LINCOLN HEIGHTS, Calif. — It's never easy to lose your job, but it’s especially hard during the holiday season.

Kevin Poullard has been a truck driver for 15 years. For the last year he’s been driving for Universal Intermodal Services, based in Fontana.

RELATED | Truck Drivers Struggle During Industry-Wide Shortage

It's just days before Christmas and Poullard is without a job, relying on unemployment.

He’s not the only one.

“I feel for everyone you know because we’re all working men out here trying to do the best we could for our families, so I feel for all of them,” said Poullard.

Teamsters Local 848 says as many as 70 truckers have been let go by the parent company Universal Logistics Holdings.

Poullard believes the mass terminations stem from their recent attempt to unionize. He was sacked before the union could negotiate a contract to protect him.

The termination letters many of the drivers got provided several reasons including simply having less goods to transport.

Even though Poullard was let go before he could officially join Local 848, the union drove the entire family to Lincoln Heights for their holiday toy drive. Both of his kids got to take home a sack full of toys.

Poullard’s wife is a stay-at-home mom so he’s looking hard for work. One thing is certain: the kids are going to have a good Christmas.

Spectrum News 1 reached out to Universal Logistics Holdings for comment and received the following statement from Executive Vice President & COO of Transportation Tim Phillips:

"Given the dynamic nature of the transportation industry, our companies continue to make strategic business decisions – some growth-related and some efficiency-related – as part of marketplace fluctuations. In addition to making several key intermodal-related acquisitions this year, we have also streamlined some of our operations."