Former drivers and employees of Tony’s Express claim that financial mismanagement by new owner John Ohle caused the collapse of the 70-year-old trucking company.
Tony’s Express, based in Fontana, California, ceased operations on March 28 after Ohle and others sent multiple text messages beginning on March 24, notifying employees that trucking would be halted the following day “due to a truck insurance issue.”
In a subsequent message dated March 25, Ohle stated that the company was “still troubleshooting our current insurance issue and require that all employees remain off” the next day. Employees were never called back to work.
Two weeks post-closure, drivers, warehouse workers, and office staff have yet to receive their last paychecks and compensation for their accrued paid time off (PTO), with some waiting on multiple bounced checks. Medical coverage ended two days after the shutdown.
Ohle, in an interview shortly after the closure, expressed that “the current market just didn’t support our ability to operate and be a profitable company, and the cost of fuel in California made it very difficult.” He mentioned that discussions for partnerships or takeovers fell through at the last minute, leading to a sudden decision to shut down. Although he intends to ensure that Tony’s Express employees are compensated, he did not specify a timeline.
A source indicated that Ohle was aware of the company’s impending closure as early as March 22. Reportedly, Tony’s Express was involved in a recourse agreement with the factoring company eCapital, which led to a considerable financial burden when eCapital could not collect on outstanding invoices. Furthermore, sources allege that Ohle began negotiating to take over another trucking and brokerage firm just a day after Tony’s closure.
Before the sale to Ohle in March 2023, Tony’s Express was a family-run business with over 200 employees, including about 90 truck drivers. In the preceding months, employees experienced issues with their fuel cards and bounced paychecks following a shift from direct deposit to paper checks.
