Introduction
A Chapter 11 docket is the chronological public record of filings, orders, notices, hearings, and other activity in a reorganization case. It is not a list of bankruptcy announcements.
The hard part is volume. Epiq's page for the Lehman Brothers case showed 61,928 docket entries, and even a mid-sized case spreads key facts across affiliated debtor cases, exhibits, amended pleadings, and later orders.
This guide covers how to find a U.S. Chapter 11 docket, which filings deserve priority, how to tell what the court has actually approved, and how to use the docket for legal, credit, investment, and restructuring research.
Key Takeaways
- A Chapter 11 docket is the case's official chronological filing and order history.
- Prioritize the petition, first-day motions, DIP financing, schedules, claims notices, plan, sale documents, and confirmation order.
- Track affiliated debtors, amendments, hearing results, and deadlines, not headlines.
- Verify every material event against the filed document and the entered order.
What a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Docket Contains
Cases, dockets, entries, and filings
The case is the proceeding. The docket is the clerk's log of it.
Under Bankruptcy Rule 5003, the clerk keeps the docket and records orders and case activity with entry dates. A docket entry is the clerk's record of an event, and one entry can bundle a motion with exhibits and proposed orders.
A typical entry shows:
- Entry number and filing date
- Document title and filing party
- Related hearing or objection deadline
- Attachments and exhibits
- Type: motion, objection, notice, declaration, or order
Who generates docket activity
Several parties drive most docket activity:
- Debtor in possession: usually keeps operating the business and files most first-day and plan papers
- U.S. Trustee: oversees the case and appoints the creditors' committee
- Creditors' committee: investigates the debtor and takes part in plan negotiations
- Lenders and other parties: file objections, declarations, and competing proposals
- Clerk and claims agent: handle notices and claims administration
Proposed versus effective
A motion is a request. An order becomes effective when entered. Likewise, a filed plan is only a proposal until the court confirms it under §1129.
Consider DIP financing. One development can appear as a motion, a budget, a lender declaration, objections, an interim order, and later a final order. The record of a single financing is spread across all of them.
Limits on interpretation
- Sealed documents and redacted exhibits can hide material terms (11 U.S.C. §107 and Rules 9018 and 9037 allow protection)
- Docketing delays mean the public log may lag real-time activity
- Duplicate or amended filings can obscure which version controls
- Terms incorporated by reference require reading the linked documents
How to Find, Read, and Monitor a Chapter 11 Docket
What you need to locate a case
Collect the debtor's exact legal name, case number, court, petition date, and the full list of debtor affiliates. STG Logistics shows why: the company and 64 affiliates filed on Jan. 12, 2026, in the District of New Jersey, under lead case 26-10258-MEH, for 65 debtors total.
Where to look
- PACER: the federal courts' official access to dockets and documents. Per PACER's pricing page, fees run $0.10 per page, capped at $3 per document, with quarterly fees of $30 or less waived.
- CourtListener's RECAP Archive: a free, non-government archive that may not hold every filing.
- Claims-agent sites: Epiq, Kroll, Stretto, Omni, and Verita host case pages. Epiq labels its STG docket unofficial and points users to the court.
- Intelligence platforms: aggregate multi-court dockets and push alerts so you catch new activity without daily PACER checks.
A workflow for opening a case
- Confirm the court and verify the petition date.
- Review the debtor list, including affiliates.
- Scan the docket chronologically.
- Identify the latest entered order.
- Note the next hearing and any open deadlines.
As you scan, search the docket for terms like "first-day," "DIP," "cash collateral," "bar date," "disclosure statement," "plan," "sale," "confirmation," "adversary," and "final decree."
Build a monitoring log
For each filing, record:
- Docket number and filing date
- Document type and parties
- Action required, hearing date, and deadline
- Outcome and a link to each exhibit
A spreadsheet works. The discipline matters more than the tool.
BankruptcyData combines court, docket, stakeholder, restructuring, and historical intelligence, so professionals can monitor cases without treating an isolated filing as the whole story.
Validate before you rely
Compare the docket entry, the underlying document, any hearing transcript or report, and the subsequent order.
In STG, the final DIP and cash-collateral order (Doc. 248, filed Feb. 10, 2026) refers to the earlier interim hearing, grants relief on a final basis, ratifies the interim order, and takes effect on entry. A docket label or the motion alone would not have told you that.
Which Chapter 11 Filings Matter Most
Petition and first-day papers
The petition (Official Form 201 for non-individual debtors) fixes the debtor's identity, filing date, court, chapter, and affiliated cases. First-day motions typically cover:
- Cash management and cash collateral
- Wages and customer programs
- Insurance, taxes, and utilities
Relief at this stage is preliminary and subject to later orders.
Financing and liquidity
Under §363(c)(2), a debtor needs consent or court authorization to use cash collateral. Section 364 governs postpetition credit. Rule 4001(c)(2) generally bars a final hearing on a credit motion until 14 days after service.
Watch for:
- Budgets, roll-ups, and milestones
- Liens and adequate protection
- Objections, plus terms that shift between interim and final approval
Schedules and disclosure
Rule 1007 requires schedules and statements. Forms 206 and 207 reveal assets, liabilities, contracts, leases, litigation, and payments made before filing. The creditor matrix identifies who receives notice.
Claims administration
Key claims filings to track:
- Bar date notices and proof-of-claim procedures
- Claim objections, omnibus objections, and amended claims
Rule 3003(c)(3) lets the court fix the deadline and extend it for cause. A creditor scheduled as disputed, contingent, or unliquidated generally must file to participate.
Sale, plan, and exit
- Sale procedures, stalking-horse agreements, bids, and sale orders (§363, Rule 6004)
- Disclosure statement, plan, ballots, and confirmation objections
- Confirmation order, effective-date notice, and final decree
Confirmation and the effective date are separate events. In STG, the effective date was July 8, 2026.
Proposal versus approval
Always ask: is this document describing a proposal, or is it the order approving it? Flag terms that can change between interim approval, final approval, confirmation, and consummation.
Using Chapter 11 Dockets for Professional Decisions
Chapter 11 volume keeps the work steady. Epiq reported 7,940 commercial Chapter 11 filings in calendar 2025.
By audience
- Law firms: manage deadlines, shape objection strategy, research precedent, and map counsel and advisors in comparable cases.
- Distressed-debt investors and credit teams: track collateral, lien priority, financing terms, claims treatment, valuation evidence, and recoveries.
- Turnaround advisors and bankers: read liquidity needs, sale processes, milestones, and the path to emergence or liquidation.
- Suppliers and insurers: find payment procedures, critical-vendor treatment, and claims deadlines.
- Researchers and data vendors: preserve document provenance, normalize party names, link related cases, record filing and order dates, and keep metadata separate from conclusions.
Trade creditors should also check §503(b)(9) for goods received within 20 days before filing, §546(c) for reclamation, §553 for setoff, and §365 for contract assumption or rejection. STG's critical-vendor payments were case-specific relief, not an automatic entitlement.
From alert to decision
- Receive the alert when a new docket entry posts.
- Open the docket entry and identify the filing type.
- Read the source document rather than relying on the docket summary alone.
- Verify the event against the entered order.
- Log it and assign a decision or follow-up task.
BankruptcyData also supports structured bankruptcy and restructuring datasets and MCP-based AI integrations for teams that need repeatable docket monitoring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns STG Logistics?
At filing, the petition identified STG Acquisition Corp. as the direct 100% equity holder, which does not show ultimate ownership. After the July 8, 2026 effective date, STG named a lender group led by funds managed by Fortress, Fidelity, and Invesco as majority owners.
Who is the CEO of STG Logistics?
Geoff Anderman was CEO at filing. STG announced Jack Holmes as his successor on Oct. 5, 2026. Confirm against current company materials, since leadership can change.
Where is STG Logistics' corporate office located?
The petition lists 5165 Emerald Parkway, Dublin, Ohio 43017, and the company's contact page gives the same address. The court venue, the District of New Jersey, is separate from headquarters.
Is STG XPO?
No. They are separate companies. XPO sold its North American intermodal business to STG in 2022 for about $710 million. XPO's 2015 Con-way acquisition is a different transaction.
