Daimler to Close Portland Truck Plant on October 30

The historic manufacturing facility will officially cease operations after 57 years of production in Portland.

Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Trucks

A weathered brick and steel truck manufacturing plant in Portland with a single truck chassis in the foreground under overcast lighting. — Daimler will close its Portland truck manufacturing plant on October 30, 2026, consolidating production at a newer, larger facility. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Daimler will close the Portland Truck Manufacturing Plant on October 30, 2026, as part of a move to consolidate operations at a larger facility. The plant, which has been in operation since 1969, will terminate its remaining 200 employees when the facility is decommissioned.

Why it matters

The closure represents a shift in Daimler manufacturing strategy to centralize production at a new, super-sized location outside of Oregon and Washington. This consolidation marks the end of a long-standing industrial footprint in the city.

The plant produced 515,549 trucks over its 57-year history. Staffing at the facility has declined from a peak of 3,000 workers to the current 200 employees who will be let go when union contracts conclude.

The players

Daimler

Daimler is a global automotive corporation that specializes in the manufacturing of heavy-duty commercial vehicles and trucks.

Mark Buckley Sr.

Mark Buckley Sr. is a long-term employee who has served a 15-year tenure with the company.

Aaron Brown

Aaron Brown is a long-standing worker who has spent 33 years employed at the Portland truck factory.

The details

Operations will cease as Daimler shifts production to an undisclosed location to increase efficiency through a larger facility. Once the final trucks clear the assembly line, remaining staff will begin the process of disassembling equipment for relocation.

The plant began its operations in 1969.
Employees gathered for a final farewell at the factory on October 2, 2026.
The official final day of facility operation is October 30, 2026.
Decommissioning of the factory site will occur in late October 2026.

Roadmap

The closure follows the industry-wide trend of consolidating smaller, legacy assembly sites into modernized super-sized manufacturing hubs. This move positions Daimler to shift away from older decentralized facilities in favor of centralized production models.

The closure results in the loss of 200 local manufacturing jobs in Portland. Residents should expect the end of long-standing employment opportunities tied to this industrial site by the end of October.

The takeaway

Workers impacted by the closure are entering a transition period as their contracts conclude at the end of October. The local community faces the loss of a historic site that served as a major manufacturing employer for over five decades.