More than 100 employees are out of a job as a trucking company shuts down its terminal on Research Parkway in Meriden.
New England Motor Freight, based in New Jersey, has filed for bankruptcy.
Meriden Mayor Kevin Scarpati said he received a letter informing him of the 122 layoffs at the terminal in his city. One worker said it caught everyone by surprise.
"We all were caught off guard I mean the business was booming," said Michael Bianchi.
The layoffs come after what industry experts consider the best year for trucking in recent history. Bianchi said he’s noticed a slow-down since the start of 2019.
"But nothing to be suspicious of a shutdown or losing our jobs," Bianchi said.
After 22 years of driving trucks for New England Motor Freight, Bianchi learned last month that he’d be getting laid off as the company shuts down its terminals and trucking operations.
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"Very depressing I mean you find out you no longer have a job so now I have a child no more insurance, insurance runs out in 60 days and now we’re all scattering looking for jobs," Biacnchi said.
Mayor Scarpati said he’d like to find out how many of the terminated employees live in his city.
"There’s New England motor freight trucks all across the nation, this is the only terminal in Connecticut so to see this is somewhat surprising," Scarpati said.
This week the company agreed to improve the severance package for 2,500 full-time employees after a class-action complaint saying they weren’t provided the federally-mandated 60 day notice about the layoffs.
Bianchi said he’s unsure if he’ll be able to earn as much if he starts over driving for a new company.
"Everybody was heartbroken, we’re like family you know, we were prided on being a family," he said.
The company’s chief restructuring officer, Vincent Colistra, reports two years of losses.
"We have worked hard to explore options for New England Motor Freight, but the macro-economic factors confronting this industry are significant," Colistra wrote.
The mayor says any laid off employees who live in town are welcome to reach out to his office.
