Detroit Diesel Fast Facts

What Detroit Diesel Does

Detroit Diesel, a subsidiary of Daimler, is a leading manufacturer of on-highway medium and heavy-duty diesel engines for the commercial truck market. The company offers a complete line of engines from 190 to 560 horsepower for the on-highway and vocational markets.

Through its corporate headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, Detroit Diesel is engaged in the design, manufacture, sale and service of these products, in addition to supporting alternative and hybrid truck engine strategies for the commercial truck marketplace.

General Information:

  • Company Name: Detroit Diesel
  • Facility: Detroit, Michigan
  • Founded: 1938
    (See Detroit Diesel History)
  • Employees: approx. 2,600

Company Operations

We serve our customers and markets from our three million sq. ft. manufacturing plant in Redford Township, Michigan. We also have:

  • Five remanufacturing centers strategically located throughout the United States
  • Three parts distribution centers worldwide
  • Service through a network of over 800 outlets in North America

Major Products:

DD15™

In 2007 the Detroit Diesel DD15 opened 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 Diesel engine: bullet-proof reliability and easy maintenance. The DD15 is the future.

DD13™

Fuel efficient design delivers bottom-line benefits. Designed specifically for Less-Than-Truckload, Regional Distribution and Vocational applications, the DD13™ delivers a smooth, quiet ride and up to 5% better fuel economy*.

(*Compared to a Detroit Diesel Series 60 EPA 2007 engine with comparable engine ratings and load weights.)

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. 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 truck engine for the last decade.

MBE 4000

Introduced in 2002 and 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 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 ideal for use in many different medium-duty truck applications including food service, beverage, general delivery, refuse and towing.

Market Stats:

  • Detroit Diesel has built more than 5 million engines since 1938 and currently has more than 1 million engines in operation worldwide.
  • The Series 60 has been the top selling heavy-duty diesel engine since 1992, and in 2008, the Company built its one millionth Series 60 engine.
  • Combined, the Detroit Diesel Series 60 and MBE 4000 enjoy 27% of the Class 8 Market.
  • The revolutionary DD15, launched in 2007, opened a new era in heavy-duty engines -- offering pulling power, affordable fuel economy, bullet-proof reliability and easy maintenance on a single engine platform.
  • In September of 2008, DD15 engine orders surpassed Series 60 orders.
  • The Detroit Diesel DD13, launched in 2008, is designed specifically for less-than-truckload, regional distribution and vocational applications, offers the same serviceability and performance -- and up to 5% better fuel economy.
  • More than 115,000 Detroit Diesel MBE 900 engines, designed for medium-duty applications, have been shipped in North America since 2002.