Here are five things worth knowing today:
1. More layoffs at Freightliner’s Gastonia plant
Freightliner announced another round of layoffs at its Gastonia parts and logistics plant. According to the Gaston Gazette, 115 employees will be temporarily let go, effective Friday, Aug. 12. This year, a total of 295 workers have been cut from the plant, knocking the number of employees down to about 1,000, according to the report. In June, the truck maker announced it would lay off nearly 800 workers in Gaston County, NC, as part of an international reduction in workforce – 600 workers at its Mount Holly plant and 200 at Gastonia. A spokesperson for Freightliner’s parent company, Daimler Trucks North America, said fewer truck orders is to blame for the temporary layoffs.
2. Officials say U.S.-Mexico truck inspection a success
Fox News Latino reports that federal officials say a program that allows U.S. and Mexico officers to jointly inspect commercial trucks heading north is helping shorten border crossing wait times. The program is part of an effort to improve trade conditions between the U.S. and Mexico. According to the report, Arizona ports of entry managed $18.1 billion in imports from Mexico to the U.S. last year. Fox News has more.
3. Carrier cited 16 times by FMCSA since 2014
Don Averill Trucking in Tillamook, OR, has been cited for safety violations at least 16 times in the last two years by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Statesman Journal reports. The company was most recently cited after one of its semi-trucks crashed on a Center Street bridge Wednesday morning. According to the report, federal records show that the company employs 34 drivers and carries logs and lumber, grain, feed and garbage. The Statesman has more.
4. Addressing trucking’s tech shortage
Arkansas trucking companies are working to address the shortage of diesel technicians, Arkansas Online reports. Trucking companies in the state have partnered with a technical school to help combat the shortage. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the diesel service technicians and mechanics occupation is expected to grow about 12% through 2024, and it projects the industry will add 31,600 jobs before then. However, various factors, including young people earning more four-year degrees, it will be difficult to fill those job openings. Arkansas Online has more.
5. Ford truck sales up 5%
Ford Motor Company reports that its total truck sales grew 5% in July compared to a year ago, according to Yahoo! Finance. According to the report, fleet sales were up 6%, with 55,321 vehicles sold. And vans reached their best July sales since 1978, with 20,236 sold, Yahoo! reports.
