Congress is moving to put driverless 80,000-lb trucks on public roads. Plus: 13,000 California CDLs get cancelled, diesel hits a 32-year record, Florida wants $50K to get your truck back, and more.
Good Monday Morning. It’s a bad month to name your trucking company after a big cat. Top retailers grapple with a new wave of bomb threats for ransom, the I-95 corridor is now back open in less than 12 days, and a double broker shares a story about - wait for it - their ‘very responsible’ double brokering that went awry.
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In today's email:
Three Freight Headlines: Florida trucking companyfaces $100M Ponzi charges, Philadelphia's I-95 reopens rapidly, and Florida tomato growers protest a Mexico trade deal.
U.S. Retailers Face Bomb Threat Scams for Ransom
Around the Freight Web: AI in logistics, a Montana train derailment causes a leak, a truck driver's body is found after a bridge accident, plus more.
Meme of the Day
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🐔 WHAT’S COOKIN’ IN FREIGHT
🚛 Florida Trucking Firm Owner Charged with $100M Ponzi Scheme. Sanjay Singh, owner of Royal Bengal Logistics, faces charges for running a $100 million Ponzi scheme. Singh allegedly deceived investors about the profitability of his company.
🚧 Philadelphia's I-95 Reopens 12 Days After Collapse. Just12 days after a fiery gas tanker explosion caused the collapse of I-95 in Northeast Philadelphia, Governor Josh Shapiro and PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll announced the reopening of six lanes of traffic on the highway. Initially expected to take months, the repair work moved forward at an unprecedented speed, attracting national attention and increasing Shapiro's political profile.
🍅 Florida Tomato Growers Push for Termination of Mexico Trade Deal. The Florida Tomato Exchange (FTE), a trade group, is urging the US to terminate the 2019 Tomato Suspension Agreement with Mexico, arguing that it has not been successful in protecting Florida growers against perceived unfair trade practices. FTE claims that Mexican growers continue to flood the US market with low-cost tomatoes, negatively impacting domestic market conditions.
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Numerous U.S. retailers like Kroger, Walmart, and Whole Foods are currently grappling with a new wave of bomb threats linked to ransom demands in Bitcoin, gift cards, or money. The extortion attempt is an evolution of traditional scams and has been disrupting regular business operations since its emergence earlier this year. Law enforcement agencies are investigating these threats, despite the challenge of tracing the callers who use blocked numbers.
The onset of bomb threats with ransom demands began months ago and escalated in the spring, adding a new layer to the safety challenges already faced by the retail industry, such as theft and shootings. This security concern has forced several modifications in operations, including hiring more security personnel, adjusting store hours, and creating safety-focused employee teams. Various retailers, including Whole Foods and Target, have faced these threats, leading to store closures, evacuations, and comprehensive investigations.
We're wondering if these are the same scammers we have been dealing with in the freight industry? 🤔
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AROUND THE FREIGHT WEB
😑 Very Responsible Double Brokering. This is what a double broker thinks "very responsible double brokering" is...
🎙️ AI's Role in Logistics with Kevin Coomes. In the latest FreightCaviar Podcast, Kevin Coomes of Greenscreens.ai shares his insights on AI in the logistics industry.
🚂 Montana Train Derailment Causes Hazardous Leak. A Montana Rail Link train derailed and fell into the Yellowstone River, causing hazardous materials to leak.
🚚 Truck Driver's Body Found. Christopher Scott's body was recovered after his truck plunged off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
🔥 Fire at Nikola Corp HQ Under Investigation. Nikola Corp is probing a fire at its Phoenix HQ that impacted some battery-electric trucks.
FREIGHT MEME OF THE DAY
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Congress is moving to put driverless 80,000-lb trucks on public roads. Plus: 13,000 California CDLs get cancelled, diesel hits a 32-year record, Florida wants $50K to get your truck back, and more.
Oil spikes to $120 on Iran news before settling near $106. Plus: another influencer shipment gets stolen, Wyoming can now pull your truck, 24 states sue over tariffs, and more.
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