Toyota sales off more than GM or Ford

[toy]

Redneck in training about the wages of the union worker versus the nonunion worker the reason that I mentioned that is because for the last month there has been this group that every time you would watch the news they would be telling how absurdly high the wages was for the uaw versus the nonunion workers making people dump on the union workers that they have destroyed our economy and that is simply not the truth, corruption in high places and on wall street has been the cause of this economic collapse and to allow the blame to be put on the union would be letting the ones that are truly guilty of it to escape without any harm to themselves and the problem would be repeated again just like it was with the savings and loan collapse that we had in the late 80' early 90s.

 

[Renze]

The american people have been brainwashed for years regarding the foreign makes being better, and back in the 60's and 70's this was probably true, but today it is not..

I thought it was mostly the 80's when American manufacturers fell back in quality so much that they were allmost gone completely from the European market...
In the 60's and 70's they were good quality, but underengineered and inefficient in terms of fuel efficiency, outside dimensions vs. passenger space, compared to the rest of the world producers.

Since mid '90s American cars have a much better reputation than they used to be... Even though sales numbers of the Chrysler Neon, their first attempt of producing a car in European style, did fail here....

 

[Diamondpilot]

I wonder how many of these companies that have hired these foreign engineers brought them here on the hb1 visas trained them and thought they was getting a great deal because they was getting them for such a small salary, and after they were fully trained they would leave USA and go back home and apply their knowledge in creating a manufacturing company that would then be a fierce competitor of the company that trained them. Several years ago there was a billionaire that built schools in India to train engineers and it was touted as a great charity project but now he wants to be able to bring these engineers to the USA, it wasn't a charity work it was an investment that should be made to fail. I was always taught that charity should start at home and since our schools have been declared a failure and you mentioned the low pay of our teachers and these that are so charitable have written off the American children, then I think it is past time that we write them off, and put our children first and our citizens first again.

The same thing happened in the early 70's with the outboard motor market. My boss worked for Mercury as a pilot. He says they were doing business with the Japanese right and left. They had them making the outboards. 10 years later they are making there own and today Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Tohatsu now lead the market with Mercury and Johnson in their wake.

Chris

 

[PapaPerk]

Actually, it's not. It's where the profits go that matters.

Interesting... and where do these Toyota profits go? If I'm not mistaken... much of the profits have gone to make more US manufacturing plants that provide more jobs to Americans... while many US companies are shipping jobs to China. The profits have to be shared by all... not just the board members of the big companies. Whose going to buy their product when they eliminate all the jobs in the US?

Ya go to Canada and the $.99 ice scraper is made in.... suprise Canada! You go to the US and the $.99 ice scraper is made in China. That's what's wrong with our economy!

 

[Builder]

Interesting... and where do these Toyota profits go? If I'm not mistaken... much of the profits have gone to make more US manufacturing plants that provide more jobs to Americans... while many US companies are shipping jobs to China. The profits have to be shared by all... not just the board members of the big companies. Whose going to buy their product when they eliminate all the jobs in the US?

Ya go to Canada and the $.99 ice scraper is made in.... suprise Canada! You go to the US and the $.99 ice scraper is made in China. That's what's wrong with our economy!

I bet more money goes back to Japan than anywhere. If it went to a Big 3 company, more would stay here.

Tell me what your solution is? Eliminate all US companies and let foreign companies build everything in the US? What should Americans do, shine everyone else's shoes?

 

[PapaPerk]

I bet more money goes back to Japan than anywhere. If it went to a Big 3 company, more would stay here.

Tell me what your solution is? Eliminate all US companies and let foreign companies build everything in the US? What should Americans do, shine everyone else's shoes?

No not all. I love American companies that take pride in their workers and product and make their products in the US! Harley is a good example. That is what has made this country so great! It's very disheartening for the US companies to send jobs to foreign countries all in an effort to save a buck. The foreign companies with plants in the US are proof that products can still be made in the US with good quality at reasonable prices. Many US companies have taken the easy way out and shipped the jobs overseas to save money... instead of turning their companies into lean manufacturing facilities. US companies must adopt a team work atmosphere of we instead of me!

 

[Redneck in training]

I wonder how many of these companies that have hired these foreign engineers brought them here on the hb1 visas trained them and thought they was getting a great deal because they was getting them for such a small salary, and after they were fully trained they would leave USA and go back home and apply their knowledge in creating a manufacturing company that would then be a fierce competitor of the company that trained them.

My employer hires foreign nationals for work in their location. We also brought some to the US but those were accomplished individuals that is hard to get in the US no matter what you pay them. They aren't cheaper that domestic talent.

Standard of living boils down to productivity per dollar spent. If you have highly robotized very productive factory and workers get 100K/year that is OK. But if workers want 100K and sabotage automation because it would ultimately lead to job loss that is self destructive. I remember some years back that GM closed factory and Toyota opened factory. Both in the US. The difference? GM had trouble to push robots but Toyota used them in mass numbers. At the end GM lost even more jobs. Robots in Toyota factory in Tennessee caused unemployment in Detroit.
More that 10 years ago we sold control system for air compressor to several GM plants. It was fixed contract deal so the start up cost was also fixed. Normally it would be maximum 4 days job. I did two of those. None of them took less than two weeks mostly due to lack of competence and namely lack of cooperation from the local electricians and instrument personnel. First when I entered the plant they told me to leave all my hand tools closed in the suitcase. I had to even remove my screwdriver from my pocket. I was warned that if I touch anything and get caught I will be thrown out the factory. I was only allowed to use multimeter, computer and similar type of equipment but if I needed to remove a wire or do some simple modification I had get their person. The problem was that I couldn't get any sometimes for hours. It was so bad that if somebody mentioned start up of compressor for GM in our office people rather took vacation than go. Needless to say not all GM plants operated that way. I have also good experince. It seems to me that if unions and management were at war it was always very bad. And vice versa.

 

[Builder]

No not all. I love American companies that take pride in their workers and product and make their products in the US! Harley is a good example. That is what has made this country so great! It's very disheartening for the US companies to send jobs to foreign countries all in an effort to save a buck. The foreign companies with plants in the US are proof that products can still be made in the US with good quality at reasonable prices. Many US companies have taken the easy way out and shipped the jobs overseas to save money... instead of turning their companies into lean manufacturing facilities. US companies must adopt a team work atmosphere of we instead of me!

I'm sure you realize that many companies you call "US companies" are really multinational companies producing products everwhere around the world. Examples include Caterpillar, GM, Apple Computer & DuPont. These companies typically produce products in foreign markets to be used worldwide.

I don't believe it's fair to expect every "US Company" to produce every product they make 100% in the USA. Even Toyota outsources to Mexico, China & Asia for a vast array of parts.

 

[Builder]

I would not say I hate GM, I currently own a Saturn and use it as my daily driver. I just was not happy with them when it came to warrenty claims and customer support. The only reason I got another GM in the Saturn was it is out of warranty and it was a good buy.

So to say I hate GM is not true. I hate the dealer I bought my first GM truck from and he is now out of business. I had problems with my second GM truck but it was covered under warranty. I just ran away from it after 9 months because I felt like there were more headaches to come with it. The only reason I was lured back was the cost difference between it and a Ford. There was $6K-8K difference at the time in 1 tons. I will gladly pay that premium now until I find something better like a Nissan or Toyota in a HD Diesel truck.

Chris

Will you still buy "something better like a Nissan or Toyota in a HD diesel truck" now that Nissan Titans will be built by Dodge?

 

[PapaPerk]

Will you still buy "something better like a Nissan or Toyota in a HD diesel truck" now that Nissan Titans will be built by Dodge?

I own a dodge diesel.