Trucking news and briefs for Monday, May 11, 2026:
- Roehl Transport has started testing autonomous operations on a Texas haul.
- Armed cargo thieves face big jail time in New York.
- Mexican hauler's visa revoked over cabotage violation.
Roehl partners with Kodiak to deploy autonomous trucks
Roehl Transport last week announced it is working with Kodiak AI in Texas, hauling frieght with tractors outfitted with the company's Kodiak Driver autonomous tech.
Starting in April, trucks equipped with the Kodiak Driver began hauling freight between Dallas and Houston four times roundtrip per week for Roehl.Kodiak
Don Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak, said that “combining our AI-powered autonomous capabilities with Roehl’s safety approach, we’re proving how our technology can enhance efficiency while making meaningful progress toward safer roads at scale.”
[Related: Large fleet plans to add 500 autonomous trucks, starting next year]
Kodiak claims progress toward closing what it calls "its long-haul safety case" and launching driverless operations by the end of 2026.
The company currently delivers freight between Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City, Atlanta, and El Paso using its autonomous technology with a safety driver behind the wheel, the company said. As of the end of the first quarter of 2026, Kodiak had deployed a fleet of 28 self-driving trucks operated by Atlas Energy Solutions without an in-cab operator in West Texas’s Permian Basin.
“Roehl Transport is built on values, and Safety is our cornerstone value,” said Rick Roehl, CEO of Roehl Transport. “The Kodiak Driver was built with this same philosophy. Kodiak’s safety-first approach was a key factor in our decision to partner with Kodiak. Their innovation and strong commitment to safety closely align with our values.”
Roehl isn't the only large fleet making moves towards autonomous trucks. As recently reported, Hirschbach agreed to order 500 such units from Aurora in the coming years.
[Related: Two more autonomous trucks moving frac sand in Texas]
Thee busted for allegedly hijacking delivery truck in New York
Three individuals were charged Thursday, May 7, after allegedly hijacking and robbing a delivery truck outside of a Long Island, New York, Apple store.
The three defendants -- Alan Christhofer Cedeno-Ferrer, Michael Mejia-Nunez and Ennait Alexis Sirett-Padilla -- are charged with Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy, and interstate transportation of stolen property.
“As alleged, these defendants committed a violent and brazen daytime robbery that terrorized the victims and endangered the public at one of the most popular shopping centers on Long Island,” stated United States Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. “Our office will continue its relentless pursuit of violent criminals who prey on innocent victims and put our communities in harm’s way for their own financial gain.”
According to court filings, at approximately 8 a.m. on Jan. 3, the defendants, working with others, hijacked a delivery truck that was parked outside of the Apple Store at the Americana Manhasset mall, as two workers were preparing to deliver Apple products to the store. The contents of the truck included more than $1.2 million worth of MacBook laptop computers, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and various accessories.
Three men allegedly approached the delivery workers armed with handguns, forced one of the workers into the back of the delivery truck and zip-tied his hands. They ordered the other victim into the driver’s seat to drive the truck.
Directed to a secluded parking area behind an office building located on Northern Boulevard in Manhasset, New York, the victime driver was ordered into the back of the truck with the first victim, where his hands were also zip-tied.
A Home Depot box truck, allegedly rented by Cedeno-Ferrer using a fake Pennsylvania driver’s license, pulled into the parking area and backed up to the rear of the delivery truck so the cargo sections were aligned.
Once finished moving Apple merchandise from the delivery truck to the Home Depot truck, perpetrators closed victims inside and left the location. One of the victims was able to free himself and call 911.
The stolen merchandise was taken to a self-storage facility in Paterson, New Jersey. Surveillance cameras caught Mejia-Nunez and Sirett-Padilla renting a storage unit used to facilitate transferring the stolen goods from the Home Depot truck to a U-Haul truck, likewise another vehicle driven by a coconspirator.
The Home Depot truck was abandoned in the Bronx and located by law enforcement Jan. 5. Cedeno-Ferrer’s fingerprints were found on a copy of the rental agreement recovered inside the vehicle.
If convicted of the charges, defendants face up to 30 years in prison.
[Related: Cargo thieves shifted to high-value theft in 2025: CargoNet]
Border Patrol issues cabotage law reminder as driver’s visa revoked
U.S. Border Patrol officers in Tucson, Arizona, on May 8 issued a reminder of cabotage laws in the U.S. that prevent truck drivers licensed in Mexico or Canada from hauling freight point-to-point within the United States.
“Cabotage laws are not optional and violations can be costly,” the agency said in a Facebook post.
The reminder followed a Mexican national visitor visa holder who was found in violation of multiple statutes when he was caught transporting commodities from Nogales, Arizona, to Laredo, Texas.
As a result, the driver was processed, his visa was revoked, and the trailer was towed.
“When carriers or drivers are found in violation of federal transportation, immigration, and customs regulations, it leads to serious penalties and loss of privileges; to include immigration consequences or future entry restrictions,” Border Patrol added.
