A California-based trucking company announced that they would be shutting their doors for good due to pressure from regulations and equipment costs.
On Friday, July 12, Ceres, California, based company Starlite Trucking announced that the company was closing “after 40 years of reliable and professional service to hundreds of clients in 11 Western states.” The closure is effective immediately, according to the announcement.
The company said that management told its 30 employees about the closure on Friday morning. Company leaders say that they are working to try to find jobs for the laid off workers with other local trucking companies.
Company leaders said that the cost of upgrading equipment along with state and federal regulations are the reasons behind the shut down.
Starlight Trucking CEO Colby Bell said, “We tried to provide a healthy work environment for our employees and give them the best wages and benefits we could, but in the end, the rates that were available did not support the cost structure needed to compensate our employees appropriately.
Freight rates are the same or lower today than 10 years ago, but costs have risen nearly 40% with California Air Resource Board and labor regulations.”
Bell says that he and a small crew will stay on to sell off all company equipment over the next 60 to 90 days.
According to the news release on Starlight’s closure, the company founded in 1979 in Ceres by the Timmerman family and specialized in agriculture hauling, particularly almonds, walnuts, and livestock feed.
The Timmerman family thanked current and former customers for 40 years of business.
Starlight Trucking was the second trucking company to announce its permanent closure last week after Minnesota-based carrier LME, Inc. announced that it was shutting down for good.