Trucker Tales Daily: Cargo Theft, 15-State Sweep, Cummins Q3 & a Port Strike Deadline (Nov. 6, 2026)

Cargo Theft Is Down 33%… So Why Are Losses Up?

Here's a head-scratcher for your Friday: fewer thefts, bigger bills. Verisk CargoNet counted 547 supply chain crime incidents across the U.S. and Canada in the third quarter, a 33% drop from a year ago. Sounds like good news, right? Not so fast. Estimated losses came in at $230.1 million, up 12% from $205.1 million.

Fictitious pickups, where a crook poses as a legitimate carrier to drive off with freight, still hit 138 incidents, compared with 147 last year. For owner-operators and final mile drivers, the lesson is verification: confirm who's tendering the load, check broker credentials, and never hand freight to someone you can't verify.

What it means for you: Fewer incidents doesn't mean lower risk. Verify every pickup, park smart, and keep your insurance carrier's theft requirements handy.

Source: Cargo theft activity down, but loss values keep rising — Overdrive, Nov. 5, 2026

Operation Guardian: 15 States, 72 Hours, Lots of Inspections

Fifteen states, led by Oklahoma, ran a coordinated 72-hour enforcement push from Oct. 26 to 28. According to Transport Topics, it led to the arrest of more than 40 foreign truckers with deportation orders, among 230 undocumented immigrants taken into custody.

Indiana State Police alone inspected more than 500 commercial vehicles, putting 85 vehicles and 51 drivers out of service, eight of them for English-language proficiency violations. Oklahoma says it will keep targeting unauthorized drivers, plus the carriers and brokers that use them.

What it means for you: Expect more multi-state sweeps. Keep your CDL, medical card and registration in order, and vet who you haul for.

Source: Oklahoma leads 15-state truck driver enforcement operation — Transport Topics, Nov. 5, 2026

Cummins Says Record Q4 Is Coming

Cummins posted third-quarter revenue of $9.4 billion, up 13% year over year. The engine segment jumped 20% to $3.1 billion and components rose 23% to $2.9 billion, while its Accelera zero-emissions unit slid 15% to $103 million, according to Truck Parts and Service.

Cummins trimmed its 2026 revenue growth outlook to 10% from 10-13%, citing softer pickup demand, but expects a record fourth quarter. It forecasts the North American heavy-duty market up 10-15% and medium-duty up 15-20% for the year. That medium-duty number is the one final mile folks and dealers should circle.

What it means for you: Medium-duty buyers shouldn't sit on a spec'd truck if you need one. Dealers: parts and engine demand looks healthy into year-end.

Source: Cummins sees double-digit increases in third quarter — Truck Parts and Service, Nov. 5, 2026

ATA's Costello: The Recovery Is Here, But It's Early

ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said trucking is at the start of a supply-driven recovery after a long downcycle. Shipper spending rose 32% year over year in Q3 even though shipments were roughly flat. In Texas, shipments are down 12.9% year to date while shipper spending is up 37%.

Costello credited capacity reductions and tighter DOT enforcement as factors shrinking the pool of trucks, and said he sees no recession on the horizon. Fewer trucks chasing the same freight is what's lifting pricing, not a surge in demand.

What it means for you: Stronger rates may follow, but it's supply-driven. Owner-ops should hold their line on quotes; dealers may see financing interest return.

Source: Trucking recovery in early stages, ATA's Costello says — Transport Topics, Nov. 5, 2026

LA/Long Beach Watchmen Strike Deadline: Midnight Tonight

The union representing about 250 security watchmen at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach agreed to push its contract deadline to midnight Nov. 6. The Pacific Maritime Association says a strike could disrupt terminals handling more than half the two ports' combined cargo, roughly 85% at Long Beach and 33% at Los Angeles.

Talks resume Nov. 6 with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. A stoppage means idle trucks, missed appointments and unpaid waiting time for drayage operators.

What it means for you: Drayage and final mile drivers near the ports should confirm appointments and plan for delays this weekend.

Source: Strike deadline pushed to Nov. 6 at Port of Los Angeles — Transport Topics, Nov. 5, 2026

PS Logistics Adds Roane Transportation to Its Flatbed Fleet

PS Logistics, through its Loudon County Trucking subsidiary, acquired substantially all the assets of Roane Transportation Services, Roane Logistics and B&W Leasing. Financial terms weren't disclosed, CCJ reports.

Roane is a Rockwood, Tenn., flatbed and Conestoga carrier founded in 1996 with more than 170 company, lease-purchase and owner-operator drivers. Consolidation among flatbed carriers changes who's offering lease deals and where independents can plug in.

What it means for you: If you lease on with a flatbed outfit, watch for program changes. Dealers should expect questions about lease-purchase terms.

Source: PS Logistics expands flatbed footprint with Roane Transportation acquisition — CCJ, Nov. 5, 2026

When "Helping Unload" Turns Deadly

A wrongful-death lawsuit in federal court in Maine alleges Shaw's Supermarkets failed to secure a load and failed to train employees on stacking and unloading. Driver Randall Rackliffe was crushed in January at a Shaw's store in Raynham, Mass., when bags of rock salt fell as he helped unload. He died in September, Land Line reports.

Neither his carrier nor Shaw's could be reached for comment. OOIDA Foundation data cited in the story shows more than half of surveyed drivers never load or unload their own trucks.

What it means for you: Know your policies on helping with loads, and never put yourself under an unstable stack. Check that your coverage fits hand-unloading work.

Source: When helping unload turns deadly for a truck driver — Land Line, Nov. 5, 2026

Oil Bounces Back; Diesel Forecast Points Down

Brent crude rose 2.5% to $96.95 a barrel on Nov. 5, recovering part of a nearly 9% drop the day before, with uncertainty continuing over the Iran war, the Associated Press reported via Transport Topics.

A GasBuddy post quoted in the story says diesel could fall to $5.50 per gallon in the weeks ahead. Forecasts like this move with every headline, so treat it as a possibility, not a promise.

What it means for you: Don't lock in long fuel-heavy commitments on a forecast. Keep fuel surcharges in your quotes.

Source: Oil prices head higher as initial midterm reaction fades — Transport Topics (AP), Nov. 5, 2026