Where Are Ram Trucks Built?

When purchasing an American brand such as Ram, drivers expect the vehicles to be made in the United States. Since Ram and Dodge split, plus the changes coming from tariffs and geopolitical changes, where are Ram trucks built now?

The production partnership between Dodge and Ram ended in 2009, which meant that the two companies starting production of their vehicles in different plants.

Also, it depends on which vehicles you’re inquiring. Ram separates production facilities between light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles.

The RAM 1500 comes from Sterling Heights, Michigan and it’s the most popular search result when customers search where are Ram trucks built.

Heavy-duty vehicles aren’t produced in Michigan. Instead, they have a more international flavor, being produced in the Stellantis Saltillo Truck Assembly Plant in Saltillo, Mexico.

The fact that some Ram trucks are built outside the United States may surprise you. Keep reading to learn more about where Ram manufactures their trucks.

Ram Truck Assembly Plants

Warren Truck Assembly Plant

The Warren Truck Assembly Plant opened for operation in 1938, producing trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles for various brands. Dodge began producing Dodge Ram trucks between 1981 and 1983. In 2009, the companies split, and Ram continued producing trucks from the Warren plant under their brand. 

Production of the Ram 1500 began in 1993. Then, 31 years later, the Warren Truck Assembly Plant stopped producing the Quad Cab and some Crew Cab configurations of the Ram 1500 Classics.

The plant continues to develop other models and provides complimentary production of the Ram 1500. It will be in charge of producing the Ramcharger.

Learn more about the history of the Warren Truck Assembly Plant here. 

Sterling Heights Assembly Plant

This is one of the most important assembly plants for Stellantis, but it wasn’t originally their property.

Volkswagen converted the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, located at 38111 Van Dyke, Sterling Heights, Michigan, United States, into an automobile assembly plant in 1980.

A few years later, the Chrysler Corporation purchased the plant. In 2019, they began producing the Ram 1500 Classic.

In 2015, the Sterling Heights Assembly plant earned an award for its exceptional environmental standards. They received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Green Building System certificate.

The Fiat Chrysler Automotive (FCA), under which Ram operates, is focused on making environmental improvements to this plant. They aim to increase sustainability and quality of production while keeping costs down.

In short, this Sterling Heights Assembly Plant produces the Ram 1500 (in both gas and diesel versions), the Ram TRX and the Ram 1500 EV.

Learn more about the history of the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant here.

Saltillo Truck Assembly Plant

When it comes to heavy-duty vehicles, most heavy-duty Ram trucks are produced at the Saltillo Truck Assembly Plant located at Carretera a Derramadero Km 1.5, Aqua Nueva-Saltillo, Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico. Production at the Saltillo plant began in 1995.

In 2005 the Ram Mega Cab was produced at the Mexico plant, and in 2008, they produced the 2009 Ram 1500, which won the Truck of the Year and the Car of the Year awards from the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. 

The Saltillo Plant continues to be a reliable manufacturing plant for many Rams today, such as the Ram 2500, the Ram 3500, the Ram 4500, and the Ram 5500 Heavy Duty; and DX Chassis Cab.

The Saltillo plant received the bronze award in World Class Manufacturing (WCM). WCM centers on quality by reducing waste materials, improving safety in the work environment, and implementing an organized system that increases productivity. In addition to these goals, the WCM encourages the workforce to offer suggestions for improvement.

Learn more about the Saltillo Truck Assembly Plant‘s history here!

Why Does Ram only Have Three Facilities?

Although Ram only produces vehicles at the three facilities above, the company has kept up with production each year. At the moment, there is no need to build another Ram Truck facility; however, this may change if sales suddenly rise.

While Ram is an American brand, it also outsources most of its production to Mexico.

In the past, only 10% were produced in the US. The production price was the main reason Ram produced most of their trucks in Mexico instead of in Michigan.

Before tariffs, it was cheaper to produce parts and assemble trucks at the Mexico plant. However, things changed.

In recent years, the FCA has made moves to bring manufacturing back to the United States. Multiple investments have been made toward converting existing plants in the U.S. into additional manufacturing plants for all of Chrysler’s brands.

The FCA committed $4.5 billion to build a new vehicle manufacturing plant in Detroit, according to this press release. While effects of this change are slowly taking place, Chrysler is hoping to bring many jobs to America through these investments. 

Ram has significantly increased heavy-duty production at the Saltillo, Mexico plant in the past few years, mainly because cost is still relatively accesible, but it can change.

Originally, the Saltillo Truck Assembly plant only produced 3% of Ram trucks each year. Today, the Saltillo, Mexico Plant is responsible for 90% of Ram heavy-duty truck production.

Overall, Ram trucks are made in a limited number of facilities, even though they are a well-known truck company that many people enjoy purchasing trucks from.

If you want to purchase a Ram truck and are worried about getting the vehicle promptly, don’t worry. Both of the Ram assembly plants are efficient and make hundreds of cars a day.

Regardless of where are Ram trucks built, you will receive it relatively soon after purchase. However, Ram trucks with extra customizations will take longer to produce.

Check out the Ram Truck website here to purchase a truck of your own. If you want to know where the truck you order is produced, visit your local Ram dealership. They may be able to tell you where they get their vehicle shipments from. 

If you are looking for a reliable truck, then you should consider purchasing a Ram truck. All of Ram’s vehicle manufacturing plants are known for quality work, which is critical for when you research where are Ram trucks built. Most have even won awards for excellent production.

Where is Ram Headquarters Located?

While Ram Trucks are produced in Michigan and Mexico, there is only one headquarters building.

Ram headquarters is located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The Ram headquarters office is only 30 minutes away from the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant. 

Because headquarters is near both of the company’s United States’ plants, company officials can stop by frequently to check in on production standards. Workers may even see the CEO Reid Bigland or the head of the company James C. Morrison on a daily to weekly basis!

History of Ram and Dodge

The Graham brothers were the first to start manufacturing Dodge vehicles in 1919, starting with the Truck Builder which is much like a modern-day glider kit. Using their truck builder, you could turn the Ford model T into a truck. A few years later, they started manufacturing their trucks. 

In 1921, the president of the Dodge brothers, Frederick J. Heynes, struck a deal with the Graham brothers. The Graham brothers began using Dodge engines and drivetrains and working with Dodge to sell them. By 1926, Dodge entirely bought out the Graham brothers and began producing trucks at two plants in California. A couple of years later, the three Graham brothers left the corporation to join Paige Motor Company

In 1930, Chrysler corporation purchased Dodge Brothers and Graham Brothers Trucks.

In 1981, the first official Dodge Ram was produced. The president and CEO of Chrysler at the time decided the Ram would be a good mascot, perhaps aiming at a throwback to the 1933-1950 symbol of the Ram.

Dodge Rams continued to be produced until 2009 when Ram and Dodge became separate companies under Chrysler. The CEO of Chrysler at the time, Sergio Marchionne, determined that a separation of branding would benefit both sides. Ram continues to produce exceptional trucks, and Dodge can focus more effort on its other vehicles. 

Since the split, profits for Chrysler have increased. Although many still refer to Ram trucks as Dodge Rams, the branding has proved successful in terms of profit and brand performance.

Closing Thoughts On Where Are Ram Trucks Built?

Vehicle production used to be somewhat static, with plants producing one kind for decades. However, recent changes in free trade agreements, and an increased focus on tariffs have led manufacturers to resort to strategies to keep costs down.

While, in the past, it was cheaper to produce the Ram 1500 Classic in Mexico, now it’s no longer competitive. Instead, this truck and most of the Ram lineup comes from Sterling Heights.

At the same time, when researching where are Ram trucks built, some might be surprised to find that production in Mexico is still very active, with the Saltillo plant producing the heavy-duty versions.

So, there you have it. When you research where are Ram trucks built, you’ll find that there are two main plants, in Michigan and Mexico. However, all that could change in the coming years.