Media Watch: 2026-09-28

What trade and general media outlets are reporting. These are leads, not FreightFiles stories: stories are written only from government and court documents. Where such a document should exist, the desk searched for it; entries marked promoted became stories.

Enforcement

• Nevada man indicted in $105 million semi-truck investment fraud — Federal indictment of Kristopher Lunsford of Henderson, Nev., on wire fraud and money laundering counts over a truck investment scheme with hundreds of victims. (FreightWaves 2026-09-27; CDL Life 2026-09-27; wtsp.com 2026-09-26) Promoted to a story: the government document was found.

• Two plead guilty in Louisiana CDL fraud scheme — Guilty pleas in a scheme to issue CDLs fraudulently. (thetrucker.com 2026-09-25)

Litigation

• RICO lawsuit targets C.H. Robinson and TQL over broker practices — A federal suit in Texas accuses two of the largest brokers of racketeering, a new legal theory for broker liability. (FreightWaves 2026-09-26) Promoted to a story: the government document was found.

• New Mexico crash lawsuit tests interrupted authority and written carrier-vetting rules — A carrier hauling an Amazon trailer had lost operating authority before a fatal crash; the suit targets broker vetting practices. (FreightWaves 2026-09-25; Yahoo Finance 2026-09-25) Government source sought: amended complaint against Amazon (court not identified; likely state court); not yet found.

• 45 Mexican truck drivers accuse U.S. recruiter and carriers of forced-labor scheme — Drivers say they were recruited with false promises of work authorization, then subjected to coercive conditions; ties into the work-authorization enforcement debate. (FreightWaves 2026-09-24) Government source sought: complaint in Doe v. Omega Compliance Solutions LLC, U.S. District Court, Southern District of California; not yet found.

State Watch

• States move on fuel relief: Alabama halts dyed-diesel enforcement, others cut fuel taxes — Alabama's governor directed police to stop dyed-diesel enforcement; Land Line tallies states cutting fuel taxes. (CDL Life 2026-09-24; Land Line (OOIDA) 2026-09-24; Land Line (OOIDA) 2026-09-24)

• California law will require disclosure of electric truck pricing — Newsom signed a bill giving fleets and agencies visibility into what manufacturers charge for battery-electric Class 8 trucks. (Heavy Duty Trucking 2026-09-21)

• Kodiak starts California produce runs under new autonomous-truck rules as PrePass links driverless trucks to enforcement — First hauls under California's heavy-duty AV testing rules, plus a roadside-enforcement integration; Aurora's 30,000-truck plan as context. (Heavy Duty Trucking 2026-09-25; Heavy Duty Trucking 2026-09-21; FreightWaves 2026-09-27; BetaKit 2026-09-25; FreightWaves 2026-09-24)

Washington Watch

• FMCSA grants CVSA petition to close out-of-service loophole for drug violations — FMCSA on Sept. 17 granted CVSA's petition to change 49 CFR 392.4 so drivers found with drugs can be placed out of service; affects every roadside inspection. (Transport Topics 2026-09-25) Government source sought: FMCSA response granting the CVSA petition to amend 49 CFR 392.4 (Regulations.gov or Federal Register); not yet found.

• Truckers back FMCSA plan to make English-proficiency out-of-service orders permanent — Comments on FMCSA's proposal to codify English-proficiency out-of-service criteria show driver support, while a California program enrolls drivers in English classes to protect licenses. (Land Line (OOIDA) 2026-09-23; montereycountynow.com 2026-09-25) Government source sought: FMCSA notice of proposed rulemaking, English Language Proficiency; Out of Service Criteria (docket FMCSA-2026-0826); not yet found.

• FMCSA moves to restore in-person investigations; records show remote reviews began in 2020 — FMCSA is reinstating in-person components of carrier investigations; federal records show the remote procedures started under the first Trump administration. (FreightWaves 2026-09-25) Government source sought: FMCSA March 2026 memorandum on in-person investigations (not public); not yet found.

• Brokers press Congress on cargo theft as FBI warns of cyber-enabled freight fraud — TIA members lobbied lawmakers on cargo theft the same week the FBI's Memphis task force warned of cyber schemes and a survey put annual losses above $1 million for 40% of loss-prevention leaders. (Transport Topics 2026-09-25; FreightWaves 2026-09-25; FreightWaves 2026-09-24; thetrucker.com 2026-09-26; chainstoreage.com 2026-09-25; Transport Topics 2026-09-26) Promoted to a story: the government document was found.

• FMCSA blames Motus registration glitches on AI-assisted development — FMCSA attributes problems in its new Motus registration system to AI-assisted software development; matters to every carrier applying for or updating authority. (Commercial Carrier Journal 2026-09-25)

• NTSB urges all-electronic tolling after fatal Ohio toll plaza crash — NTSB recommendation following a deadly crash at an Ohio toll plaza. (thetrucker.com 2026-09-25)

• White House weighs diesel export ban as prices squeeze carriers — Talk of a diesel export ban moved futures; what it would mean for truckers. (FreightWaves 2026-09-24; FreightWaves 2026-09-25; FreightWaves 2026-09-23; FreightWaves 2026-09-23)