Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, March 12, 2026:
Trucking company owners sentenced in FedEx bribery scheme
Two owners of Utah-based trucking companies were sentenced last month after being found guilty in 2024 for their roles in a bribery scheme to get business from FedEx Ground.
On Feb. 3, the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah sentenced Konstantin Tomilin to three years of supervised release. As part of the judgment, the court ordered Tomilin to pay $650,000 in restitution, forfeit cash and assets totaling $3,891,650, and a $100 assessment. Another defendant, Yevgeny Felix Tuchinsky, had been found guilty of the same charges.
An investigation found that Tomilin and Tuchinsky, along with others, owned Salt Lake Trucking Group (SLTG). SLTG was comprised of several trucking companies that contracted to carry packages for FedEx Ground (FXG).
During the approximate 10-year period of the conspiracy, SLTG paid approximately $300,000 in bribes to Ryan Mower, a FXG linehaul manager. Mower used his position to game FXG's process governing the awarding of new runs and helped the co-conspirators grow their business larger than FXG allowed by submitting false information to FXG.
SLTG received about $150 million in revenue from FXG during the conspiracy’s lifetime.
Two other SLTG owners, Davor Kovacevic and Zlate Balulovski, were sentenced in 2023.
[Related: Trucking company owners, FedEx Ground manager indicted in alleged ‘pay-to-play’ bribery scheme]
Women in Trucking names Driver of the Year finalists
The Women in Trucking Association (WIT) has announced four finalists for its 2026 Driver of the Year award, sponsored by Walmart. The annual award recognizes outstanding female professional drivers who lead the industry in safety standards while actively enhancing the public image of the trucking industry.
The 2026 Driver of the Year finalists are:
- Ingrid Brown, Professional Driver/Operations Manager Refrigerated Freight, Blackjack Express LLC
- Fabiola Campos-Buenavista, City Driver & Driver Development Instructor, FedEx Freight (CCJ Top 250, No. 1)
- Gina Jones, Professional Driver, Werner Enterprises (No. 14)
- Kellylynn McLaughlin, National Transportation Driver Dump & Roll-Off, Clean Harbors Environmental Services
Brown, a native of Boone, North Carolina, has built a 46-year career in trucking defined by determination, safety advocacy, and leadership. An independent owner-operator of Rollin’ B LLC, she also serves as Operations Manager for a specialized refrigerated fleet and continues to drive for Blackjack Express LLC, hauling heavy, oversize, and refrigerated freight. A passionate advocate for highway safety, Brown serves as FMCSA’s Voice of Safety for the Our Roads, Our Safety campaign and has appeared in national PSAs, billboards, on SiriusXM, and in social media outreach. Her honors include the 2015 NASTC America’s Road Team and Woman Driver of the Year, the 2025 NASTC Ambassador of the Year, and the 2018 TA/Petro Citizen Driver Award. A charter member of WIT since 2007, Brown serves on the WIT Board of Directors.
Campos-Buenavista’s career in trucking began with determination and a willingness to learn. When she first joined FedEx Freight, she had little driving experience, yet by the age of 22, she was confidently operating an 18-wheeler, launching a career defined by safety, leadership, and service. In 2014, she became the first female Driver Development Instructor at FedEx Freight. Since then, she has trained more than 40 drivers, helping them develop the skills, confidence, and discipline needed to safely operate commercial trucking equipment. Known for her encouraging and hands-on approach, she takes pride in mentoring new drivers and helping them succeed. Today, Campos-Buenavista serves as a FedEx Road Team Captain and is actively involved in community outreach, school safety education, and disaster relief efforts.
Jones exemplifies safety, leadership, and dedication in the trucking industry. After a successful career in retail management, she earned her CDL at age 50 to join her husband, Steve, on the road. With more than 1.5 million accident-free miles, Jones has received the 2024 TA Citizen Driver Award, the Werner Safe Driver Award, and the NTA President’s Safe Driver Club Award. For Jones, 2025 was a banner year, highlighted by an invitation to speak at the White House on the real-world impacts of electric vehicle mandates. As a 2022-2023 ATA America’s Road Team Captain and Werner Road Team alumna, she mentors future drivers through school programs and recruitment. Jones and her husband proudly drive for Werner’s Operation Freedom Fleet in a specialty-wrapped truck and participate in the 50 Mile March. Off the road, she supports charitable causes, enjoys her grandchildren, and loves riding her Harley.
McLaughlin is a professional commercial driver with more than 10 years of experience in dry-van operations, driver training, specialized equine transport, and over-the-road hazardous materials, hauling with Clean Harbors Environmental Services. She previously served as WIT’s first Driver Ambassador, traveling nationwide to educate the public about the vital role of trucking and promoting career opportunities in the industry. Before becoming a driver, McLaughlin earned a degree from Oklahoma State University, served in the Peace Corps, and worked internationally for a nonprofit organization. She has served on several industry groups, including the FMCSA Women of Trucking Advisory Board (WOTAB), TAT Advisory Council, and the Travel Centers of America Women’s Safety Advisory Panel.
The winner will be announced at the Salute to Women Behind the Wheel event hosted by WIT on Friday, March 27 at the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, Kentucky.
Redwood Logistics makes another acquisition
Following its announcement last week of its acquisition of EELCO, Redwood Logistics this week announced the acquisition of Cincinnati-based Stridas, a managed transportation provider known for its data-driven optimization approach and deep expertise in consumer goods supply chains.
The move strengthens Redwood's managed transportation services with supporting commercial design depth, deeper procurement leverage and long-term customer partnerships built around measurable savings, the company said.
"The freight market is at an inflection point," said Mark Yeager, CEO, Redwood. "Shippers are tired of navigating rate volatility and fragmented providers. They now want a durable, integrated partner. Stridas’ experience and managed transportation capabilities align seamlessly with Redwood’s modern 4PL approach, enabling a more comprehensive solution for our customers.”
Stridas brings a proven commercial methodology for re-engineering freight networks from the ground up. The acquisition strengthens Redwood’s capacity to deliver continuous cost improvements and executive-level collaboration for enterprise customers.
"We built Stridas for one reason: To change how our customers think about freight," said Chris Painter, CEO, Stridas. "The shippers we work with want a partner who understands their network, finds the inefficiencies and builds a strategy around fixing them. Working with Redwood, we can now do that at scale."
The combination of Stridas' commercial design expertise with Redwood's infrastructure, cross-border capabilities and technology creates a more powerful offering for customers navigating an increasingly complex freight environment, Redwood added.
Redwood's managed transportation offering has long been powered by RedwoodConnect, its proprietary integration platform that connects carriers, customers and supply chain systems into a single coordinated ecosystem.
"Redwood's managed transportation business is built around using data and technology to make smarter decisions over time," said Steve Walton, Chief Operating Officer, Redwood. "Stridas deepens that capability and connecting it to RedwoodConnect gives customers a managed transportation experience that compounds in value the longer we work together."
[Related: Redwood Logistics expands with acquisition focused on Mexican trade]
