Four men were recently arrested for stealing the engine control modules (ECM) out of trucks.
Hillsborough (Florida) County Sheriff's Department reports an organized ring of thieves stole $404,668 worth of ECMs from Freightliner trucks parked in short-term storage lots in Florida and Texas. The thefts also caused $372,000 worth of damage to the trucks.
A statement from the department said the investigation began in May 2025 after detectives with the department's Organized Crime Task Force noticed a pattern of thefts involving ECMs. Detectives quickly suspected the thefts were part of a larger criminal enterprise, which was confirmed when the Lee County Sheriff's Office provided critical leads.
The statement from the sheriff's department said:
"With support from the Office of Statewide Prosecution, 25 search warrants and investigative subpoenas were obtained. Surveillance operations revealed that the suspects were based in Miami and Palm Beach counties and carried out over $400,000 in ECM thefts. Additionally, their actions caused another $370,000 in damages by prying open engine compartments and cutting wiring harnesses to remove the ECMs.
"With assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, and Miami-Dade Police Department, all four suspects were identified and arrested, ending their multi-jurisdictional crime spree."
Hub Group acquires Marten Intermodal
Hub Group, Inc. recently announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the intermodal assets of Marten Transport, Ltd. Intermodal, a division of Marten Transport, Ltd.
Marten Intermodal provides temperature-controlled intermodal service to a diversified group of about 100 shippers in the food and beverage segments.
The transaction is structured as an asset purchase of certain intermodal equipment and contracts from Marten Transport Ltd. for $51.8M in cash and is expected to close by the end of the third quarter subject to certain customary closing conditions, according to a statement from the Hub Group.
“We are excited to more than double Hub Group’s temperature-controlled container fleet and leverage our existing intermodal network to serve Marten Intermodal’s customers” said Phil Yeager, Hub Group’s president, CEO and vice chairman. “This opportunity aligns with our long-term investment strategy, expands margin, and preserves capital flexibility. We are committed to sustaining the strong service and growth momentum of our leading temperature-controlled intermodal offering.”
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