Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026:
- $1M in liquid meth seized from bobtail’s fuel tanks.
- Another large fleet adds autonomous trucks, with driverless aims for yearend.
Drug-smuggling truck stopped in California
San Diego Sector U.S. Border Patrol agents recently stopped a smuggling attempt of hard narcotics along Interstate 15.
On Sept. 29 at 11 a.m., agents conducted a vehicle stop on a northbound bobtail, approximately a quarter mile north of the California Highway Patrol scales.
During the encounter, a Border Patrol agent assigned to the Newton-Azrak Border Patrol Station and his K-9 partner, Loki, led agents to discover characteristics of liquid methamphetamine concealed inside at least one of the truck's fuel tanks.
The vehicle and the driver were transported to the Newton-Azrak Station in Murrietta, California, for further processing.
Hazardous response specialists were called in to safely extract the liquid contents from the fuel tank.U.S. Border Patrol
The recovered liquid tested positive for methamphetamine, yielding a staggering total weight of 962 pounds (approximately 115 gallons) with an estimated street value of $1 million.
Agents turned the driver, a Mexican national, over to Homeland Security Investigations and local authorities for state prosecution. The truck was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.
“This massive seizure of liquid methamphetamine highlights the lengths these transnational criminal organizations will go to smuggle hard narcotics into our communities,” said Justin M. De La Torre, chief patrol agent for the U.S. Border Patrol’s San Diego Sector. “The vigilance of our agents, the reliability of our K-9 units, and our strong multi-agency partnerships are vital to dismantling these illicit smuggling operations and keeping deadly drugs off our streets.”
[Related: Driver busted with $3.8M worth of cocaine in 'empty' trailer]
Charger Logistics partners with Kodiak for autonomous hauls
Autonomous trucking company Kodiak AI and Charger Logistics recently announced a collaboration for autonomous freight delivery.
Through the collaboration, trucks equipped with the Kodiak Driver, Kodiak's autonomous driving system, are hauling refrigerated and dry freight for consumer packaged goods and food and beverage customers on the 435-mile lane between Charger’s terminals in Dallas and Laredo, Texas.
Kodiak and Charger completed their first delivery on Sept. 8, 2026.Kodiak AI
Currently, the companies are operating with a safety driver behind the wheel with the intent to transition the lane to driverless operations once Kodiak completes its "safety case."
This collaboration marks Kodiak’s first route serving Laredo, the highest-volume commercial land port of entry in the United States.
[Related: Driverless trucking in 'first innings,' but fears rise of a blowout game]
"Autonomy lets us build a network that serves both our customers and our drivers," said Andy Khera, President, Charger USA. "Combining our in-house TMS, managed transportation, and the Kodiak Driver creates a nearly fully automated ecosystem that gives our customers long-term capacity continuity through changing labor markets and freight demand, while bringing our drivers home every night."
Charger operates as an asset-based carrier, with temperature-controlled freight among core service lines. The companies expect to expand the collaboration to additional lanes in Charger’s network over time as Charger integrates the Kodiak Driver into its fleet.
[Related: Court shoots down operator's warning-device-waiver suit as FMCSA grants five-year exemption]
"Charger came to us knowing what they wanted from autonomy and what they need to see before scaling it," said Don Burnette, Founder and CEO, Kodiak. "That clarity makes for a strong collaboration. The Dallas–Laredo lane extends the Kodiak Driver into a new corridor, and gives both companies the operating foundation we need to scale driverless service."
Kodiak plans to launch long-haul driverless service by the end of 2026.
Earlier this year, Charger announced an agreement with autonomous truck developer Aurora for autonomous hauls on the same Dallas-to-Laredo lane.
[Related: Kodiak says its long-haul driverless launch will happen this year]
