ikelacrosse06

They aren't really "blaming" the regulations directly for the layoffs. The problem with the trucking industry is that it is very cyclical. The cost of the trucks will be going up thousands of dollars just to account for these technologies. Companies that needed trucks bought a lot of them in 2006, accounting for very high sales. During this time, the Springfield plant was running two shifts. These were significantly cheaper than the 2007 trucks. Most of the people who needed trucks already have them and there isn't enough demand to justify two shifts currently. In short, the EPA regulations shifted demand. The shift in demand caused International to make less trucks at the start of '07. The future of the trucking industry will see similar fluctuations as EPA regulations are scheduled to become stricter in the coming years.