Dive Brief:
- Daimler Truck North America will cease operations at a Portland, Oregon manufacturing plant and three other nearby locations Oct. 30, affecting 387 jobs, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act filing.
- Company brands produced at the Portland Truck Manufacturing Plant include the Western Star X-Series, Freightliner eCascadia and eM2 all-electric trucks, the company said in an email to Trucking Dive. Daimler is relocating the site’s production to plants in North Carolina and South Carolina as part of a broader effort to “optimize its production network and align resources with future business needs.”
- The decision was not made lightly, the company statement noted, adding that “the Portland team has played a critical role in DTNA’s success for decades.”
Dive Insight:
Daimler Truck North America's decision to shutter its Portland production plant ends a manufacturing legacy for the city that began in 1947 with Freightliner Corp., according to historic information on the OEM’s website. It also comes days ahead of the company’s scheduled Aug. 7 second quarter earnings call.
In addition to the plant at 6936 N. Fathom St., the company will also close three other locations, including a drop lot and a warranty recovery operations site, per the WARN notice. The permanent closure is laying off local cartage workers, mechanics, material handlers, supervisors and test fleet drivers.
The company reported in May that its first quarter sales were its lowest for a Q1 period since 2010. However, executives also expressed optimism over improving orders during the second half of 2026.
Daimler Truck will discontinue manufacturing trucks in Portland this year but the company will maintain its headquarters there as well as engineering, testing, validation and technology operations. The company also recently expanded its non-manufacturing footprint with a new engineering building.
A total of 343 of the 387 affected workers are union represented, the rest are non-represented office employees. Daimler Truck is providing transition assistance and directing those affected to other jobs within the company.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District W24 and Local 1005, which represents 214 of the affected workers, in a statement said it would begin talks with Daimler Truck this week to discuss the impact of the company’s decision to shutter its Portland manufacturing plant. The union added the “IAM District W24 and Local 1005 still have our members’ best interests in mind and will continue to fight for them, even in these difficult circumstances.”
