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CH Robinson in hot water again, as truckers bring 'racketeering' suit

CH Robinson and Total Quality Logistics (TQL) face a racketeering lawsuit from six US trucking companies that accuse them of winning freight with allegedly non-compliant carriers at prices the plaintiffs could not match. One plaintiff, Freymiller Trucking, says it has identified $51.2m in lost sales across 63 customers. The claimants have not put a total value on the case, but seek damages to be determined at trial - including treble damages under the US Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. The complaint, filed in a Texas federal court on 23 September, alleges that the brokers promised shippers safe, compliant transport while passing loads to carriers that avoided the costs of meeting safety and labour rules. The plaintiffs claim they lost business because they could not match the resulting rates. The six plaintiffs are Stevens Trucking, Western Flyer Express, Freymiller, IWX Motor Freight, Christenson Transportation, and EOS. Their complaint names the Super Ego trucking network as an example of the capacity they allege the brokers used. Super Ego is not a defendant in this case. Among the material included in the filing is a screenshot a former driver says came from his carrier's tracking team. It appears to ask him to avoid weigh stations and offers him an extra $100 if he does. The plaintiffs also cite a former driver's account of being told to put a different company name and registration number on his truck shortly before arriving at a shipper, then remove the details after collection. Those are allegations about the carriers' practices, not evidence that either broker sent the instructions. The trucking companies' claim is that CH Robinson and TQL knew, or should have known, how the carriers they used were operating. The plaintiffs give examples of the business they say they lost. Freymiller's $51.2m represents alleged lost sales, rather than an award or an established measure of damages. Christenson says its revenue fell from $71.3m in 2023 to $49.8m in 2025, and points to bids for major shippers that it says were repeatedly judged too expensive. The carriers will have to show that the defendants' alleged conduct caused their losses, rather than ordinary competition or other pressures in the freight market. CH Robinson has reportedly rejected the allegations, saying the lawsuit misrepresents its practices and the way freight rates are set. It has reportedly said the carriers it uses are federally authorised and meet additional safety and insurance requirements. The Loadstar has contacted CH Robinson for its statement and any further comment. TQL's response to the complaint has not yet been established. The new suit follows the separate Lipe case, in which a jury returned a $604m verdict following a fatal truck crash. That case concerned responsibility for the crash. The six carriers in this lawsuit say the brokers' choice of trucking companies cost them freight business.

UPS or Ceva? Who carried F-35 parts to Hong Kong? Well, the chain of custody failed either way

Look: Bloomberg's sources name UPS as the carrier of the F-35 parts China reportedly holds, while The Nightly's sources name Ceva Logistics. Lockheed calls the parts low risk, but the harder problem for logistics is how controlled cargo left its route at all. On Wednesday, as Xi Jinping landed near Washington for a state visit, Bloomberg reported that the Chinese government has taken possession of F-35 parts that were diverted to Hong Kong, for reasons no one has explained, ...

DHL Aviation hires two Asia sales directors

DHL Aviation has appointed two new sales directors to help steer growth for the business in fast-growing Asia markets. Julie Zhu has been hired as senior director, China air capacity sales, and Jaspall Singh has been appointed as senior director, Southeast Asia air capacity sales, said Ingrid Raj, chief cargo officer at DHL Aviation. Confirming the appointments in a LinkedIn post today, Raj said that Zhu began her new role on 15 September and Singh will begin his new role on 1 January. Raj stated: "Southeast Asia and China are two of the world's fastest-growing air cargo regions and deserve dedicated leadership. "That's why I'm delighted to welcome Julie Zhu as Senior Director, China Air Capacity Sales, and to congratulate Jaspall Singh on his appointment as Senior Director, Southeast Asia Air Capacity Sales. "Both will report directly to me, and their appointments reflect our commitment to investing where our customers are growing fastest." Zhu joined DHL from Lufthansa Cargo, where she built her career over 22 years, most recently as head of revenue management and pricing for Asia Pacific. Based in Shanghai, she brings deep insight into China's air cargo landscape. Singh has been part of DHL for 16 years, beginning in Aviation Commercial Services (ACS) Finance and most recently serving as director of revenue management for China and Central and North Asia in Hong Kong. He brings strong transformation and leadership experience to the opportunities ahead in Southeast Asia, where he will be based in Singapore.