Daimler Truck is issuing lay-offs at four U.S. operations and one in Mexico due to slowing demand for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. The cuts are characterized as temporary, but the manufacturer has not indicated the scope of its plan.
Spokesman Andrew Johnson explained, in an emailed statement reported by FreightWaves, a price reporting agency: "As we navigate a challenging economic environment, we’ve seen a notable slowdown in new truck orders, particularly in our medium-duty, on-highway, and electric vehicle segments.
"To align with current market conditions, we've made the tough decision to implement workforce reductions across several facilities," Johnson added.
Two plants in Charlotte, N.C., one in Detroit and another in Portland, Ore., are targeted, as well as the Saltillo, Mexico, location. The 2,000 affected workers include assembly line workers, painters, supervisors, material handlers, office supervisors, technicians, and logistics staff.
Daimler Trucks North America is a subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG that designs and manufactures commercial vehicles under the Freightliner Trucks and Western Star Trucks brands, as well as Thomas Built Buses. It also develops electric vehicles and automated driving systems.
