Mercedes-Benz Trucks Adds to Brazil's Fleet

Daimler Trucks subsidiary Mercedes-Benz do Brasil has secured from the Brazilian Ministry of Agrarian Development (“Ministério do Desenvolvimento Agrário” (MDA)) a contract to supply 2,884 dump trucks to several communities in rural regions of Brazil by the end of the year, starting immediately.

The large order is part of an initiative of the Brazilian government, aimed at supporting agricultural family businesses, according to Mercedes-Benz do Brasil. The initiative is conducted in the framework of the national economic program PAC-2 (“Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento”), which has the goal of stimulating economic growth in the country through investment projects.

For Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Brazil is an important sales market that has already seen the two millionth Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle roll off the line in the São Bernardo do Campo plant in the middle of 2013, according to the automaker.

“With sales of around 27,000 trucks until August of this year, Brazil is the world’s strongest sales market for Mercedes-Benz trucks,” said Stefan Buchner, head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks Europe and Latin America. “Brazil will continue to play an important role for our global growth also in the future.”

Just recently, Daimler won large orders from four public transport operators in a tender of Brasília’s city government for renewal of the public passenger transport fleet. The total order includes 2,100 Mercedes-Benz bus chassis, which are to be delivered by December 2013.

In October 2012, Mercedes-Benz do Brasil had received a government order for over 2,100 Mercedes-Benz trucks and vans for different areas of application. More than 1,700 Atego trucks are in operation by the Brazilian Ministry of Defense, and 400 Sprinters are deployed as ambulance vehicles in the “Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência” program of the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Mercedes-Benz do Brasil began deliveries of these vehicles at the end of last year and is expected to complete the government fleet in the course of this year.

In addition, Mercedes-Benz do Brasil received an order for 2,600 Mercedes-Benz bus chassis by the Brazilian Ministry of Education in November 2012. The chassis have been assembled as school buses in cooperation with the bus body manufacturer Caio within the framework of the national fund for training development (“Fundo Nacional para o Desenvolvimento da Educação“).