A Missouri-primarily based trucking firm, which contracted with the U.S. Postal Services to haul mail, lately ceased functions and filed Chapter 7 individual bankruptcy.

Family-owned Rooney Trucking Inc., headquartered in Polo, filed its petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Missouri on Monday.

Lawyer Ryan Blay told FreightWaves that “fuel and labor expenditures had been undoubtedly challenges that influenced Rooney Trucking Inc.”

“The bigger issue, though, was the determination by the U.S. Postal Service to just take away some routes and terminate particular contracts,” Blay reported. “The business enterprise could not functionality profitably with a restricted earnings stream.  This was the most significant element in determining to declare individual bankruptcy for the corporation.” 

In its filing, the trucking company states it will be unable to fulfill its 14-month contract to haul U.S. mail within a 150-mile radius of Kansas Metropolis, Missouri, “due to envisioned decline of personnel as a end result of personal bankruptcy submitting and prior cuts to assistance from USPS.” 

Some smaller mail contractors have struggled to continue to be afloat considering the fact that the USPS declared it was revamping its $6.6 billion agreement program with personal trucking fleets in 2019. The application, recognised as Dynamic Route Optimization, adjusted the way non-public carriers were being paid — switching from contract rates to paying out trucking companies on a mileage basis. This led to consolidation among the mail hauling businesses that could service a bigger area and squeezed out some of the lesser private contractors in the industry.

In accordance to the Chapter 7 petition, Rooney Trucking filed an attraction with the Postal Service Board of Deal Appeals on March 22. 

In the filing, Rooney Trucking lists its belongings of up to $10 million and liabilities of $500,000 to $1 million. The corporation, which has up to 49 collectors, maintains that no funds will be obtainable for distribution to unsecured collectors after administrative expenses are paid.

The IRS is stated as the company’s premier unsecured creditor, owed nearly $200,000. The submitting also lists the names of the truck drivers, but doesn’t incorporate the achievable wage amounts they are owed. 

The company, owned by Patrick and Dixie Rooney of Polo, was launched in 1955. 

In accordance to Rooney Trucking’s financials, its gross revenues from Jan. 1 until finally its individual bankruptcy filing date are $1 million. Its petition states the firm built virtually $5.2 million in 2021 and about $5.7 million in 2020.

The 67-calendar year-aged trucking enterprise experienced 37 drivers and 66 electricity models, in accordance to the Federal Motor Carrier Basic safety Administration SAFER internet site.

Its vans experienced been inspected 26 situations and four had been put out of support in a 24-month period of time, resulting in a 15.4% out-of-service rate, which is below the industry’s countrywide ordinary of close to 21%, in accordance to FMCSA knowledge. 

Rooney’s drivers were being inspected 26 occasions and none were being positioned out of provider. The nationwide normal for drivers is about 5.9%. Rooney’s trucks were included in three harm crashes and five towaways in excess of the exact 24-thirty day period time period.

A assembly of collectors is scheduled for June 10.

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