All in the spirit of 100: 100 years of Mercedes-Benz trucks at karldischinger logistikdienstleister – letter of intent signed for 100 zero-emission trucks

Leinfelden-Echterdingen/Ehrenkirchen – Mercedes-Benz Trucks and karldischinger logistikdienstleister are celebrating a very special anniversary. Mercedes-Benz trucks have been used successfully and reliably for 100 years at the Ehrenkirchen-based enterprise near Freiburg in the Breisgau region. Currently, the company’s own, almost homogeneous Mercedes-Benz truck fleet totals around 120 vehicles from the Actros and Atego model series. The logistics service provider has also concluded full-service contracts with Mercedes-Benz CharterWay for the vehicles so that the wheels can keep on turning.  

On the occasion of the anniversary, the partners marked another significant milestone in the history of their collaboration and signed a letter of intent (LOI) that includes the delivery of 100 zero-emission trucks over the next five years. Depending on their intended use and the progress of development, these could be both battery-electric and hydrogen-powered trucks. Daimler Truck Group is focusing on battery-electric and hydrogen-based drives for the decarbonization of transportation. While battery-electric trucks from Mercedes-Benz have been in series production since 2021, hydrogen-powered fuel cell trucks are currently undergoing customer-oriented practical testing.  

Christian Wilz, CEO Mercedes-Benz Trucks & FUSO Germany: “The successful partnership between Mercedes-Benz Trucks and the freight forwarding company karldischinger logistikdienstleister represents a long-standing and excellent business relationship characterized by a high degree of respect and trust. I am therefore very pleased that karldischinger logistikdienstleister will continue to rely on trucks from our company in the future and that we have jointly signed a letter of intent for 100 zero-emission vehicles.”  

Together with its logistics partners, Mercedes-Benz Trucks has set itself the objective of achieving locally emission-free inbound logistics for the Wörth assembly plant by the end of 2026. Around 20 eActros 300 trucks are currently already being used in delivery transport to Wörth am Rhein – including an eActros 300 Lowliner from freight forwarder karldischinger logistikdienstleister. At the same time, the company is also working on the electrification of the inbound traffic of other German plants in the Daimler Truck production network, i.e. the Kassel, Mannheim, and Gaggenau plants. 

Jürgen Distl, Head of Operations at Mercedes-Benz Trucks, also emphasized and highlighted the importance of the long and successful collaboration: “For a century, the name “karldischinger” has stood for reliability and innovative spirit in the transport industry. The company has been operating as a carrier for transportation at our plants since 1995, and karldischinger logistikdienstleister has managed to establish itself as an extremely reliable partner for our production network. I am very pleased that karldischinger logistikdienstleister is going to be using more battery-electric trucks in our inbound logistics and will thus make a significant contribution to the electrification of our supply chains.”  

Karlhubert Dischinger, shareholder of karldischinger logistikdienstleister, recalls his start at the helm of the freight forwarder: “When I took over my parents’ company in 1975 as the 4th generation, I set myself the goal of doubling the fleet from 10 to 20 trucks. This goal was achieved relatively quickly, so we set ourselves further goals – such as the transition from a pure transport company to a highly specialized logistics service provider. As a result, we have significantly expanded our logistics activities, and the fleet currently only accounts for around 20% of revenue. However, as our customers and ourselves attach great importance to safety and reliability, our own fleet continues to be of major importance. We are reinforcing this commitment to trucks with the letter of intent we have now signed for over 100 climate-friendly trucks. The fleet must be modern and efficient, which is why the average age of our vehicles is only two years.” 

The very special caliber of collaboration between the two companies has been in place for some three decades: In 1995, karldischinger logistikdienstleister became a regional freight forwarder. Today, the logistics service provider is Daimler Truck’s partner for the Black Forest and the entire Rhine plain, including the Saarland and parts of the Palatinate, for southern Baden-Württemberg and the Frankfurt am Main region.  

“As we originally hail from Baden, we are proud that our very first truck came from Baden,” says Karlhubert Dischinger. In 1924, his grandfather, Karl Dischinger, acquired his first “Benz delivery van” (as the D11 model series motorcars were called at the time) from the former Benz plants in Gaggenau – the oldest truck plant in the world. Two years later, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and Benz & Cie. merged to become Daimler-Benz AG. Then, in 1927, the diesel engine began its glorious reign, after Robert Bosch brought his injection pump to series maturity. “Through our partnership with Mercedes-Benz Trucks, we have been part of every innovation – from long-nose to cab-over-engine trucks, from the wood carburetor to the diesel and now to the electric truck,” reports Karlhubert Dischinger. Throughout, his company, which has been run by his son Karlkristian Dischinger since 2016, has always placed great importance on the ergonomics, comfort, and safety of the fleet.  

Preparations for the next era of goods transport have also begun in Südbaden: A fixed charging station with a 300 kW output is available for when the eActros 300 starts practical operation in inbound logistics over the coming days. When switching to zero emissions, karldischinger logistikdienstleister is also keeping an eye on the unit being towed, in addition to the towing vehicle. A first e-trailer for fresh food logistics is in operation, and the cooling unit is electrically powered. A recuperation axle generates the necessary energy.   

The logistics service provider had its first experience of an electric drive in a truck almost three decades ago. As early as 1995, karldischinger logistikdienstleister tested the Atego BlueTec Hybrid 1222L in real life on the roads around Freiburg. The four-cylinder diesel engine OM 924 with 160 kW was combined with a water-cooled electric motor with a peak output of 44 kW. Due to the heavy battery pack, the 15-ton truck only had a payload of 2.8 tons. Nevertheless, the vehicle played a key role when it came to low-emission city deliveries. Together with other players, the family-owned company founded a city logistics concept for Freiburg, collaborating to bundle goods over the last mile and thus relieving the city of traffic and exhaust gases. The hybrid vehicle was in practical use for almost a decade at karldischinger logistikdienstleister.