Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Oct. 5, 2026:
Feds charge former fleet owner in alleged Ponzi scheme
A Nevada man has been charged for allegedly running a trucking-related Ponzi scheme, bilking more than $105 million from victim investors.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida charged Kristopher Lunsford, 46, of Henderson, Nevada (formerly of Georgia) with six counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each wire fraud count and up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each money laundering count. The United States is also seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $105,940,214.93, the proceeds of the alleged fraudulent scheme.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has also filed a civil enforcement action against Lunsford, AKL Transport LLC, and Southern Truck Leasing LLC in the Middle District of Florida. The SEC alleged that Lunsford and his companies raised at least $127 million from approximately 765 investors nationwide.
According to the indictment, Lunsford and others solicited hundreds of victim-investors to invest in his trucking business by purchasing leases for semi-trucks. Lunsford allegedly falsely and fraudulently represented that he would handle all aspects of the business, including purchasing trucks, hiring drivers, and insuring and employing the trucks while the investors performed no work and earned passive income.
Lunsford and others represented to the investors that they could invest in a truck, typically in an amount between $25,000 and $40,000 per truck, and, in exchange, earn a guaranteed weekly payout, typically in an amount between approximately $1,000 and $1,250, generated from profits of Lunsford’s operation of the trucks.
Between approximately December 2023 and May 2025, Lunsford and others solicited more than $105 million from victim-investors. Rather than paying the investors with profits generated from the business, Lunsford allegedly used approximately $75 million of new investors’ funds to pay earlier investors and used over $25 million for his personal enrichment, including purchases of real estate, sports cars, jewelry, luxury brand items, private charters, and expenditures at resorts, casinos, and nightclubs.
Lunsford also allegedly used approximately $2 million of investors’ funds on business-related expenses and operations.
[Related: Florida fleet owner charged in alleged $112M Ponzi scheme]
FMCSA returns automatic emergency relief to 30 days
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has finalized a proposal to roll back a 2023 change to its automatic emergency relief triggered following a regional declaration of emergency by a governor of a state, their authorized representative, or FMCSA itself.
In January, the agency proposed extending that automatic emergency relief from 14 days to 30 days. Prior to 2023, the automatic exemption was limited to 30 days and covered all regulations in 49 CFR Parts 390 through 399. With the October 2023 change, though, that automatic relief was shortened to 14 days and limited the exempted regulations to only the hours-of-service regulations in sections 395.3 and 395.5 (maximum driving time for property- and passenger-carrying vehicles, respectively).
FMCSA only received 13 comments that were relevant to January’s proposed change, 10 of which supported the change, one was neutral and two opposed.
The final rule expanding the automatic emergency relief triggered by emergency declarations from 14 days to 30 days is effective Monday, Oct. 5, when the rule publishes in the Federal Register. Petitions for reconsideration of the final rule must be submitted to the FMCSA Administrator within 30 days of the rule’s publication.
Schneider expanding driver training program
Schneider (CCJ Top 250, No. 6) is expanding its driver training by increasing instructor positions by 26%, reflecting the carrier’s commitment to maintaining a strong training program while preparing the next generation of drivers, the company said.
The additional roles will help more new hires move from onboarding to behind-the-wheel training. The new positions will be concentrated across Schneider’s nationwide network of training locations that support the company’s driver hiring and training efforts across the country.
The company noted its expansion is designed to increase onboarding capacity for both new and experienced drivers while helping ensure its customers continue to have access to reliable transportation capacity.
“Drivers are essential to keeping the economy moving, and developing the next generation of drivers requires a commitment to helping them succeed,” said Schneider Vice President of Safety Andrea Sequin. “By adding more instructors, we’re expanding our ability to train and mentor drivers, which helps us deliver the reliable service our customers expect. Consistent capacity helps sustain the long-term strength of our network.”
Experienced drivers have the opportunity to apply for the new instructor jobs and grow within Schneider by sharing their expertise and mentoring the next generation of drivers. Nearly 90% of the carrier’s current driver instructors were promoted from driver roles.
“Experienced drivers often look for ways to share their knowledge with newer drivers, and our driver instructor position allows them to do just that,” added Sequin. “Plus, the role gets them home every day, which is something experienced drivers often desire when considering a job change.”
