Daimler Truck Financial Services (DTFS) announced that it is starting a rental business for truck and bus customers in Brazil. The new company, Mercedes-Benz Locações Caminhões e Ônibus, is a partnership between the DTFS subsidiary Banco Mercedes-Benz do Brasil, the manufacturer Mercedes-Benz do Brasil, and the Mercedes-Benz dealer network, with an initial focus on small and medium-sized fleet owners.
In Brazil, the company will offer rental contracts for 100 Mercedes-Benz Actros, Atego and Accelo with terms of 36, 48 and 60 months. The package includes preventive maintenance, fleet management, documentation, insurance, and connectivity services and is available in more than 180 dealerships.
DTFS says customers are increasingly seeking more flexible and integrated products with fixed monthly installments, meaning that the fleet and rental business is rapidly growing worldwide.
“The start of the rental business in Brazil is another milestone in our service strategy that make our customers business easier and more reliable by bundling our products with services like maintenance, insurance and telematic services on one bill,” says Stephan Unger, chief executive officer of DTFS. “For us this is another step in our transformation from a leasing and financing company to a commercial vehicle solution provider.”
Despite being the largest truck market in South America, Brazil has excellent opportunities for truck rental, according to DTFS, which says Brazil only corresponds to 2% of the circulating heavy trucks fleet, compared to 25% in the U.S.
“We studied the market and brought the solution to our customers who are at the center of our decisions. For each of them, a customized product will be offered, designed exactly to meet the needs of their business”, says Hilke Janssen, president and chief executive officer of Banco Mercedes-Benz and the new company Mercedes-Benz Locações Caminhões e Ônibus.
