Free Republic

Conclusion The story of FedEx’s decline and Collierville’s transformation is a microcosm of a quiet crisis that has been unfolding across the United States for decades, though it has accelerated greatly in the past five years. What began with a change in leadership from founder Fred Smith to CEO Raj Subramaniam has culminated in a vote of no confidence from its pilots, an exodus of loyal customers, and a community in the heart of Tennessee that is now unrecognizable to its lifelong residents.

Shares of several trucking and logistics companies declined Thursday on fears that new artificial intelligence tools could slash major freight inefficiencies, leading to less demand for the industry’s services. A new tool from AI company Algorhythm Holdings has made trucking companies the latest victim of the market’s AI jitters, adding to the historic sell-off in software stocks and real estate companies. The notable market rotation has come as investors are increasingly scrutinizing traditional businesses that may not be able to keep up with rapid advancements in AI. Leading trucking and logistics stocks C.H. Robinson and RXO dropped 14.5% and 20.5%,...

Software stocks have been pummeled over artificial intelligence fears in recent weeks.Now, investors can add logistics and freight names to the list of stocks getting sold on worries about AI.Shares of logistics and freight operations companies C.H. Robinson (CHRW) and Universal Logistics (ULH) suffered double-digit losses on Thursday after a little-known Florida company announced a new tool that would scale freight volumes without increasing headcount....snip...Nearly three-quarters of the companies that make up the S&P 500 flagged AI as a material risk in filings, up from just 12% in 2023, according to a study by the Conference Board conducted in October.

U.S. autonomous drone delivery and logistics startup Zipline said Wednesday it will set up operations in Houston and Phoenix early this year, as part of an expansion that will be propelled by $600 million in fresh investment. The round, which values the company at $7.6 billion, will be used to expand to at least four U.S. states in 2026, the company said. Several existing and new investors, including Fidelity Management & Research Company, Baillie Gifford, Valor Equity Partners, and Tiger Global participated in the funding round. Founded in 2014, Zipline developed its own drone delivery ecosystem, including the logistics software,...

The Supreme Court of Panama has annulled a contract for a Hong Kong company to operate two ports at either end of the Panama Canal, handing President Trump a victory for his security ambitions in the Western Hemisphere and denting China’s influence in the region. The high court said the terms under which CK Hutchison runs the ports of Balboa on the Pacific Coast and Cristobal on the Atlantic side were unconstitutional… (subscription required)

Boeing warned plane owners in 2011 about a broken part that contributed to a UPS plane crash that killed 15 last year but at that point the plane manufacturer didn’t believe it threatened safety, the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday. The UPS plane crashed in November 2025 shortly after taking off in Louisville, Kentucky, when the left engine flew off the wing as the plane rolled down the runway. Three pilots on the plane that was headed for Hawaii were killed along with 12 more people on the ground near Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport. The NTSB said Wednesday...

The trucking company involved in a deadly drowsy driving crash on Interstate 20 near Dallas over the summer had its insurance canceled this week. Trucking company Hope Trans had their insurance cancelled on October 8th, rendering them legally unable to operate further. In late August, Hope Trans was given 60 days to take “substantive corrective actions” to fix multiple violations discovered by the FMCSA. In late September, a wrongful death lawsuit was brought against the company, the owner, and a broker. The crash happened on June 28th. Truck driver Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni is currently in jail on a $2.25 million...

CEDAR CITY, Utah (KUTV) — A new emergency action plan by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation has temporarily paused the issuance and renewal of commercial driver's licenses across the country. States must now audit their licensing systems, which have left many legal non-citizens unsure if they can keep working. “I got to keep driving down these roads of a country that doesn't really want me here,” said Jorge Rivera, a truck driver from Enoch. Rivera is one of roughly 580,000 people across the country under DACA, a federal program that allows immigrants brought to the United States as children to...

Federal immigration authorities nabbed nearly 100 illegal migrants driving 18-wheelers off a single highway as the Trump administration continues to crack down on migrant commercial drivers. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, working alongside the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, arrested 91 illegal migrants operating a commercial motor vehicle with commercial driver licenses (CDL) during a three-day operation along I-40, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed to the Daily Caller News Foundation. Altogether, deportation officers took 120 illegal migrants into custody for immigration violations. The Trump administration is crediting the 287(g) program, a partnership between local law enforcement and ICE, for...

Planes, trains and automobiles can be seen moving in AllianceTexas in north Fort Worth, but a start-up aviation company says making a "sky train" is starting to come to fruition in the area. The company, Aerolane, announced its headquarters at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport in April. During an Oct. 1 event at the airport, a crowd that included Hillwood executives, investors and U.S. Congressman Jake Ellzey saw Aerolane's towed cargo glider technology in action as a plane took off with another plane tethered behind it. Aerolane, which consists of former executives from Prime Air and BNSF, envisions using...

New rule closes dangerous loopholes, holds states accountable, and launches immediate enforcement action against California for gross negligence

Following new guidelines from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to enforce English language proficiency for commercial truck drivers, 1,500 drivers have had their licenses placed out of service by law enforcement, The Daily Signal has learned. “‘America First’ means safety first. Americans are a lot safer on roads alongside truckers who can understand and interpret our traffic signs,” Duffy said in May at the signing of the guidelines. “This commonsense change ensures the penalty for failure to comply is more than a slap on the wrist.” The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a division of the Transportation Department, has had longstanding...

Matson, a major U.S.-based cargo shipping company, has announced an immediate and indefinite halt to all shipments of electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) across its entire maritime network, citing rising concerns over fire hazards linked to lithium-ion batteries. The decision affects routes between the U.S. mainland, Hawaii, Guam, and Alaska, creating massive logistical headaches for both automakers and private owners trying to move EVs across the Pacific. This unprecedented move follows a string of high-profile shipping fires—including the June 2025 loss of the Morning Midas, which sank after a suspected battery-related blaze aboard its vehicle deck. Matson confirmed...

Florida operates three separate rail systems: Tri‑Rail, Brightline, and FEC Freight. Tri‑Rail currently runs on the old CSX corridor to the west, while Brightline and FEC Freight share the Florida East Coast (FEC) main line. But now, Tri‑Rail is actively testing on the FEC tracks — with dozens of daily tests into downtown Miami Central on the same rails used by Brightline and freight since June 2023 . Moreover, under the Coastal Link plan, Tri‑Rail is slated to begin regular passenger service along this corridor — effectively merging all three rail services onto one aging track . Picture this: 110...

Since English Language Proficiency (ELP) was reinstated as an Out-of-Service (OOS) violation on June 25, 2025, states have been citing truck drivers who can’t speak or read English. Some are enforcing it. Others, like Texas, are not. The good news? OOS is still OOS. If a driver can’t read road signs, follow directions, or communicate during an inspection, that’s not just inconvenient -- IT IS DANGEROUS! Here’s the total Out-of-Service inspections with at least one English Language Proficiency (ELP) violation since June 25, 2025. ... Interesting to see some states not on here at all. For example, Minnesota. Trust me,...

Homeland security has gone about apprehending suspects living in luxury homes (Hollywood Hills and Burbank), some of whom are in america illegally. Journalistic report, including news footage and commentary on current events.

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1. Purpose. America’s truck drivers are essential to the strength of our economy, the security of our Nation, and the livelihoods of the American people. Every day, truckers perform the demanding and dangerous work of transporting the Nation’s goods to businesses, customers, and communities safely, reliably, and efficiently. Proficiency in English, which I designated as our official national language in Executive Order 14224 of March 1, 2025 (Designating English as the Official Language of the...

Truckers are celebrating President Donald Trump’s decision to restore enforcement of a rule that excludes foreign truckers from the roads if they cannot read English-language signs and instructions. “They’re celebrating … Everybody’s excited, they’re happy,” said Shannon Everett, a cofounder of American Truckers United. who explained the truckers’ problems to Breitbart News in March. The change is set by an executive order to be signed by Trump on Monday. The order tells Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy “to ensure drivers violating English proficiency rules are placed out-of-service, enhancing roadway safety,” and directs him to revamp other aspects of the trucking industry....

“The public is vastly unaware that our highways are completely over run right now with truck drivers operating on Foreign Commercial Drivers Licenses and what are now called Non-Domicile CDL’s."

Most Americans have no idea what’s happening on their highways. While we’re all stuck debating the border, our roads have also been totally overrun — not just with bad policies, but with foreign truck drivers who don’t belong behind the wheel or on our streets.. Shannon Everett from American Truckers joined Steve Bannon’s WarRoom to blow the lid off this growing and dangerous trend. According to Everett, what’s happening right now should terrify anyone who drives. That’s scary and disturbing, but it gets even worse… An American trucker says illegals — possibly Jamaican or Haitian—are being given commercial driver’s licenses,...