A truck driver fled after Nebraska troopers discovered $250,000 in stolen commercial speakers inside a semi. Officers also found false delivery paperwork during the Sept. 9 encounter near Gothenburg. Other merchandise filled about half of the trailer. Investigators later traced everything aboard to thefts from Illinois and New York.
The Nebraska State Patrol received an alert about suspected freight moving through the state. Around 5:30 p.m., a trooper located the vehicle parked at a truck stop. Contact with its operator revealed fraudulent shipping documents, according to the agency. Authorities placed him out of service, preventing further travel.
Search reveals cargo from two states
Troopers obtained a warrant before opening the cargo area. Miscellaneous items intended for Walmart facilities in Florida occupied one side. High-end sound equipment destined for Las Vegas filled the remaining space. Evidence connected all recovered goods to incidents in Illinois and New York.
Speakers alone carried an estimated value of $250,000. Officials have not calculated the worth of everything else. The announcement did not identify affected retailers beyond Walmart. Authorities also withheld information about each theft.
Driver remains wanted
The trucker disappeared after officers placed him out of service. NSP identified him as Ashwani Kumar through a New Jersey non-domicile commercial driver’s license. Investigators secured an arrest warrant following his departure. NSP spokesman Cody Thomas told FreightWaves he remained unaware of any arrest involving Kumar as of late Tuesday.
Officials have not named Kumar’s employer or the motor carrier operating the semi. Available records do not explain how he obtained either shipment. NSP also withheld the false paperwork’s contents. Thomas said investigators continue working the case and cannot release additional details.
Why it matters
False shipping documents can move stolen cargo across several states before anyone discovers the crime. Brokers, carriers and shippers need processes that confirm identities, paperwork and shipment details before releasing freight.
CFCO
In my opinion, CFCO training could help teams recognize false records and mismatched shipment information earlier. Consistent verification may expose warning signs before criminals take control of valuable cargo.
Click here for more articles on cargo theft and freight fraud by Phil Brink.
ICE targets truck drivers at travel stops and inspection checkpoints – FreightWaves
Nebraska troopers seize record $50M drug load from semi on Interstate 80 – FreightWaves
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Container dwell times were mixed in August, with truck-bound cargo moving through marine terminals improving while rail-destined containers remained longer at the nation’s busiest port complex.
Average local truck dwell was 2.95 days in August, down slightly from 3.03 days in July and broadly consistent with the sub-three-day levels recorded over the past year, the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association said. Rail-destined cargo dwell, however, rose to 6.75 days from 6.34 days in July, extending a period of elevated intermodal dwell at the Los Angeles-Long Beach gateway.
The increase came as the ports handled near-record 1.88 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in August. The volume total of 1,875,899 TEUs shows sustained import, export and transshipment activity even as inland rail capacity and terminal operations face pressure from traffic flows moving through the gateway.
Truck flows remain stable
The modest month-to-month decline in truck dwell suggests that local drayage operations and terminal gate activity remained relatively fluid despite the high cargo throughput.
Truck dwell measures the average time containers remain at marine terminals before pickup by local trucking providers. At 2.95 days, August’s figure was in line with the performance seen during much of the previous year, indicating that terminals continued to turn local cargo at a comparatively stable rate.
The steadiness in truck dwell is notable because the San Pedro Bay complex relies heavily on drayage to move containers to Southern California warehouses, distribution centers, transload facilities and nearby rail ramps. Maintaining dwell below three days reduces pressure on terminal yards and helps preserve appointment availability and chassis circulation.
Rail cargo faces added pressure
Rail dwell reached 6.75 days in August, a 0.41-day increase from July and a high point relative to the past year. The figure indicates that containers moving inland by rail remained at terminals for nearly a week on average before departure.
The slowdown comes after Class I carriers serving the ports, Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) and BNSF (NYSE: BRK-B), saw their network performance slow in late spring on a then-modest surge of import traffic. That lead observers to question how UP would handle the vast amount of freight it claims it would win over from trucks if its proposed merger with Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) is approved by regulators.
The divergence between truck and rail dwell highlights the importance of intermodal performance to overall cargo fluidity at Los Angeles and Long Beach. A significant share of containers arriving at the gateway is destined for inland U.S. markets, including major distribution regions in the Midwest and South, making the reliability of on-dock and near-dock rail service a key factor in terminal productivity.
Pacific Merchant Shipping Association officials said terminals and transportation providers were continuing to adjust operations as cargo patterns evolve.
“Cargo volumes moving through the San Pedro Bay ports remain strong, with truck dwell holding steady and rail dwell experiencing some additional upward movement,” Natasha Villa, senior manager of public affairs for PMSA, said. “Marine terminals, drayage providers, and rail partners are adapting to changing cargo patterns to maintain fluid operations, demonstrating the strength and resilience of our supply chain in the face of continued global uncertainty.”
The August results suggest the ports’ local delivery network has so far absorbed strong volumes without a material deterioration in truck-side performance. But the higher rail dwell figure will remain a closely watched measure for beneficial cargo owners, ocean carriers, railroads and terminal operators heading into the fall shipping period, when sustained cargo demand could further test inland intermodal capacity.
Why it matters: Rising rail dwell at the busiest U.S. maritime gateways can signal a growing bottleneck in moving imports beyond Southern California to inland markets, even when local truck flows remain stable.
Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
Read more:
U.S. container imports climb 3.8% to 2.6 million TEUs, 3rd highest monthly level
Houthi gains deepen risk as carriers restore Red Sea services
Almost 1 million TEUs in new record for this U.S. container gateway
SC Ports, Norfolk Southern expand intermodal access to Huntsville
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Amazon has temporarily suspended business with 21 Air after one of the Boeing 767-300 converted freighter aircraft operated by the contract carrier overran the runway at Miami airport on Sept. 6 and struck two vehicles, killing five people and injuring several others, FreightWaves has confirmed.
“Safety has always been our top priority, whether in our own operations or when we’re working with partners. After the tragic incident last weekend, we’ve spent time supporting the investigation and reviewing some of the surrounding circumstances, and we’ve decided to pause our operations with 21 Air, the operator of Flight 7598. We’ll continue working to support the investigation and everyone affected,” said Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel in a statement.
Although Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) indicated it has simply called timeout while authorities investigate the accident and it assesses 21 Air’s safety protocols, it’s possible that Amazon could eventually cut ties with 21 Air.
The decision to stop moving parcels and freight on aircraft operated by 21 Air will have little, if any, impact on customers, another person at the company, who asked not to be identified, said. The expectation suggests the pause could be short or that Amazon’s logistics arm will be able to rely on its existing staff to pick up the slack for 21 Air.
The Greensboro, North Carolina- based carrier has been flying for Amazon since mid-2024 and operated seven 767-300s for the retailer.
Two cargo airline executives contacted by FreightWaves said they expect Amazon to turn to ABX Air and Air Transport International, both of which are owned by Air Transport Services Group, and already operate large fleets of Boeing 767 cargo jets on Amazon’s behalf, to fill in any gaps in its network.
A former Amazon logistics executive said the retailer could have difficulty replacing the 21 Air lift by the peak shipping season, which starts in late October.
“This could just be a safety standdown while they evaluate the relationship and understand the safety programs at 21Air,” the person said. Pilots at cargo airlines are already flying more hours per day during the busy shipping period than earlier in the year, so even if carriers had extra aircraft they probably don’t have the pilots to fly them.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on Sunday that Amazon had distanced itself from 21 Air for the time being.
21 Air continues to operate four Boeing 757 narrowbody and five 767 medium widebody freighters for DHL Express. DHL did not respond to a query on Monday about whether DHL is reconsidering its relationship with 21 Air.
Amazon leases nearly all of its aircraft and supplies them to airlines that provide crew, maintenance and insurance to operate them. Severing ties with 21 Air would mean transferring the planes to another carrier, but the process of moving a group of aircraft from one airline’s operating license to another would likely take close to a year to complete, according to aviation experts. And any operator getting the aircraft would have to hire and train more pilots.
Data released by the National Transportation Safety Board showed that Flight 7598 had a more aggressive descent than normal during its approach to Miami airport, but then flattened its approach and didn’t touch down fully until a half mile beyond the runway aiming markings at 158 knots. At 23 seconds before the last recorded flight data, the pilots applied the brakes at 146 knots at the the point where most planes are using exits to the taxiway. Four seconds later, at 134 knots, the pilots finally get the third landing gear on the ground, but they are running out of pavement. The pilots push the throttle in a failed attempt at a go-around, then return the throttle to idle and reapply the brakes with the plane still going 117 knots. The plane exited the runway at 96 knots, struck a vehicle, slammed through a fence, crossed a public road and came to rest in a grassy field.
Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.
Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@freightwaves.com.
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Third-party logistics provider Radiant Logistics beat fiscal fourth-quarter expectations Monday after the market closed. A volatile trade landscape is driving demand higher for its customs brokerage and compliance services. It also flagged further tightening in the domestic truckload and intermodal markets, which will propel financial results over time.
“While these market trends are not fully reflected in our results for the June quarter, we view these developments as constructive for our domestic operations in general and our U.S. Brokerage operations, in particular,” said Bohn Crain, founder and CEO, in a news release. “If these trends continue, we believe they support a more broad-based and durable recovery for the domestic freight market.”
The report sent shares of RLGT 16% higher in early trading on Tuesday versus the S&P 500, which was down 0.2%.
The Renton, Washington-based company reported revenue of $261 million for its fiscal fourth quarter, ended June 30. The result was 19% higher year over year and $30 million ahead of the consensus estimate.
Adjusted earnings per share of 15 cents ($7.4 million) were 4 cents higher y/y and 6 cents ahead of consensus. Disaster relief shipments following typhoons in the Western Pacific drove international airfreight results higher in the period.
Radiant (NYSE: RLGT) reported adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $10.4 million, which was 31% higher y/y. The adjusted EBITDA margin improved 240 basis points to 15.5%.
The company ended the quarter with no net debt. It amended its $200 million revolving credit facility in August. The deal extended the maturity of the credit line by five years and increased the accordion feature to facilitate acquisitions from $75 million to $100 million.
Radiant recently rolled out a new independent agent program at its over-the-road and intermodal brokerage platform, Radiant Road & Rail. It’s an extension of its agent-based freight forwarding model. It gives freight brokers capacity purchasing power, access to better technology and backend support. The program also offers a pathway for owners to sell their operations to Radiant.
“We’re pleased with the early response to the program and see this as a meaningful new avenue for organic growth as we bring the Radiant model to an entirely new market,” Crain said.
Why it matters? Radiant Logistics is seeing strong international results amid a volatile trade landscape along with a meaningful tightening in both the domestic truckload and intermodal markets. The company’s enhanced debt agreement will allow it to further consolidate the 3PL space through agent acquisitions.
More FreightWaves articles by Todd Maiden:
- FedEx Freight expands CTO’s role to cover commercial strategy following CCO ouster
- Cass: TL rates jump 11% in August, freight shipments turn positive
- Hub Group warns of Nasdaq delisting notice; flags H1 operating loss
The post Radiant Logistics sees double-digit growth in FQ4, shares up 16% appeared first on FreightWaves.
This article is contributed content from an independent writer. It does not represent the views or opinions of FreightWaves or any of its subsidiaries.
Dalilah Coleman was riding with her stepfather, Michael Krause, when their car stopped for road
construction on a California highway. A tractor trailer struck them from behind, leaving the child
and her stepfather with what a lawsuit describes as catastrophic and permanent injuries. (Second
Amended Complaint, paragraphs 15 through 21 and 96 through 99.)
The lawsuit reaches beyond the driver and trucking companies. It also targets the shipper, C.H.
Robinson and the warehouse where the freight originated, alleging they failed to verify that the
carrier arriving to collect the shipment was authorized to take it.
The shipper is Conopco, d.b.a. Unilever. The plaintiffs allege that Conopco, C.H. Robinson and
United States Cold Storage lacked safeguards that should have detected an unauthorized carrier
substitution before the freight left the warehouse. (Complaint, paragraphs 39, 95 and 111.)
A family’s fight reaches Washington
Dalilah’s injuries have drawn attention far beyond the California courtroom. Her family has
advocated for legislation known as Dalilah’s Law, seeking changes intended to prevent other
families from experiencing similar crashes. “I’m fighting for the future Dalilahs out there,” her
father, Marcus Coleman, told KERO.
President Donald Trump highlighted Dalilah’s story during his February 24, 2026, State of the
Union address. With Dalilah and her father in attendance, Trump described her recovery and
called on Congress to pass legislation bearing her name that would prohibit states from issuing
commercial driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants. State of the Union transcript. On
March 18, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved a version of
Dalilah’s Law addressing commercial driver licensing, English proficiency and driver training
requirements. Committee announcement.
For Dalilah’s family, the consequences remain immediate. In written congressional testimony
dated September 1, Marcus Coleman said his daughter suffered a catastrophic traumatic brain
injury and underwent another skull surgery on August 3, more than two years after the crash.
Coleman’s congressional testimony.
While the legislative debate has focused on driver qualifications and licensing, the civil lawsuit
examines another part of the transportation process: how the truck and driver obtained the freight
in the first place.
One carrier assigned, another name on the truck
According to the complaint, Conopco contracted with C.H. Robinson to carry or arrange
transportation of refrigerated products. The shipment originated at a United States Cold Storage
warehouse in Bakersfield and was headed to a Target distribution center in Rialto. The bill of
lading allegedly identified C.H. Robinson as the motor carrier. C.H. Robinson then brokered the
load to VVS Trans. (Complaint, paragraphs 24 through 29.)
But the truck that arrived to collect the freight allegedly displayed US Jet Trans’s placards and
DOT number. The complaint alleges that US Jet’s motor carrier authority had been inactive for
nearly a year at the time of the crash. (Complaint, paragraphs 36 and 37.) The plaintiffs accuse
VVS of reassigning or double brokering the shipment to related companies and individuals.
(Complaint, paragraphs 30, 31 and 38.) The truck, driven by Partap Singh, later struck Krause’s
Toyota Corolla according to the complaint. Traffic had stopped for a construction zone.
(Complaint, paragraphs 15 through 19.)
What allegedly failed at pickup
The plaintiffs’ allegations against the shipper and warehouse focus on the moment the freight
changed hands. The complaint accuses C.H. Robinson, Conopco and United States Cold Storage
of failing to maintain “reasonable gatekeeping or safety procedures” to ensure that the arriving
carrier and driver were the ones authorized to collect the shipment. (Complaint, paragraph 39.)
The plaintiffs allege there were no adequate procedures to confirm that the person arriving was
the “properly authorized driver of the properly authorized and assigned motor carrier.” Without
that check, the plaintiffs contend, the load could be released to an unauthorized party without the
substitution being detected.
The complaint also alleges that C.H. Robinson and Conopco had contractual obligations to
confirm that the assigned carrier and driver performed the transportation and to prohibit
unauthorized reassignment. The plaintiffs claim breaches of those obligations contributed to the
substitution and the collision. (Complaint, paragraph 110.)
The claim reaches the shipper
The plaintiffs bring a claim for negligent carrier selection and negligent brokerage system
management against C.H. Robinson, Conopco and United States Cold Storage. They allege
failures both in selecting transportation providers and in preventing unauthorized load
reassignment. (Complaint, paragraphs 103 through 112.)
The allegation against the shipper is therefore not simply that its products were on the truck. The
plaintiffs contend that Conopco shared responsibility for ensuring the freight was released to the
authorized carrier and driver. That theory places warehouse procedures alongside brokerage
decisions in the lawsuit. The complaint alleges that an opportunity to detect an unauthorized
substitution existed at pickup, where the truck’s identifying information could have been
checked against the carrier assigned to the load.
These allegations represent the plaintiffs’ account, not judicial findings of fault. The complaint
alone does not establish the defendants’ duties, whether those duties were breached or whether
the alleged failures caused the crash.
But it makes the loading dock central to the plaintiffs’ case: Who verified the carrier before the
freight was allowed to leave?
The legal landscape and next steps for shippers
The Supreme Court’s decision in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II placed carrier
selection under greater scrutiny by allowing the negligent hiring claim against C.H. Robinson to
proceed despite its federal preemption defense. Supreme Court opinion.
With so much attention focused on how freight is assigned and transported, shippers are being
brought into the spotlight as well. The allegations against Conopco illustrate that scrutiny:
plaintiffs are examining the shipper’s own conduct, including the procedures used when freight
leaves the warehouse. Gaines emphasizes that shippers also have responsibilities to protect
public safety through reasonable practices within their transportation operations. The scope of
those duties depends on their role, contractual commitments and applicable law.
To help shippers address these responsibilities, Gaines published the BAVRA Standard, a
framework for assessing, selecting and monitoring freight brokers and other transportation
intermediaries. It complements her CAVRA Standard for carrier selection. See BAVRA and
CAVRA Standards here.
Gaines recommends that shippers establish written broker selection and oversight policies,
understand how their providers evaluate carriers, and assign clear responsibility for pickup
verification. Warehouse personnel should know what to check, when to hold a shipment and how
to escalate discrepancies. Exceptions should be investigated, approved and documented. Those
practices give shippers a stronger foundation for explaining how their decisions protected both
their freight and the people sharing the road.
About the Author
Cassandra Gaines is a nationally recognized transportation attorney, expert witness and
founder and CEO of Carrier Assure. She serves as an expert witness for plaintiffs and
defendants in matters involving broker liability, negligent carrier selection, transportation
industry standards and carrier vetting practices. Gaines is the author of the CAVRA Standard, a
risk based framework for carrier assessment, verification and accountability. She has spoken at
more than 100 transportation industry events and was named by Business Insider as one of the
100 People Transforming Business in North America.
Complaint source: Second Amended Complaint, Coleman v. State of California, Case No.
CIVSB2505947, Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino.
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