JOST, the world’s leading manufacturer of vehicle connection systems, modules and components for trucks and trailers, and Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) have signed an agreement under which the latter will use JSK 36 fifth wheel couplings as standard equipment for Freightliner trucks. DTNA will also introduce the more lightweight JSK 36 fifth wheel coupling to the Western Star models 4700 and 4900 as an option.
“I am delighted that we have been able to win over Daimler Trucks North America, the biggest American truck manufacturer, with our product and our brand,” said Lars Brorsen, CEO of JOST. “This agreement is clear proof of the quality, safety and user-friendliness of our fifth wheel couplings, which are valued by our customers across the globe.”
Rich Carroll, Vice President Sales and Marketing at the US JOST sub-sidiary JOST International, agrees: “This new agreement with DTNA significantly strengthens our market position in the USA. JOST is the lead-ing manufacturer of fifth wheel couplings all over the world and this new partnership puts us in a good position to become the market leader in North America, too.”
Mary Aufdemberg, Product Marketing Director at Freightliner Trucks, is convinced that the JOST fifth wheel couplings will be the ideal complement to the Freightliner products. “The low lifetime cost of ownership makes JOST fifth wheel couplings a smart choice for our customers’ wide range of applications.”
JOST’s US subsidiary JOST International is based in Grand Haven, Michigan, and has been manufacturing fifth wheel couplings, kingpins and landing gears for the North American market since 2000. So far, more than 350,000 JOST fifth wheel couplings have been produced in the newly-built factory.
JOST International became a standard supplier of fifth wheel couplings to DTNA’s truck brands in 2002. The couplings are assembled by all truck manufacturers in North America directly at the factory. Volvo and Mack Trucks also use the couplings as standard equipment in North America.