Daimler Trucks to Lay Off 115 Workers at Carolina Facility

Daimler Trucks North America plans to lay off an additional 115 workers at its Gastonia, N.C., components and logistics facility.

The 115 layoffs, effective Aug. 12, follow 180 layoffs at the same facility announced earlier this summer. DTNA said the layoffs are "in response to a sustained reduction in orders and a diminished build rate." 

After a banner year for commercial vehicle manufacturing in 2015, this year has been slow causing major manufacturers to adjust with large layoffs.

In June, DTNA announced that it was laying off around 1,240 workers across its North American production facilities. Volvo Trucks North America also announced around 1,000 layoffs total this year for the same reasons.

With a stagnant economic environment for trucking companies, DTNA anticipated a reduction in orders this year, saying that it expects a 15% decrease in Class 6-8 retail sales compared to 2015.

“These workforce adjustments are expected to be temporary and workers will have first rights to be recalled when production is able to sustain a higher build rate,” noted David Giroux, DTNA’s director of corporate communications, in a statement issued August 3.