🎣 English Test

Good Wednesday morning. Trump just signed an executive order requiring truckers to pass an English literacy test...or get pulled off the road. What does it mean for the driver pool, enforcement, and freight? We break it all down.

Plus:

• 📉 Landstar Delays Earnings Results Due to $15M Fraud
• 🕵️ Truck Crash Scam Linked to Murder Case
• 🤖 UPS Cuts 20K Jobs Amid Amazon Pullback
• and more...

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🐔 WHAT’S COOKIN’ IN FREIGHT

📉 Landstar Delays Q1 Report Amid $15M Freight Fraud Impact. Landstar System has delayed its Q1 earnings release to May 13 due to an ongoing investigation into a suspected $15 million freight forwarding fraud involving one independent agent. Landstar has adjusted its EPS guidance to 90–95 cents, down from $1.05–$1.25, reflecting elevated insurance claims and the fraud's impact. The company confirmed the issue is isolated to its international freight forwarding operations. Q1 revenue reached $1.153 billion, near the upper end of prior guidance. A filing extension has been requested as Landstar reviews internal controls and accounting procedures linked to the incident.

🕵️ Staged Truck Crash Scheme Leads to Murder Charges in Federal Witness Case. Two men—disbarred attorney Sean Alfortish and Leon “Chunky” Parker—have been indicted for the 2020 murder of Cornelius Garrison, a federal witness cooperating in a widespread staged truck accident fraud in New Orleans. Garrison had been a “slammer,” deliberately crashing vehicles into semi-trucks to stage insurance claims. Prosecutors allege Alfortish paid Parker to kill Garrison, with assistance from Ryan Harris, who pleaded guilty and received a 35-year sentence. The murder is part of “Operation Sideswipe,” which has resulted in 63 indictments, primarily involving fraudulent lawsuits against trucking companies and insurers dating back to 2011.

🤖 UPS to Cut 20,000 Jobs, Close 73 Facilities Amid Automation and Amazon Pullback. UPS will eliminate approximately 20,000 U.S. jobs and shut 73 facilities by mid-2025 as part of its “Network Reconfiguration” strategy, aligning with a significant reduction in Amazon package volume. The company expects $3.5 billion in annual cost savings from these efforts. CEO Carol Tomé stated the reconfiguration targets less profitable Amazon outbound shipments. Concurrently, UPS is advancing automation, now processing 64% of volume through automated hubs. Talks are also ongoing with Figure AI to potentially deploy humanoid robots for parcel handling tasks.

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Executive Order: English-Only on the Road

In a move that’s already stirring sharp industry reactions, President Trump signed an executive order Monday requiring all commercial truck drivers to pass an English literacy test or risk being pulled off the road.

This follows actions of states like Arkansas that have passed bills to crack down on the issue.

The order revives an old federal regulation that’s been on the books for decades but hasn’t seen strict enforcement in years. Now, enforcement is the name of the game.

“This is not new,” said freight attorney Matthew Leffler. Adding:

“CDL holders have long been required to ‘read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records.’”

The difference? Starting now, drivers who fail to meet that standard can be placed out of service.

What the Order Actually Says:

• The FMCSA has 60 days to rescind Obama-era guidance that softened enforcement of the English rule.
• A driver who can’t demonstrate English proficiency during inspection will be pulled off duty.
• The Department of Transportation will increase oversight of non-domiciled CDL holders and audit state licensing patterns.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the move, calling it “a public safety issue,” and noted communication breakdowns between drivers and local officials are more common than the public realizes.

Trump’s order reads:

“Drivers should be able to read and understand traffic signs; communicate with traffic safety officers, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station personnel... This is common sense.”

Potential Impact on Supply Chain

Truckers and fleet execs are concerned the sudden policy shift could squeeze available capacity, especially during peak freight cycles.

• Werner CEO Derek Leathers said the company already tests for English proficiency but admitted “a decent percentage” of industry drivers likely do not speak English well.

“Whether you have three loads stopped or thirty, you still have freight not moving if a driver is put out of service.” – Werner CEO, Derek Leathers

• OOIDA backed the decision, citing safety:

“Basic English skills are essential,” said Todd Peters. “Truckers need to understand emergency instructions and interact with law enforcement.”

But others are asking: How will “proficiency” be measured?

“This feels like a slippery slope,” wrote 2A Logistics Co-Founder Alexander Eberhard. “What does ‘sufficient to converse’ actually mean in practice? Who decides?”

Bigger Picture: Enforcement vs. Reality

The FMCSA is already stretched thin, with a $1B budget and just 1,000 employees overseeing over 500,000 motor carriers. “Without increased resources, should we expect a different outcome?” Leffler asked. “The rule exists, the question is whether enforcement will be consistent.”

Trump’s English-only order has reignited long-standing debates in trucking: safety vs. access, clarity vs. discretion, rule of law vs. on-the-road realities.

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🌎 AROUND THE FREIGHT WEB

📉 LA Port Volumes Tanking. Shipping volume at the Port of Los Angeles is expected to drop 35% next week as China tariffs ripple through retail supply chains.

📦 Retailers Reengage China. After a pause due to tariffs, Walmart and Target have reportedly restarted orders with some Chinese factories, according to supplier statements.

🏗️ Biotech Manufacturing Surge. Thermo Fisher Scientific and Amgen announced major U.S. manufacturing investments—$2 billion and $900 million, respectively—to expand domestic capacity for biologics, pharmaceuticals, and advanced therapeutics to combat rising demand and supply chain reshoring.

🙅‍♂️ Amazon Rejects Labels. Amazon denied plans to label products with tariff cost details following White House criticism, with the company saying in a statement that this was never in consideration for any Amazon site or properties.

🚗 Trump Eases Auto Tariffs. President Trump signed an executive order offering relief from auto import tariffs. Under the order, imported automobiles are now given a reprieve from separate tariffs on aluminum and steel, a way to prevent multiple tariffs from stacking on one another.

📉 Saia Target Cut. Bank of America halved its price target for Saia after weak Q1 results. Analyst Ken Hoexter cited “a lack of seasonal rebound,” growing cost pressures, and aggressive expansion “into a stalled macro backdrop” as key concerns.

🎣 THE FREIGHT CAVIAR CORNER

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