Arrow Trucking May Never Recover As Customers Move On

Jeffrey Smith, The News On 6

CATOOSA, OK -- Countless customers are also feeling the impact of Arrow's uncertain future.

Warehouse managers across Green Country are scrambling to find new companies to fill shipping orders.

Arrow was a preferred carrier for many businesses at the Port of Catoosa, which meant dozens of Arrow trucks used to load up and ship out every day.

Now, many companies are already filling the gap left in Arrow's wake. As Arrow struggles to stay solvent, many businesses are already planning for a future without them.

Carol Young of Tuluma Steel said, "It's not the truck driver's fault, it's not their families fault, it's something within their company, within the C-E-O and the upper management, that they have to work hard to try to overcome. In the meantime, the truck drivers are left without a job, and without money, and really without a Christmas. It's heartbreaking."

Many employees told the News on Six their checks have been bouncing. Some drivers haven't been paid in more than a month.

Fuel cards were cut off without warning, and drivers were stranded on highways across the country.

Inventory manager Carol Young says the damage is already done.

"I think number one they're going to lose a lot of their good drivers, a lot of their good people and it is going to be very hard for their employees to trust them again," young said. "I think that's going to be their number one thing to overcome. And their reputation, it's going to be very hard to come back from that."

Steel and Pipe Supply still has outstanding orders with Arrow.

Manager Mike Ahrens says it'll be tough for the company to bounce back.

"You don't know if you want to ship on them. If tomorrow they're going to close their doors and you don't know if you're load is going to be delivered, you're going to be hesitant to ship with them," Ahrens said.

Ahrens says Arrow's drivers were always reliable and with hundreds of them suddenly out of work, he says his heart goes out to them, so close to Christmas.

Steel and Pipe Supply used to load four Arrow flatbeds every day, but they've already filled that gap with other shippers.

Even if Arrow resumes its operations, Ahrens says they can't go backwards in time and undo those commitments. So, they might never use an Arrow truck again.