INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WLNS)– Indianapolis-based company Celadon leaves thousands of drivers stranded and jobless after filing one of the largest bankruptcy claims in trucking history.
According to our sister station in Indianapolis, two of Celadon’s former executives were arrested for security fraud on Thursday.
The company says the costs associated with the investigation on top of other challenges led to the decision, leaving 4,000 employees without a job. 3,300 trucks and 10,000 trailers will also stop rolling.
“The company ain’t telling us nothing. They didn’t even tell me I didn’t have a job,” one driver said.
He didn’t want to be named but has worked for Celadon for six months. He said the only reason he found out he was out of a job, was after he didn’t get his usual load call on Saturday afternoon.
“I called they said ‘Hey, we’re not running tomorrow.’ I said what did I lose my job or something? What’s going on? They’re like ‘I can’t tell you nothing I’m on a recorded line I can’t say anything’,” the driver said.
He was told to park his truck and leave it, so that’s what he did. Thankfully he wasn’t far from home, but others weren’t so lucky.
“I’ve had drivers call me and tell me that they’re stranded in you know Tennessee and Kentucky and they can’t get fuel,” the driver said, adding that he can’t even access his paycheck.
In his 24 years of driving, he said he’s never seen anything like this and while he’s fortunate enough to have already found a new job, he says other people might not be as lucky.
“There’s always a big demand for drivers… always. But 3,500 at one time…there’s gonna be a lot of guys without a job.”
