Without much fanfare, Daimler Trucks in North America has been doing its share to promote fuel and emissions efficiency. It was only the announcement that the 1,000th Freightliner truck had been delivered that made us sit up and take notice. Notably, Daimler Trucks North America is the first commercial truck manufacturer to have been able to sustain such steady volume production. It’s indicative of the fact that the division’s customers have accepted natural gas as a viable and reliable substitute to the mainstream diesel fuel that normally powers such trucks. This 1,000th truck is a medium-duty Freightliner Business Class M2 112, powered by a Cummins Westport ISL G engine.  Owing to its cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) engine, it produces low emissions without sacrificing performance and efficiency. The customer taking delivery was Ryder Systems, Inc. which is a transportation services provider that leases and manages truck fleets for companies throughout North America, Mexico, Europe, and Asia.

In total, DTNA has actually produced and delivered more than 3,600 natural gas trucks, which include school buses produced by Daimler’s other North American subsidiaries.