Lisle, Ill., — DaimlerChrysler Truck Financial has announced a comprehensive regionalization initiative that will improve service to Freightliner, Sterling and Western Star dealers and all industry segments across four regions of the United States encompassing the Eastern, Central, Southern and Western sections of the country.

The four components of this new initiative operating on a regional basis will be sales, fleet credit, dealer credit and a brand new small business credit department.

Geoff Robinson, director of sales, marketing and remarketing for DaimlerChrysler Truck Financial, previewed the new initiative to dealership Finance & Insurance professionals at the business unit's annual Truck Series business meeting for Freightliner, Sterling and Western Star dealers.

"This approach to customer service will enable our Sales and Credit people to share knowledge of regional market conditions which will result in stronger relationships and consistent communication with our dealers," said Robinson. "Moreover, this straightforward, regional approach to the market further enhances our dealer and customer value proposition as the dedicated captive financial services source for

Freightliner brands."

Robinson said the newly-formed small business credit team would handle fleets with fewer than 11 trucks or less than a $500,000 line of credit with DaimlerChrysler Truck Financial. Fleet Credit will service fleets with more than 11 trucks or credit lines over $500,000.

Other features of the regionalization of the Sales and Credit teams will be:

* credit buyers for specific regions

* daily internal communication between Sales and Credit

* team visits to dealerships to strengthen communication

* fuller understanding of dealer inventory and customers, and

* timely feedback

The announcement of the sales and credit regionalization initiative comes on the heels of the company's announcement of its entry into the trucking industry's full service leasing market. Its comprehensive Sterling Trucks CompleteLease and Chrysler Financial CompleteLease initiatives are aimed at small business owners in the vocational segment.

CompleteLease offers the convenience of a single-source transportation package for busy entrepreneurs. It features sturdy, durable vehicles and includes tailored financing, like an operating lease, maintenance, repair and other value added time-saving options such as titling, registration, compliance services and a fuel card.

CompleteLease is designed for customers, whose core business focus is in areas such as the food service and beverage sector, furniture stores, fuel distribution, plumbing supply, landscaping and contracting.