Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based CRST International (CCJ Top 250, No. 24) is making structural changes to its Capacity Solutions unit, shuffling a limited number of assets to better-performing divisions, the company said in an email sent this week by the company to its drivers and seen by CCJ.
The company cited suppressed rates and increasingly high transportation costs in an industry that has been “particularly brutal on solo, one-way OTR van operations” for the past two years.
Jerald Kilgore, president of Dedicated Solutions at CRST, rushed to LinkedIn Wednesday night to defend his company against erroneous online reporting that it was shuttering operations.
“CRST recently made a strategic decision to reduce a portion of our one-way over-the-road capacity operations. The total reduction is approximately 200 power units (from its fleet of more than 4,300), representing less than 4% of the total CRST portfolio,” he wrote.
The move will also shift 100 trucks to other parts of CRST's business, according to CRST's website.
The family-owned company will reduce employee count in the Capacity Solutions unit, including drivers and driver support team members, with over 300 employees affected across the country. On Tuesday, it began a 60-day notice period, with any applicable benefits set to continue until early February.
The move allows the company to focus on its core lines of business: CRST Dedicated, CRST Specialized, CRST Home Delivery, CRST Brokerage, and CRST Flatbed, Kilgore said.
He added, "This change is designed to strengthen our ability to serve customers through the solutions that drive the most value, reliability, and long-term stability."
The company aims to offer affected drivers opportunities across CRST, including in the Dedicated, Specialized, and Flatbed segments, as per the email. An HR representative and career advisor will contact impacted drivers to discuss further prospects.
Team drivers and routes will move entirely to Dedicated Solutions, while select solo drivers and routes will also transition to that unit, the email noted. All remaining solo routes will be reassigned to other business units or discontinued.
CRST “remains financially strong,” Kilgore noted, adding that its Q3 2025 financial results were its strongest third quarter since 2022.
Kilgore said the company is confident its latest approach will boost CRST’s solutions.
Founded in 1955 by Herald and Miriam Smith, the company has grown significantly through several acquisitions. Recent ones including truckload service provider Gardner Transportation in 2016, final mile logistics company NAL Group in 2020, and truckload carrier BCB Transport in 2023.
When the deal was announced, CRST said BCB Transport would become part of its Capacity Solutions business.
