Texas trucking

Texas dealer must pay $1.9M in taxes on Chinese-made tires, court rules

A Houston-based trucking wholesaler and retailer is responsible for $1.93 million in excise taxes for tires it bought from Chinese manufacturers in order to resell them in the U.S., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled.

The 5th Circuit’s opinion Monday reversed a district court ruling in September that Texas Truck Parts & Tire Inc. wasn’t responsible for the excise taxes on the tires it purchased because customs forms showed that the Chinese companies imported the tires, according...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/texas-dealer-must-pay-1-9m-in-taxes-on-chinese-made-tires-court-rules

Wife of slain Texas trucking magnate sentenced to probation in $9M fraud case

Frances Hall was sentenced to 10 years deferred adjudication after pleading no contest to charges she was part of a multimillion dollar fraud scheme while she was co-owner of Bill Hall Jr. Trucking in San Antonio, Texas.

Hall was sentenced Wednesday in the 147th District Court in Austin, Texas. As part of her no contest plea, Hall will also pay $150,000 in restitution.

Deferred adjudication is a type of probation in criminal cases that allows a defendant to avoid a conviction by staying in the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/wife-of-slain-texas-trucking-magnate-sentenced-to-probation-in-9m-fraud-case

Massive wildfires disrupting travel across Texas, Oklahoma

A cluster of wildfires that began on Monday in the Texas Panhandle forced thousands to flee their homes, while also making travel difficult for truckers and motorists.

Texas authorities temporarily closed Highway 136 between the Borger and Amarillo Tuesday, but the roadway was reopened Wednesday. 

Interstate 40 near Amarillo remains open, but authorities have urged motorists to avoid traveling through the roadway due to excessive smoke, as well as allowing emergency responders the space to work...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/massive-wildfires-disrupting-travel-across-texas-oklahoma

Closing of Texas’ last sugar mill will affect 101 company drivers

Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers Inc. recently announced it is closing after 51 years in business, citing dwindling water for irrigation and an ongoing dispute with Mexico over water supplies.

The closure will result in layoffs of 435 employees, including 101 company truck drivers, for the sugar-growing operation and mill based in Santa Rosa, Texas. The mill’s closure will be finalized by April 29. 

“This is to advise Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers Inc., will permanently close its plant … due to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/closing-of-texas-last-sugar-mill-will-affect-101-company-drivers

Texas beverage distributor closing facility, laying off 109 workers

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Jumbo Beverages announced a permanent layoff of all employees at its beverage distribution center in...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/texas-beverage-distributor-closing-facility-laying-off-109-workers

Truck driver apprehended after 3-hour standoff on Texas highway

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A three-hour standoff between a truck driver and Houston law enforcement ended Wednesday after SWAT...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/truck-driver-apprehended-after-3-hour-standoff-on-texas-highway

Renewed migrant surge forces closure of Texas border bridge

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Amid a new increase in migrant crossings, federal officials announced the partial closure of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/renewed-migrant-surge-forces-closure-of-texas-border-bridge

Former FMCSA investigator charged with bribery, extortion

A former Department of Transportation employee from South Texas was charged Monday by a federal grand jury in Houston with bribery and extortion, according to the Department of Justice.

Patrick Gorena, 54, a former investigator for the DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration office in Weslaco, Texas, is charged with agreeing to minimize purported safety violations he encountered while auditing a local trucking company in exchange for a $2,000 bribe.

On July 20, Gorena performed a safety...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/former-fmcsa-investigator-charged-with-bribery-extortion

6th person pleads guilty in $1.4M scam against Texas trucking companies

A San Antonio-area man has pleaded guilty to accepting $432,000 in unearned payroll funds as part of a scam against carrier Texas Chrome Transport Inc. 

Mario Martinez, 49, is the sixth person to plead guilty in the scheme that diverted more than $1.4 million from Atascosa, Texas-based Texas Chrome Transport and a related company, MJR Truck Lines Inc. Atascosa is located 22 miles south of San Antonio.

Texas Chrome Transport has 208 drivers and 208 power units, according to the Federal Motor...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/man-pleads-guilty-in-scamming-texas-trucking-company

Texas tollway using satellites to monitor condition of road

A Texas tollway is using satellite technology to evaluate the condition of the roadway with “millimeter accuracy” to address potential problems before they impact safety or ride quality.

SH 130 Concession Co. has partnered with Richmond, Virginia-based EO59, a technology startup that provides remote monitoring services to measure ground and structural movement.

Satellites will pass over the SH 130 toll road between Austin and San Antonio every six days and provide measurements on over 30,000...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/texas-tollway-using-satellites-to-monitor-condition-of-road

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