Toyota Motor Corp is likely to struggle to make money at its two truck plants in the US this year, a consulting firm said, underscoring the toll slumping sales of trucks and sport-utility vehicles are taking on auto makers of all stripes.
The company is still likely to generate substantial profits in North America, thanks to booming sales of cars such as the Camry sedan and the Prius hybrid. But until recently Toyota had hoped an expansion into trucks would boost its bottom line in the U.S.
Wednesday, Toyota said it is slowing production at two of its truck plants in North America, in San Antonio, Texas, and Princeton, Ind., in a second such move to adjust the pace of work. In addition to slowing the assembly-line speed, San Antonio's truck line, which makes the Tundra pickup, will be shut down for 14 days between now and the end of October. The Princeton plant is taking out six days or more of production between now and the end of August. At both plants, workers on each shift will work seven hours instead of eight assembling cars and will spend one hour in training. The seven-hour shift will start in July. It wasn't clear how long the new work arrangement will last.
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