The Great Trucking Recession shows no sign of ending anytime soon, as more iconic trucking companies close their doors permanently.
In some cases, shipping companies have declared bankruptcy, with around 21 firms filing petitions in the third quarter of 2025 and 20 companies in the second quarter.
Major trucking companies have also closed facilities or entire businesses without filing for bankruptcy.
The giant trucking company JB Hunt Transport Inc. closed its facility at the Home Depot Distribution Center in Lithonia, Ga., on Oct. 27, 2025, and U.S. Postal Service trucking contractor 10 Roads Express revealed plans to end its mail hauling business and close all operations by the end of January 2026.
None of those companies filed for bankruptcy.
10 Roads Express filed a 60-day Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notice on December 1 with a final layoff date of January 30, 2026. Approximately 2,000 workers will be laid off.
The Carter Lake, Iowa, transportation and logistics company, which reported 2,462 power units and 2,606 drivers on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration SAFER website, was established in 1946 and contracted with the United States Postal Service for 47 years.
10 Roads Express decided to reduce its operations after the continued and significant headwinds hit the transportation industry and the company, whose primary customer is the United States Postal Service, it said in a statement. The company also produces commercial products.
“Our industry has been navigating unprecedented challenges, and despite the dedication of our employees and leadership, the realities of the industry have become impossible to overcome,” a 10 Roads spokesperson said in a statement sent to TheStreet.
Standard Forward Freight has closed its business.Shutterstock” loading=”eager” height=”540″ width=”960″ class=”yf-lglytj loader”/>
Standard Forward Freight has closed its business.Shutterstock
And now, the less-than-truckload shipping company Standard Forwarding Freight, which operated in 16 states, closed its business on December 29, laying off employees. She did not indicate her next step.
The East Moline, Ill.-based trucking company. it said in a statement on its website that it is suspending its daily operations.
Certain drivers of the company asserted that they were notified on December 28 that they were terminated and that the company was closing permanently, FreightWaves reported.
“Effective December 29, 2025, following a comprehensive strategic review of the business, Standard Forwarding Freight, LLC has made the difficult but necessary decision to temporarily suspend its daily operations and reduce its workforce,” the company said in the statement.
“This decision was taken after careful consideration of the company’s current circumstances and the need to conduct an orderly evaluation of the business,” the statement said. “During this period, Standard Forwarding Freight, LLC will conduct an operational assessment to determine the appropriate next steps.”
“Standard Forwarding Freight LLC thanks those who have supported the business and recognized the relationships developed during its operations,” the statement concluded.
The trucking company also has not indicated whether it plans to sell its assets or file for bankruptcy protection.
“This news was completely unexpected, as Standard Forwarding had never previously communicated with our union any challenges or difficulties or tried to work to avoid this outcome,” Teamsters National Freight Director Tom Murphy said in a statement Dec. 29, according to FreightWaves.
The company, founded in 1934, operated as a regional next-day and two-day trucking company with 14 terminals in five Midwestern states, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
More closures:
The trucking company, however, has expanded its LTL service lanes to 11 more states, including Arizona, California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina and Utah, according to an Aug. 15, 2025, statement.
Standard Forwarding Freight also offered cross-border shipping between the United States and Canada.
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Arizona
California
Kansas
Kentucky
Michigan
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
Ohio
South Carolina
Utah
Canada
The trucking company listed 307 power units and 230 drivers on its Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration SAFER website, filed on September 15, 2025. The SAFER filing listed the company’s cargo as general cargo; metal sheets, coils, and rolls; logs, posts, beams, and timber; building materials, liquids and gases; grain, fodder and hay; chemicals; dry bulk commodities; and agricultural/farm supplies.
General merchandise
Metal sheets, coils, and rolls
Logs, posts, beams, and lumber
Building materials
Liquids and gases
Grain, feed, and hay
Chemicals
Dry bulk commodities
Agricultural/farm supplies
DHL Freight was owned by Standard Forwarding Freight from 2011 until Sakaem Holdings acquired the company in January 2025
Related: 70-year-old Mexican food chain closes location, no bankruptcy
This story was originally published by TheStreet on January 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Cars section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
