Mack Adds 270 Workers in Pennsylvania as Truck Orders Jump 95%

Why are truck makers hiring again after 18 months of layoffs?

Mack Trucks added about 270 production workers at its Lehigh Valley Operations plant in Macungie, Pennsylvania, in recent months, bringing total head count to around 2,800 employees. The hires reverse spring 2025 layoffs of 170 workers and track a 95% jump in Mack's North American order intake in the second quarter of 2026 (7,937 trucks, up from 4,080 in Q2 2025). U.S. Class 8 retail sales rose 30% year over year in September and 3.9% in August, the first sustained climb since June 2025.

Every major truck maker is adding shifts or workers. Volvo Trucks North America is hiring up to 500 more at its New River Valley plant in Dublin, Virginia. International Motors will introduce a second shift at its San Antonio assembly plant in 2027 after already increasing output in 2026. Peterbilt added over 1,000 employees at its Denton, Texas, plant so far this year. Freightliner is ramping production at its Saltillo, Mexico, facility and bringing back 400 laid-off workers at its Mount Holly, North Carolina, plant, plus 200 new hires by the end of 2026 as it adds a second shift.

What changed between spring 2025 and now

Twelve to 18 months ago, the picture was layoffs. Volvo Group announced plans in April 2025 to release about 1,000 North American employees over the next couple of months. International axed the second shift at its Escobedo, Mexico, plant (900 jobs) and cut 300 more at its Lisle, Illinois, headquarters in Q1 2026. Daimler Truck North America laid out plans in July 2025 to reduce head count by around 2,000 employees at five sites, including Mount Holly and Saltillo.

June 2026 marked the first year-over-year increase in Class 8 retail sales since June 2025 data was released (up 0.3%). August and September accelerated the trend. Sales and registration data lag order numbers by several months, so the current hiring wave reflects order intake that began climbing in late 2025 and early 2026. Spot rates and rejection rates have tightened through 2026, signaling carrier confidence in freight demand and willingness to add capacity.

What the hiring surge means for small fleets

More trucks rolling off assembly lines means more competition for freight in 2027 and 2028. The production ramp follows the longest freight downturn in industry memory, which forced thousands of small carriers out of business and left survivors running lean. New capacity entering the market will pressure spot rates unless freight volumes grow faster than truck supply.

Lead times for new trucks remain extended. A fleet ordering today faces delivery windows stretching into late 2027 or early 2028, depending on spec and manufacturer. That lag gives current operators a window to lock in contracts before the next wave of capacity hits the road, but it also means the rate environment 18 months from now will reflect decisions truck makers are executing right now.

The production cycle and your settlement statement

Truck production is a lagging indicator. Orders placed in Q2 2026 won't deliver until mid-to-late 2027. By the time those trucks enter service, the freight market could look very different. The 2018-2019 cycle offers a parallel: orders surged in 2018, production ramped through 2019, and by the time the trucks hit the road, spot rates had already started falling. The 2020 pandemic reset the cycle, but the pattern holds: production peaks arrive after rate peaks.

Small fleets running paid-off equipment have an advantage in a softening rate environment. A 10-truck carrier with no truck payments can survive on lower per-mile rates than a competitor carrying $150,000 notes on five new tractors. The hiring wave at Mack, Volvo, International, Peterbilt, and Freightliner signals that OEMs expect strong demand through 2027, but their order books don't predict what rates will be when those trucks deliver.

Where the new capacity will land

Volvo Group (Mack and Volvo Trucks) is adding workers at its two largest North American plants. Paccar (Peterbilt and Kenworth) is expanding Denton. Daimler Truck (Freightliner and Western Star) is ramping Saltillo and Mount Holly. International is adding a second shift in San Antonio. The geographic spread suggests broad-based demand across regions and customer segments, not a single hot lane or niche driving the recovery.

Mack's Lehigh Valley plant builds the Mack Anthem and Mack Pinnacle, both Class 8 highway tractors. Volvo's New River Valley plant produces the Volvo VNL and VNR. Peterbilt's Denton facility builds the 579 and 389. Freightliner's Mount Holly plant assembles the Cascadia. The models coming off these lines compete directly for long-haul and regional contract freight, the same lanes small fleets depend on for steady revenue.

The bill for a 10-truck fleet

If half the new trucks entering service in 2027 and 2028 displace older equipment, the impact on rates will be muted. If they represent net capacity growth, spot rates will face downward pressure. A 10-truck fleet running 2,500 miles per truck per week at $2.20 per mile all-in grosses $2.86 million per year. A 10-cent rate drop costs $286,000 annually. A 20-cent drop costs $572,000. The difference between surviving and shutting down often comes down to whether you can cut costs faster than rates fall.

Insurance, fuel, and maintenance are the three biggest variable costs a small fleet can control. Insurance costs for small fleets rose 30% or more in 2025 and 2026 as nuclear verdicts tripled. Fuel surcharges lag diesel price movements by weeks or months, leaving carriers exposed to sudden spikes. Maintenance costs rise as trucks age, but running paid-off equipment still beats making payments on new iron when rates soften.

The production hiring wave tells you what truck makers think about 2027 demand. It does not tell you what rates will be when those trucks deliver. Plan accordingly.