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Almost 70 employees, including 61 truck drivers, got just three days’ notice that Black Horse Carriers Inc. was permanently shuttering its terminal in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, on Monday.
The closure is in response to a customer’s decision to “discontinue business” with the carrier at its Pewaukee location, Nancy Brooks, director of human resources for the company, stated in its notice to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development on Friday.
According to Wisconsin’s Business Closing and Mass Layoff Law (WBCML), in some cases employers with more than 50 employees must provide written notice 60 calendar days in advance of a business closing or mass layoff or reduction in hours.
However, Black Horse Carriers may have been exempted under a portion of the law about exceptions, including “unforeseeable business circumstances.”
Headquartered in Carol Stream, Illinois, Black Horse Carriers is one of the nation’s largest dedicated fleet providers, with around 3,140 company drivers and 2,490 power units, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s SAFER website.
The company, which operates more than 80 terminals throughout the U.S., hauls foods including bakery and dairy products and other perishables, retail and consumer goods, and automotive and industrial freight, according to its website.
Brooks didn’t disclose which customer canceled its contract with Black Horse, leading to the abrupt closing of one of the carrier’s five Wisconsin terminals.
She states in the notice that the privately held carrier “will ensure that employees will be paid all earned wages and agreed upon benefits at the time of their termination.”
This is a developing story.
Ross Conley
Why can’t the drivers go to another terminal? Even a different division within the company? Is this how they treat people no wonder they closed.You are only as good as your team ..treat you’re team like this and that’s all it takes to fail!!
Joe Bergeron
Deven Transport, Inc is a Bensenville, IL based company looking to hire CDL A Drivers.
Stephen E Mercer
Can someone tell me why Bison and the other CA carriers are here morning, noon and night? Do they bid cheap?
JoJo
you cant imagine how cheap they bid … they bid in USD$ and are paid in USD$ and convert it over to CAD$ … where a US company needs $1,000 …. they can bid $800 USD$ -and when converted will get $1,062 CAD … its basic economics and using every advantage to your benefit
Marty
This Company should go out of business because of the way that they treat their employees.
Victoria Petrenko
For someone that looking for driver position-company located on the IL, WI border can hire few drivers .
847-338-9776
Mike
Cheap freight doesn’t pay how can one contract being lost mean 50 drivers out of work, that’s what happens when u put all your eggs in one basket
David Galbraith
That’s what killed Falcon. Too much dependence on Lordstown GM plant.
Corey Jackson
This is gonna continue to happen. Everyone making money except trucking companies.
Mike H.
Unfortunately, the transportation industry seems ill-equipped to intelligently price the work that is available. Many carriers chase volume rather than profit. Margins are incredibly thin. Lose one contract and face reality that there are not enough profits to maintain operations long enough to find more business, Expenses continue to rise for the physical assets needed to do the work. Wages are not rising at the same rate and neither are prices. You would think the bottom is near… but prices are not going up and the work seems to get done by somebody, although often poorly.