The trucking sector is coping with rapid growth in a freight fraud tactic that appears to be costing businesses hundreds of millions of dollars. Industry executives say they have seen growing incidents in which fraudulent operators impersonate trucking middlemen and then skim off the payments for handling shipments. The WSJ Logistics Report’s Liz Young writes the longtime problem in trucking, known as double-brokering, has gained momentum as more freight brokerage has moved online and heated competition for loads has cut short the time spent vetting businesses. Carrier-payments platform TriumphPay estimates $500 million to $700 million of shippers’ and brokers’ freight payments annually are going to double brokers. Load board Truckstop.com says it has tracked a big increase in the tactic in recent months. The practice falls hardest on smaller companies that can’t easily absorb a loss of perhaps thousands of dollars for a single load.

• Old Dominion Freight Line’s quarterly profit fell 5% to $285 million as revenue declined for the first time in nearly three years. (MarketWatch)

Paperwork is disappearing from the truck cab. The growing amount of technology that is lacing tractor-trailers is increasingly taking over cumbersome tasks of documenting shipment information. The WSJ’s Isabelle Bousquette writes that the trucking industry’s digital evolution may be reaching a tipping point, driven by the rise in e-commerce, the supply-chain challenges laid bare during the pandemic and customer demand for more real-time data on shipments. Some companies are looking to reduce the tedious and repetitive data collection drivers are doing by better integrating data from other company systems, tapping better software and investing in automated data-collecting devices like cameras and sensors. Estes Express Lines Chief Information Officer Todd Florence says the upshot is more accurate and timely data, and less reliance on drivers writing down or tapping in information on loads. Mr. Florence says the data is increasingly vital to optimizing Estes’ own less-than-truckload operations.

The C-suite attention to supply chains isn’t waning even if port bottlenecks and product shortages are receding. Chief financial officers at companies including Conagra Brands and Cintas tell the WSJ’s Jennifer Williams-Alvarez they are maintaining their focus on inventory, sourcing and procurement even as the snarls of the past three years unwind and business starts to look more normal. For the finance chiefs, the pandemic strains highlighted the intertwined nature of corporate strategies and supply-chain execution. Conagra CFO Dave Marberger says the pandemic-driven problems exposed many fragile points in supply chains that continue to get attention at the food manufacturer. That includes monitoring the health of suppliers and the need for better automation in the company’s supply chain. CFO Jimmi Sue Smith of Koppers Holdings says the maker of treated-wood products is focused on expanding the company’s supplier base now that its operations are in line.
 

U.S. goods imports fell 1% in March while exports expanded 2.9%. (MarketWatch)

Investment by U.S. businesses receded in March for the fourth time in the last five months. (MarketWatch)

Boeing says a new production problem is expected to delay deliveries of its 737 jets to airlines this summer. (WSJ)

Norfolk Southern says the Ohio train derailment in February could cost the railroad almost $400 million. (WSJ)

U.S. meat supplier Tyson Foods is eliminating 15% of its senior leadership positions and 10% of corporate jobs. (WSJ)

Jeep-maker Stellantis plans to offer buyouts to both white-collar and hourly workers as it trims costs to fund its transition to electric vehicles. (WSJ)

Toyota Motor's battery subsidiary will invest about $746 million to boost production capacity by more than 40%. (Nikkei Asia)

Union Pacific, Canadian National and Mexico’s Ferromex will cooperate on a cross-border rail service aimed at competing with the newly-formed Canadian Pacific Kansas City. (Supply Chain Dive)

The problem of parked freight trains blocking crossings for extended periods is worsening, endangering lives. (Pro Publica)

Transport equipment maker Wabtec’s first-quarter sales jumped 18.5% to $1.57 billion. (Reuters)

Freight airline Cargolux warned of declining demand after 2022 profit reached $1.6 billion on a 15% gain in revenue. (The Loadstar)

Raytheon Technologies’ CEO says the defense supplier’s supply chain is “getting a hell of a lot better.” (Breaking Defense)

Paul Page is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Reach him at paul.page@wsj.com.

Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team: @PaulPage, @bylizyoung and @pdberger. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report on Twitter at @WSJLogistics.