Freightwaves: Truck maker plans to layoff 2,000 workers in the US, Mexico

Daimler announces indefinite furloughs at five sites amid slowing market demand

Daimler Truck North America plans to temporarily lay off 2,000 employees from five facilities in the U.S. and Mexico amid weak market demand, the company said.

The layoffs, which will be effective Friday, include two facilities near Charlotte, as well as factories in Detroit, Portland, and Saltillo, Mexico. Each site will experience different impacts based on local business needs, Daimler officials said.

“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,” Daimler Truck North America spokesman Andrew Johnson told FreightWaves in an email. “To align with current market conditions, we’ve made the tough decision to implement workforce reductions across several facilities.”

The layoffs in North Carolina include 546 employees from a manufacturing plant in Mount Holly, and 27 workers from a components and logistics site in Gastonia, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice.

The job cuts include truck assemblers, painters, supervisors, material handlers, office supervisors, technicians, and logistics staff. The lay offs are expected to be temporary, but do not have a return date yet.

Portland, Oregon-based Daimler Truck North America employs 29,200 people, according to its website.

Daimler Truck North America operates manufacturing plants in Cleveland, Gastonia, High Point, and Mount Holly, North Carolina; Gaffney, South Carolina; Redford, Michigan; and Saltillo and Santiago, Mexico.

Daimler Truck North America is a subsidiary of Germany-based Daimler Truck AG. The company’s brands include Freightliner, Western Star, Mercedes-Benz, Fuso, BharatBenz and Rizon.