A high commission split means nothing without stability. Learn how credit exposure, factoring risk, and financial discipline impact freight agent income and why the right agency foundation matters most.
Rob Carpenter shares what the non-domiciled CDL ruling means for fleets, compliance, and rates.
Plus: Algorhythm Holdings Up 3.6x, Flexport Targets IPO, Roadcheck 2026 and more.
Mexico holds the top U.S. trade partner spot, but Trump’s 30% tariff threat looms. Meanwhile, US Foods explores a merger and safety advocates sound alarms on ELD fraud.
Happy Monday. There are mounting allegations against J&M Global Logistics and Mabe Transport, with accusations ranging from unpaid owner-operators to chameleon carrier tactics and shady lease-on practices. But the company owner fires back. We cover it all in today's feature.
Plus,
TOP LANE MOVERS POWERED BY GREENSCREENS.AI
🍳 WHAT’S COOKIN’ IN FREIGHT
🇲🇽 Mexico Remains Top U.S. Trade Partner, but Faces New 30% Tariff Threat from Trump. Mexico led all U.S. trade partners in May with $74.5 billion in total trade, driven by strong computer and auto exports. But a new 30% tariff announced by President Trump, set to potentially take effect August 1, threatens to disrupt cross-border supply chains. Citing national security and fentanyl concerns, the proposed duties on Mexican and EU imports have sparked backlash from international leaders and cast uncertainty over USMCA protections. “Mexico has been helping me secure the border, BUT, what Mexico has done is not enough,” Trump stated. Freight professionals now face mounting costs and compliance risks as frontloading and routing adjustments accelerate ahead of the deadline.
🍽️ US Foods Eyes $100B Merger with Performance Food Group. US Foods is in early talks to acquire Performance Food Group, a move that would create the largest food service distributor in the U.S. with combined sales near $100 billion. While discussions remain preliminary and nonbinding, the merger would give the combined entity 18% of the U.S. market, surpassing Sysco. The merger would reshape supplier contracts and logistics ops, but faces regulatory scrutiny. Analysts see major efficiency gains, but consolidation concerns could stall progress.
🚨 ELD Reform Urged Amid I-20 Crash and Tampering Surge. Industry voices are demanding a crackdown on ELD manipulation, after a deadly I-20 crash exposed how some foreign-made devices allow undetectable edits. Critics say FMCSA’s self-certification system enables bad actors. Demands include third-party review, audit trails, and stricter enforcement. Without reform, compliant fleets are losing ground to rule-breakers, and public safety is at risk.
Make carrier payments a strength of your back-office with OTR Solutions.
Nurture your broker-carrier relationship with best-in-class payments.
A new wave of online investigations has put Sean Mabe, owner of P & P Transport LLC (MC1713185) and J&M Global Logistics (MC1725430), at the center of intense scrutiny from independent freight watchdogs.
In a video posted by John Cantera Jr. (AKA the Double Broker Bounty Hunter) and his co-host Katelyn Price of The Heartland Freight Group, Mabe is accused of orchestrating a long-running scheme to scam owner-operators, operate without contracts, and cycle through carrier authorities to dodge enforcement.
“This is the eighth authority in 18 months that this guy has had,” said Cantera.
According to the podcast:
One driver named Tex says he was left stranded and unpaid after two weeks under Mabe’s operation, estimating he’s owed $6,000–$7,000.
Katelyn Price alleged that Mabe admitted to running for years without signed contracts, calling it both illegal and unprofessional:
“That’s some bullsh-t made-up thing he uses so that he can hold their money for an extra week,” she said of Mabe’s claim that drivers are “putting a week in the hole.”
The hosts say they’ve submitted evidence to the DOT and FMCSA and are preparing a new file for the agency’s incoming leadership.
In a separate video, freight YouTuber Axel investigates Mabe’s web of logistics companies, many with revoked or forfeited authorities. He links Mabe and associates like Cason Jones and Jordan Birden to a broader network operating under company names like:
Axel calls for a DOJ and FMCSA investigation, labeling the operation “textbook fraud.”
In a video response titled “The Truth About the Double Broker Bounty Hunter”, Mabe denies all fraud allegations, stating he’s been targeted unfairly by dishonest ex-drivers and that signed lease agreements back all business arrangements.
Mabe doesn’t hold back in his rebuttal. He:
“They’ve already been paid. Then I get a $5,000 bill.”
He ends the video by declaring he's “mastered” the industry and has multiple DOTs ready in case authorities shut one down.
“You shut my DOT down? Cool. I got three more lined up.”
— Sean Mabe, in a response video.
Whether or not regulators step in, the freight community is sounding the alarm. The advice is simple: Vet every MC. Avoid red flags. Don’t trust empty promises.
Claims mentioned in this story reflect the views of third-party sources and do not represent the position of FreightCaviar. All parties are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise.
Owning a Freight Agency allows you to do business the way you want, on your terms. But growing your Agency doesn’t need to feel like you are all alone on an island.
Trinity Logistics' Agent-focused Business Development team can be an extension of your sales efforts as well as showcase the larger corporate brand behind your Agency.
Whether building your business from scratch or growing your business, consistent business development leads to more stable and long-term success for your Agency.
See how the business development team at Trinity Logistics can help your Freight Agency continue to grow year after year.
🌎 AROUND THE FREIGHT WEB
🧀 Cheezy Mess. A truck carrying mozzarella cheese overturned in Pennsylvania on July 2, spilling product 200 yards across the roadway and disrupting traffic. Cleanup crews responded quickly; no injuries were reported.
đź“ś Broker Transparency Debate Intensifies. Industry stakeholders remain divided over broker transparency rules, with some carriers calling it a fight for fairness and others warning it's become a flashpoint that risks overregulation and unintended market consequences.
📦 Levi Strauss Closing Center. Levi Strauss will close its Kentucky distribution center, impacting 350 workers. The company cited strategic shifts and network consolidation in response to evolving retail and logistics demands.
🤔 Hair Testing Truckers? A new proposed bill by way of Arkansas aims to require hair drug testing in the FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, potentially adding a more rigorous screening method to improve safety compliance in commercial trucking.
⚡ PepsiCo, XPO Electric Freight. PepsiCo and XPO are partnering to deploy electric trucks in freight operations, the goal of delivering more than one million kilometers of electric freight annual. The collaboration supports corporate sustainability goals and aligns with emissions regulations targeting heavy-duty vehicles.
🚨 Road Safety Warning. American Truckers United issued a public warning about highway safety, citing a rise in crashes involving migrant drivers. The group is urging stricter licensing enforcement and training standards across the industry.
🎣 THE FREIGHT CAVIAR CORNER
FREIGHT HUMOR
Plus: Algorhythm Holdings Up 3.6x, Flexport Targets IPO, Roadcheck 2026 and more.
A penny stock wiped $4.8B off C.H. Robinson's market cap yesterday. Plus: self-driving trucks are now running 1,000 miles nonstop, STG Logistics cleared a major bankruptcy hurdle, the FMCSA revoked nine ELDs, and more.
Here’s what’s trending across freight and logistics on X, LinkedIn, Reddit, and YouTube.
In just three years, we have moved from an industry that relied heavily on manual phone calls and emails to one where many of us use AI to some extent to support the above.
Join over 14K+ subscribers to get the latest freight news and entertainment directly in your inbox for free. Subscribe & be sure to check your inbox to confirm (and your spam folder just in case).
