Country Wide RV Transport (CWRV), a significant player in the RV and motorhome transportation sector and notably the second-largest provider in the nation, is reported to be ceasing operations. FreightWaves, a reputable news source covering the transportation industry, initially broke the news on October 11th, indicating the shutdown is imminent.
Figures of people representing the workforce in RV transport industry against a USA map backdrop, symbolizing nationwide RV transportation services.
Despite attempts to reach out to CWRV for confirmation, RV PRO has not received any official statement regarding the closure. The implications of this shutdown are substantial, particularly given CWRV’s role as the exclusive transport partner for the well-known RV retail giant, Camping World.
The cessation of operations will impact approximately 540 drivers currently contracted with the RV transport company, with November 1st cited as the effective date of job termination, according to FreightWaves. CWRV’s business model relies on independent contractors who utilize their own equipment, typically including a heavy-duty truck and towing gear, to deliver RVs and motorhomes from manufacturing facilities and retail locations directly to customers who have purchased them.
A significant factor contributing to this abrupt closure appears to be the financial repercussions from a recent legal battle. CWRV was the defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from an accident in 2017. In this tragic incident, a CWRV driver, operating as an independent contractor, fell asleep at the wheel, causing a collision that resulted in the deaths of a husband and wife. A Denver court jury recently ruled in favor of the victims’ family, awarding them $26.6 million in damages.
The Denver Post reported that while the driver was an independent contractor, the court determined that for the purposes of this case, he was acting as an agent of CWRV. This ruling established the company’s liability in the accident. The lawsuit, as stated by the family, aimed to instigate change concerning driver fatigue and accountability within the trucking industry, emphasizing the need for companies to ensure proper driver hour logging and to accept responsibility for their drivers’ actions while on duty.
News reports detail the accident occurring on July 4, 2017, at 2:30 PM. Mark Bollinger, the CWRV driver, driving a Dodge Ram, collided with the family’s GMC Yukon. Bollinger subsequently pleaded guilty to two counts of reckless driving causing injury and received a suspended sentence, thereby avoiding imprisonment. The financial burden from this substantial lawsuit verdict seems to have played a critical role in the decision to shut down Country Wide RV Transport, leaving a void in the Camping World Rv Transport sector and raising questions about the future of RV delivery logistics for Camping World and the wider RV industry.
