High gas prices are pumping up used EV sales: these are FLYING off the lot
Transportationvia Electrek
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A new car affordability crisis and punishing gas prices are driving an unprecedented number of used car buyers to consider going electric, and that increased demand without a corresponding increase in supply means these used EVs are flying off dealer lots. more…
A new car affordability crisis and punishing gas prices are driving an unprecedented number of used car buyers to consider going electric, and that increased demand without a corresponding increase in supply means these used EVs are flying off dealer lots.
The chief executive of Union Pacific says he wasn’t serious when he threatened to raise rates for shippers that didn’t support UP’s merger with Norfolk Southern. Vena, who frequently peppers his public comments with joking asides, characterized the comment made to a shippers group as “a little humor” in a message to FreightWaves Thursday over social media. “Humor is good,” Vena said. UP (NYSE: UNP) sought to keep confidential a video that captured Vena’s comments to the Southwest Association of Rail Shippers at its annual conference in Houston in March. Rival Canadian Pacific Kansas City (NYSE: CP) sought its public release, arguing that Vena’s remarks allegedly threatening higher rates for shippers opposing the merger had chilled participation in the regulatory proceeding. The Surface Transportation Board agreed and ordered its release as part of the merger evaluation process. UP released the video Thursday. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { var gptSlot = googletag.defineSlot('/21776187881/FW-Responsive-Main_Content-Slot1', [[300, 100], [320, 50], [728, 90], [468, 60]], 'div-gpt-ad-1709668545404-0').defineSizeMapping(gptSizeMaps.banner1).addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag.enableServices(); setInterval(function() { if (!document.hidden) { googletag.pubads().refresh([gptSlot]); } }, 60000); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1709668545404-0'); }); In concluding his talk, Vena said, “If we don’t do that [merge], Union Pacific will still be there. And if I stick around, which I probably will, I’ll probably increase everybody’s rates that said they didn’t want a seamless railroad by three or four extra percent to teach you a lesson. Thank you very much.” Vena told FreightWaves he wasn’t making a threat, and that some in the industry opposed to the merger took the opportunity to make more of the remark than he intended. “Supply chain costs will be less with a seamless railroad,” Vena said. Subscribe to FreightWaves’ Rail e-newsletter and get the latest insights on rail freight right in your inbox. Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { var gptSlot = googletag.defineSlot('/21776187881/fw-responsive-main_content-slot3', [[728, 90], [468, 60], [320, 50], [300, 100]], 'div-gpt-ad-1665767553440-0').defineSizeMapping(gptSizeMaps.banner1).addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag.enableServices(); setInterval(function() { if (!document.hidden) { googletag.pubads().refresh([gptSlot]); } }, 60000); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1665767553440-0'); }); Read more: STB orders Union Pacific to make alleged rate hike threat video public Intermodal leads weekly gains as US rail traffic rises 3.5%, says AAR CN 3Q profit rises 6% as freight revenue climbs window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { var gptSlot = googletag.defineSlot('/21776187881/fw-responsive-main_content-slot4', [[300, 100], [320, 50], [728, 90], [468, 60]], 'div-gpt-ad-1709668086344-0').defineSizeMapping(gptSizeMaps.banner1).addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag.enableServices(); setInterval(function() { if (!document.hidden) { googletag.pubads().refresh([gptSlot]); } }, 60000); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1709668086344-0'); }); Schneider to shift eastern rail business to Norfolk Southern from CSX The post EXCLUSIVE: ‘Humor is good,’ Union Pacific CEO says of video rate threat appeared first on FreightWaves.
The Teamsters are claiming victory for a group of “W-2” drivers at an Amazon facility in Indiana who sought representation by the union. But as with the entire Amazon-Teamsters relationship, it’s complicated. In its prepared statement announcing the “march” on the company to demand it bargain for a contract, the Teamsters said it had unionized Transportation Operations Management (TOM) workers at the OIL9 Amazon facility in Merrillville, Indiana, which is near the state line with southern Illinois. The Teamsters said that earlier it had also organized TOM workers at Amazon’s SDF9 facility in Shepherdsville, KY and the MCI9 facility in Liberty, Mo. TOM drivers move trucks within the borders of an Amazon facility. They are employed by the company, which means they get a W-2 form for tax purposes from Amazon, not a third party contractor. That is unlike the drivers who bring packages to people’s homes, the direct service providers (DSPs). Those drivers are W-2 employees of the DSPs, though the Teamsters have tried–including before the NLRB–to make the case that the control Amazon exerts over the DSPs make the e-commerce giant effectively their employer. Company pushes back Amazon said no such unionization had occurred at the Indiana facility. In response to a query from FreightWaves, Amazon released a prepared statement that said the latest declaration of victory by the Teamsters is part of a “false narrative.” The union, Amazon said, “continues to intentionally mislead the public, claiming to be the bargaining representative of Amazon employees and drivers who deliver on our behalf. Because this union has a track record of misrepresenting the facts, we’re skeptical that their claims here are accurate.” The statement ended by saying “the Teamsters are not a certified bargaining representative at a single Amazon facility.” Process known as card check The key aspect of the successful unionization drive being touted by the union is that it appears to be another Teamsters declaration of victory through the process known as “card check.” Under card check, if a majority of the workers at a company present signed cards to management from employees who say they want to be represented by a specific union, that can be a legitimate start to the process where a company recognizes a collective bargaining unit. In practice, Amazon and its direct service providers–reportedly under strict guidance from Amazon—usually ignore card check petitions. But the card check route has essentially had the backing of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) since August 2023. That month, the board handed down the Cemex precedent in a case involving Cemex Construction Materials Pacific. In an earlier NLRB action also involving the Teamsters and Amazon, Administrative Law Judge Michael Silverstein said in describing the Cemex precedent that “the (NLRB) created a new pathway for labor organizations to obtain recognition without filing a representation petition.” If a majority of the workers in a unit signs authorization cards, that unit “can present the employer with a demand for recognition,” according to ALJ Silverstein’s decision in that case that went the Teamsters’ way. The Teamsters did not respond to emails sent by FreightWaves on its latest statement about unionization. Marching on the boss In the prepared statement announcing the unionization drive, the union said its TOM drivers at a facility in Merrillville had “(marched) on the boss…to demand Amazon recognize their union and bargain a union contract.” The Teamsters has used similar language in other releases where its unionization drive had looked to card check as its route to organizing the rank-and-file, including DSP drivers. With the union avoiding using the term “card check,” the affirmation that there was not a standard NLRB-administered unionization vote in Indiana comes from the lack of any record of such a referendum on the NLRB’s webpage that lists unionization elections administered by the agency. Recent victories through elections On that page, however, there are records of five recent Teamsters elections in the last two months. The Teamsters were successful in four of them, winning at Shelby Transport in Indianapolis, DP World Contract Logistics in Detroit, Comprehensive Logistics in Philadelphia, and MV Transportation in Raleigh, N.C.. The unsuccessful vote came at U.S. Foods in Arizona. Precedent on thin ice A problem with relying on the Cemex precedent as the basis for a unionization drive is that its days may be numbered. It has taken two serious blows in recent months. NLRB General Counsel Crystal Stowe Carey sent a memorandum to NLRB colleagues in August that said she was asking the board to “revisit certain precedents.” One of them was the Cemex case. In March, in a case in the Sixth Circuit between the Teamsters and liquor distiller Brown Forman, a divided appellate court said the NLRB had exceeded its authority when it handed down the Cemex precedent, becoming the first federal court to reject the ruling. But there was no sign of that concern in the Teamsters statement heralding the union action in Merrillville. “Amazon Teamsters are proud to expand our national footprint and welcome OIL9 TOM Team drivers to our movement,” Randy Korgan, director of the Teamsters Amazon division said in the statement. “It is never easy being the first group of workers in a state to join a union, but they are displaying the courage and strength it takes to be a Teamster.” The statement also quoted TOM driver Charles Hurd as saying the company “wasn’t going to listen to us as individuals, so the only option was to join together as Teamsters. We look forward to winning our first union contract.” But as the Amazon workers at the company’s facility in Staten Island, N.Y. can tell Hurd and others–and those Staten Island employees did go through an NLRB-administered vote which was a stunning success–the road to negotiating a contract with Amazon can be long and hard. The company has not yet signed a collective bargaining contract with any union. More articles by John Kingston FMCSA’s Elison addresses Motus again, still no date on full repair TFI chief Bedard rips into its US LTL operations, promises change Transportation committee in House set for overhaul post-election The post Teamsters say they’ve organized Amazon employees in Indiana; company demurs appeared first on FreightWaves.
Cargo thieves in Mexico are increasingly targeting parked trucks, shifting operations toward the country’s industrial heartland and exploiting nighttime security vulnerabilities. “Now, in Mexico, you can’t move loads without a plan,” Luis Enrique Villatoro, president of the Mexico-based National Association of Vehicle Tracking and Protection Companies (ANERPV). Supply chain risk management company Overhaul’s third-quarter 2026 cargo theft analysis found that thefts involving parked commercial vehicles accounted for 42.2% of reported incidents, up 9 percentage points from the same period last year. “There are some [parking lots] that are more insecure than others. And the status of safe havens is changing,” said Guadalajara, Mexico-based Ricardo Malacara, sales director at Overhaul. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { var gptSlot = googletag.defineSlot('/21776187881/FW-Responsive-Main_Content-Slot1', [[300, 100], [320, 50], [728, 90], [468, 60]], 'div-gpt-ad-1709668545404-0').defineSizeMapping(gptSizeMaps.banner1).addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag.enableServices(); setInterval(function() { if (!document.hidden) { googletag.pubads().refresh([gptSlot]); } }, 60000); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1709668545404-0'); }); Thefts involving trucks intercepted while traveling declined 8.6 percentage points to 55.4% of incidents, signaling a significant shift in how criminal groups are targeting freight. The changing tactics present new challenges for trucking companies, manufacturers and logistics providers operating in Mexico, particularly those transporting goods through industrial corridors connecting central Mexico to the U.S. border. Luis Enrique Villatoro, president of the National Association of Vehicle Tracking and Protection Companies (ANERPV), discussed the findings during an Overhaul webinar examining cargo theft trends and organized criminal activity. Villatoro said carriers must increasingly focus on identifying secure parking locations, monitoring routes and adjusting operating schedules to avoid areas where organized criminal groups are active. Overhaul’s findings indicate that thefts involving parked vehicles frequently occur at high-risk roadside locations, including informal truck stops and areas associated with illicit fuel sales. The growing share of thefts at parking locations has narrowed the gap between thefts involving moving and stationary trucks to approximately 13 percentage points. Cargo theft shifts across Mexico’s industrial corridors Overhaul found that 76% of cargo theft incidents during the third quarter occurred in central Mexico and the Bajío manufacturing region. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { var gptSlot = googletag.defineSlot('/21776187881/fw-responsive-main_content-slot3', [[728, 90], [468, 60], [320, 50], [300, 100]], 'div-gpt-ad-1665767553440-0').defineSizeMapping(gptSizeMaps.banner1).addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag.enableServices(); setInterval(function() { if (!document.hidden) { googletag.pubads().refresh([gptSlot]); } }, 60000); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1665767553440-0'); }); Central Mexico accounted for 48% of incidents, while the Bajío represented 28%. The northeastern region’s share increased from 6% to 12% compared with the third quarter of 2025, while the southeastern region’s share climbed from 6% to approximately 11.5%. The State of Mexico remained the country’s largest cargo theft hotspot, accounting for 22.5% of incidents, followed by Puebla at 15% and Guanajuato at 9.6%. Together, those three states accounted for 47% of all cargo theft incidents recorded in Overhaul’s analysis. “What is happening at this moment is that they are mutating,” Villatoro said. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { var gptSlot = googletag.defineSlot('/21776187881/fw-responsive-main_content-slot4', [[300, 100], [320, 50], [728, 90], [468, 60]], 'div-gpt-ad-1709668086344-0').defineSizeMapping(gptSizeMaps.banner1).addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag.enableServices(); setInterval(function() { if (!document.hidden) { googletag.pubads().refresh([gptSlot]); } }, 60000); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1709668086344-0'); }); Other major hotspots included Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, Jalisco, Michoacán, Hidalgo, Querétaro and Tlaxcala. Villatoro highlighted San Luis Potosí as an increasingly important area of concern because of its location along freight corridors linking manufacturing centers in the Bajío to northeastern Mexico. During the webinar, Villatoro described criminal groups operating along highways connecting Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, with San Luis Potosí. He said some groups use multiple vehicles, including tractor-trailers, to obstruct highways and intercept commercial trucks. Villatoro also described how criminal organizations change operating locations when authorities increase enforcement along particular highways. He cited criminal activity shifting from the Querétaro-Celaya corridor toward San Luis de la Paz, Guanajuato, near the San Luis Potosí state border. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { var gptSlot = googletag.defineSlot('/21776187881/fw-responsive-main_content-slot5', [[728, 90], [468, 60], [320, 50], [300, 100]], 'div-gpt-ad-1665767778941-0').defineSizeMapping(gptSizeMaps.banner1).addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag.enableServices(); setInterval(function() { if (!document.hidden) { googletag.pubads().refresh([gptSlot]); } }, 60000); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1665767778941-0'); }); The changes suggest that enforcement operations may displace criminal activity to neighboring highways rather than eliminate the threat altogether. Nighttime thefts account for most incidents Overhaul’s report found that 61% of cargo thefts occurred between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., underscoring the risks associated with overnight freight operations. The period between midnight and 6 a.m. accounted for 31% of incidents, up from 22% during the third quarter of 2025. Another 30% occurred between 6 p.m. and midnight. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { var gptSlot = googletag.defineSlot('/21776187881/fw-responsive-main_content-slot6', [[728, 90], [468, 60], [320, 50], [300, 100]], 'div-gpt-ad-1665767872042-0').defineSizeMapping(gptSizeMaps.banner1).addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag.enableServices(); setInterval(function() { if (!document.hidden) { googletag.pubads().refresh([gptSlot]); } }, 60000); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1665767872042-0'); }); Weekdays remained the primary period for cargo theft, accounting for 82% of incidents. However, Saturday’s share increased from 7% to 11%, suggesting that criminal activity is becoming more widely distributed across the week. The findings highlight the importance of monitoring not only where shipments travel but also when vehicles move or stop. Food and beverage shipments remain top targets Food and beverage products continued to account for the largest share of cargo theft in Mexico, representing 32.6% of incidents during the quarter. That was an increase of 7.3 percentage points compared with the same period in 2025. Miscellaneous merchandise accounted for 8.7% of thefts, followed by construction and industrial goods at 6.4%. Electronics, alcohol and home and garden products each represented 6.1% of incidents. Theft of electronic goods increased 1.4 percentage points year over year, with televisions, computers, audio and video equipment, and electronic components among the most frequently targeted products. The growing threat to electronics shipments is particularly significant for Mexico’s manufacturing and export industries, which rely on major trucking corridors connecting factories and distribution centers to U.S. markets. Overhaul found that 94% of electronics cargo theft incidents occurred in central Mexico, the Bajío and northeastern Mexico. Five major highways accounted for 73% of electronics theft incidents, led by the Mexico City-Saltillo corridor along Federal Highway 57D, which represented 23%. The Querétaro-Zacatecas corridor along Highway 45D accounted for 18%, followed by the Chamapa-Guadalajara corridor at 16%. Unlike the broader cargo theft pattern, electronics shipments were more frequently targeted during daylight hours. Overhaul found that 42% of electronics thefts occurred between noon and 6 p.m., while 31% happened between 6 a.m. and noon. In addition, 85% of electronics thefts involved trucks intercepted while traveling, compared with 15% involving parked vehicles. Holiday shipping season could bring additional risks Villatoro also warned that increased freight activity surrounding Mexico’s Buen Fin shopping event, Black Friday and Cyber Monday could create additional opportunities for organized cargo theft. The seasonal surge in retail replenishment, e-commerce fulfillment and last-mile deliveries is expected to increase the movement of electronics, clothing, footwear, household goods and personal care products. During the webinar, Villatoro projected that cargo theft could increase between 9% and 11% during November, with delivery vehicle theft potentially rising as holiday shipments accelerate. Those figures represent projections discussed during the webinar rather than confirmed fourth-quarter results. Overhaul highlights cold-chain monitoring risks Malacara also discussed how real-time shipment monitoring can help logistics companies address risks beyond cargo theft, particularly temperature-sensitive freight. Malacara said pharmaceutical and food shipments can face quality risks when cargo is exposed to temperatures outside acceptable ranges during transportation, customs processing or final delivery. He explained that traditional temperature-recording devices may identify problems only after shipments reach their destinations. Real-time monitoring, by contrast, can alert logistics providers when temperatures begin approaching critical thresholds, allowing them to intervene before products are damaged. The same approach used to identify cargo theft risks — combining location information, operating conditions and real-time alerts — can also help shippers protect product integrity. For companies moving freight through Mexico, the broader message from Overhaul’s report is that shipment visibility alone may no longer be sufficient. “That’s why we need to be doing analysis constantly, and changing the strategy. It can’t be a static plan,” Malacara said. As criminal groups adjust their tactics and target new locations, carriers and shippers face growing pressure to integrate route intelligence, secure parking practices and continuous monitoring into their transportation operations. “Remember that it is not just putting a device on a load, it is establishing a security program,” Villatoro said. Why it matters: The changing tactics are forcing carriers and shippers moving goods through Mexico to rethink parking security, delivery schedules and route planning. The post Mexico cargo thieves shift tactics as Q3 truck parking thefts surge appeared first on FreightWaves.
