Your trucks are already collecting the data that could predict your next engine failure, but most operators just aren't using it yet. This week we break down how one fleet manager is reading engine signals to get ahead of costly breakdowns.

Also inside: Pepsi is expanding its driverless truck routes in three states, the World Economic Forum says the global supply chain is already showing signs of stress and authorities have arrested eight people behind a $5 million cargo theft ring targeting logistics sites across the Northeast.

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Pricier tires. Time to make your truck tires last longer. The prices of rubber and oil, two key ingredients of tires, have gone up over the past six months. And the cost of tires, including retreads, has followed.

Stopping scams. Among the myriad provisions in the Build America 250 Act is protection from freight fraud. If passed, it calls for a new advisory committee to compile a list of the most serious theft and fraud issues and present recommendations to Congress within a year.

Pepsi partnership. PepsiCo and Gatik to add more driverless trucks in Arkansas, Texas and Arizona. Gatik’s trucks will run routes on highways and surface streets while allowing PepsiCo to add stops, remove stops and adjust delivery plans in real time without causing operational disruptions.

Import declines? Although cargo imports are expected to increase in June, the outlook for the summer is for a decline. That’s according to the Global Port Tracker report from the National Retail Federation. It expects drops in port receivables in July, August and September and then a slight uptick in October.

If you look closely, you can see that the warning signs of a global supply chain crisis have already appeared. Two of the more serious possibilities to worry about in 2026, according to the World Economic Forum—geoeconomic confrontation and kinetic conflicts—are ongoing (the Iran War affecting the Strait of Hormuz and an energy crisis). What’s more, these disruptions are “compounding.” Weather events and inflation are also taking a toll. 

Why this matters: Three major shipping corridors are under stress at the same time. For carriers moving import freight, that means longer lead times, unpredictable volume swings and rates that won't stay stable. Now is a good time to review contract terms with shippers who depend on overseas goods. (trans.info)

Pickup fireworks. Driver experiences unfortunate pre-July display

Trucking goodwill. Bendix builds home for Ohio family

Bridge detour. Drivers get in-cab alerts about low I-65 bridges 

Executive order. President Trump orders tougher importer verification at the borders

“We started using predictive analytics...[to predict] engine failures that are about to happen and where we can shut that vehicle down and not cause as much damage that would be possible... We’re reading all of the signals coming from the engine or the body... and we’re able to analyze that and plan accordingly... We’ve benefitted from that several times over the years.” —Chuck Palmer, manager of IT Applications and Operations Applications for Waste Connections

Using minute bits of data connected to a truck can lead to important and cost-saving predictions, Palmer says. When put together, that on-fleet data can tell you when a part is ready to break down and when to pull a truck off the road for either emergency or routine repairs. This is a highly data-driven way to manage a fleet. Oh, wait: Waste Connections has more than 18,000 now and expects to grow beyond 23,000 by year's end. (HDT Talks Trucking podcast)

THEFT AND FRAUD

Authorities have arrested eight people in connection with an identity theft scheme responsible for nearly $5 million in losses. The people are accused of conspiring to impersonate shippers and moving goods from logistics sites in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia to New York City, where they were to sell them on the black market. This criminal group, authorities allege, used hacked data to commit six thefts of $3.3 million in cigarettes, $432,000 in cheese, $295,000 of beef, $266,000 of copper and $165,000 of lamb.

Why this matters: Cargo theft is up 1,500% since 2021. This case has highlighted, at least to the Manhattan district attorney, the sophistication that logistics criminals now show. “These defendants allegedly ran a highly coordinated theft ring by illegally obtaining shipping information, impersonating legitimate trucking businesses, and using phishing schemes to steal millions of dollars in consumer goods, NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said. (Manhattan District Attorney)

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The Inside Lane is curated and written by Alan Schmadtke and edited by Bianca Prieto.