Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) appointed T.J. Reed to the position of president and CEO of Freightliner Custom Chassis (FCCC) and Thomas Built Buses (TBB), effective Sept. 9. In his new role, Reed will be responsible for all aspects of the TBB and FCCC brands at DTNA, including strategy, sales and operations. He succeeds Kevin Bangston, who was recently appointed CEO and president of Daimler Truck Financial Services (DTFS) North America.
Reed, currently president of Daimler Truck Remarketing (DTR) and the SelecTrucks brand, has over 25 years of experience in the truck manufacturing industry. He joined Daimler Truck in 1998 as a custom application engineer for vocational trucks and has since held various leadership roles in product marketing and strategy, as well as pricing and P&L responsibility within DTNA. Reed also spent six years outside the company with Meritor, where he held several senior leadership positions, including vice president of global business development for electrification.
“T.J.’s broad experience across the industry, as well as his exceptional customer focus, makes him the perfect fit for this role,” Jeff Allen, senior vice president, operations and specialty vehicles of DTNA, said. “His expertise and personality will enable him to drive innovation and growth for both companies.”
“We’re excited to have T.J. at the helm of these specialty vehicle business units. His extensive industry knowledge and exceptional leadership skills will further strengthen and drive the success of both FCCC and TBB,” John O’Leary, president and CEO of DTNA, said. “With his vision and holistic approach to operations he will be a valuable asset to these already strong businesses and help continue to pave the way to sustainable transportation.”
Reed holds an MBA from Michigan State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in business and history from Muskingum University.
Reed will remain responsible for DTR and will continue to support the team until his successor is named.
