Freightliner to Add Second Shift in Portland

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reightliner LLC said Wednesday it would begin a second shift and add about 700 employees at its truck manufacturing plant in Portland, Ore.

"The Freightliner group continues to see stronger demand across our national heavy-duty truck business," said Rainer Schmueckle, president of Freightliner.

"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," he said.

Freightliner is the largest manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks in North America and is a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler AG. Earlier this month, union employees at the plant voted to accept three-year labor contracts. (Click here for the previous coverage.)

The company said in a statement the plant produces a variety of heavy-duty trucks including several Western Star models and Freightliner's Coronado and Columbia.

he plant currently employs 1,100 people on one full production shift, Freightliner said.