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Colorado trucking company to cease operations after 39 years, employees say (with video)

Employees were notified on Jan. 16 that the owners were retiring and the small fleet was ceasing operations by the end of the month.

Clarissa Hawes
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Colorado-based H.H. Williams Trucking to cease operations by the end of January. Photo: H.H. Williams Trucking
Colorado-based H.H. Williams Trucking to cease operations by the end of January. Photo: H.H. Williams Trucking

Family-owned H.H. Williams Trucking of Greeley, Colorado, told employees on Thursday it will close its doors by the end of January.

An employee of H.H. Williams told FreightWaves that one of the company’s owners, Howard Williams, told office personnel on Thursday that he and his wife, Cheryl, both in their 70s, have decided to retire.

“I think we were all surprised and stunned by the news,” the employee, who didn’t want to be named, told FreightWaves. “He gave no other explanation other than he is retiring and the company will start winding down business operations.”

Howard Williams did not respond to FreightWaves’ telephone calls seeking comment.


Rumors started swirling on social media on Wednesday that the company was closing its doors, but it was news to the small fleet’s employees and drivers until mid-morning Thursday, the employee said.

Since early Thursday morning, a dispatcher has been fielding phone calls from concerned brokers about the company’s possible closure. He will stay on until the end of the month to ensure all of the trucks are back in the yard. 

Other employees have not been given a date as to when their employment will end.

The 39-year-old company, known for its green and white Mack trucks, has 23 trucks and drivers, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s SAFER website.


“The owner told us that we still have trucks and equipment out on the road so it will take us until the end of the month to get everybody in and collect the keys,” the employee said.

The company had a dedicated account with Walmart for over 34 years, hauling drop and hook freight to stores in Colorado, Wyoming, the Dakotas and Montana, according to H.H. Williams’ website.

The website also stated that it had a reefer division with loads going to the West Coast and the Northwest.

This is a developing story.

Read more articles by FreightWaves’ Clarissa Hawes

51 Comments

  3. Daniel Sanchez

    Been unloading H&H williams for around 5 yrs now while doing Receiving here @ Richwood Meat in Merced, Ca. From Sunday-Monday drivers where always great on ETA times. Awesome Drivers with great trucking stories and Greatest of All Terry…

  4. BILL DOLLOFF

    I UNDRSTAND WORKING HARD IN THIS INDUSTRY IT WEARS YOU SLICK, I OWN A CARRIER AND IT IS HARD WORK, HAD I KNOWN
    H.H. WILLIAMS WAS CLOSING I WOULD OF MADE A RUN AT THEM TO P;URCHASE AS WE DO A GREAT DEAL; OF BUSINES IN THOSE
    AREAS. AND THAT WOULD OF PUT US AT 100 UNITS.

  5. Barbara Deckard

    More of the effects of online shopping. And the order/ pickup at the store is cutting out thr cashiers positions. And robot inventory has cut down on hours of work for stocking employees. What used to take 8 hours now takes an hour and a half. More efficient yes. Putting people out of work most definitely.

  6. Charles

    Well Thats too bad too bad the owner. Didn’t have that one exceptional employee to take over the reigns. Of the company.That 34 years. Account with walmart to bad that has to go by the boards you know why I say that those accounts are very hard to get.not to mention 34 years straight without a miss.

    1. Dave

      Or the Company had no Faith in it’s Employees to maintain Company Standards.
      I closed a successful business just for that reason, Today’s work ethic is Sorry at best. I’m happily Retired.

      1. Barbara J

        My husband worked for this compony for many years, they were great people to work for, kept everything up. When it’s time to retire it’s time to retire!

  7. Noble1

    Quote:

    “The company had a dedicated account with Walmart for over 34 years, hauling drop and hook freight to stores in Colorado, Wyoming, the Dakotas and Montana, according to H.H. Williams’ website.”

    WOW ! That’s the cream of the crop ! Drop & Hook and directly for the biggest retailer in the world with NO middleman !

    They should have offered the employees to take over the business . Perhaps they did and employees refused . Buy(transfer ownership) the business and change the name , period !

    Too bad .

    In my humble opinion ………….

      1. Noble1

        With “that sort of mentality” you would be a “prime candidate” to join and become a member of a “Truck Driver Alliance” !

        In my humble opinion ……….

Comments are closed.

Clarissa Hawes

Clarissa has covered all aspects of the trucking industry for 16 years. She is an award-winning journalist known for her investigative and business reporting. Before joining FreightWaves, she wrote for Land Line Magazine and Trucks.com. If you have a news tip or story idea, send her an email to [email protected] or @cage_writer on X, formerly Twitter.