DTNA Plans New U.S. Truck Plant as Manufacturing Footprint Shifts Daimler Truck North America is evaluating sites for a new assembly plant expected to open in 2029 while winding down operations at its longtime Portland manufacturing facility. Daimler Truck North America plans to build its largest U.S. truck assembly plant yet, a new manufacturing facility the company says will help it meet future demand while incorporating the latest production technologies. The company has not selected a site for the plant, which is expected to begin operations in 2029. Construction is slated to begin in late 2026. The company said it is evaluating multiple locations for the new plant, considering factors such as workforce availability, supply chain access, transportation infrastructure and the business climate. The facility will build both on-highway and vocational trucks and is intended to add production capacity while giving the company greater flexibility to respond to changing market demand. Modern Digital Manufacturing Technology Unlike many of DTNA's existing factories, which were built decades ago, the new plant will be designed from the ground up around modern manufacturing technologies and flexible assembly systems. Company officials say that will make it easier to build a wide variety of truck configurations while improving efficiency and quality. "Our industry never stands still, and neither can we," DTNA President and CEO John O'Leary said in announcing the project. "We are building for the future by creating a manufacturing network that is more flexible, resilient, and aligned with our customers' evolving needs." The announcement came just one week after DTNA notified Oregon officials that it will permanently close its Portland Truck Manufacturing plant at the end of October, eliminating nearly 400 jobs. Freightliner opened its first manufacturing facility in Portland in 1947. It's not the first time the company has looked at closing the