Freon Logistics, a Bakersfield, California-based trucking company, has filed for bankruptcy, and some employees protested recently to demand unpaid wages.
Documents filed Nov. 8 in Eastern District of California U.S. Bankruptcy Court show the company, which according to its website provides truckload, less-than-truckload, intermodal, repair and maintenance and warehousing services, is seeking Chapter 11 protection; the documents were signed by CEO Hardeep Singh.
Freon Logistics employs about 500 people, including truck drivers, administrative personnel and others, according to court records. It’s unclear if Freon’s associated companies — Freon Group, Freon Trucking, Freon Cold Storage or Freon Garage — are impacted by the filing.
On Monday, some employees gathered outside the company’s headquarters to protest, according to local news outlets.
“I have a couple colleagues that haven’t been paid over a good few weeks, even months, two months, I heard the most,” Joel Juarez told local news station KGET. “It’s been for a couple of my colleagues … it’s been over $12,000, $16,000 that have been owed. As for myself, I’m owed $2,000, which is a little bit, but still, I need that money to pay my bills, take care of the stuff at home. You know, I have a family to take care of.”
A TikTok taken at the scene and posted by the account kern_county_activities_ shows a group of disgruntled employees gathering around the Freon Logistics building, with one driver who claims to have worked with the company for four years yelling to a Freon employee or representative: “You don’t care about anyone else. You just care about your own s—, man. This is all you did, man, whatever you’re talking about all this bull—-,” he says.
FreightWaves’ attempts on Wednesday to reach the company and the law firm representing it were unsuccessful.
Some employees told KGET that the company promised to pay workers on Monday but went back on its word, claiming the bank had frozen the company’s accounts.
In a new court filing Monday, the company asked the court to allow it to pay administrative costs and employees.
“It is critical the Debtor be able to continue operations of its business without delays or interruption so that Debtor can reorganize its business and financial affairs as contemplated by Chapter 11,” the filing states.
The bankruptcy filing also says the company expects the business to be profitable while the case is underway.
Bill Prough, a safety manager for Freon, told a reporter with KBAK that financial problems are to blame but that workers will get paid.
“Some of our drivers aren’t getting paid, you know. It’s not that they’re not gonna get paid; they will get paid,” he said. “The income goes down and the cost goes up, and … people don’t understand, the drivers don’t understand.”
KBAK says the Department of Transportation was on scene this week after the agency’s attempts to reach the company were also unsuccessful. FreightWaves has requested a comment from DOT.
A Facebook page and other social media accounts for the company were no longer active as of Wednesday.
Theresarat
There’s something corrupt going on within the company to cause them to be bankrupt. Transportation companies generally profile handsomely. I smell a rat.
Pureoverload
How will Hardeep Singh send his kids to Harvard and Yale and buy his wife a Mercedes if he has to pay his employees? This is so unfair to Mr. Singh!
Dominick C
These guys owe me 5k after 2 trip packets not paid and getting standed in Reno and Jackson. Payong ober 500 for taxi and gotel to come back saying i wont get any of my momey owed. They guys need to be used with THE LABOR BOARD, We need a CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT or someone knows how to go about this.
Robert Vallez
I’m trying to figure out how I can get paid from this. They owe me between $2500-$3000. I had got abandoned in NM and had to fly myself home cause they couldn’t pay for my truck to get fixed. I’m behind on my bills and stressing over it. Any help or ideas on how to go about it?
Stephen Webster
A lot of owner ops and smaller companies under 50 power units in canada are shutting . In canada we jave 5 % to 10% more trucks than freight. We need a program of a tiered driver wage on payroll with medical if they cross into the U S
. Also. Too many foreign ( student) truck drivers are not getting hourly pay with overtime and housing as per the contract for the trucking co to hire these drivers. This why we need A B 5
Gary Bazo
This happens time & time again where you have companies like this they really try to keep going but the main business is the drivers they are the bread & butter for the company they need to come first to get paid they are the priority to the company…..I know from personal experience I’m a former OTR truck driver 18 plus years these Driver’s are extremely important to get paid otherwise you’ll have a huge mess in ur hands
B sheetz
First time a company misses your pay, you should be looking for the door! That’s a big red flag that they’re having issues and will only get worse.
Kevin Duzinski
Just doesn’t surprise me they’ll open up under another company
Lousy company lousy reviews I ran into their idiot drivers more than once
It’s all these foreign owned companies unfortunately hate to say it but it’s true they do this all the time
Right where I live in the Chicago area I can name almost 10 different companies that change names but they’re still around with the same people.
I’ve been cut off by their idiots before in the past had wanted to Pilot in Little Rock one time I’ll never forget I still have the pictures and video sitting on the fuel Island taking a shower for an hour and a half like it’s nothing at all putting a garbage can behind acting like he broke down.
But it is what it is. Hopefully the real legitimate ones will get paid that deserve to.
Plus you just keep the name of the owner in mind that’s what you really need to do because basically what will end up happening is you can see whether they open up the doors under another name and look who the COO is or president or some other nonsense like that buyer beware as they say.