Dumb Headline At TruckBlog.com – The End of The Tundra is NOT Near

Truckblog.com posted a little story about Toyota’s financial loss this year (about $1.7 billion) with the idiotic headline “Toyota Faces Layoffs, End of the Toyota Tundra Pickup?”

In a word, dumb. Truckblog.com should be ashamed of themselves – this is nothing more than screaming fire in a public venue to get attention. Here’s why the Tundra is here to stay.

1. We can’t emphasize this first point enough – Toyota has a long-term vision. The fact of the matter is that pickup trucks, while currently suffering a steep sales decline, are the heart and soul of many businesses’ in the United States. Big pickups, like the Tundra, fill a vital work role for contractors, farmers, construction workers, and millions of outdoor hobbyists and adventurers. There will ALWAYS be a market for a good pickup, and Toyota understands that. Getting rid of the Tundra would mean exiting an important part of the US auto market. A company with a short-term vision might be tempted to stop making a pickup right now, but Toyota isn’t worried about saving profits for next quarter by dumping one product – they’re worried about making profits for the NEXT DECADE. That’s one of the reasons Toyota is the biggest and most successful car company in the world, and the Tundra is an integral part of Toyota’s long-term success in the US market.
2. Toyota hasn’t laid off any permanent Tundra employees. The article on Truckblog talks about layoffs and insinuates that the Tundra plant might be closed. Har-dee-har-har. Toyota didn’t lay off any permanent workers during the 3 month shutdown of the San Antonio plant. They did dismiss some temporary employees, but that really shouldn’t be considered a “layoff.” The word “temporary” sort of gives it away…
3. Toyota is still invested in the truck market. Despite what some people may think, Toyota isn’t going to walk away from billions of dollars in investment in the Tundra. The new plant in San Antonio, the billions in R&D, the millions in advertising – none of that is going to be flushed down the drain. Toyota is simply going to realign their spending to match the size of the truck market, meaning updates and innovations are likely going to be pushed back a little bit (It’s important to note that GM FREEZED ALL R&D a few weeks ago…does that mean the “end of the Silverado?” Not on your life).
4. Tacoma owners are graduating to the Tundra every day. The Tacoma is THE best-selling compact pickup on the market today. Many Tacoma buyers are young, and as they get older (and their toys get bigger) they need a full-size truck. The Tundra is the truck they’re buying – why would Toyota walk away from a loyal base of Tacoma owners?

Bottom line – This author “Jason” over at Truckblog.com is an idiot, and he should apologize for making such a dumb accusation about the “end of the Tundra” (if he has any integrity at least).