Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/34944
logbook Daimler, Mack ramp up hiring Daimler Trucks North America and Mack Trucks are increasing truck production and hiring workers to meet increased demand. DTNA announced it plans to hire a combined 1,350 workers at manufacturing facilities in Mt. Holly, N.C., Portland, Ore., and Saltillo, Mexico, and a parts plant in Gastonia, N.C., during the next six months. A majority of the hires will come from laid-off employees, the company said. The Mt. Holly plant will add a second shift and plans to fill an additional 535 manufacturing and 37 related administrative positions by September. The Portland plant plans to fill an additional 155 manufacturing positions in the fourth quarter, the company said. The Saltillo factory had planned to add a third shift and 479 manufacturing workers beginning in June. Thirty-two staff postions are estimated to be filled. Company officials said the hirings are in addition to more than 1,300 positions filled in the company’s truck and parts facilities during the first half Daimler Trucks North America (pictured) and Mack Trucks are increasing production and hiring workers at their North American plants to meet rising sales. of this year. Mack said that due to increased demand for its Mack Pinnacle trucks the company will boost production at its Macungie, Pa., truck plant in August and hire approximately 300 people. The company said all the additional personnel will be new hires. The production increase will include FMCSA seeks hours comments The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking public comment on its revised estimate of the paperwork burden of the hours of service rule. To comment, go to www.regulations.gov; the docket number is FMCSA- 2011-0065. FMCSA also has requested approval by the Office of Management and Budget to revise and extend an existing request to collect information on HOS. The agency, effective June 4, 2010, authorized the use of electronic onboard recorders to create driver records-of-duty status to document HOS. The revised information request estimates the paperwork burden of motor carriers voluntarily using EOBRs. The currently approved estimate is 181 million hours, as approved by OMB on Aug. 20, 2010; the expiration date of this information collection is Aug. 31. In the newly revised request, FMCSA proposes to reduce the paperwork burden by about 9 million burden hours, or by 5 percent, to 172 million hours. — Staff reports (Continued on Page 68) 22 OVERDRIVE JULY 2011 adding a second shift. The company plans to have the new hires in place in early August. Current employment at the plant is 1,030. The company hired 60 new employees who began in May and added 125 people who were either recalled or newly hired last October. — Staff reports MANUFACTURING ACTIVITY expanded in May for the 22nd consecutive month, though at a slower rate, according to the Manufacturing ISM Report On Business. The PMI for May registered 53.5 percent, and while readings above 50 percent generally indicate growth, May’s figure was the first reading below 60 percent for the year. SURFACE TRANSPORTATION trade between the United States and North American Free Trade Agreement partners Canada and Mexico increased 15.6 percent in March over March 2010 to $80.8 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The March total was the largest since data collection began in 1994. Jack Roberts SHOR T HA ULS