DCVI & MTU Karoseri Join Forces to Build Indonesia’s Toughest Mercedes-Benz Trucks

A strong collaboration between PT Daimler Commercial Vehicles Indonesia (DCVI) and PT Metalindo Teknik Utama (MTU) Karoseri is essential to produce vehicles that customers can rely on. To see firsthand the high-quality products made by MTU Karoseri and their application on Mercedes-Benz trucks, DCVI invited members of the media to observe the truck body manufacturing process.

There are three production lines. The first line is where raw iron materials are cut and then joined together, and it also includes the area for assembling the chassis frame to be fitted onto dump trucks.

On the second line, media crew could directly observe the manufacturing process of several dump bodies that were being welded and worked on by the workers, as well as several dump units that had already been completed.

The final third line is the painting and finishing area for truck bodies that have been fully assembled and are ready to be mounted onto the truck units. At the time of the visit, workers were in the middle of the painting process, so the media could not approach that area.

During the visit to MTU Karoseri, two water trucks built on Mercedes-Benz truck chassis were on site. These will be used in mining areas to spray the roads and clean mining trucks or smaller vehicles in the mining area.

Corporate Communication & Public Relations Manager of PT DCVI, Ferdiansyah, stated that the company is aware that commercial vehicles never stand alone. Their success is always determined by collaboration among many parties — from internal teams, dealers, body builders (karoseri), to the customers who operate them every day.

“We continue to apply this philosophy in Indonesia through collaboration with national body builders to meet customer needs while supporting the growth of related industrial sectors,” Ferdi said in Karawang on Thursday (4/6/2026).

Meanwhile, Truck Body Builder Advisor of PT DCVI, Hendro Sembodo, explained that the involvement of the Body Builder Advisor (BBA) begins from the early stages of vehicle development, as every vehicle application has different requirements.

“That is why we are involved from the initial stage to conduct design reviews, weight distribution, body mounting points, and the desired operational characteristics of the vehicle,” Hendro said at the same location.

This guidance, according to Hendro, aims to ensure that the integration between the chassis and the body runs smoothly in accordance with Mercedes-Benz truck technical standards.

“In applications such as dump trucks and logging trucks, for example, the vehicles face different operational challenges compared to general road use. Therefore, collaboration is needed to ensure the vehicle can work optimally,” he added.

The Dilemma of Local Karoseri Amid the Flood of Chinese Truck Imports

The massive influx of Chinese-made trucks into Indonesia has significantly impacted both brand holders (APM) and local truck body builders (karoseri). Many of these trucks, particularly those intended for mining operations, arrive fully equipped with their dump bodies. 

Director of PT Metalindo Teknik Utama (MTU) Karoseri, Syarifuddin Tangka, revealed that the surge of Chinese trucks entering the country has seriously threatened the local karoseri industry, as these vehicles often violate existing Indonesian regulations and requirements.

“For the past two to three years, the entry of Chinese trucks has had a very big impact on local karoseri. They come already complete with dump bodies, especially for mining use. So don’t even mention the Tingkat Kandungan Dalam Negeri (TKDN/local content level) of those trucks,” Syarifuddin said in Karawang on Thursday (4/6/2026).

According to Syarifuddin, besides threatening the karoseri industry, brand holders (APM) are also experiencing the same difficulties, with sales clearly disrupted. His company has already conveyed these concerns to the government.

“For example, before the import of Chinese trucks, our orders could reach 30 to 50 units per month. Now? We can only hope for 1 or 2 orders. The difference is very obvious,” he said.

Syarifuddin also stated that through the Indonesian Karoseri Association (Askarindo), they have repeatedly met with government representatives and ministries to voice their concerns.

“Right now, we always comply with and adhere to government regulations regarding karoseri manufacturing — we are not allowed to be ODOL (over dimension and overload). The APMs also follow the rules. Meanwhile, these Chinese trucks come with Euro 2 or Euro 3 engines, which do not meet government standards,” he explained.

With the current heavy flow of Chinese truck imports, Syarifuddin added that the situation is truly saddening. Local industries must strictly follow the rules, while imported products are far from compliant.