Cummins is hoping to temporarily reinstate about 270 production workers who had been laid off or transferred to other Cummins facilities from the Cummins Midrange Engine Plant near Columbus, Ind.


The move is a result of an uptick in orders for the Dodge Ram turbo diesel pickup truck engines, which are built at the plant.

The boost in orders comes as Chrysler plans to increase its inventory for the 2010 mode heavy duty Dodge Ram pickup, which is powered by Cummins' 6.7-liter turbo diesel engine. Cummins will add a second production shift at the plant to accommodate the rise in orders, and is expected to operate through the end of 2009.

After the recall, Cummins will employ about 600 hourly workers at the plant.

Cummins has been notifying workers, and expects the additional shift to start on October 19. Production of the 2010 model engine Dodge Ram engines was launched in mid-September with about 340 employees working on a single shift.