not yet be reflected in the second quarter numbers. "From the third quarter, the improvements will show in the figures," she said. Daimler Truck announced on Thursday evening that it intends to build a new plant in the US, which is set to start production by the end of the year and increase capacity in 2029.

Exact details on the investment amount or the capacity of the production site were not provided. Several potential locations are currently being considered, it was reported. The new plant would be the largest in the group in the US, according to Scherer. The current plant in Cleveland, Ohio has been this way so far. After setbacks and a cost-cutting program, the commercial vehicle manufacturer has not been doing well lately.

In 2025, profits fell by 34% compared to the previous year to two billion euros. In the first quarter of this year, profits even dropped by a staggering 80%. To become more competitive, Daimler Truck launched the "Cost Down Europe" cost-cutting program last year, aiming to reduce ongoing costs on the home continent by more than one billion euros by 2030.

As a result, about 5,000 positions are expected to disappear from Germany. This affects the Mercedes-Benz truck brand, but also North America. In addition to Germany, Daimler Truck plans to save another 150 million euros in the US this year, bringing the company a quarter of the way towards its target by the end of the program. "We are on track," said Scherer.