Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Oct. 12, 2026:
Alabama offering hurricane-relief haulers tax relief
With Hurricane Isaias bearing down on the Gulf Coast, the Alabama Department of Revenue is easing the tax burden for truck drivers providing disaster relief.
Alabama Commissioner of Revenue Mary Martin Mitchell issued an order Thursday, Oct. 8, temporarily suspending the requirements associated with the International Registration Plan (IRP) and International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) for any motor vehicle engaged in interstate disaster relief efforts that will be traveling through the state as part of the disaster relief.
The order still requires vehicles operating in the state to have valid registration and insurance from its base state. Vehicles must also operate within posted weight limits on bridges and like structures, the order added.
The order is effective for 30 days.
Two found guilty in cargo theft scheme
Two Indian nationals were found guilty by a jury last month of conspiring to steal cargo from warehouses across Southern California by buying or fraudulently using legitimate trucking companies to bid on authentic shipping contracts, picking up the loads, and never delivering them to their destinations.
Arshpreet Singh, 28, of Sacramento, and Vikramjeet Singh, 31, of Fontana, were found guilty of one count conspiracy to commit theft from interstate or foreign shipments. Arshpreet Singh also was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The Singhs were part of so-called “Singh Organization,” named by the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department when 12 members were charged last fall.
According to evidence presented at a seven-day trial, from March 2024 to June 2025, Arshpreet Singh and his co-conspirators purchased or fraudulently used real trucking companies to bid on authentic shipping contracts. After winning the bids, the defendants and others took possession of the cargo but stole it rather than deliver it to the correct destination.
The stolen cargo was often high-value electronics such as televisions and laptops, appliances and other high-value consumer goods. Other items stolen during the conspiracy included vacuums, LED lights, shoes and tires, with an estimated loss of at least $2 million.
The thefts occurred across Southern California, including in Fontana, Vernon, Santa Fe Springs, Perris, City of Industry, Long Beach, Compton, Commerce, Pico Rivera, Chino, and Moreno Valley, as well as in Grand Prairie, Texas.
The defendants purchased established trucking companies to further their scheme. For example, in March 2024, Arshpreet Singh met with the owner of a Texas-based carrier named Z&F Transportation LLC to purchase the company for approximately $22,000. Later that month, a co-conspirator, on behalf of Z&F Transportation LLC, picked up a load of televisions in Fontana and never delivered it to its intended destination in Florida.
In May 2024, co-conspirators purchased a company named Skyways Trucking LLC and then used it to steal laptops, televisions, solar panels and other items. Co-conspirators booked loads through brokers such as Uber Freight, picked up loads, then did not deliver the loads to their intended destinations.
Vikramjeet Singh was acquitted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
United States District Judge Anne Hwang, in the Central District of California, scheduled sentencing hearings for Jan. 20, 2027, at which time Arshpreet Singh will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, and Vikramjeet Singh will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
[Related: Cargo theft ring busted in Southern California]
Virginia receiving grants to improve I-81 congestion
Two grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation totaling nearly $90 million will fund capacity and safety upgrades along 325 rural miles of I-81 in Virginia.
Transportation Secretary announced last week that Virginia’s Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) will receive two Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loans totaling up to $89.7 million from the Build America Bureau.
The projects will:
- Add dedicated truck climbing lanes in Washington County and Augusta County, allowing slower-moving heavy trucks to climb steep hills without blocking passenger cars
- Fix dangerous merging bottlenecks by extending exit ramps in Wythe County and adding merge lanes around Wytheville to give drivers more room to speed up or slow down safely
- Replace aging bridges over Peppers Ferry Road and the I-81 northbound bridge over I-77 to guarantee long-term corridor reliability
“President Trump understands strong roads mean strong supply chains—that’s why he is investing in big, beautiful upgrades along the I-81 corridor in Virginia,” Duffy said. “By upgrading the commonwealth’s transportation infrastructure, reducing dangerous bottlenecks, and separating freight and passenger traffic, Virginia families and freight will move more safely and efficiently across the entire Mid-Atlantic region.”
The package supports Virginia’s $4 billion I-81 Corridor Improvement Program, which is projected to generate $5.2 billion in economic activity, supporting regional growth and job creation. Construction on many projects is already underway, with completion slated for late 2035.
“As a vital commercial corridor not only for Virginia but the entire East Coast, additional travel lanes, new bridges and interchange improvements are enhancing safety and reducing congestion on I-81,” said Virginia Transportation Secretary Nick Donohue. “The TIFIA loans will help Virginia stretch its transportation dollars and continue building the interstate corridor all travelers deserve.”
