Peterbilt Denton Plant Adds 1,000 Jobs After Truck Tariff
White House credits 25% import duty on Class 8 trucks with employment gains at PACCAR's Texas facility, though broader manufacturing data shows sector job losses.
President Donald Trump will visit Peterbilt's Denton, Texas, manufacturing plant Thursday to promote tariff policies the White House says have added more than 1,000 jobs at the facility since November 2025.
How many jobs did the truck tariff create at Peterbilt Denton?
The White House says the Denton operation added more than 1,000 jobs after the administration imposed a 25% tariff on imported medium- and heavy-duty trucks on November 1, 2025. Across all PACCAR U.S. operations, the White House credits the tariff with more than 2,000 additional jobs. Those employment figures were provided by the White House and were not independently confirmed.
The tariff also covers non-USMCA-compliant truck parts. The policy aims to shift production of Class 8 trucks and components to domestic facilities by making imported units more expensive.
What the broader manufacturing data shows
Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows the U.S. economy added 807,000 jobs after Trump returned to office in January 2025, but manufacturing employment declined by 35,000 over the same period. The administration said investments in new factories have not yet been fully reflected in employment data.
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said the administration's policies have generated more than 1 million private-sector jobs and trillions of dollars in announced investments.
Peterbilt's Denton production history
The Denton plant started with 81 employees producing about 2.5 trucks per week. By 2016, the workforce had grown to approximately 2,000 and production capacity had increased roughly tenfold from the plant's originally envisioned maximum of 16 trucks per day.
PACCAR's 2025 annual report said Peterbilt held a 14.8% share of the U.S. and Canadian Class 8 market that year. The Denton factory produced its 10,000th Model 589, according to PACCAR.
Peterbilt is a division of Bellevue, Washington-based PACCAR, which also owns Kenworth and European truck manufacturer DAF. PACCAR produces powertrains and truck components while offering financial and aftermarket services.
What this means for equipment costs
Tariffs intended to encourage domestic truck production can reshape where commercial vehicles and components are built while also influencing equipment costs and sourcing decisions for manufacturers and fleets. The 25% duty on imported Class 8 trucks makes foreign-built units more expensive, potentially raising acquisition costs for fleets that previously sourced equipment from non-USMCA suppliers.
The visit comes as the North American truck manufacturing industry navigates tariffs, changing emissions regulations, and a freight market that has constrained demand for new equipment. Trump's trip also comes just weeks before the November midterm elections, and the White House has indicated the president plans an active domestic travel schedule as the administration promotes its economic record.
