Freightliner LLC's Portland, Ore., truck-manufacturing plant will begin a second shift and add about 700 full-time employees.

In its announcement Tuesday, the company cited significantly increased demand for Western Star and Freightliner heavy duty trucks produced at the facility. The new, second shift will start in August. Freightliner LLC will immediately begin recalling and hiring employees to staff the new positions.
"The Freightliner Group continues to see stronger demand across our national heavy duty truck business," said Rainer E. Schmueckle, president and CEO of Freightliner LLC. "Favorable economic conditions and customers' need to replace older equipment or expand their operations are driving a robust recovery of the North American Class 8 market. We expect the market to continue its stronger performance through the end of 2004 and beyond."
The Portland Truck Manufacturing Plant produces a variety of heavy-duty trucks for long haul and vocational applications. Western Star models produced at the plant include the 4900 EX, 4900 FA, 4900 SA and the 6900 XD.
Freightliner truck models built at the facility include the Coronado, Century Class S/T and the Columbia. The Portland plant also builds heavy-duty vehicles for the U.S. military.
Employees will be added over the next few months as the plant ramps up to full production capacity on two shifts. The Portland Truck Manufacturing Plant currently employs 1,100 people on one full production shift. With the addition of the new personnel, plant employment will rise to about 1,800.
The plant's employees are represented by the Machinists, Teamsters, Painters and Service Employees unions.
The plant is part of the Freightliner Group's NAFTA commercial vehicle manufacturing network that includes manufacturing facilities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Ontario. The group employs more than 14,000 hourly-paid workers throughout its manufacturing locations.
Freightliner is a company of DaimlerChrysler.