America's trucking industry is feeling the strain. A fresh wave of bankruptcies has hit carriers across the country, from one-truck owner-operators to fleets running dozens of rigs.
At least 16 trucking, delivery, and transportation companies filed for bankruptcy between late August and Sept. 21, according to federal court filings and carrier records reviewed by FreightWaves.
16 trucking companies file for bankruptcy in less than one month amid high fuel prices https://t.co/b6nfj65yV0
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) September 30, 2026
Costs Keep Climbing
The filings come as carriers wrestle with rising diesel prices and other stubbornly high operating costs. For small and midsize businesses running on thin margins, those expenses can quickly become too much to bear.
The companies span Texas, Illinois, Florida, Arizona, Louisiana, California, and Kansas. Many are the kind of family-run outfits that keep goods moving across the country.
The Bigger Names
Xoco Transport of Hidalgo, Texas, filed for Chapter 11 on Sept. 16. The carrier runs more than 40 tractors, 70 trailers, and employs about 65 drivers.
Illinois long-haul carrier Globemaster Inc. filed Chapter 11 the day before. The company operates 51 trucks and reported up to $10 million in liabilities against no more than $1 million in assets.
CLJ Transporting, a Florida-based Amazon delivery contractor with 30 drivers, also sought Chapter 11 protection on Sept. 15.
Hauling Everything From Hay to Construction Materials
The pain stretches across specialties. Jett Transport & Materials, a Texas construction hauler, and RP Hay Hauling, an Arizona agricultural carrier, both filed for Chapter 11 in mid-September.
Kansas-based courier Mill Creek Logistics-Illinois and Louisiana's Pacer Transport also sought protection. Pacer reported less than $50,000 in assets against as much as $10 million in liabilities, one of the widest gaps among the filings.
A Former 114-Truck Fleet Shrinks
Truckload LLC, which operates as Expedite Express out of Ave Maria, Florida, filed Chapter 11 on Sept. 9. As recently as May 2024, the company ran 114 trucks.
It now faces a scheduled suspension of its operating authority on Sept. 30. The company had already voluntarily given up its broker authority in August.
Small Operators Hit Hardest
Several of the smallest carriers filed for Chapter 7, which usually means liquidation rather than restructuring. Many were one- to six-truck operations in California, Illinois, and Texas.
Among them was T Yorkman Trucking of Midland, Texas, which hauled oil field water and hazardous materials and once ran about 39 trucks.
Not Necessarily the End of the Road
Not every company on the list is shutting down. Chapter 11 gives struggling businesses a chance to reorganize and keep operating.
Still, the filings paint a troubling picture. When the truckers who move America's goods are struggling, it's a warning sign for the broader economy.