David Hames, general manager of marketing and strategy for DTNA, says the truck maker has increased marketshare by 20 percent in the Class 6 and 7 vocational segment since 2009, and now leads all OEMs in specialized hauling, utility, food & beverage, government, construction and refuse businesses for Classes 6 through 8.
Year-to-date, DTNA says it has sold 21,236 M2 and SD trucks in the U.S. and Canada, outpacing many total Class 6-8 truck sales from other OEMs.
“We can’t look at medium-duty and vocational markets as a secondary business. It’s now core,” said Hames, addressing industry press at a vocational truck event in Yountville, Calif.
In terms of the overall North American Class 6-8 truck market, Richard Howard, DTNA’s new senior vice president of sales and marketing, said the company expects sales to reach 372,600 power units for all OEMs combined, up roughly 10 percent from 339,288 power units in 2013.
Howard said total cost of ownership remains the core of the truck maker’s value proposition, and the challenge will be how to further develop TCO across on-highway and vocational markets.
“We have to be number one in terms of customer satisfaction for our customers,” said Howard. “That means a more intense focus and improvement in customer service.”
