Trucking company files Chapter 7 bankruptcy, shuts down abruptly

When a trucking company shuts down, it usually has a wind-down period when it delivers any remaining loads in its possession. Not doing so leaves thousands of people in limbo, since they don’t know whether their orders will ever arrive.

The problem can be even worse when items being delivered have an expiration date or might otherwise become less valuable, or even worthless, if they sit.

In some cases, items in mid-transit become an even bigger hassle, as customers have paid for the delivery, but whoever ends up owning the assets of the bankrupt freight company has no obligation to deliver.

A similar issue arose when furniture company Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams went bankrupt in 2023. Customers had paid it for delivery, but that payment had not been sent to its shipping partners.

Ultimately, the bankruptcy court allowed Ryder Last Mile and other freight companies to charge the customers again if they wanted their goods.

In the case of Montgomery Transport, which filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection on Oct. 9 and immediately shut down, the fate of its in-warehouse and in-transit deliveries remains in limbo.

Montgomery Transport LLC, a Birmingham, Alabama-based flatbed trucking company, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and immediately ceased operations. That leaves about 1,000 employees out of work and the fate of anything the company was shipping uncertain.

The company described its business on its website.

“Montgomery Transport is a leading flatbed carrier in the nation specializing in the safe transport of over dimensional freight. Our company is built around understanding the unique needs of our customers and our drivers. That means state-of-the-art safety technology, well-maintained equipment, high standards for quality, and strong relationships,” the company shared.

It then follows with a statement that now rings hollow, given the Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing and the abandonment of its remaining loads:

We treat every haul like it’s the most important one on the road — because to us, it is.

Montgomery Transport LLC (based in Birmingham, AL) filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and ceased operations immediately.

The filing followed a failed sale to P & S Transportation. Source:LinkedIn

Approximately 1,000 employees are now out of work as a result of the shutdown.

“This is the largest trucking bankruptcy of the year,” according to Craig Fuller, a freight industry expert, posting on X, the former Twitter.

The abrupt closure suggests no “wind-down period.” Operations ceased as of the bankruptcy.