Illinois-based Midwest Transport Inc. (MTI), a major contractor for the U.S. Postal Service, has gone out of business, according to employees who were notified of the company’s intentions in early September. The company had over 650 workers with 480 drivers, as well as a fleet of more than 450 power units.
Founded in 1980, MTI had hubs in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Tennessee. On its website, MTI claimed to be “one of the largest transportation contractors in association with the United States Postal Service. Our long-standing partnership speaks volumes about our unwavering commitment to delivering mail and packages safely and punctually across the country.”
MTI’s closing seemed to have taken many by surprise, including drivers who believed the company had postal contracts to fulfill. The company has yet to make a formal statement about the closing but said it would wind down operations on September 8. It informed employees by telephone on September 5 of its decision.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records indicate that MTI had a 27% out-of-service rate, somewhat higher than the national average of 22%. The company endured 21 driver injuries and 42 tow-aways over the last two years.
MTI was recently awarded the Eagle Spirit Award, which is the USPS’s highest award for mail transportation contractors. It is unclear whether there will be any disruptions to mail delivery as a result of MTI’s abrupt closure. The USPS has yet to issue any statement about MTI’s situation.
