GM Closing 4 Truck Plants
Tuesday June 3, 2008
GM is following in Ford's footsteps, cutting back on truck and SUV production and closing four plants in the process. Each plant has about 2,500 employees, or 10,000 in all. GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner made the announcement, and also said that GM is thinking about selling its HUMMER brand -- the automaker considers the current down market for trucks and SUVs a permanent trend. The gas crunch has definitely affected the casual truck buyer, but those of us who need a truck still need a truck. Hopefully automakers will ramp-up their efforts to deliver more fuel efficient pickups instead of simply cutting back and leaving us high and dry with the same old 14 mpg versions we have now.Trucks took another hit today when sales figures revealed that the Ford F-150 has lost its place as America's Number One vehicle -- the first time since 1991.
Once again GM is slowing down what sells. Now they are going to make vehicles that no one wants to buy. I was looking forward to the H2 with the Duramax. Now I will not be able to buy one, due to GM’s inability to read the market. Once again making lasting decisions base on a snapshot in history.
Automakers do tend to make long-term decisions based on current events instead of planning ahead for times like this.
We’ve known the gas crunch was coming for at least 30 years. With trucks consistently at the top in sales, more effort should have been made to develop fuel efficient versions.
They’re not going to get the mileage that cars do, and casual truck buyers are bowing out of the market, but hey guys — let’s not abandon the long-time truck owners who’ve put green in your pockets for so many years.
HEY GUYS, DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BRAN-NEW TRUCK TO BE INVOLVED? ME, I’VE GOT A 85 GMC I BOUGHT NEW, PUT A NEW 350-330 W/ HEADERS, AND I LOVE TO PULL ALONG SIDE YOUR NEW TRUCKS, JUST TO BLOW YOUR DOORS OFF…….I,LL JUST STICK WITH WHAT I HAVE, DEALERS WON’T GIVE ME WHAT MY OLE TRUCK IS WORTH ANYWAY. THANK YOU……..
Hey Talmage, I don’t have a brand new truck either. In fact, the running joke in our family is that my truck, for once, is newer than my wife’s car (she and our daughter have always had the new vehicles and I’ve driven older trucks). Those older trucks are great drives.