Layoffs and facility shutdowns are accelerating across U.S. freight, distribution and manufacturing networks, with more than 7,000 jobs affected by recently announced workforce reductions at companies spanning the supply chain — from Tyson Foods and FedEx to Ryder, CJ Logistics America and Daimler Truck.

Tyson and Essendant drive the largest reductions

Tyson Foods leads the latest round, reportedly eliminating more than 3,000 jobs as it closes facilities in Joslin, Illinois, and Eagle Mountain, Utah. The food giant said it is shifting beef operations toward Nebraska, Kansas and Texas amid what it described as a historic cattle shortage, with U.S. Department of Agriculture data showing the national herd at its smallest level since the early 1950s.

Wholesale distributor Essendant, meanwhile, has warned of sweeping cuts affecting more than 1,200 employees across six states as it attempts to secure additional capital or find a buyer. WARN notices show approximately 644 jobs affected in Illinois, 192 in Georgia, 150 in Pennsylvania, 136 in Texas, 103 in California and 53 in Arizona. The reductions are scheduled to begin Oct. 3, and the company has warned it could cease operations and liquidate if financing or a sale cannot be secured.

The announcements form part of a broader wave of restructuring sweeping transportation, warehousing, fulfillment and manufacturing operations. Many surface through WARN filings — notices required under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which generally obliges employers with 100 or more workers to give 60 days' advance warning of plant closures and mass layoffs, making workforce distress visible in public records before cuts take effect. The notices are also landing while the freight sector works through a market downturn that began in 2022, although the companies involved cite a range of company-specific, sector-specific and financial reasons for their decisions.

Freight and logistics operations take hits

Postal Center International is eliminating about 457 positions across Florida, Texas and Massachusetts. The commercial mail and fulfillment provider said 181 employees are affected at its Weston, Florida, headquarters, along with 164 workers in San Antonio and 112 in Franklin, Massachusetts. Affected positions include delivery drivers, barcode sweepers, supervisors and managers.

FedEx is cutting 173 jobs across three Southern California operations as part of its ongoing Network 2.0 transformation, the multiyear initiative to combine the carrier's historically separate Express and Ground delivery networks into a single integrated operation. The parcel carrier plans to permanently close its Victorville facility Sept. 28, eliminating 54 jobs, with another 62 employees affected in Palm Springs and 57 in San Diego. FedEx has characterized the moves as part of its broader restructuring and network consolidation efforts.

Ryder is closing an operation in Fayetteville, North Carolina, resulting in 73 layoffs effective Oct. 12. Ryder said it will continue operating in the area, but another logistics provider will take over operations at the Gillespie Street facility.

CJ Logistics America plans to cease operations at a 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse in Upper Macungie Township, Pennsylvania, affecting 57 employees. The third-party logistics provider cited changing business needs for the shutdown.

Saddle Creek Corp. filed a WARN notice Aug. 17 announcing 178 permanent layoffs at its Plant City, Florida, operation beginning Oct. 15. Dylan Logistics LLC also filed WARN notices covering 167 employees at facilities in Lewisville and Fort Worth, Texas, with those reductions scheduled for Dec. 10.

Flagship Logistics, an Amazon Delivery Service Partner operating from an Amazon warehouse in North Bath, New York, plans to eliminate 43 positions. Delivery Service Partners are independently owned businesses that employ drivers to deliver Amazon packages, so the reductions land at a contractor rather than at Amazon itself.

Manufacturing and distribution facilities close

Commercial vehicle manufacturing also appears in the latest round of restructuring. Daimler Truck plans to move truck manufacturing out of Portland, Oregon, to facilities in North and South Carolina by the end of the year, affecting approximately 375 employees. Daimler said it will continue building trucks used for testing in Portland, where its Daimler Trucks North America unit is headquartered.

Carlex Glass America plans to permanently close its manufacturing operation in Vonore, Tennessee, affecting 325 workers. Layoffs are scheduled to begin Sept. 7 as the company shifts production toward Nashville.

HelloFresh is closing its Swedesboro, New Jersey, distribution center and cutting 374 jobs effective Nov. 17. The meal-kit company said operations will be integrated into its broader fulfillment network.

United Natural Foods Inc. is closing its longtime Northeast Philadelphia distribution center, eliminating 48 positions while shifting operations to other Pennsylvania facilities.

Ferraro Foods of New York North is closing its Utica operation for economic reasons, resulting in 62 layoffs by Aug. 18. The foodservice distributor operated 17 trucks and employed 21 drivers, according to FMCSA data cited in the notice information.

Other closures include a Staples fulfillment center in La Mirada, California, affecting 109 workers; a Mission Foods tortilla plant in Pueblo, Colorado, affecting 90; and TV Hardware Distribution's Chicago operation, where 116 employees are scheduled to be laid off in October.

Mission Foods details Pueblo shutdown

In a statement to FreightWaves, Mission Foods said the Pueblo manufacturing facility will officially close Oct. 13, although production operations ended Aug. 14.

"We're deeply grateful to our employees and are supporting them as they transition to the next step in their careers," said Armando Garza, regional director of manufacturing for Mission Foods.

The company said affected employees will continue receiving pay and benefits through the facility's closure date, and that it is encouraging impacted workers to apply for open positions within the company. Mission Foods has operated in Pueblo since acquiring the manufacturing facility in 1995, and the company said it will maintain its distribution centers in Pueblo and Denver and plans to remain active in the region despite the plant closure.

Bankruptcy and financial pressure

Financial distress is also driving several of the notices. West Marine is eliminating 80 positions at its Fort Lauderdale, Florida, support center effective Oct. 3 while the boating supplier goes through Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring and nationwide store consolidation.

Revol Greens warned that approximately 115 employees could be affected if it closes its Temple, Texas, greenhouse Oct. 4. The company continues operating while seeking a buyer or additional financing, citing broader market disruptions in the leafy-greens sector.

Silgan Containers, meanwhile, plans temporary layoffs involving 55 workers in Modesto, California, beginning Sept. 21 because of seasonal and market demand changes for canned foods.

Why it matters: Facility closures and network consolidation can reshape freight volumes and trucking lanes even when carriers are not the companies directly eliminating jobs. With closure and layoff dates spanning late August through mid-December, the reductions will roll out over months rather than in a single wave.