UPDATE: GM will cut pickup truck production
We told you Monday that GM was considering cutting truck production at its Pontiac Assembly Center, and today it became official. Production of full-size GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado pickups will be cut from 54.5 an hour to 45 an hour starting in September.The plant employs 2,800 hourly workers and 300 temporary workers. GM spokesman Tom Wickham said Tuesday that an undetermined number of those temps would be the first to lose their jobs. The Detroit News was estimating about 500 total workers could be affected.
Wickham said the cuts were necessary due to a decline in full-size and heavy-duty truck sales. He also said there were no plans to throttle production at GM's other truck plants.
[Source: The Associated Press via Yahoo News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
rob 4:47PM (7/24/2007)
and i thought everybody said these cars would sell like hotcakes! more like poopcakes :)
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Derek 9:25PM (7/24/2007)
Read the story, they're cutting truck production, not cars. It's not like everyone hasn't seen the truck market slowing recently and GM is usually one of the prime companies being criticized for making/selling too many trucks...
Besides, if you combine Silverado and Sierra sales, I'm pretty sure it's still the top selling pickup in the US.
The Other Bob 4:51PM (7/24/2007)
In a positive note, GM announced today it will resume plans to add a third shift building the Acadia, Enclave and Oulook at its Delta Township, MI assembly plant.
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070724/NEWS01/707240311/1004/news03
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AlexP 5:16PM (7/24/2007)
I doubt they're selling as well as the Ford Edge in Canada, seems the Edge is cannibalizing Escape sales here.
And considering it's not as immense as those Lambdas.
I don't think anyone who's been close to a Lambda triplet can call them crossovers (I'm taller than a Ford Edge but the Lambdas are about a feet or two higher than me, and they just look so different in terms of proportions...).
Guenther 6:04PM (7/24/2007)
Alex- according to Edmund's specs, the Lambda's are about 5.5 inches taller than the edge, but I think that includes the roof rack, which the Edge doesn't have (standard). Not much different in all.
3cubedminus3squared 5:31PM (7/24/2007)
I have yet to see an Enclave on the streets and The Saturn Outlook is just ugly to me.
The Acadia on the other hand is nicely designed. I just wish they came in other colors besides browner browner and tan.
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3cubedminus3squared 5:32PM (7/24/2007)
Whoops
meant to say 'brown, browner and tan'
Bruno 6:11PM (7/24/2007)
The new Silverado isn't a bad truck. It's pretty expensive relative to the competition, though, when it's outfitted the way the pics look in the ads. (upgraded interior, 20's, etc). So I'm sure some buyers are tempted by the older designs with huge rebates on them that still get the job done.
And usually you'd better have the best looking and performing truck to get that price premium. The 4 speed 5.3L mainstay drivetrain, while fine, isn't class leading, and I find the older Ford and Dodge offerings better looking. They really needed that new transmission at rollout time, if just to help with fuel economy.
Those who bought big trucks as commuter vehicles that saw rare weekend use as trucks are going for smaller trucks, suvs, and sedans. I doubt any of the big trucks will surge in sales anytime soon, at least till they figure out a way to get reasonable fuel economy in such a big package.
I tow a landscape trailer with a V6 Tacoma, it does fine. 14.5 mpg around town instead of the 9.5 my Ram got. That's about $100/month in fuel savings. For that I can rent a flatbed at Home Depot if I need to haul something heavier.
I save another $50 in fuel each month using it for personal things like trips and errands instead of the bigger truck.
This is why sales are down, I think. Nothing to do with the specific GM design.
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George 6:20PM (7/24/2007)
I downsized from a 2002 Silverado 4.8 crew cab to a 2006 Toyota Tacoma double cab. I am very happy with my truck and I do all the same things as before. The Tacoma is rated at 6500 Lbs which is just fine. My old silverado 4.8 was rated at 6850lbs towing so not much there.
The Tacoma goes 0-60 in 7.1 seconds according to Motor trend and Car and driver.
Anyways, Ive been happy with mine and I get about 4mpg better fuel economy.
AlexP 6:23PM (7/24/2007)
I'm just going to assume that you use your trucks for shopping because that's the only thing Toyota trucks are good for.
Bruno 6:46PM (7/24/2007)
Actually I had an '00 Tundra before this and it towed my relatively light load (3500lbs) just fine. Certainly quicker than the '98 F150 (4.6L) and no power issues at all. Toyotas are a little lightweight for heavy duty use, but not everyone is hauling sod or concrete blocks around with light duty pickups.
I've owned every brand but Nissan, and Toyotas hold their own in most regards.
I enjoyed the approximately $2,000 more I had in my pocket at resale time vs a comparable domestic, as well as the $2,000 or so in fuel savings over 4 years and another $1,000 in repair costs I had on the domestic truck. ( a combination of better reliability and a longer powertrain warranty)
Saving $5,000 every 4 years of ownership allows me to buy new vehicles before my current ride gets old and more unreliable, which is great when you operate a business and can't afford to lose $500 a day in revenue with a truck in the shop. I'd rather be on time to a job than feel more macho.
The new Tundra seems to have that segment covered better than previous models.
ZapBranagan 7:48PM (7/24/2007)
Actually AlexP...we use our Taco for our landscaping business. It's a 2001 with 166K miles on it and still going strong.
Our previous truck was a used Ford F150 we bought at 52K miles and got it to 300k. It was great, but at the end there...it was getting something like 11 mpg combined.
So far, in the 5 years we've had the Taco, it's been able to do everything the F150 was able to do with no complaints. That means hauling/towing sod, concrete mixers, landscaping rocks, retaining wall blocks, trees, ...as well as our regular assortment of mowers and gardening tools.
We're quite happy we "downgraded" to a Taco. Not that the F150 was bad at all and while the Taco is less of a gas guzzler, the initial cost was a bit higher...so that's a wash. Our happiness comes from the fact that the Taco is absolutely maintenance free. All parts on the Taco are still OE...even at 166K miles. For the life of the F150, I can't tell you the number of times we had to hit up Kragen, Napa, and the Ford dealer for alternators, water pumps, starters, etc...
Anyways....I'm just saying your statement is pretty ignorant. Plenty of people use Toyotas for work, not just play.
AlexP 5:45PM (7/24/2007)
Have seen two Enclaves so far, personally... They're just so massive.
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Dave 7:08PM (7/24/2007)
GM really should to upgrade the Canyon/Colorado soon.
They need to catch the customers who are downsizing.
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Albert 7:33PM (7/24/2007)
You are bang on with the Colorado/Canyon.
I would love to own a Colorado regular cab with a 9 foot bed. Awesome work truck! And it would still be shorter in length than a 6.5foot Silverado.
MikeW 2:29AM (7/25/2007)
9 feet? I thought 8 feet (make in an even 100") was enough for building material.
Exactly. Yes, were is the 6L45 or 6L50. Then add variable intake valve timing.
whofan 7:41PM (7/24/2007)
I think Ford is smart by sticking with their Ranger. They do need to up date it though. I`d buy one the way they are now. By most accounts the Ranger is as reliable as the Tacoma wich looks bloated in comparison.
I like the new GM trucks but still warming up to the bulging fenders. I kind of like the snoother look of the 99-07s better. I hope for GMs sake they have a better steering shaft in the new ones.
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OC Rider 8:59PM (7/24/2007)
Wasn't this cut expected?
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Bruce 12:09AM (7/25/2007)
whofan...those Rangers better be damn reliable, Ford has had HOW MANY years to fix problems with it? The thing hasn't been changed!!
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tbirdkatz 1:47AM (7/25/2007)
Personally I think if i was going to buy a new light duty truck today it would be an Isuzu I-370 crew cab loaded. Because they're struggling, I could get a loaded model for under 25,000 bucks. It's also just the same as a Colorado, only it comes with a better warranty. If $ was no real object though, I'd be getting a loaded Frontier because they've got 260hp and looks as well. Ford Rangers are ok, but they haven't really changed much (minus the grille) since '98.
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