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(Reuters) – FedEx (NYSE:FDX) and General Motors were among several companies whose operations were stalled by bone-chilling weather that has caused power outages and gas shortages in parts of the United States.
A rare deep freeze swept the southern North America over the three-day Presidents Day holiday weekend, leaving millions without power and sending front-month gas futures to an over three-month high.
General Motors Co (NYSE:GM) said it had canceled the first shift at its Spring Hill, Tennessee; Bowling Green, Kentucky; Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Arlington, Texas factories, which make some of its most profitable pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles including Chevrolet Silverado and Escalade.
“We will be making decisions at the respective plants later this morning regarding their production status for 2nd shift today,” a GM spokesman said.
Japan’s Toyota Motor (NYSE:TM) and Nissan (OTC:NSANY) Motor also joined GM in scrapping the first shift at some of their U.S. plants. Jeep maker Stellantis said it suspended production at its Toledo assembly complex in Ohio.
GM’s smaller rival Ford Motor (NYSE:F) said it had stopped production of one if its best-selling F-150 pickup trucks at its Kansas City assembly plant until Feb. 21 to conserve its supply of natural gas.
Some other Ford facilities to suspend operations include Hermosillo assembly plant in Mexico, Flat Rock factory in Michigan and Ohio assembly plant in Avon Lake, Ohio.
Package delivery company United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) said operations at its Dallas hub in Texas and Worldport air hub at Louisville International Airport were back to normal after being suspended overnight.
The company also said it did not have any coronavirus vaccine shipments in its network on Monday night.
UPS rival FedEx said severe weather was affecting its ability to deliver packages in certain cities.
The freeze also wreaked havoc on the U.S. energy sector, bringing operations to a halt at the Houston Ship channel, while several oil refineries remained offline.
