Introduction
Sixteen U.S. trucking, delivery, and transportation companies reportedly entered bankruptcy court in less than a month. FreightWaves' September 22, 2026 roundup counted eight Chapter 11 cases and eight Chapter 7 cases, running from late August through September 21.
The filers range from a one-truck carrier to a 51-power-unit long-haul fleet. A petition signals financial distress. It does not prove a company has stopped operating.
This article identifies the companies, explains the pressures documented across the industry, and clarifies what the filings mean for employees, creditors, customers, and market watchers.
Key Takeaways
- Sixteen filings landed between late August and September 21, 2026; confirm final counts against federal dockets.
- Chapter 11 aims at reorganization; Chapter 7 centers on liquidation.
- Fuel, insurance, equipment, labor, and freight-rate pressure are industry-wide, not a proven common cause.
- Status, authority, and creditor recoveries change as cases move forward.
Which trucking companies entered bankruptcy proceedings?
The group includes carriers, a delivery contractor, specialized haulers, and a broker. Petition dates, chapters, and districts below come from court-derived records. Asset and liability figures are petition estimates, not valuations.
The eight Chapter 11 cases
| Company | Filed (2026) | District | Reported profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xoco Transport LLC | Sep. 16 | S.D. Tex. | Hidalgo, TX; 40+ tractors, 65 drivers |
| Globemaster Inc. | Sep. 15 | N.D. Ill. | Long-haul; 51 power units |
| CLJ Transporting Inc. | Sep. 15 | M.D. Fla. | Amazon delivery contractor; 18 trucks |
| Jett Transport & Materials LLC | Sep. 14 | W.D. Tex. | Construction-material hauler; 14 trucks |
| Mill Creek Logistics-Illinois Inc. | Sep. 14 | D. Kan. | Courier/express; 24 power units |
| RP Hay Hauling LLC | Sep. 10 | D. Ariz. | Parker, AZ agricultural hauling |
| Truckload LLC (Expedite Express) | Sep. 9 | M.D. Fla. | Expedited freight and local cartage |
| Pacer Transport Inc. | Sep. 4 | W.D. La. | General/specialized freight and brokerage |
The eight Chapter 7 cases
- C. Pride Transport Inc. (one truck; case number and date conflict across docket indexes)
- Eulogia Logistics Inc. (three trucks, Central District of California)
- A&B Transportation Inc. (Lake Elsinore, CA; six trucks)
- Russ Exp Co. (five trucks, Northern District of Illinois)
- Blue Star Transports LLC (Garland, TX; two trucks; filing date unverified)
- Jackdollars Transport LLC (McKinney, TX; one truck; filed Aug. 31)
- Rothchild Transportation LLC (South Gate, CA; one truck; filed Sep. 21)
- T Yorkman Trucking LLC (Midland, TX oilfield-water hauling; petition record confirms Chapter 7)
Where the reports disagree
Fleet counts are date-dependent. Truckload LLC's 114 power units are a May 2024 figure; an FMCSA SAFER snapshot shows 2 power units and broker authority. Neither is a current fleet count.
Several Chapter 7 asset and liability fields are blank in the roundup, and blank does not mean zero. Check the PACER petition before relying on any single number.
What do the filings reveal about trucking industry distress?
The cases cover general freight, long-haul, last-mile delivery, construction materials, agriculture, oilfield hauling, brokerage, and owner-operators. That breadth suggests stress is not confined to one niche.
The fleet sizes tilt small. Seven of the eight Chapter 7 filers run six or fewer trucks, while the Chapter 11 filers run roughly 14 to 51 power units. Smaller carriers carry thin liquidity, so a few bad months can end the business. Sixteen filings do not represent the whole industry, though.
Chapter 11 versus Chapter 7
U.S. Courts describes Chapter 7 as liquidation, with a trustee administering nonexempt assets. Chapter 11 generally lets a business reorganize under a plan and keep operating.
National context
Business bankruptcy is rising across all industries. For the 12 months ending June 30, 2026, Chapter 7 business filings reached 15,298 (up from 13,314), and Chapter 11 reached 9,766 (up from 7,900). Those figures cover every sector, not just trucking.
Why are trucking companies filing for bankruptcy?
Petitions rarely give one clean cause, and the pressures below are industry conditions, not findings about each named company.
Fuel, insurance, and equipment
ATRI's cost research puts 2024 operating cost at $2.260 per mile. Selected line items:
- Fuel: $0.481
- Driver wages: $0.798
- Truck and trailer lease or purchase: $0.390
- Repair and maintenance: $0.198
- Insurance premiums: $0.102
Insurance premiums rose 3.0% per mile in 2024 after a 12.5% jump in 2023. Fuel is volatile, and EIA's weekly diesel series is the place to check current prices. Equipment payments and insurance stay fixed even when loads dry up, which hits small carriers hardest.
Freight demand and rates
ATRI described the sector as three years into a freight recession. The ATA tonnage index fell 0.9% in September 2026. DAT spot dry-van rates slid from $2.38 per mile in June to $2.17 in August, while contract rates held near $2.39.
Carriers without contract freight feel that gap first. Empty miles, customer loss, and slow-paying receivables compound it.
Labor and regulation
Driver wages are the largest cost line. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $58,640 a year for heavy truck drivers. Hours-of-service limits (11 driving hours after 10 off duty) and insurance filing rules add compliance cost. No filing here has been tied to those rules.
How pressures stack
A carrier with falling revenue still owes the truck note, the insurance premium, and payroll. Costs rarely shrink as fast as revenue does.
What bankruptcy can mean for stakeholders
Outcomes depend on the chapter and the case record. Do not predict them without reading the filings.
Employees and drivers
- Chapter 11: work often continues, with the debtor in possession running the business.
- Chapter 7: operations generally stop and a trustee sells assets.
- Certain pre-petition wage claims get priority under 11 U.S.C. § 507, within statutory limits.
- WARN notice (60 days) applies only to covered employers and events.
Customers and shippers
- Expect possible delays, load reassignment, and contract uncertainty
- Confirm a carrier's authority and insurance in FMCSA's L&I search before tendering freight
Creditors
- The automatic stay pauses most collection and repossession on pre-petition debt.
- Secured lenders look to collateral; unsecured creditors may receive little.
- Proof-of-claim deadlines come from the court's notice
- In Chapter 7 asset cases, the general deadline is 90 days after the first date set for the creditors' meeting
- Reorganization plans, asset sales, and liquidations vary by case.
This is general information. Employees, creditors, and counterparties should consult a qualified legal or financial professional about a specific case.
How to track trucking-company bankruptcy risk
Follow this sequence:
- Confirm the exact legal entity name, including any d/b/a.
- Search PACER's national case index by debtor name or case number.
- Read the petition, schedules, and docket notices.
- Note the creditors' meeting date and claims bar date.
- Compare against FMCSA L&I and SAFER records. A missing name match is not proof of revoked authority.
Warning signals
Professionals watch for:
- Missed payments and new liens
- Authority or insurance changes
- Creditor lawsuits
- Leadership or advisor turnover
- Distressed asset sales
These are indicators, not proof of insolvency.
Where BankruptcyData fits
BankruptcyData, tracking U.S. bankruptcy activity since 1986, helps law firms, distressed investors, advisors, and credit teams. Its platform combines distress signals, court and docket monitoring, stakeholder tracking, and historical benchmarking across 600k+ records. API feeds and licensed datasets serve teams that need the data in their own systems.
Record a "last verified" date
Fleet size, operating status, court milestones, and creditor details all shift during a case. Stamp every company profile with the date you last checked it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which trucking companies have filed for bankruptcy?
Eight carriers filed Chapter 11: Xoco Transport, Globemaster, CLJ Transporting, Jett Transport & Materials, Mill Creek Logistics-Illinois, RP Hay Hauling, Truckload LLC, and Pacer Transport. Eight filed Chapter 7: C. Pride, Eulogia, A&B, Russ Exp, Blue Star, Jackdollars, Rothchild, and T Yorkman. Always verify status on current court dockets.
Why are trucking companies filing for bankruptcy?
Rising fuel, insurance, debt, equipment, labor, and regulatory costs, combined with weak freight demand, are squeezing carrier margins. The mix of pressures varies by company.
What happens to employees if a company goes bankrupt?
In Chapter 11, employees may keep working while the business reorganizes. In either chapter, layoffs and disrupted pay or benefits are possible, depending on operations and court-approved actions.
