Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Dec. 5, 2025:
- One of the nation's largest fleets is feeling the impact of down freight markets and is shifting operations, including cutting about 200 power units.
- Nearly a dozen arrested in human trafficking, prostitution sting at I-5 truck stop.
- Who is the Highway Angel of the Year? TCA wants you to vote.
CRST downsizing OTR operations
Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based CRST International is making structural changes to its Capacity Solutions unit, shuffling a limited number of assets to better-performing divisions, the company said in an email sent this week by the company to its drivers and seen by Overdrive sister publication CCJ.
CCJ’s Pamella De Leon reported that CRST cited suppressed rates and increasing costs, particularly for its “solo, one-way OTR van operations,” for the past two years.
Jerald Kilgore, president of Dedicated Solutions at CRST, posted to LinkedIn Wednesday night defending his company against erroneous online reporting that it was shuttering operations entirely.
“CRST recently made a strategic decision to reduce a portion of our one-way over-the-road capacity operations,” he wrote. “The total reduction is approximately 200 power units [from its fleet of more than 4,300], representing less than 4% of the total CRST portfolio.”
The move will also shift 100 trucks to other parts of CRST's business, according to CRST's website.
De Leon reported that CRST plans to reduce employee count in the Capacity Solutions unit, including drivers and driver support team members, with more than 300 employees affected across the country. On Tuesday, it began a 60-day notice period, with any applicable employee benefits set to continue until early February.
With the shift, the company will focus on its core lines of business: CRST Dedicated, CRST Specialized, CRST Home Delivery, CRST Brokerage, and CRST Flatbed, Kilgore said.
The company plans to offer affected drivers opportunities across CRST, including in the Dedicated, Specialized, and Flatbed segments, according to the company email. Team drivers and routes will move entirely to Dedicated Solutions, while select solo drivers and routes will also transition to that unit, the email noted. All remaining solo routes will be reassigned to other business units or discontinued. It's unclear as of press time how, if at all, any leased owner-operators to the company's Capacity Solutions unit are being impacted.
Read more of CCJ’s report on CRST’s reorganization here.
[Related: More trouble for Truckers Paradise truck stop: Total closure]
Human trafficking, prostitution sting at Washington state truck stop nets arrests
The Washington State Patrol (WSP) recently arrested nearly a dozen individuals during an overnight operation, dubbed “Operation Human Freight,” targeting human trafficking and prostitution near truck stops.
The law enforcement effort used undercover detectives to identify and assist. The operation was initiated by WSP’s Commercial Vehicle Division (CVD) based on observed activity near truck stops in Pierce, King, and Snohomish Counties.
“This operation demonstrates our determination to hold traffickers accountable and safeguard vulnerable members of our community,” said Chief John Batiste of the Washington State Patrol. “We will continue to work closely with our local, state, and federal partners to disrupt these criminal networks.”
On the evening of Nov. 25, detectives established a base at a truck stop in northern Pierce County near the I-5 corridor. Officers were focused on identifying individuals involved in promoting prostitution, as well as potential victims of human trafficking.
Within eight hours, officers contacted 11 women who were determined to be victims of prostitution and/or human trafficking. A 41-year-old Tacoma man with 19 prior felony convictions, whom WSP did not identify, was arrested and booked into the Pierce County Jail for human trafficking and promoting prostitution.
The goal of the operation was to identify victims and provide them with access to available resources. Advocates from Kitsap County and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were on-scene to provide services and contact information to those affected.
During the operation, detectives arrested individuals for the following crimes:
- Trafficking 2nd degree
- Promoting prostitution 1st degree
- Promoting prostitution 2nd degree
- Driving under the influence
[Related: Texas driver caught smuggling 23 people in 1 sleeper | Oversize haulers' HOS exemption renewed]
Voting opens for Highway Angel of the Year award
The Truckload Carriers Association has chosen five drivers who were recognized as Highway Angels in 2025 as finalists for its 2025 Highway Angel of the Year award.
With the field narrowed to five, TCA is asking for public input on the story that resonates the most. Those interested can read the five stories and cast their vote online here.
The 3 named Angels with the most votes will be celebrated at TCA’s 2026 Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida, taking place Feb. 28-March 3.
The five finalists for the 2025 Highway Angel of the Year award are:
