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About Detroit Diesel

Detroit Diesel is the leading manufacturer of on-highway medium and heavy-duty diesel engines for the commercial truck market. As such, Detroit Diesel is engaged in the design, manufacture, sale and service of these products, in addition to supporting alternative fuel engines and hybrid engine strategies for the marketplace. Offering a complete product line up from 170 to 515 horsepower for the on-highway market, Detroit Diesel supplies Series 60 engines on a worldwide basis and Mercedes Benz engines in North America. Learn about our history.

Detroit Diesel engines are serviced through a network of more than 800 outlets in North America. Detroit Diesel is a subsidiary of Daimler AG, part of the Daimler Truck Group and an affiliate company of Freightliner LLC.

General Information:

  • Company Name: Detroit Diesel
  • Facility: Detroit, Michigan
  • Founded: 1938
  • Employees: approximately 2,000
  • Web Site Address: www.detroitdiesel.com

Company Operations:

  • Facilities: We serve our customers and markets from our three million sq. ft. manufacturing plant in Redford Township, Michigan; six remanufacturing centers strategically located throughout the United States; three parts distribution centers worldwide; and a distribution and support network of 800 authorized dealer and distributor locations in North America.

Major Products:

  • DD15: The new DD15™ opens a new era in heavy-duty engines. Now there’s no need to choose between pulling power and affordable fuel economy. A revolutionary engine design, yet it still delivers what you expect from a Detroit: bullet-proof reliability and easy maintenance.
  • Series 60: Detroit Diesel's Series 60 has been a success from the start of production in 1987. The Series 60 was the first fully integrated heavy-duty diesel engine with electronic controls in the world. Since then, the Series 60 engine continues to set the standard with innovative technology and superior fuel economy in the competitive heavy-duty diesel engine market. The Series 60 engine is the most popular in the Class 8 truck market in North America and has been the best selling heavy-duty engine for the last decade.
  • MBE 4000: Manufactured specifically for the demanding North American market, the Mercedes Benz 4000 series engine (MBE 4000) is stronger and lighter than any engine in its class. The MBE 4000 is the perfect complement to the Series 60 engine and enabled Detroit Diesel to increase penetration in such demanding markets as construction, heavy haul, and Less Than Load (LTL).
  • MBE 900: In 1998, Detroit Diesel entered the NAFTA medium-duty truck market with the Mercedes Benz 900 engine (MBE 900). The MBE 900 is offered in both four and six-cylinder versions, with ratings available from 170 - 330 horsepower and up to 1000 LB FT of torque. The MBE 900 is ideal for use in many different medium-duty truck applications including food service, beverage, general delivery, refuse, and towing.

Market Stats:

  • The Detroit Diesel Series 60 has been the top selling heavy-duty diesel engine since 1992.
  • Combined, the Series 60 and MBE 4000 enjoy 27% of the Class 8 Market.
  • Detroit Diesel shipped more than 70,000 Series 60 engines in 2006 bringing the total of Series 60 engines in operation worldwide to more than 950,000.
  • Approximately 100,000 MBE 900 engines have been shipped in the North American market since 2002.
  • The MBE 4000 is the most rapidly accepted engine in the NAFTA heavy-duty truck market, with over 30,000 shipped in 2006, bringing the total of MBE 4000 engines in operation worldwide to over 130,000.