Certified Freight Logistics’ president cites ‘current market conditions’ for closure
Clarissa Hawes, Freightwaves, 10/19/23
A third-generation family-owned trucking company and brokerage — Certified Freight Logistics, headquartered in Santa Maria, California — is ceasing operations on Saturday after 95 years.
Scott Cramer, president of Certified Freight Logistics (CFL), said he notified employees on Aug. 22 that the trucking company and freight brokerage, which employs 157 workers, including 101 linehaul and local truck drivers, would begin layoffs on Saturday with the wind down of the company concluding on or about Nov. 18.
CFL, which hauled refrigerated food and fresh produce for major retailers throughout the western U.S., also filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notification in August with the California Employment Development Department of the company’s impending closure.
Cramer told FreightWaves he is working with truck dealers about early lease terminations, adding that the “current freight conditions have been pretty difficult.”
“Management has been attempting to maintain profitable operations but current market conditions have made it difficult to operate without a loss,” said Cramer in a statement to FreightWaves. “Pandemic volume demand, equipment availability issues, increased costs followed by falling freight rates and reduced volume put us in a place to have to make this difficult decision.”
Cramer said the company has arranged transition services for its employees, including many who have been with the company for more than 20 years.
Besides closing its headquarters in Santa Maria, CFL will close its yards in Stockton, California, and Sumner, Washington.
“The company delayed any decision for some time while trying to resolve the fundamental operating issues and is no longer able to viably operate,” Cramer said.
