A wave of freight-related layoffs has swept across the US, with over 5,100 workers affected by shutdowns, restructurings, and contract losses tied to the logistics, manufacturing, and transportation sectors. The layoffs span at least 20 states and include warehouse operators, manufacturers, trucking companies, automotive suppliers, and food logistics providers.
Many of the cuts were linked to broader supply chain restructuring efforts, softening industrial demand, customer contract losses, and operational consolidations. This trend is expected to continue as companies seek to modernize production operations and adapt to changing market conditions.
One of the largest workforce reductions came from California-based FreshRealm, a ready-to-eat meal supplier for brands including Blue Apron. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced layoffs impacting over 1,000 workers nationwide after disruptions tied to a 2025 listeria outbreak.
FreshRealm's layoffs include 228 workers at its Tracy, California, facility, 637 employees in Linden, New Jersey, and 161 workers tied to operations in Lancaster, Texas. The Tracy plant is scheduled to permanently close on June 27.
Warehouse and logistics providers also announced significant cuts, with GEODIS filing a WARN notice for 238 layoffs at its Rialto warehouse beginning July 3. DSV said it will close a facility in Edwardsville, Illinois, resulting in up to 163 job losses after losing a customer contract.
Third-party logistics operators facing contract losses are also feeling the pinch, with Ryder System expecting to terminate 151 workers in Green Bay, Wisconsin, after a customer contract was not renewed. National Safety Apparel is shutting down its San Antonio division, affecting 68 workers.
Auto parts makers cut almost 600 jobs, with Adient closing its Athens, Tennessee, manufacturing plant and Yanfeng announcing 153 layoffs in Chattanooga due to a slowdown in automotive production. Industrial manufacturer Milliken & Company announced closures in South Carolina and Georgia affecting a combined 207 workers as part of an ongoing consolidation effort.
E-commerce giant Amazon is temporarily shutting down a 1.3 million-square-foot fulfillment center in Homestead, Florida, for a two-year retrofit project, affecting roughly 616 employees. Workers were offered transfers to other South Florida facilities.
The growing need for efficiency and cost-cutting measures in the logistics sector is leading to widespread job losses across various industries.
