Earlier this summer, Dykema’s Danielle Behrends shared her perspective with Law360 on elevated financial distress across several industries and the importance of addressing liquidity, restructuring and operational challenges early.

Recent reporting highlights that pressure in the transportation sector: at least 16 trucking, delivery and transportation companies entered bankruptcy proceedings between late August and September 21.

The developments also echo themes identified in Dykema’s automotive research. In the 2026 Automotive Trends Report, 26% of respondents cited rising bankruptcy risks among the supply chain challenges expected to have the greatest impact on the industry. Dykema’s M&A Outlook Survey similarly pointed to supply chain resiliency as a key driver of automotive deal activity, including supplier consolidation and strategic partnerships.

For automotive companies and others dependent on complex supply chains, financial distress can extend well beyond the company experiencing it, creating potential disruption for customers, suppliers and other counterparties.

Read Danielle’s Law360 perspective and explore Dykema’s automotive research (Automotive Trends Report | M&A Outlook Survey) for more on the pressures affecting the automotive and transportation industries.