KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A decades-old Kansas City-based company could soon bear the brunt of a decision by Ford Motor Company.
Jack Cooper Transport, founded in 1928, originally helped transport vehicles for General Motors at its Leeds Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Missouri.
In the years since, the company fostered a relationship with Ford to provide transportation services at several assembly plants across the country, including Ford's Claycomo Assembly Plant.
Industry trade outlet Freightwaves first reported Tuesday that a source close to Jack Cooper said the company is “frustrated that Ford would throw away a 40-year relationship in order to get rid of union workers and replace them with mostly nonunion carriers.”
It's not immediately clear how many Kansas City-area employees could be impacted by the potential change.
The news drew the ire of the Teamsters Union.
The Teamsters Union urged Ford “in the strongest possible terms” to reverse their decision.
"By taking steps to end its relationship with Jack Cooper, the Ford Motor Company has officially threatened the livelihoods of more than 1,400 Teamsters-represented car haul workers and their families," Teamsters Union President Sean M. O'Brien said. “Ford, a once iconic American brand, wants to boost its own bottom line by walking away from a family-owned company and into the arms of second-rate third parties that will pay workers less money and far fewer benefits to haul Ford vehicles."
The following is a statement from Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien on Ford’s threat to cancel its decades-long carhaul contract with Jack Cooper.
— Teamsters (@Teamsters) January 7, 2025
“By taking steps to end its relationship with Jack Cooper, the Ford Motor Company has officially threatened the… pic.twitter.com/9ElB7WtIQI
The transport company’s website states Jack Cooper is one of the largest privately owned auto transport and specialized vehicle logistics providers in the United States.
They have terminal operations in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, Canada, and Mexico.
KSHB 41 News reached out to Ford for comment Wednesday. The company had not yet provided a comment as of early Thursday afternoon. The company did tell Freightwaves that it does not comment "on our contracts or relationships with individual suppliers."
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