This story has been updated to include a statement from Standard Forwarding Freight and details from a Teamsters memo obtained by FreightWaves.
Standard Forwarding Freight, the less-than-truckload carrier previously known as Standard Forwarding, said it is suspending operations while it evaluates next steps. Other sources say the company is permanently closing. The news comes less than a year after DHL Freight sold it.
“Effective December 29, 2025, following a comprehensive strategic review of the business, Standard Forwarding Freight, LLC made the difficult but necessary decision to temporarily suspend its day-to-day operations and reduce its workforce, the statement read.
“This decision was made after careful consideration of the company’s current circumstances and the need to conduct an orderly evaluation of the business. During this period, Standard Forwarding Freight, LLC will undertake an operational assessment to determine appropriate next steps.”
Some of the company’s drivers said they were notified of their termination on Sunday and that the carrier is permanently closing. A recorded message on the company’s main phone line says it is “no longer scheduling pickups” and to send an email to customer service to inquire about shipments in progress.
A memo from John Murphy, Teamsters National Freight Director, to Standard Forwarding local unions said “the company intends to entirely shut down its operations.”
“This news was completely unexpected, as Standard Forwarding had never previously communicated with our union any challenges or difficulties or attempted to work to avoid this outcome,” Murphy said in the Monday statement.
He said the union “has requested immediate bargaining” with the company and is “exploring all legal options.”
The East Moline, Illinois-based carrier was acquired by a subsidiary of Sakaem Holdings in January 2025. Sakaem is connected to the family behind now-defunct car hauler Jack Cooper. Jack Cooper ceased operations in February after losing contracts with its two largest customers: Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) and General Motors (NYSE: GM).
Standard Forwarding Freight was operating 14 terminals throughout Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. It specialized in next-day and second-day delivery across the Midwest and partnered with other carriers to provide national service.
Chart: To learn more about SONAR, click here.
The 91-year-old Teamsters-staffed carrier had over 350 drivers at one point, but the SearchCarriers portal in SONAR, which pulls data from the FMCSA, currently lists its driver count at 277.
Standard Forwarding Freight was under the ownership of DHL Freight from 2011 until the acquisition by Sakaem.
Sarah Riggs Amico, who ran Jack Cooper before it closed, led unsuccessful efforts to buy a portion of Yellow Corp. after it shut down in 2023. Jack Cooper assembled a group of former Yellow executives under a new entity, Jack Cooper Freight, in an effort to acquire an LTL operation. That leadership group ended up running Standard Forwarding Freight after Riggs-backed Sakaem bought the assets.
