France orders 7,000 Zetros military trucks from John Cockerill and Daimler Trucks under PL6T contract.

Arquus, a subsidiary of John Cockerill, and Daimler Truck have received a contract to deliver 7,000 Zetros military trucks to the French Army under the PL6T program, with deliveries planned over more than a decade.

On January 16, 2026, John Cockerill announced that Arquus, part of the John Cockerill Group, and Daimler Truck were awarded a contract to supply 7,000 new-generation Zetros military logistics trucks to the French Army under the PL6T program. The contract covers vehicle production, variants, and long-term in-service support over more than ten years. The program replaces aging 4 to 6-tonne military trucks used for domestic, overseas, and training operations.
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The Zetros by Arquus is a militarised variant of the Mercedes-Benz Zetros 6x6 truck, developed through a joint industrial partnership between the French company Arquus (part of the John Cockerill Group) and Daimler Truck. (Picture source: John Cockerill)

The PL6T (Porteurs Logistiques 6 Tonnes) refers to a truck with a six-tonne payload capacity intended to replace aging 4-6 tonne trucks that have been heavily used in domestic duties, overseas deployments, and training activities over decades of operations. The program, estimated at €2 billion by L'Echo, is structured as a long-term fleet renewal effort, with production and deliveries scheduled over more than ten years, and includes vehicle equipment, in-service support, and fleet-wide maintenance. It is directly tied to the Army transformation effort known as Toward a Combat-Ready Army, which prioritizes logistics resilience and sustained mobility in high-intensity operational scenarios.

The truck retained for the PL6T program is the Zetros by Arquus, which uses the Mercedes-Benz Zetros truck chassis manufactured at Daimler Truck sites in Wörth am Rhein, Germany, and Molsheim, France, while final militarisation, integration of modular systems, protected cabin assembly, acceptance testing, and in-service support are performed by Arquus at its facilities in France (including Limoges, Garchizy, and Saint-Nazaire). The partnership between the two companies has been in place since 2024, aligning Daimler Truck’s heavy-duty off-road chassis with Arquus’ experience in military adaptation and lifecycle support. The chosen platform relies on a permanent 6x6 configuration intended for sustained use in demanding environments, including mixed on-road and off-road logistics routes. All vehicles ordered under PL6T are based on a standardized three-axle chassis, a decision aimed at simplifying training, operation, and maintenance across a fleet that will ultimately number several thousand vehicles.

From a mechanical and automotive perspective, the PL6T trucks are likely to be powered by the Mercedes-Benz OM 460 diesel engine with Euro 3 certification, known for its ability to operate reliably on low-quality fuels while maintaining operational availability. Power is transmitted through a fully automatic gearbox with a torque converter, a configuration associated with ease of use and reduced driver workload across varied conditions. The vehicle architecture places the cab behind the front axle, a layout long used by French land forces, resulting in a relatively low overall height. This design helps during the movement in forests, tunnels, and urban areas, facilitates transport by rail and aircraft, and enables the installation of protected cabs while preserving the six-tonne payload requirement defined by the PL6T class.

The PL6T contract will also cover a broad range of vehicle variants derived from the Zetros truck, which has been in production since 2008 and is in service with multiple armed forces, to address different logistics and tactical support roles. Planned configurations include troop transport vehicles, general cargo carriers, shelter carriers, crane-equipped trucks, and vehicles fitted with winches. All variants retain the same core automotive components to ensure interoperability and simplified sustainment across the fleet. This approach allows the French Army to cover multiple mission profiles without introducing separate vehicle families. In-service support and maintenance for the entire fleet are assigned to Arquus, while Daimler Truck provides spare parts supply and technical support for the base vehicle platform throughout the service life of the trucks.

Industrial responsibilities for the PL6T are distributed between Germany and France. Base vehicle production is carried out at Daimler Truck facilities in Wörth am Rhein, Germany, and in Molsheim, Alsace, France, both of which are positioned to support series production over a long delivery schedule. Militarisation, systems integration, protected cab installation, acceptance activities, and fleet support are conducted at Arquus sites in Limoges, Garchizy, and Saint-Nazaire. These sites are part of a wider French industrial footprint that also includes Satory and Lisses. Arquus, which was acquired by John Cockerill Defense from Volvo Group for about €300 million on July 2, 2024, supports nearly 25,000 vehicles in service with the French Army, with around 20,000 under direct company support, providing an existing sustainment framework for the PL6T fleet.

The PL6T contract also relies on Daimler Truck’s established support infrastructure in France. Daimler Truck France operates a network of more than 150 sales and service locations across the country to support maintenance and repair activities. The company reports about 5,500 direct and indirect employees in France, including more than 3,000 directly employed, and the Molsheim plant forms part of this national industrial base. Since 2008, more than 15,000 Zetros trucks have been produced globally, and the platform has been delivered to armed forces such as those of Canada, Lithuania, and Ukraine. This production history underpins the capacity to sustain deliveries at several hundred vehicles per month if required.

As structured, the PL6T program constitutes a long-duration logistics fleet renewal integrating vehicle production, variant development, and lifecycle support within a single industrial framework. The use of a standardized 6x6 platform, phased deliveries extending into the 2030s, and centralized sustainment is intended to maintain operational continuity while replacing legacy trucks. By combining an established off-road truck platform with domestic militarization and support capabilities, the program aligns industrial capacity with operational logistics requirements.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.