Philadelphia area logistic companies lay off 188 workers, some citing Amazon contract cancellations

Three Philadelphia area logistics and third-party delivery companies have notified Pennsylvania that they are letting go collectively of 188 workers.

Two of the companies cited terminations of contracts with Amazon as the cause.

CJB Logistics LLC, a delivery service provider on Elmwood Avenue in Philadelphia, said 101 layoffs would begin Nov. 16 due to Amazon not renewing a contract.

CJB, with a total payroll of $2.5 million as of this year, is based in Chadds Ford. Representatives of CJB could not be reached for comment.

6ABC mentioned CJB in a 2024 story about how Amazon was facing more scrutiny for the driving safety of delivery service providers (DSPs), who are outsourced to deliver goods. A South Philadelphia woman had sued CJB and Amazon after a delivery driver allegedly ran into her while she was using a crosswalk. The case settled earlier this year, according to court records.

Trujacodi Delivery Express said it let go 42 employees Sept. 12 from a Grant Avenue, Philadelphia, location. The company said it had permanently ceased operations as a DSP for Amazon.

The number on the Trujacodi website would not connect, and a company representative could not be reached.

Dannea DeLisser, a spokesperson for Amazon, said in a statement that Trujacodi and CJB Logistics, “are both exiting the Amazon Delivery Service Partner program.”

“We’re actively working to help connect employees from both companies with other Delivery Service Partners in the region,” DeLisser said.

The layoffs at CJB and Trujacodi are the most recent impact from Amazon’s severing relationships with third-party services.

In June, as previously reported by The Inquirer, nearly 300 delivery-service contractors were notified of a layoff at a Burlington City company when Amazon announced it was shutting down a logistics pilot program that partnered with nascent delivery companies for same-day delivery using Kia Soul vehicles.

The employees of KRP Transport LLC, based in Burlington City, are set to be laid off Sept. 25. Among them are two dispatchers and 196 delivery associates.

The workers provide “last mile delivery of packages,” according to the layoff notice. KRP is part of Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner program, which outsources package delivery services.

Separately, National Fulfillment Services LLC informed the state that it was closing its facility on Commerce Drive in Aston because of “changing business needs.” As a result, 45 employees will be laid off on Nov. 15.

The company has no association with Amazon.

National Fulfillment Services began as a software consultant in the 1970s by a former Sperry Univac programmer, according to its parent company’s website. It adapted its system to provide “end-to-end fulfillment solutions” by combining data analysis with warehousing and distribution for third parties.

National Fulfillment Services is part of the Metro Supply Chain Group, a privately held Canadian third-party logistics employer.

Metro said in a statement to The Inquirer that the layoffs are the result of an evaluation of its U.S. fulfillment network.

“As part of a strategic restructuring of our U.S. operations, we have made the decision to close our facility in Aston,” the statement said. “This decision follows a thorough review and was influenced by a sustained decline in volumes at the Aston location, as well as broader shifts in the fulfillment sector.”

The company said it is consolidating operations across remaining facilities to enhance efficiency and improve service.

“Our top priority during this transition is to support the employees impacted by this change, and we are committed to assisting them through this period,” the statement said.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include a statement from the parent company of National Fulfillment Services.