Trucking news and briefs for Friday, April 3, 2026:
- Former truck driver locked up for smuggling guns to Canada.
- More wildfire relief in Nebraska.
- “I’m not letting this guy burn.” -- Highway Angel Scott Derrick
Former U.S. cross-border truck driver sentenced for weapons trafficking
Erhan John Er, 35, of Sarasota, Florida, was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison for his role in an international firearms trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced. Er pleaded guilty on Dec. 19, 2024.
According to court documents, from February to September 2022, Er worked as a cross-border truck driver based in Sarasota. Er agreed to purchase firearms for a Canadian co-conspirator and smuggle the firearms across the border.
In July and September 2022, Er bought a total of 28 guns from firearms dealers in Sarasota and Naples, Florida, and took the firearms across the Canadian border, selling them to his conspirator in exchange for his expenses and $1,000 (CAD) per gun.
Canadian investigators have since recovered 10 of the weapons from crime scenes in Ontario and Quebec. Serial numbers were obliterated from all recovered thus far, according to a press release from Kehoe’s office. Investigators restored the serial numbers and traced them back to Er in Florida.
“Er falsely claimed to gun dealers that he was buying guns for himself, only to smuggle the guns into Canada, where they were used in multiple crimes,” Kehoe said. “Working together with our local, federal, and international partners, this scheme was uncovered and Er has been brought to justice.”
[Related: Crime: Illegal export of snakes, drug trafficking, loan fraud]
Nebraska’s wildfire emergency HOS declaration and relief extended
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration extended an emergency declaration previously issued by the governor of Nebraska in response to wildfires in the state.
The original declaration, issued March 16, waived hours of service restrictions and adjusted maximum load width/weight limits allowed for certain carriers operating in the state. It applied to motor carriers hauling feed and supplies to areas within the state and was set to expire on March 30.
On March 27, Nebraska officials requested the feds extend the emergency regulatory relief from federal HOS regulations.
The declaration now runs through April 14 or until the end of the emergency, whichever is sooner. Motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance to the emergency are granted emergency relief from maximum driving time regulations in 49 CFR 395.3.
[Related: Nebraska declares emergency over wildfires]
Truck driver recognized for quick actions to rescue motorist from burning vehicle
ABF Freight truck driver Scott Derrick is the latest to be named Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association. His heroic actions followed a fiery I-15 crash in California.
Scott Derrick
“I feel like God told me, ‘It’s time for you to go to work,’” Derrick said.
Without hesitation, Derrick stopped the tractor and grabbed the onboard fire extinguisher. The driver of the UPS truck was pulling people out of the back of the burning car, but there was one man still stuck inside.
“The flames were hitting him in the face,” Derrick said. “I got out with the fire extinguisher and thought, ‘I’m old, I’ve lived my life.’”
He quickly worked to suppress the flames, temporarily knocking down the fire and creating a critical window of time. It allowed him to reach the vehicle and pull the injured man to safety.
“Everybody just gave up,” Derrick said. “I thought, ‘I’m not letting this guy burn.’”
His courage and decisive response in a dangerous, fast-moving situation likely prevented further injury -- or worse, TCA noted.
“I hugged him and I said, ‘Dude, you’re hurt, but you’re alive!’” the 30-year truck driver said. “I just thought, ‘he’s not gonna die while I’m here tonight,’” Derrick added.
