According to the latest data from Wards Intelligence, the medium-duty truck market has experienced significant growth over the past six months. Class 4-7 truck sales have seen an increase from 19,098 units last year to 20,564 units this year.
In particular, there has been a notable rise in demand for classes 6-7 trucks, with a 17% increase in sales compared to the previous year. Classes 4-5 have also shown strong and consistent demand, with a 16.4% increase in sales this year. For instance, Freightliner, a brand under Daimler Truck North America, sold the highest number of Class 7 trucks in April with 2,255 units and 2,026 Class 6 trucks. Ford also reported significant sales figures for Class 5 (3 932 units), and Isuzu sales of Class 4 trucks 4 983 units.
However, the Class 8 truck market continues to experience a decline in demand. Sales have been decreasing for the past 9 months, with April sales totaling 19,798 units, compared to 22,741 units the previous year. Freightliner once again led the market in Class 8 truck sales, accounting for 32.7% of all sales with 6,483 trucks sold. Mack Trucks saw no change in sales from the previous year, while Volvo Trucks experienced a 20.1% decrease in sales.
According to a recent report, half of Amazon's warehouse workers are struggling financially. The report highlights that 53% of workers are food insecure, attributing this to the low wages they receive for their roles in sorting and packing goods. Many workers express difficulty in paying bills and making ends meet despite the current $15 minimum hourly wage. Despite the hard and grueling work, the pay is incredibly low, аccording to the report, 69% of employees are forced to take frequent compensatory time off due to extreme fatigue.
Amazon, in turn, was unhappy about the independent study and questioned the reliability of these facts. As the Amazon management clarified, that the minimum hourly wage has been raised to $20, and working conditions for employees are constantly improving.
Previous studies have also identified shortcomings in security measures at Amazon warehouses, casting a shadow over the company's reputation despite its status as one of the most profitable organizations. However, many workers of Amazon are reliant on government assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
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