Wisconsin trucking company, affiliate brokerage file for bankruptcy

A Merrill, Wisconsin, trucking company and its affiliate brokerage business have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Elite Carriers and ECI Inc. filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin on Wednesday.

The businesses join three additional companies owned by Kirk Ecklund to file for bankruptcy protection: KLE Equipment Leasing, Olson Equipment Leasing and Wausau Office Space.

According to the bankruptcy filing obtained by FreightWaves, Elite Carriers owes $1 million-$10 million in liabilities to one to 49 creditors. The company has $1 million-$10 million in assets.

Likewise, ECI owes $1 million-$10 million in liabilities to one to 49 creditors and also has $1 million-$10 million in assets.

Top creditors for Elite Carriers are Pathward in Franklin, Tennessee, and Plymouth Lubricants in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Amounts owed on both of these claims are listed as unknown. 

ECI’s top creditors are Peoplenet Communications Corp., located in Dallas, claiming $45,238; Trimble Transportation, located in Dallas, claiming $34,634; and EMH of Larsen, located in Neenah, Wisconsin, claiming $24,900.

According to SAFER data, Elite Carriers employs 29 drivers and operates 28 power units. The interstate transport hauls general freight and paper products.

Over the past two years, Elite Carriers has been involved in four crashes, one of which reported an injury.

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