Trump to visit Peterbilt truck plant in Texas to tout manufacturing agenda 

The administration is also expected to highlight the 25% tariff imposed Nov. 1, 2025, on imported medium- and heavy-duty trucks, along with tariffs on non-USMCA-compliant truck parts.

A White House official told Fox Business that Peterbilt parent PACCAR (NASDAQ: PCAR) has increased U.S. truck production and employment since the tariffs took effect. 

The official credited the policy with more than 1,000 additional jobs at the Denton operation and more than 2,000 across PACCAR’s U.S. operations. Those employment figures were provided by the White House and were not independently confirmed in the materials reviewed by FreightWaves. 

The visit comes at a consequential time for the North American truck manufacturing industry, which is navigating tariffs, changing emissions regulations and a freight market that has constrained demand for new equipment.

Government employment figures also provide a more complicated picture of the broader manufacturing sector. Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited by Fox Business shows the U.S. economy added 807,000 jobs after Trump returned to office in January 2025, while manufacturing employment declined by 35,000 over the same period. 

The administration said the investments in new factories and other domestic projects have not yet been fully reflected in employment data.

Peterbilt’s Texas manufacturing hub

Peterbilt, a division of Bellevue, Washington-based PACCAR, manufactures medium- and heavy-duty commercial trucks. PACCAR also owns Kenworth and European truck manufacturer DAF and produces powertrains and truck components while offering financial and aftermarket services.

The plant started with 81 employees producing about 2.5 trucks per week. By 2016, its 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 has continued investing in Peterbilt and its Denton operations. The company’s 2025 annual report said Peterbilt held a 14.8% share of the U.S. and Canadian Class 8 market that year, while the Denton factory produced its 10,000th Model 589, according to PACCAR Inc.

Trump’s trip also comes just weeks before the November midterm elections. The White House has indicated the president plans an active domestic travel schedule as the administration promotes its economic record.

Why it matters: 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.