Todd Maiden at FreightWaves reports that Standard Forwarding Freight—the Midwest less-than-truckload carrier previously known as Standard Forwarding—is suspending operations after 91 years in business.
The timing is brutal. Maiden notes this is happening less than a year after the company was acquired, and the shutdown appears to be moving faster than many workers expected.
At the same time, Alex Mai, host of the YouTube trucking channel Mutha Trucker, says he started seeing the story pop up through “trucking resources” and social media chatter, including posts suggesting the company is letting drivers go and closing down at the end of December.
Between the reporting from Maiden and the on-the-ground buzz Mai describes, the picture that forms is ugly: a long-running Midwest carrier is going dark, and hundreds of families are left scrambling.
What Standard Forwarding Freight Says Is Happening
Maiden writes that Standard Forwarding Freight said it is “temporarily suspend[ing] its day-to-day operations and reduce its workforce” while it evaluates “next steps.”
The company’s statement, quoted by Maiden, says the move followed a “comprehensive strategic review of the business” and describes the decision as “difficult but necessary.”
The official language is careful. It frames this as a pause, an “orderly evaluation,” and an “operational assessment” to figure out what comes next.
But Maiden also reports that other sources say the company is permanently closing, which is a very different message than “temporary suspension.”
That gap – between corporate phrasing and what people are hearing on the ground—is often where the real story lives.
What Drivers And Teamsters Say They’re Hearing
Maiden reports that some drivers said they were notified of termination on Sunday, and that those drivers believe the carrier is closing for good.
He also describes a recorded message on the company’s main phone line saying it is “no longer scheduling pickups,” and instructing customers to email customer service about shipments already in progress.
That kind of phone message doesn’t sound like a company casually “reviewing options.” It sounds like a business trying to stop the bleeding and manage the chaos.
Maiden also cites a memo from John Murphy, Teamsters National Freight Director, to Standard Forwarding local unions. Murphy’s message, as described by Maiden, says “the company intends to entirely shut down its operations.”
Murphy called the news “completely unexpected,” according to Maiden, and said Standard Forwarding had not previously communicated challenges to the union or tried to work with Teamsters to avoid this outcome.
Murphy also said the union requested immediate bargaining and is exploring legal options, per Maiden’s reporting. In a collapse like this, that’s what “fight back” looks like: demand bargaining, demand answers, and try to recover whatever protections can still be salvaged.
From the driver side, Alex Mai paints a similar mood – confusion mixed with dread. He says he looked at Standard Forwarding Freight’s Facebook page and website and didn’t see an official public post announcing a shutdown.
Mai also describes reports in Facebook groups, including what he calls an internal group that MN Big Rigs allegedly got access to through an anonymous source, pointing to a closure date of December 31.
Mai repeatedly stresses that the official communications he can see are thin, while the rumors and worker-to-worker warnings are loud.
And that’s the hard part for drivers: when the paycheck stops, “we’re still evaluating next steps” doesn’t help you pay the mortgage in January.
The Ownership Story Behind The Shutdown
Maiden’s reporting puts heavy emphasis on what happened to Standard Forwarding Freight in the last year.
He writes that the East Moline, Illinois-based carrier was acquired in January 2025 by a subsidiary of Sakaem Holdings, after DHL Freight had owned it from 2011 until that sale.
Maiden says Sakaem is connected to the family behind the now-defunct car hauler Jack Cooper, which ceased operations in February after losing contracts with its two largest customers: Ford Motor Co. and General Motors.
When you see a company collapse after losing its biggest contracts, then see a related entity involved in another trucking acquisition, people are naturally going to ask whether the same kind of instability followed the money.
Maiden adds another key detail: Sarah Riggs Amico, who ran Jack Cooper before it closed, was involved in unsuccessful efforts to buy part of Yellow Corp. after Yellow shut down in 2023.
Maiden reports that Jack Cooper assembled a group of former Yellow executives under a new entity – Jack Cooper Freight – to pursue an LTL operation, and that leadership group ended up running Standard Forwarding Freight after the Riggs-backed Sakaem acquisition.
None of this proves intent or blame by itself. But the pattern is hard to ignore: big names, ambitious deals, familiar executives, and then another major shutdown.
What The Company Did In The Midwest And Why It Matters
Maiden describes Standard Forwarding Freight as operating 14 terminals across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
He also notes it specialized in next-day and second-day delivery across the Midwest and partnered with other carriers to offer broader national service.
That’s not a tiny footprint. For many shippers, regional LTL carriers are the glue between “we sold it” and “it arrived,” especially for businesses that can’t justify full truckloads.
Maiden reports the company had over 350 drivers at one point, and that SONAR’s SearchCarriers portal – pulling from FMCSA data – listed the driver count at 277 at the time of his report.
Mai, speaking from the trucking community angle, throws out similar figures. He says Standard Forwarding Freight currently has around 230 drivers and had 300-plus in its “heyday,” while emphasizing that this is a Teamsters-linked, union-heavy workforce.
Mai also brings up a separate point that will spark debate fast: he mentions Teamsters winning what he calls a strong agreement for Standard Forwarding drivers, describing a five-year freight master agreement that was ratified by 92% and included pay and benefit improvements.
Mai doesn’t claim that contract caused the shutdown, but he raises the question some people will inevitably ask: did rising labor costs collide with shaky ownership and tight freight markets?
That question is easy to ask and hard to answer from the outside. What’s not hard is recognizing the human reality: these were stable, career-style jobs for many drivers, and if the doors close, the next job may not match the same pay, benefits, and predictability.
What Happens Next For Drivers, Freight, And Customers
Maiden’s reporting suggests the immediate impact is already here: terminations, halted pickups, and customers being told to email about shipments that are stuck midstream.
If you’re a shipper, the first panic is simple – where is my freight? If you’re a driver, the first panic is even simpler – how fast can I replace income?
Mai’s commentary adds another layer: he warns about investment groups and “private equity” dynamics, and he repeats a line he says he saw in the comments—when an investment group buys in, some drivers feel it’s time to start heading for the door.
That idea can turn into a lazy talking point, but it also reflects the way working people try to protect themselves. Drivers don’t have time to read corporate filings like a Wall Street analyst. They use pattern recognition, and right now their pattern looks like this: buyouts happen, promises get made, then the company gets stripped down and closed.
The safest, most honest conclusion based on what Todd Maiden and Alex Mai describe is that Standard Forwarding Freight is either in a “temporary suspension” that already behaves like a shutdown, or it’s heading into a full closure while the official messaging tries to soften the blow.
Either way, after 91 years, a regional LTL carrier that moved Midwest freight for generations appears to be reaching the end of the road – and the people who kept it moving are the ones who will feel it first.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, John developed a love for the great outdoors early on. With years of experience as a wilderness guide, he’s navigated rugged terrains and unpredictable weather patterns. John is also an avid hunter and fisherman who believes in sustainable living. His focus on practical survival skills, from building shelters to purifying water, reflects his passion for preparedness. When he’s not out in the wild, you can find him sharing his knowledge through writing, hoping to inspire others to embrace self-reliance.
