Freight Day! 👋 We’re starting the week with a shift in U.S. container imports. In May 2025, imports dropped sharply by 9.7% from April and 7.2% year-over-year, hitting the lowest monthly total since March 2024. More ahead 👇

💬 More in Freight:

⚫️ Two Carriers File For Chapter 11 BK

⚫️ $10M Staged Crash Scheme

⚫️ Trucking Owner Indicted On $2M Credit Card Scheme

Truckstop CEO Steps Down 🤯

Truckstop announced Thursday that CEO Kendra Tucker is stepping down after three years in the role. Founder Scott Moscrip will return as interim CEO while the company conducts a national search for her successor.

Tucker joined Truckstop in 2020 as chief revenue officer, became COO in 2021, and was named CEO in 2022. During her tenure, the company expanded into fraud protection and factoring services and navigated post-pandemic market challenges.

“We’re grateful for Kendra’s leadership during a time of significant growth and transformation,” said Board Chair Will Griffith.

Moscrip, who founded Truckstop in 1995, said he’s excited to return during this transitional period. “Truckstop has always been centered on the customer, and I’m excited to continue driving innovations that help our customers run profitable businesses,” he said.

Two Carriers File BK 🏛️

The freight market’s continued strain is pushing more carriers to the brink, with two mid-sized players now turning to the courts for relief.

In the suburbs of Chicago, AZA Transportation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Northern District of Illinois. The 70-truck operation is seeking to restructure $826,000 in liabilities while continuing to operate.

President Azamat Sadyrbaev reported just over $400,000 in assets. Major creditors include Keystone Equipment Finance and TAB Bank. The company also owes $24,500 to the U.S. Small Business Administration for a pandemic-era disaster loan.

In Fort Worth, Texas, Balkan Express filed its own Chapter 11 petition in the Northern District of Texas. The company runs 150 trucks and employs 250 people, offering long-haul truckload and LTL services across the country.

It listed liabilities between $10 million and $50 million. The filing follows a $4.3 million lawsuit from M&T Capital and Leasing, which claims the carrier, its affiliate Balkan Logistics, and owner Zlatan Karic defaulted on loans. The company denies the allegations.

Balkan’s unsecured claims include hundreds of thousands in vendor service fees, fuel charges, and business expenses, signaling broader financial pressure.

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What Else Is Moving 🚚

Imports Decline 📉

U.S. container imports dropped sharply in May 2025, falling 9.7% from April and 7.2% year-over-year to 2.18 million TEUs—the lowest monthly total since March 2024. The decline followed a surge of frontloading in April and reflects shifting trade dynamics tied to tariff volatility and the expiration of the de minimis exemption. Although tariffs on Chinese imports were reduced to 30% under a temporary truce starting May 14, most goods arriving that month were booked under higher rates.

China-origin imports fell 20.8% from April and 28.5% year-over-year to 637,001 TEUs—marking the steepest drop since March 2020. While China remains the top U.S. trade partner, ongoing policy uncertainty and sourcing diversification are cutting into volume.

Port activity shifted as well, with East and Gulf Coast ports gaining share and West Coast ports seeing reduced volumes. Delays remained stable overall, though Los Angeles and Long Beach experienced backups despite lighter throughput.

Broader global challenges—like instability in the Red Sea and softening demand in major markets—are further complicating supply chains. With trade patterns in flux, businesses are advised to stay flexible, monitor geopolitical shifts, and build greater resilience into their sourcing and routing strategies.

FREIGHT SNIPPETS ✂️

🌀 Tracking Hurricane Barbara | Hurricane Barbara became a Category 1 storm in the North Pacific on Monday morning, with sustained winds of 75 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. It’s the second named storm of the 2025 Eastern Pacific season. Read more.

🐄 $10M Staged Crash Scheme | Three people were arrested in connection to a suspected staged crash in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, following an investigation by Louisiana State Police (LSP). On June 3, LSP announced the arrests of truck driver Justin Ledet, 45, Steven Thomas, 38, and Alfred Onezine, 37, after a trucking company reported possible fraud tied to a January 19 crash. Investigators say Ledet intentionally rear-ended a Chevrolet Silverado driven by Thomas, with Onezine and three juveniles as passengers. All five occupants later filed insurance claims totaling nearly $10 million. Read more.

❌ 21K Trucks Recalled | Daimler Truck North America is recalling over 21,500 Western Star trucks due to a potential fire risk, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The issue affects certain 2021–2026 Western Star 47X models and 2020–2026 49X models, where a battery connection may have been installed incorrectly. Read more.

📈 Top Industrial Markets | The U.S. industrial real estate market is stabilizing after years of rapid expansion, according to Colliers’ Markets That Move America report, which tracks the top 25 industrial markets by inventory. The report shows that construction activity is slowing, vacancy rates are rising more gradually, and net absorption is flattening—up just 200,000 square feet quarterly over the past year, signaling a more balanced market. Read more.

🇨🇳 Trade Talks Resume | President Donald Trump announced on June 5 that he had a “very positive” call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking their first conversation since Trump began his second term over four months ago. He said both nations have agreed to resume trade negotiations, aiming to resolve ongoing tensions over tariffs and rare earth mineral supply chains. “Our respective teams will be meeting shortly at a location to be determined,” Trump posted on his social media platform. Read more.

🙅‍♂️ Fighting Subpoena's |  The recently pardoned founder of Nikola, Trevor Milton, is fighting a subpoena from creditors in the company’s bankruptcy case. The subpoena, issued April 1, seeks information about Milton’s finances. Creditors say he still owes Nikola nearly $100 million from a 2023 arbitration case tied to his criminal conviction. They’re now trying to assess his assets, alleging Milton moved tens of millions to avoid paying. Milton’s legal team argues the subpoena targets information protected under a separate court order from a federal case in Arizona. A hearing on the matter is set for June 9. Read more.

Pallets of News 🚛

Passing Tariffs Along To Consumers 💰

U.S. companies expect to pass along about half of new tariff-related costs to consumers, a shift from 2018 when most costs were fully passed through, according to the Atlanta Fed.

Citing customer price sensitivity after pandemic-era inflation, firms said they could pass on:

• 51.1% of a 10% cost increase
• 47.3% of a 25% cost increase

Stronger demand allowed for more cost pass-through, while weaker sales prompted caution.

The survey was conducted April 7–18 as new Trump-era tariffs took effect. Although tariffs haven’t yet impacted inflation or jobs, businesses expect to raise prices in the coming months, with some regions bracing for “substantial” increases, per the Fed’s Beige Book.

Trucking Owner Indicted In $2M Credit Card Scam 💳

A San Diego-area trucking company owner has been indicted on 18 federal counts tied to a $2.1 million credit card fraud and money laundering scheme.

Hasan Korkmaz, owner of San Diego Logistics Group Inc. in Santee, California, is accused of running a “bust-out” scheme using stolen identities to open and max out credit card accounts—often charging his own business in the process. Some single transactions reached as high as $18,500.

Prosecutors say Korkmaz temporarily restored the available credit on those cards using fraudulent payments drawn from non-existent or overdrawn accounts, then quickly ran up more charges. The money was allegedly laundered through a Turkish bank account he controlled.

The FMCSA lists his company, which specialized in hauling refrigerated meat and produce, as inactive. If convicted, Korkmaz faces up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud, 20 years for money laundering, and a mandatory two years for aggravated identity theft.

MEME OF THE DAY 😂