TULSA, Okla. – – Happily, Santa Claus will not have to go far to get a lump of Oklahoma coal to put in the stockings belonging to the apparently scrooge-hearted bosses at Arrow Trucking.

On Tuesday morning, the 200 or so head-office employees were told to pack up their desks and go home. They were laid off.

Not an uncommon occurrence, particularly during these hard economic times.

But the company didn’t tell its drivers they were being put out of work.

For the people pulling Arrow’s 1,400 flatbeds and 2,600 vans, the company just pulled the plugs on their fuel cards and the drivers were left stranded, wherever they were, across the U.S.

There was no announcement, the company website has been taken down.

When todaystrucking.com phoned Arrow’s office for an explanation, the message on the machine instructed drivers of Freightliners and Kenworths to turn their rigs into the nearest dealers, and that the dealers would help them get bus tickets home.

Drivers of Internationals were told to call back later, for more information.