🎣 Sinaloa Cartel

Happy Monday. The Sinaloa Cartel is hijacking trains in the U.S., stealing millions in cargo in under 15 minutes. We are breaking it all down in today's feature story.

Plus:

• 📈 English Mandate Could Shrink Driver Pool
• 🤔 Truckstop CEO Swap Sparks Criticism
• 🇨🇦 Cargado Expands with Real Cross-Border Rates
• ... and more.

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🍳 WHAT’S COOKIN’ IN FREIGHT

📈 Truck Driver Hiring Rises, But English Mandate Could Shrink Driver Pool. Truck transportation jobs in the U.S. have climbed year-over-year for the first time since 2023, signaling modest labor market recovery despite industry headwinds. However, a looming enforcement of English literacy requirements, reinstated by a Trump executive order in April, threatens to offset that gain. Mexican officials report drivers are already receiving warnings in Texas, with only 30% of cross-border truckers meeting literacy standards. “If they follow through... this will lead to a collapse in the economy,” warned Alfonso Millán Chavez. While hiring grows, stricter language rules could limit available drivers, especially in cross-border freight, deepening capacity and labor challenges.

🤔  Truckstop Faces Criticism as Founder Returns; What Would You Do? Following CEO Kendra Tucker’s departure, Truckstop founder Scott Moscrip has returned as interim CEO, prompting industry-wide reflection. Critics like Ryan Schreiber cite stagnation and misaligned acquisitions, while others, including Peter Maxwell and Tim Higham, argue accountability rests with Tucker. Jin Stedge proposed solutions: AI dispatching, broker TMS integrations, and a free carrier tier. Though some are against the use of AI because it takes away from the humanistic connection within the transaction. Others expressed their displeasure with the current degraded product support, notably RMIS, and called for internal restructuring. Many believe Moscrip has one last chance to stabilize the company before deeper damage occurs to the brand and relevance. You can leave your thoughts on what you would do if you were Truckstop’s CEO in our FreightCaviar Forum.

🇨🇦 Cargado Expands into Canada with Cross-Border Market Rates. Cargado has officially launched support for U.S.–Canada and Mexico–Canada freight, building on its original Mexico focus. The platform now lets brokers quote and cover cross-border loads using real pricing data from over 40,000 carrier bids. Their new Market Rates tool gives percentile-based rate insights, especially useful for Mexico RFPs. Carrier access remains invite-only and free, with performance tracking in place. The move reflects growing demand for freight across the North American trade corridor and eliminates the need to build separate teams for Canada coverage.

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"Grand Theft Cargo:" Cartel Hijacks BNSF Trains

Since March 2024, gangs linked to the Sinaloa Cartel have pulled off at least 10 high-value heists targeting BNSF trains in California and Arizona, walking off with over $4 million in goods like Nike sneakers, gaming headsets, and electronics.

“These aren’t crimes of opportunity. These are highly coordinated hits,” said a BNSF spokesperson.

How It Works

• Thieves force trains to stop by cutting brake lines or triggering emergency halt mechanisms.
• Once halted or slowed, crews of masked men climb onto railcars, break locks, and throw cargo into waiting getaway vans.
• The whole thing happens in under 15 minutes, fast enough to avoid law enforcement but damaging enough to delay or cancel full train runs.

Law enforcement has made several arrests, including alleged ringleaders, but the thefts continue. And BNSF isn’t the only one getting hit.

Who’s Behind It

The Sinaloa Cartel is one of the world’s most powerful criminal organizations, historically known for drug trafficking, but increasingly diversifying into logistics disruption and cargo crime.

• Based in northwest Mexico, the cartel operates a sprawling network across the U.S.-Mexico border.
• According to investigators, they are funding and organizing U.S.-based crews to pull off precision rail heists.
• The loot? Easy-to-resell, high-value goods that can be trafficked or flipped on domestic black markets.

🎣 Fentanyl’s Freight Playbook

The fentanyl pipeline is the dark mirror of global logistics: lean, fast, and deadly. And while freight fights inefficiency, the cartels are mastering scale.

FreightCaviarAri Levy

Cargo Theft Is Surging

Across all six Class I freight railroads, cargo theft losses topped $100 million in 2024, with over 65,000 theft incidents reported, a 40% spike year-over-year.

And only 10% of cases result in arrests.

Railroads have ramped up security, using drones, motion sensors, and AI detection software, but the cartel’s tactics keep evolving.

Trains are supposed to be the backbone of America’s freight network. But right now, they’re bleeding inventory, and the industry will feel the pain, one claim or canceled load at a time.

Sources: Business Insider | Association of American Railroads | Latin Times |Border Report | CargoNet

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🌎 AROUND THE FREIGHT WEB

📉 IWX Freight Driver Layoffs? Reports suggest IWX Freight may lay off all their drivers and transfer them to WFX, despite saying nothing of the sort would happened. The company has not confirmed details, though voices through the grapevine are whispering on the potential change.

📃 FMCSA Drops DEI Rules. FMCSA removed DEI and climate provisions from CDL grant criteria, shifting focus strictly to safety and enforcement.

🚨 Drug Bust on I-70. Geary County authorities seized 3,280 pounds of marijuana and 260 pounds of cocaine from a commercial vehicle during a traffic stop on I-70 in Kansas. The estimated value was approximately $4 million. Two men from California were arrested in this incident.

🚢 Import Volumes Near Pre-Downturn Levels. U.S. international container import volumes have nearly returned to Liberation Day levels. “We expect volumes in the coming weeks to continue to increase,” said Craig Fuller on X.

⚡ CH Robinson, Ikea Test EVs. CH Robinson, Ikea, and others have joined a coalition to pilot heavy-duty electric trucks along US I-10 between Los Angeles and El Paso. This coalition will be led by Smart Freight Centre, a group focused on climate change within the freight industry.

🚢 Ocean Rates Surge 88%. Ocean freight rates have jumped 88% from the Far East to the U.S. East Coast as shippers rush to move goods while tariffs are currently low during the current 90-day window.

📊 2025 Freight Priorities. Shippers and carriers are aligning on 2025 priorities, citing cost control, capacity planning, and technology adoption as key concerns as persistent economic uncertainty and shifting supply chain expectations continue to ravage the industry.

🎣 THE FREIGHT CAVIAR CORNER

• Freightjobs.co: HaulPay is seeking a Customer Success Manager fluent in both English and Spanish to join their team. Apply now.
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