Des Moines, Iowa-based Ruan Transport, a transportation and logistics company that provides dedicated contract transportation, managed transportation, value-added warehousing, and brokerage support services, has announced a reduction in its workforce after losing a contract with The Kroger Co.
The reduction will affect 144 employees, including 130 truck drivers, as well as mechanics and administrative staff, in Tolleson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by the end of August 2025.
Ruan will be replaced by Knight-Swift Transportation, a Phoenix, Arizona-based company that is not unionized.
It appears that the Teamsters are unhappy with the decision and may attempt to pressure Kroger directly. “For over 26 years, Teamsters Local 104 members at Ruan have safely and reliably delivered products for Kroger. Now, the company is attempting to replace them with Swift, a move that threatens the hard-won standards Teamsters have built over decades.”
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?
