A Morecambe haulage company which closed after more than 60 years in business came under “immense strain” after losing a significant number of drivers in the years following Brexit, its administrator has said.
According to Motor Transport, JM Gorry & Son ceased trading in July after FTS Recovery was appointed to handle the company's affairs.
The White Lund-based haulier, which was founded by Mick Gorry in 1962, had become one of Lancashire's longest-established transport operators.
As previously reported by the Lancashire Telegraph, the company entered administration following the death of its managing director, John Gorry, who died unexpectedly in June aged 82.
A report to creditors by administrator FTS Recovery has now provided further details about the circumstances leading to the company's closure.
According to the report, the company had traded successfully for decades and remained profitable despite a series of challenges affecting the haulage industry.
However, in recent years it lost a “significant number” of drivers.
FTS said around 10 drivers returned overseas after the UK left the European Union.
The administrator also cited increased legislation and regulation, including additional training requirements under the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC), as well as the retirement of long-standing drivers.
FTS said the loss of drivers placed an “immense strain” on the business.
At times, the company did not have enough drivers to operate all of its vehicles, while recruitment proved difficult amid similar pressures across the haulage industry.
The company subsequently reduced the size of its fleet.
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However, according to the administrator, JM Gorry & Son needed to operate around 30 lorries continuously in order to break even.
The business also increased wages in an effort to retain staff, but this placed further pressure on its profitability.
Accounts showed the company recorded a net loss of just under £19,000 for the year ending October 2024.
That loss increased to around £65,000 in 2025.
The administrator said discussions between John Gorry and FTS Recovery had already been taking place before his death.
Following his death, his son and remaining sole director, Shaun Gorry, continued discussions with the insolvency practitioner.
The company eventually ceased trading on July 17.
A total of 24 employees were made redundant when the business closed.
At its peak, JM Gorry & Son employed around 70 people and operated a fleet of 50 HGVs.
FTS said the company had adapted to changes in the industry over the decades and had remained profitable despite “major setbacks”.
The closure brings an end to more than six decades of trading for a business that had become a familiar name in Morecambe's haulage industry.
The company's history dates back to 1962, when it was founded by Mick Gorry.
The business subsequently operated from the White Lund Industrial Estate, serving customers across the North West and beyond.
The administration process is continuing, with FTS Recovery handling the company's affairs.
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