Daimler Trucks North America marketing and strategy general manager to give 2018 Green Truck Summit

This article was published in the February 2018 edition of NTEA News.

Kary Schaefer, general manager of marketing and strategy for Daimler Trucks North America’s (DTNA) Freightliner Trucks and Detroit brands, will serve as keynote speaker at the 2018 Green Truck Summit on Tuesday, March 6. Her speech will address the diversity of available new technologies, as well as ongoing developments in clean diesel, natural gas and electrification.

Held in conjunction with The Work Truck Show^® 2018 and Fleet Technical Congress, Green Truck Summit gathers industry leaders to share developments and decisions about the journey toward higher productivity and efficiency. Produced by NTEA, Green Truck Summit is held March 6–8 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Green Truck Summit begins March 6 at 8:30 a.m. with opening remarks, followed by Schaefer’s keynote address at 8:45 a.m. General sessions then run from 9:20 a.m.–5 p.m. Lunch is included, and a reception from 5–6 p.m. wraps up the day. Attendees can choose from dozens of Green Truck Summit, Fleet Technical Congress and Work Truck Show concurrent sessions March 7–8; the exhibit hall is open March 7–9.

With nearly two decades at DTNA, Schaefer has served as design engineer, project planning engineer, engineering project manager, director of engineering services and chief engineer, before becoming general manager of marketing and strategy for Freightliner Trucks and Detroit brands in 2015. In her current role, she is responsible for market analysis, product planning, brand management and marketing operations. She leads the organization in the creation and execution of product roadmaps from evaluation of customer needs and market trends to early business case development to new product launch and ongoing product management.

“Schaefer has incredible leadership experience at one of the most innovative companies in the world focusing on alternative fuels and developments in trucks, making her a valuable partner and speaker at this year’s Green Truck Summit,” says Doyle Sumrall, NTEA managing director. “She brings a different perspective to how evolving technologies influence the market and will provide a look inside Daimler’s commitment to the segment of clean trucking and electrification, among other areas.”

Prior to joining DTNA, Schaefer held engineering positions at Pacific Testing Laboratories and Boeing Aerospace. Between 2012 and 2015, she led an engineering group within United Technology Corporation — responsible for development of autonomous flight controls and stabilized camera systems used in commercial unmanned aerial vehicles. She earned an associate’s degree in arts and engineering science from Bellevue College and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Washington State University.

Following the keynote, Green Truck Summit attendees can participate in a variety of general sessions covering work truck productivity, technology and fuel advancements, funding sources, and alternative fuel developments and benefits. Green Truck Summit offers expert insights on how the work truck industry can make an immediate impact on greenhouse gas and criteria pollutant reduction. This alternative fuels and advanced technology conference features presentations from regulatory agencies, fleet managers, commercial vehicle manufacturers, and stakeholders from industry trade associations and professional societies. Attendees can get technical questions addressed by NTEA staff and take an up-close look at the newest clean-energy options in the Productivity and Fuels Pavilion in The Work Truck Show exhibit hall.