Welcome to the WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Newsletter presented by Chevron Renewable Energy Group. In this issue, cargo theft in Memphis, truck stop dating, trucker health and more.
Chevron Renewable Energy Group provides liquid fuels to help power the lower-carbon energy journey — with leading-edge quality, go-to-market agility, lower-carbon solutions and strategic partnerships. Visit regi.com today.
Thieves target Nike truck in Memphis
Fox 13 Memphis
Brazen — Monday evening three men targeted a Nike truck stopped at a stoplight in Memphis, Tennessee. Fox 13 reports, “Investigators said the robbery happened just a few feet away from the Nike logistics center on New Frayser Boulevard.”
“It was the craziest thing I’d ever seen.” – Charles Moore
Charles Moore, a local Lyft driver, caught the action firsthand as he had just dropped off a passenger near the Nike facility. Three men in a Ford F-150 pulled up behind the Nike truck at a stoplight, where they popped the seal of the container and began unloading boxes of sneakers into their vehicle.
According to Moore, the semitruck driver seemed completely unaware of the brazen robbery. Fortunately, he followed the driver and let him know what had just happened. Moore also took pictures of the incident and shared them with the victim’s trucking company. He received a thank-you from the president of the trucker’s company.
Investigators are still looking for the suspects.
Fox 13
Not the first time — Nike has been a hot target for thieves in Blues City. In February of last year, a group of thieves entered a Memphis warehouse where they stole 10-20 boxes of Nikes.
According to Fox 13, “Employees surround the robbers and one even tries to hit them with a broom, but one of the thieves pulled out a gun.” Unfortunately the thieves got away and the crime remains unsolved.
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Just after Labor Day in 2022, cargo thieves stole over $800,000 worth of Nike sneakers and apparel after breaking into more than 20 trailers at the company’s distribution center located on Shelby Drive and Lamar Avenue.
Earlier this year Nike was hit with a train robbery, where $50,000 worth of sneakers were stolen from a box car. According to WKRN, “A day later a concerned citizen submitted an anonymous tip stating that several cases of Nike shoes were stolen.” In that case, nine were arrested for the thefts at the CSX facility.
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It’s not just Nike — I asked my network of truckers, freight brokers and logistics professionals what their experiences in Memphis have been. The responses didn’t paint a pretty picture.
“We ran a straight truck from NC to Memphis twice per week. Our drivers would unload then drive 30 mins back home before finding a motel. No staying in Memphis.” – X user @recomms
Joseph Daniel at Gego Tracking Solutions – I had a driver deliver in Olive Branch MS my first year in freight, had what I was told could be bullet holes in his trailer upon arrival at the consignee
Ryan Ruppel at SUNTECKtts – Driver had his trailer broken into while he was in the truck parked in the shipper’s lot. He did let me know that he wasn’t worried about it…he shoots back.
Adam Patton at Steam Logistics – My driver was murdered last Thanksgiving at the Love’s by the airport. I advise my drivers to not stop unless you have to.
Sound off — What’s your experience with running cargo through Memphis? Email me.
Fitness is truckers’ No. 1 issue, according to ATRI
ATRI
Shipping shape — Move over truck parking; fitness is top of mind of mind with drivers. According to a new survey by ATRI, 42.2% of women and 30.2% of men consider no and/or limited access to exercise facilities their biggest issue.
Mark Manera and I have been doing our own work to help shine a light on this via our Squats Across America Challenge. Thank you to everyone who has done their 10 air squats and tagged us online. They’ve been amazing. Take a look!
Get to squatting, get to tagging us and get to inspiring our community to get up and get moving this summer.
This is the greatest argument you’ll ever see for truck drivers wearing Crocs
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Lowlight of the week
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Can you find love at Love’s?
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Truck stop romance — The other day X poster Hickman suggested that single men across the country start driving around the U.S.A. and start looking for steady girlfriends at truck stops.
That got me curious. Can love be found at Love’s? So, I asked my network. Here’s what you had to say:
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Have you found love at a truck stop? Email me your story.
Rate The Strap Work shirts have arrived
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WTT Friday
Bipartisan bill to fight freight fraud — This Friday on WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, I’m joined by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association’s Lewie Pugh to talk about two of the biggest issues facing trucking: freight fraud and Environmental Protection Agency regulations. We’ll find out what OOIDA is doing to get drivers’ voices heard on this issue.
Did the RXO-Coyote purchase kick off a summer of M&A? We’ll catch up with Craig Decker at Brown Gibbons Lang & Co. to find out how these next few months will play out.
Thomas Kowalski at CtrlChain is achieving truly integrated logistics without the headache.
Plus, latest news, weirdness and trends.
Catch new shows live at noon EDT Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on FreightWaves LinkedIn, Facebook, X or YouTube, or on demand by looking up WHAT THE TRUCK?!? on your favorite podcast player and at 5 p.m. Eastern on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Trucking Channel 146.
Now on demand
Uber Freight and Aurora team up on autonomous Drivers-as-a-Service
The rest of the noise
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Don’t be a stranger,
Dooner
