Technology Prevents Accidents, Improves Driving
STORY INLINE POST
Q: A year after your appointment as President and CEO of Daimler Truck, what specific strategies have led to an improvement within the organization?
A: Our main priority is client satisfaction, as we want to offer excellent aftersales services. We have a solid, strong and motivated company with effective processes that help to meet the different needs of our clients.
Through our HR division, now known as “People,” we help our associates align with our corporate values and structures to ensure we are delivering the results our clients expect. My experience in this area has helped me to understand others and the overall functioning of the organization.
Q: How do Daimler's aftersales services stand out from the competition?
A: We have a plethora of programs that offer solutions to our clients. All our different fleets receive specialized services and are priced according to their specific needs. We work closely with dealerships so clients can receive excellent services. We have also inaugurated several Alliance Parts stores that offer auto and spare parts to fleets with expired warranties. Our sales and finance teams also perform field visits to understand our clients and support them.
Q: How is the semiconductor shortage impacting the heavy-vehicle segment?
A: This is a global problem that is affecting all industries. To face it, we listened carefully to the needs of our clients to assign the available units. We reviewed the circumstances of each client to see if they needed to renew their fleet and if we had the capability to meet their needs. If we are unable to fill an order, we compensate the client with second-hand units and aftersales services to replace parts and extend the life of their vehicles.
We are also working to improve logistics and production by searching for suppliers in the Americas. This will be a slow process but at Daimler we will never just sit and wait. We are proactive and we look for solutions. Our finance team also looks for options to extend credit lines to keep the industry moving.. We would like to have more products available because we have had strong sales this year.
Q: How will Daimler change its strategy to leverage nearshoring?
A: We are performing a global analysis to deploy these strategies in different countries, studying the time it will take for components to reach their final destination. Asia used to be an attractive market due to its low production costs and good manufacturing conditions but the pandemic proved that regionalization is the answer. We are studying different potential locations to manufacture the components we need. When crises arise, opportunities also appear. This is the moment to analyze what really works.
Q: How does Daimler’s electrification strategy stand out from those of its competitors?
A: From its beginnings, Daimler has focused on product and technology innovation. We have a good relationship with governments and we are well aware of sustainability and other trends. Electromobility is not the future, it is the present. We are adapting to the changes it brings. Daimler Truck North America already started producing electric trucks and we are open to the possibility of manufacturing these vehicles in Mexico.
To have fully independent EVs, government and society must cooperate. This process will take time but we are already working to accelerate the electrification transition. Our fleets can be adapted by working with third parties. The transition has not fully arrived in Mexico but some companies will start investing in this technology.
We are always up to date with technology. Data compilation has always been essential for our units to prevent accidents and forecast road conditions, among other applications. It is no longer optional to offer technology; it is mandatory. Daimler discarded the option of launching basic trucks during the pandemic because the company did not want to go back to the past. We always aim to keep all of our units connected to prevent accidents and ensure safety and efficiency on the road.
Q: In April, Freightliner announced that the DriverCOACH tool will be available in Mexico in 2023 models. How useful will this tool be for drivers on Mexican roads?
A: This tool has a camera that records the driver and alerts both the driver and the client of unsafe driving practices. Distracted driving can happen to anyone who may be tired or distracted by their cellphone. This information will be provided to third-party operators, which are seeking excellence, and which they can use to motivate their associates to perform at their best.
This tool also has an exterior camera that records accidents and helps identify who was at fault. With this tool, the driver can remain attentive. DriverCOACH complements Detroit Assurance to help correct driving practices. We are eager to implement DriverCOACH because our customers have strongly liked it. Some wanted to install it on other vehicles but this is not yet possible.
Q: How attractive have Freightliner’s leasing services become to its clients, especially after the pandemic?
A: We maintain a close relationship with our finance company and clients through our network of distributors. Leasing has always been attractive but the demand for this service increased after the pandemic. Clients that previously did not request financing turned to it after their own analysis saw the opportunities offered by our financing company.
Q: You recently partnered with KidZania to offer children a learning experience. Why did Daimler consider it relevant to approach young generations?
A: Children are the future. Daimler wants children to know the brand and to understand what a tractor is and what it does. We have pavilions at KidZania in Mexico City and Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. In Mexico City, we have a spare parts workshop where the children learn to change the oil and tires. In Monterrey, we have an assembly plant where children can see that Mexico can offer exceptional quality.
We also want to promote a passion for engineering and STEM majors. We partner with schools and universities to attract future talent to our company.
Q: What are Daimler’s priorities for the second half of 2022?
A: Our priority is to be market leaders and maintain excellence. We want to be a reference in mobility, technology and innovation. We will keep in constant communication with our customers so they remain loyal. We are achieving record sales this year but being market leaders does not only mean selling new units but also offering the best service.
Our clients have their own customers and they depend on us to meet their commitments. Over the next five years, we will continue innovating and listening to our customers to avoid being left behind. We want to strengthen our relationship with distributors because they are our channel with the end customer and we need to work together. We also seek to maintain a suitable work environment that motivates people to work with passion and achieve results through collaboration.
Daimler Truck is one of the two heavy-vehicle divisions of Daimler Group in Mexico. The company builds Freightliner trucks at its Saltillo and Santiago Tianguistenco assembly plants and has a dealership network of 87 sales points.