A long chapter closes quietly while freight demand sags and margins thin. In a market still feeling the “Great Freight Recession,” carriers scale back, pause investments, and weigh exits. Here, one trucking company stops operations after four decades, without seeking court protection. The decision reflects a wider pattern: closures with or without Chapter 11, cost pressure from rates, and uneven freight flows. The facts, timelines, and names below show how quickly conditions turn, even for seasoned operators.
Forty years end quietly in a harsh freight cycle
Shutdowns do not always come with judges, petitions, or auction blocks. During the last three years, dozens of carriers filed Chapter 11 as demand softened and spot rates lagged costs. In the second quarter of 2025 alone, there were at least 17 bankruptcy filings, according to Equipment Finance News, which highlights just how broad the pressure became across fleets of every size.
Some companies closed without bankruptcy. Regional carrier Davis Express Inc., based in Florida, ended service in April 2025 after final deliveries on April 23. All trucks returned to the terminal by April 30. It had 160 trucks and 140 drivers, served Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, and had been unprofitable since 2023. The owner saw no improvement ahead for 2025, so the exit moved fast.
Another carrier, Madison, Illinois-based LTI Trucking, stopped operations on April 2, 2025, and did not file. LTI employed about 250 drivers, ran 300 tractors and 575 trailers, and hauled for AB InBev, KraftHeinz, Vlasic, Hershey’s, Nestlé, Tyson, Hillshire Farm, Kroger, Hostess, and Sara Lee. The company did not give a reason. Even large shipper portfolios could not offset the cycle’s drag.
How a trucking company can shut down without Chapter 11
A company can wind down cleanly when assets, customers, and payroll align for an orderly stop. Leaders schedule final loads, notify shippers, and collect equipment quickly. Davis Express made last deliveries on April 23 and parked everything by April 30. That pace limits idle costs, protects drivers, and keeps service promises clear while cash still flows.
LTI shows another path. It ceased operations on April 2, 2025, without explaining the decision, yet with scale: 250 drivers, 300 tractors, 575 trailers. The network moved major food and beverage brands. Even so, freight mix and rates can shift fast. When lanes thin, empty miles rise, and fixed costs bite, speed matters more than court filings.
This pattern repeats when market conditions turn. Leaders choose closure instead of Chapter 11 if obligations are manageable outside court. They still face vendor claims, equipment returns, and severance, yet control timing. In a tight window, a trucking company can protect drivers’ safety, shippers’ freight, and brand reputation better than a long, public bankruptcy.
What closures mean for shippers, drivers, and rates
Shippers see risk first in missed pickups, then in sudden network gaps. Food, beverage, and refrigerated chains feel it quickly, because freshness and shelf life allow little slack. When a carrier exits, routing guides break, spot bids rise, and replenishment plans shift. Teams need backup carriers, flexible tendering, and fast onboarding to hold service steady.
Drivers face decisions about pay continuity, benefits, and home time. Transparent timelines help. When Davis Express staged final deliveries and returns, drivers knew the schedule. LTI’s abrupt stop shows the other route. Clear communication, even brief, matters because weekly miles, fuel advances, and equipment handoffs determine personal cash flow and stress.
Rates don’t jump on every closure, but local markets can tighten. Large shippers with food and beverage freight often stabilize lanes with committed contracts. Still, when multiple carriers exit, capacity thins near certain plants, ports, and DCs. Then, routing guide compliance slips, and backup carriers step in at higher costs until networks rebalance.
Timelines, figures, and names that define this downturn
Dates trace the pattern. LTI Trucking closed April 2, 2025. Davis Express closed April 30, 2025, after final deliveries on April 23 and full truck returns by April 30. TGS Transportation Inc. announced an immediate shutdown on July 31, 2025, ending a 40-year run. That list captures the year’s visible exits, separate from bankruptcy counts.
Filings also stacked up in June and July 2025. Integral Express filed Chapter 11 on June 15. GD Transport LLC filed on June 16. JJJ Convoy filed on June 20. Lynda Transportation Inc., based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, filed on July 9. TJ Trucking, in Toledo, Ohio, filed on July 11. Double H Services LLC, in Enid, Oklahoma, filed on July 14.
Equipment Finance News reported at least 17 filings in Q2 2025, underscoring the scale. Over three years, dozens of carriers sought Chapter 11 as the “Great Freight Recession” persisted. Yet exits without court protection, like the featured trucking company, remained common. Both paths reflect the same squeeze : weak pricing, steady costs, and volatile demand.
Signals a trucking company watches when survival gets fragile
TGS Transportation’s story shows the arc. Founded in Fresno by Timothy G. Schneider in 1985, with his son Peter joining in 1993, the company expanded to Carson, California, and Reno, Nevada. It operated 20 trucks with 20 drivers, per FMCSA’s SAFER data. The portfolio spanned general freight and metals to chemicals, liquids, gases, and dry bulk.
It also moved building materials, machinery, fresh produce, meat, refrigerated foods, beverages, grain, feed, hay, farm supplies, and paper products. On July 31, 2025, TGS posted on LinkedIn that “challenging market conditions” forced an immediate shutdown, effective that day, adding it would be “parking our trucks for good.” It did not file for bankruptcy.
Importantly, TGS said some former employees would continue under a new company and promised more details. That bridge helps customers and drivers pivot. It preserves know-how while contracts, lanes, and assets realign. In drayage and logistics, continuity around ports and intermodal ramps matters, so experienced teams can reduce disruption even as banners change.
A forward-looking close that respects the facts and the people
This is not just another line in a tally; it is a lesson in timing, cash, and communication. A carrier can shut down, still honor loads, and avoid court if obligations allow. When a trucking company weighs that path, clarity reduces harm for shippers and drivers while networks adapt and new teams carry the work forward.