Road Scholar | Transport Blog's

A foodborne illness outbreak does not stop at the farm, processor, restaurant or grocery store.   Once contaminated food enters the supply chain, transportation becomes a critical part of the response. The current multistate Salmonella Javiana outbreak linked to jalapeño peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico is a good example.   The FDA and CDC report that the affected peppers were imported by Coast Citrus Distributors and distributed to U.S. distributors, restaurants and food-service companies.   As of the latest CDC update, 345 people in 27 states have been reported sick, 36 have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. For trucking companies and food shippers, the story illustrates an important reality: a recall is also a logistics event. Once a potentially contaminated ingredient has moved through multiple warehouses, distribution centers, restaurants and food manufacturers, transportation records can become the difference between a narrowly targeted recall a...

Cargo theft has always been a threat to the transportation industry.   But the latest data suggests the problem is changing in a way that should concern every shipper, carrier, broker and supply chain manager. The number of reported theft incidents can sometimes obscure the bigger story: criminals are increasingly targeting fewer shipments with much higher-value cargo. Recent reporting from Fortune and Overdrive highlights just how significant that shift has become.   The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) estimates that cargo theft costs the U.S. trucking industry as much as $6.6 billion annually — more than $18 million every day. Even more concerning, recent CargoNet/Verisk data indicates that estimated cargo theft losses in the U.S. and Canada reached approximately $725 million in 2025, a 60% increase from 2024.   Confirmed theft incidents also increased 18%, while the average value of a theft climbed 36% to nearly $274,000 per incident. That m...

For years, carrier compliance was largely viewed as the trucking company’s responsibility.   The carrier hired the drivers, maintained the equipment, managed hours-of-service records, handled DOT requirements and dealt with roadside inspections.   That division of responsibility is changing. Today, choosing the wrong carrier can create serious consequences for the shipper, even when the shipper never directly violated a trucking regulation.   A carrier with poor safety performance, inadequate insurance, questionable operating authority, weak hazmat procedures or compliance problems can turn a routine shipment into a financial, operational and reputational headache. For shippers moving chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, high-value products or other sensitive freight, carrier selection is no longer simply a matter of finding a truck at the right price.   It is a risk-management decision. Compliance Doesn't Stop at the Carrier's Office The Federal Motor Carrier S...

For years, carrier compliance was largely viewed as the trucking company’s responsibility.   The carrier hired the drivers, maintained the equipment, managed hours-of-service records, handled DOT requirements and dealt with roadside inspections.   That division of responsibility is changing. Today, choosing the wrong carrier can create serious consequences for the shipper, even when the shipper never directly violated a trucking regulation.   A carrier with poor safety performance, inadequate insurance, questionable operating authority, weak hazmat procedures or compliance problems can turn a routine shipment into a financial, operational and reputational headache. For shippers moving chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, high-value products or other sensitive freight, carrier selection is no longer simply a matter of finding a truck at the right price.   It is a risk-management decision. Compliance Doesn't Stop at the Carrier's Office The Federal Motor Carrier S...