The year 2025 brought a complex environment for the heavy-duty vehicle industry : new emissions regulations, investment caution, and a volatile market. Far from slowing its progress, International turned these challenges into a driving force to accelerate its transformation and strengthen its closeness with customers and distributors, as Rafael Alvarenga, president of International’s Commercial Operations for Latin America, explained in an interview with T21.
The uncertainty, he said, stemmed not only from regulatory changes but also from the global economic and political environment . Still, Alvarenga noted that there are solid segments that continue to drive activity, although doubts remain about the direction the industry will take in the coming quarters.
International’s strategy has been to stay close to carriers and understand their needs firsthand.
“We don’t build this from our offices; we build it by listening, understanding, and visiting the fields with its people,” Alvarenga emphasized.
With this approach, the company seeks to position itself as a strategic partner that contributes to more efficient operations and offers innovative solutions, prioritizing active listening over unilateral decisions made behind a desk.
Outlook to 2026
For Alvarenga, 2026 could represent a more stable scenario, in which fleet renewal decisions, postponed in recent months, will have to be implemented. He considered this a very dynamic industry that cannot sustain itself under so many uncertainties and, therefore, will begin to show interesting movements.
One of the pillars of this strategy is the LT S13 , which features the powertrain developed by International and already has around 1,000 units in operation in Mexico, according to Alvarenga. He emphasized that this model demonstrated superior performance, with an average fuel economy of 8% , according to customer testimonials.
This product represents technical innovation, which accompanies a broader transformation of the company’s culture and way of doing business, Alvarenga emphasized.
Proximity to distributors became another key driver of change. During 2025, International’s management team toured the country to visit dealerships, listen to technicians, and learn firsthand about the challenges and opportunities in after-sales service.
“The strategic plans we create as a company come from there. They don’t come from a closed room within our headquarters; they come from information we gather from the field, from the distributor network,” he said.
After two years at the helm of International Latin America , Alvarenga took stock of his personal life, highlighting the development of a new brand perception based on organizational culture and closeness to the sector’s diverse stakeholders.
He acknowledged that one of his main challenges is channeling energy and drive to do more in a market with great potential.
“International isn’t here for the short term. We’re here for the long term, and taking care of the long term means taking care of the present,” he said.
This statement summarizes the company’s evolution and the transformation it seeks to consolidate in the region.
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