Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, March 12, 2026:
- Trucking Ponzi scheme creator on the hook for tens of millions in restitution.
- New organization wants to put veterans in trucks.
- Four standout women truckers up for big award.
Fleet owner ordered to pay $51M in restitution from Ponzi scheme
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida granted the government's motion to require Sanjay Singh -- convicted in 2024 and sentenced last year to prison for running a trucking-related Ponzi scheme -- to pay more than $50 million in restitution.
The court on Feb. 9 granted the motion in support of restitution and judgement in the amount of $51,199,671 against Singh, owner of Royal Bengal Logistics, Inc. The court will amend Singh’s judgement to reflect the amount of restitution owed to each victim.
On Nov. 6, 2024, a jury in the same court found Singh guilty of wire fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy charges.
The investigation revealed Singh used his company to create an elaborate Ponzi fraud scheme by attracting investors to purchase contracts involving trucking services with promises of extremely high interest payments. The fraudulent scheme yielded many investors from the Haitian-American community and collected more than $150 million in investor funds between 2020 and 2023.
Last summer, Singh was sentenced to 23 years in federal prison.
The investigation further showed that Singh misappropriated millions of dollars of investor funds for personal gain, including millions sent overseas to family members in India.
Read more about Singh’s scheme here.
[Related: Fleet owner gets 23 years in federal prison for $158M Ponzi scheme]
Nonprofit aims to help military vets become owner-operators
A new nonprofit initiative based in Chesterton, Indiana, is working to change the lives of U.S. military veterans by helping them enter the trucking industry as independent owner-operators.
The Driving It Forward Foundation has launched a program aimed at providing semi-trucks and industry support to deserving veterans, allowing them to build independent careers in commercial transportation.
The cost of entering the owner-operator market can exceed $175,000 when factoring in the purchase of a semi-truck, insurance, licensing, permits, and startup operating expenses, the organization said, creating a significant barrier for many veterans who otherwise possess the skills needed to succeed in the trucking industry.
The Driving It Forward Foundation was created to eliminate that barrier.
“Our veterans already proved they have the work ethic, leadership, and determination to succeed,” said Michael Steinhauer, Chairman and President of Driving It Forward Foundation. “What many of them lack is the capital required to enter the trucking industry as owner-operators. Our mission is to provide that opportunity.”
The foundation works to secure semi-truck donations, financial contributions, and transportation industry partnerships to place trucks into the hands of qualified veterans ready to start their own trucking businesses.
Through this program, veterans can gain the opportunity to build stable careers, support their families, and contribute to the transportation infrastructure that keeps the country moving.
The organization is currently seeking support from transportation companies, truck dealerships, fleet operators, corporate sponsors, and individual donors to help expand the program.
Each donated truck has the potential to change the life of a veteran and create long-term economic independence, the organization added.
“This program is about more than trucks,” Steinhauer said. “It’s about giving veterans the opportunity to build businesses, provide for their families, and continue serving their communities.”
Women in Trucking names Driver of the Year finalists
Women in Trucking
The Women in Trucking Association (WIT) has announced four finalists for its 2026 Driver of the Year award, sponsored by Walmart. The annual award recognizes outstanding female professional drivers who lead the industry in safety standards while actively enhancing the public image of the trucking industry.
The 2026 Driver of the Year finalists are:
- Ingrid Brown, Professional Driver/Operations Manager Refrigerated Freight, Blackjack Express LLC
- Fabiola Campos-Buenavista, City Driver & Driver Development Instructor, FedEx Freight
- Gina Jones, Professional Driver, Werner Enterprises
- Kellylynn McLaughlin, National Transportation Driver Dump & Roll-Off, Clean Harbors Environmental Services
Brown, a native of Boone, North Carolina, has built a 46-year career in trucking defined by determination, safety advocacy, and leadership. An independent owner-operator of Rollin’ B LLC, she also serves as Operations Manager for a specialized refrigerated fleet and continues to drive for Blackjack Express LLC, hauling heavy, oversize, and refrigerated freight. Brown serves as FMCSA’s Voice of Safety for the Our Roads, Our Safety campaign and has appeared in national PSAs, billboards, on SiriusXM, and in social media outreach. Her honors include the 2015 NASTC America’s Road Team and Woman Driver of the Year, the 2025 NASTC Ambassador of the Year, and the 2018 TA/Petro Citizen Driver Award. A charter member of WIT since 2007, Brown serves on the WIT Board of Directors.
[Related: 'Blood, sweat and tears': Ingrid Brown's 2025 Peterbilt 589]
Campos-Buenavista’s career in trucking began with determination and a willingness to learn. When she first joined FedEx Freight, she had little driving experience, yet by the age of 22, she was confidently operating an 18-wheeler. In 2014, she became the first female Driver Development Instructor at FedEx Freight. Since then, she has trained more than 40 drivers, helping them develop the skills needed to safely operate commercial trucking equipment. Today, Campos-Buenavista serves as a FedEx Road Team Captain and is actively involved in community outreach, school safety education, and disaster relief efforts.
After a successful career in retail management, Jones earned her CDL at age 50 to join her husband, Steve, on the road. With more than 1.5 million accident-free miles, Jones has received the 2024 TA Citizen Driver Award, the Werner Safe Driver Award, and the NTA President’s Safe Driver Club Award. For Jones, 2025 was a banner year, highlighted by an invitation to speak at the White House on the real-world impacts of electric vehicle mandates. As a 2022-2023 ATA America’s Road Team Captain and Werner Road Team alumna, she mentors future drivers through school programs and recruitment. Jones and her husband proudly drive for Werner’s Operation Freedom Fleet in a specialty-wrapped truck and participate in the 50 Mile March.
[Related: Werner team, FedEx driver named TA Citizen Drivers]
McLaughlin is a professional commercial driver with more than 10 years of experience in dry-van operations, driver training, specialized equine transport, and over-the-road hazmat, hauling with Clean Harbors Environmental Services. She previously served as WIT’s first Driver Ambassador, traveling nationwide to educate the public and promote career opportunities in the industry. Before becoming a driver, McLaughlin earned a degree from Oklahoma State University, served in the Peace Corps. She has served on several industry groups, including the FMCSA Women of Trucking Advisory Board (WOTAB), TAT Advisory Council, and the Travel Centers of America Women’s Safety Advisory Panel.
The winner will be announced at the Salute to Women Behind the Wheel event hosted by WIT on Friday, March 27 at the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, Kentucky.
