For those of you holding your breath while waiting for a Detroit Diesel manufactured axles, exhale. For those of you waiting for Detroit Diesel transmissions, keep holding. The long awaited announcement has finally occurred, Detroit Diesel will introduce a full range of powertrain products in the coming years. Up first, axles. Look for their debut at the Mid-American Truck show this coming March. Detroit executives have also hinted at possible medium and heavy duty truck transmissions as future products. The question. What does Detroit hope to gain by offering such products? The answer lies with the parent company, Daimler Trucks North America, builder of Freightliner and Western Star trucks. By owning a company that makes not only only engines but other core components you gain control of production volume, quality control, and component availability. With truck sales continuing to increase many manufacturers across the industry have found their production crimped by lack of crucial supplies from their vendors. You can’t sell it if you can’t build it. DD Executives also cite economies of scale as another solid reason for the new product line. They claim it is necessary to have a wide variety of products necessary to support the R&D required to meet new and coming government mandates.
Source: FleetOwner