Trucking news and briefs for Friday, June 5, 2026:
Volvo enhances over-the-air update process
Volvo Trucks is taking its remote programming service to the next level with the introduction of unattended over-the-air software updates.
The new capability is a unique advancement in the heavy-duty trucking industry, the company said, expanding how fleets manage software and helping keep vehicles up to date without interrupting operations.
“We are always striving to maximize our customers’ uptime, and this is an important milestone,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president, Volvo Trucks North America. “Drivers will be able to start a software update, lock the truck and walk away, whether that’s for a break or at the end of the day, and return to an updated vehicle. It’s a simpler way for fleets to keep trucks current without interrupting operations.”
The new feature is possible with Volvo Trucks' new, connected 24-volt platform in North America. It allows updates to run overnight, during driver breaks, or while trucks are parked, without requiring drivers to remain with the vehicle. The new feature will be launched later this year.
The expansion of over-the-air updates has enabled more than 80% of connected Volvo trucks operating on the latest software and a 24% reduction in unplanned stops. These updates enable continuous improvements to critical systems such as engine performance, transmission, and battery management.
“While this type of functionality is becoming standard in the passenger car industry, its impact is significantly greater in trucking, where vehicles are in operation for eight to eleven hours a day. Any time saved directly translates into increased productivity for our customers,” added Voorhoeve.
Volvo Trucks completed more than 18,000 over-the-air software updates in May, with systems capable of dispatching up to 10,000 updates per day across its connected fleet.
Legislation to codify car haulers’ warning-flag exemption introduced
A coalition of trucking advocates is backing new bipartisan legislation aimed at permanently cutting red tape for auto transporters by eliminating a rule requiring warning flags on extended loads.
The American Trucking Associations’ Automobile Carriers Conference on Thursday applauded the bill, introduced by Sens. Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska) and Gary Peters (D-Michigan), along with Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Michigan). The measure would remove the requirement for stinger-steered automobile transporters to display warning flags on vehicles that overhang the back of a trailer.
Under the 2015 FAST Act, the allowable rear overhang for these transporters increased from 4 feet to 6 feet. However, standard federal regulations still require warning flags on any cargo extending past 4 feet.
Industry leaders argue the flags are redundant and risk damaging new cars.
"The vehicles we transport, by their very nature, meet federal conspicuity requirements," said Brian Suhre, executive vice president of Cassens Transport, noting that manufacturers prohibit attaching items to vehicles during transit. "This solves multiple problems and preserves highway safety."
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration previously granted a five-year waiver from the flag requirement in 2019 and renewed it in 2024, citing no adverse impacts on highway safety.
"Modern vehicles already have reflective safety features, such as taillights and headlights, so warning flags are entirely redundant," said Mike Matousek, director of the ATA’s Automobile Carriers Conference.
Barrett successfully folded the provision into the BUILD America 250 Act, which cleared the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee last month.
[Related: Car haulers allowed to continue skip warning-flag requirements]
Eight charged in $5M cargo theft ring
Eight individuals have been indicted for allegedly conspiring to impersonate trucking companies in a retail theft ring in the Northeast.
The defendants allegedly used fraudulently obtained shipment information of real carriers and brokers, impersonated the legitimate companies, and stole nearly $5 million in goods from logistics sites in Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jersey. The stolen goods were then diverted to New York City for sale on the black market, according to a release from the Manhattan District Attorney.
The eight individuals were charged with one count of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and varying counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree. Other charges in the indictment include Grand Larceny in the First and Second Degrees and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the First and Second Degrees. The individuals charged were:
- Murodullo Khasanov
- Nodir Kobilov
- Shavkatbek Mamadjanov
- Rakhmiddin Abdullaev
- Aleksey Vorobyev
- Nizom Ismoilov
- Doston Mardoev
- Dilshod Nabiev
“We allege these defendants operated a wide-ranging and brazen, multimillion-dollar interstate retail theft conspiracy that impacted businesses and consumers around the country,” said District Attorney Alvin Bragg. “We believe that many small businesses were harmed by this theft, some of which may not be able to recover from their financial losses. Furthermore, the intersection of sophisticated online hacking and large-scale theft is deeply concerning and will only grow more prevalent, and we are using every tool available to stay ahead of this emerging trend.”
According to court documents and statements made on the record, the defendants operated the alleged conspiracy between October 2025 and April 2026. In total, the defendants allegedly committed six thefts and stole $165,000 worth of lamb; $432,000 worth of cheese; $295,000 worth of beef; more than $266,000 worth of copper; and more than $3.3 million of cigarettes. The thefts were coordinated and directed by alleged ringleader Khasanov.
The scheme involved receiving winning bids on load boards from “hacker groups,” the DA alleged. Then they would lease a truck “and affix the name and registration number of the real shipping carrier that was supposed to make the pickup,” then go to the pickup location, obtain the goods, and coordinate further movement into and through Manhattan.
