J&R Schugel Taking Over Portion of Kraft's Fleet, Drivers

Kraft Foods, based in Northfield, Illinois, announced in April a plan to eliminate its fleet of 200 tractors and 700 trailers at 10 U.S. locations by the end of the year. The company said it would work with its carrier partners to take over the affected routes.

“Some of these drivers used to drive for us before they went over to Kraft, and they were the first ones to call us when Kraft announced their plans to cut jobs,” said Leah Shaver, director of human resources for J&R Schugel, which also is based in New Ulm.

“This is a safe, loyal and dedicated fleet, and we couldn’t be more excited to have them back on our team,” Shaver said of former Kraft Foods drivers, some of whom have more than 1 million miles of safe driving experience.

J&R Schugel began hauling for Kraft in the 1980s, when the carrier added refrigerated service to its dry van truckload business. The company operates a fleet of 600 power units, with more than 1,000 trailers, and maintains driver terminals in New Ulm, Columbus, Ohio and Tomah, Wisconsin.