Much of the organized retail crime we see targets big box retailers, but the trucking industry is also harmed by this type of criminal activity, with cargo theft being a popular tactic among criminal enterprises.

Organized retail crime hurts all Americans because the cost to businesses—$70 billion annually—gets passed on to consumers as higher prices. Businesses not only lose merchandise; they face higher costs for security and insurance.

It’s important to understand, too, that the perpetrators of organized retail crime don’t limit their criminal activity to just this kind of theft. Their efforts to steal goods from retail outlets and transporters help fund broader criminal activity like drug trafficking, human trafficking, prostitution, and violent crime. These are bad actors who think they can operate outside the law for their own personal gain.

I have made fighting organized retail crime a priority since being sworn in as Arkansas’s Attorney General in January 2023. Not long after taking office, I joined Homeland Security Investigations’ nationally focused Organized Retail Crime Alliance and the regionally focused subgroup called LAMA (as an Arkansan, I like to call it ALMA), which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. This group shares information and intelligence about organized retail crime in our states and coordinates on efforts to take down the criminal syndicates behind these offenses.

I’ve also led on this issue at the state level. I added an investigator dedicated full time to organized retail crime to my Special Investigations Division, and I’ve pulled together law enforcement agencies and retail partners to meet regularly to share intelligence and strategies to take these criminals down. And it’s working. Last year in August and September we led a series of organized retail crime “blitzes,” yielding 17 arrests.

During Arkansas’s current legislative session, I have championed three bills to enhance criminal penalties for organized retail crime offenses, including one bill directly tied to cargo theft. This particular bill will give prosecutors extra leverage when dealing with cargo theft and will add up to 10 years of hard time on top of current sentencing norms. We’re sending a clear message to criminal enterprises that in Arkansas, we’re not just giving organized retail crime lip service. We’re coming after these criminals, and we’re going to use every tool available to us to take them down.

The Arkansas Trucking Association has been a key partner in our efforts to combat organized retail crime, and I encourage you, its members, to reach out to my office if you have information to share or if we can be of assistance in any way. My dedicated team of investigators are among the best in the state, and we stand ready to help the trucking industry erase the terrible impact that these types of crimes have on companies, their employees, our roadways, and our communities.

Please reach out at (501) 682-2007 or oag@arkansasag.gov if we can help in any way.

Tim Griffin was sworn in as the 57th Attorney General of Arkansas on January 10, 2023, having previously served as the state’s 20th Lieutenant Governor from 2015-2023. From 2011-2015, Griffin served as the 24th representative of Arkansas’s Second Congressional District, where he served on the House Committee on Ways and Means, House Armed Services Committee, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, House Committee on Ethics and House Committee on the Judiciary while also serving as a Deputy Whip for the Majority.

Griffin is currently an officer in the Arkansas Army National Guard and holds the rank of colonel. Griffin served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps for more than 28 years. In 2005, Griffin was mobilized to active duty as an Army prosecutor at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and served with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in Mosul, Iraq.

His previous assignments include serving as the Commander of the 2d Legal Operations Detachment in New Orleans, Louisiana; the Commander of the 134th Legal Operations Detachment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and as a Senior Legislative Advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness at the Pentagon. Griffin earned a master’s degree in strategic studies as a Distinguished Honor Graduate from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.

Griffin also served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Political Affairs for President George W. Bush; Special Assistant to Assistant Attorney General Michael Chertoff, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Arkansas; Senior Investigative Counsel, Government Reform and Oversight Committee, U.S. House of Representatives; and Associate Independent Counsel, Office of Independent Counsel David M. Barrett, In re: HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros.

Griffin is a graduate of Magnolia High School, Hendrix College in Conway, and Tulane Law School in New Orleans. He attended graduate school at Oxford University. He is admitted to practice law in Arkansas (active) and Louisiana (inactive). Griffin lives in Little Rock with his wife, Elizabeth, a Camden native, and their three children.

There was once a familiar phrase we’d use with an audible sigh: “the speed of government.” It conveyed a universal truth—bureaucracy has a slow roll. Forms require signatures in triplicate, proposals need approvals from multiple offices and processes include periods for public input. It is frustrating yet predictable, a system that mostly works, albeit slowly.

That certainty and predictability has vanished.

Print always races against time—we regularly monitor breaking news until sending these pages to press. But this issue was different. Nearly every article required rewrites or updates as situations evolved daily. What had been routine flexibility became a sprint to capture a landscape refusing to hold still. The ink may barely be dry before some details change again.

In the past 45 days, we’ve witnessed dizzying policy shifts with more flip flops than a beach pier in Sandestin. Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China were implemented, paused, reinstated, then partially exempted, then delayed again. Each country promised retaliatory tariffs on American goods. By the time you read this, we may still be fighting a trade war, or perhaps a deal will make this paragraph old news.

In the federal workforce, thousands received emails on Feb. 6 presenting a stark choice: resign with some compensation or face potential layoffs as the Department of Government Efficiency sought to reduce costs. However, a few days later, some offers were rescinded and many workers who were laid off were called back to the job.

Federal funding froze, then courts ordered release of some funds when judges ruled that contracts for completed work couldn’t legally be canceled. The pendulum swings with unprecedented speed.

For Arkansas businesses, particularly in transportation and logistics, this acceleration presents mixed realities. Some view these swift actions as overdue corrections—cutting red tape, eliminating waste, creating space for innovation. Others see the same changes with concern, noting that predictability and consistency underpin sound business planning.

Whether these changes are good or bad often depends on perspective. The question is how to operate and succeed in this new environment. Do you maximize flexibility, ready to pivot instantly? Or make informed decisions prepared to weather the turbulence? The latter may seem counterintuitive amid constant change, but with policies shifting and then reverting, attempting to be perpetually nimble might prove impossible. Sometimes making a decision and holding steady means you’ll find favorable circumstances at least part of the time.

The crest and trough of policy waves grow closer together, creating a different landscape for those navigating commerce. What we once knew as “the speed of government”—that reliable, if frustrating, pace—may be a concept known only in the past.

Please give this issue extra grace if we hit “send” too quickly. We’re also adjusting to the breakneck speed of government.

The organized retail crime package, sponsored by Sen. Ben Gilmore (R-Crossett) and Rep. Jeremiah Moore (R-Clarendon) and championed by the Attorney General’s office, addresses a top priority for the trucking industry—cargo theft protection and organized retail crime throughout the entire supply chain. The legislative package garnered strong bipartisan support as it moved through the Legislature.

“The industry saw unprecedented levels of cargo theft last year, up 27% from the previous year and a 1,500% increase since 2001. These laws demonstrate that Arkansas lawmakers understand the economic threat organized retail crime and cargo theft pose to our industry and all consumers,” said Arkansas Trucking Association President Shannon Newton. “The success of this organized retail crime package demonstrates what can be achieved when policymakers, industry stakeholders and officials like Attorney General Griffin work together,” added Newton.

“By recognizing that organized crime operates throughout the supply chain, from retail stores to transportation networks, this collaboration has produced meaningful legislation that will better protect Arkansas businesses and consumers. We remain committed to working with our partners to develop practical solutions to the challenges facing our industry.”

Key provisions of the organized retail crime package include:

• Defined framework for addressing sophisticated retail theft operations (Act 321)
• Enhanced penalties of up to 10 additional years for organized cargo theft (Act 322)
• No eligibility for earned release credits on the enhanced portion of sentences for cargo theft (Act 322)
• Coverage of all commercial freight moving in commerce, including railroads, trucks, and intermodal containers (Act 322)
• Criminal penalties for gift card fraud schemes based on redemption value (SB302)
• Immediate implementation due to emergency declaration

“This comprehensive legislation sends a clear message that organized retail crime and cargo theft will not be tolerated in Arkansas and will be met with serious consequences,” said Newton.

“The Carl Tapp Memorial Scholarship has invested $97,500 in Arkansas’s future technicians,” said ATA President Shannon Newton. “By helping young people access quality education, we’re not just filling jobs – we’re ensuring Arkansas has the skilled workforce needed to keep commerce moving safely and efficiently on our highways. Each scholarship recipient represents both individual opportunity and our commitment to Arkansas’s economic future.”

ATA established the Carl Tapp Memorial Scholarship Fund in 2017 to encourage growth in the state’s technician workforce and to help assure that the safest, most knowledgeable and skilled technicians are working on the trucks and trailers on our nation’s roads.

Applicants must be graduating seniors from accredited high schools. A scholarship of up to $7,500 will be awarded for students attending a minimum two-semester medium- and heavy-duty truck technician program at an Arkansas institution.

In 2017, ATA’s Maintenance & Technology Council founded the Carl Tapp Memorial Scholarship Fund to encourage young Arkansans to pursue career paths as technicians in the trucking industry. The scholarship is named for the late Carl Tapp, the Council’s first chairman, who was known for recognizing and empowering talent in the next generation of technicians.

Applications will be accepted through April 4, 2025, for students beginning coursework in August 2025 or January 2026, based on individual program requirements. ATA plans to name the 2025 recipient(s) in May. Contact Sarah Newman (sarahnewman@arkansastrucking.com) for more information about the Scholarship Fund and find the application at https://www.arkansastrucking.com/scholarship/.

In a few weeks, the Arkansas Legislature will begin their general session – a time when industry leaders and stakeholders fill the halls of the Capitol, each carrying proposals, concerns and hopes for new legislation. But before the serious work begins, before the committees convene and votes are cast, we had a chance to share something simpler: hospitality.

December brings the freshman legislators to Little Rock for orientation, and the Arkansas Trucking Association welcomed them to the Capital City with dinner at the historic Capital Hotel. There’s something magical about this place during Christmas with its two-story tree, mugs of eggnog and hot chocolate, seasonal music echoing off the marble floors and ornate ceilings.

We met the men and women who were just elected to serve their communities. They come from every corner of Arkansas—small towns and growing cities, farming communities and business districts, each bringing their unique perspectives to the shared task of governing our state. Soon enough, they’ll discover the complexities of representation, when their constituents’ needs differ from those of their colleagues’ districts. They’ll face the challenging work of crafting legislation that solves problems.

They will soon be flooded with constituent calls, requests for bill drafts, appeals for co-sponsorship and passionate voices on all sides of complex issues. But on this evening, there were no policy briefs to review, no positions to defend, no legislation to debate. Instead, there was just the breaking of bread and earnest introductions.

This is how relationships begin—not with asks, but with offerings. Not with agendas, but with open doors. Before these freshmen legislators take up the work of serving Arkansans, we had the honor of serving them. It’s a reminder that before we can build good policy, we have to build trust. Before we can work together, we must know each other as people who share a commitment to making Arkansas better.

In the months ahead, we’ll have many opportunities to educate these legislators about how their decisions impact communities and businesses. We’ll discuss the issues facing our industry and work together on solutions. But first, we offered something more fundamental: a warm welcome, genuine fellowship and the foundation for relationships that we hope will serve our state well beyond any single legislative session.

Freight fraud is not merely a challenge for the logistics industry; it is a growing crisis that threatens national economic security. Each year, fraudulent practices such as double brokering, identity spoofing and cargo theft cost businesses billions of dollars while eroding trust in the supply chain—the backbone of commerce. In response to this escalating threat, bipartisan legislation in the form of HR 8505, the “Household Goods Shipping Consumer Protection Act,” offers a decisive step forward, holding the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) accountable for combating freight fraud effectively.

The FMCSA, as the federal agency tasked with overseeing the trucking and freight industry, plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the integrity of the supply chain. However, the agency’s current approach to freight fraud has fallen short of addressing the scale and sophistication of these schemes. Without clear accountability, standardized reporting mechanisms and sufficient enforcement, the industry is left vulnerable to bad actors who exploit regulatory gaps and technological vulnerabilities. HR 8505 seeks to close these gaps and ensure that FMCSA takes an active and leading role in preventing fraud.

HR 8505 proposes practical and necessary measures, including

1. Enhanced Reporting Requirements: Standardized and mandatory fraud reporting protocols will provide the data needed to identify patterns and preempt criminal activities.
2. Stricter Enforcement and Penalties: With more robust investigative powers and harsher penalties for offenders, HR 8505 creates a deterrent against fraudulent practices.
3. Enforcing regulations on the books: Forcing the FMCSA to enforce current regulations like the principal place of business requirement would reduce fraudulent practices.
4. Collaboration Across Stakeholders: The legislation emphasizes public-private partnerships to bring together government agencies, industry leaders and technology experts to tackle fraud comprehensively.

Passing HR 8505 is not just an industry issue; it’s a public interest priority. A secure and efficient supply chain supports countless businesses and consumers nationwide. As fraudsters evolve their tactics, Congress must act decisively to strengthen the regulatory framework, protect stakeholders and bolster economic resilience. TIA has worked very closely with carrier organizations like the American Trucking Associations to address this issue of fraud as this impacts every stakeholder along the supply chain.

With bipartisan support, HR 8505 demonstrates that addressing freight fraud transcends political lines. The time to act is now. Congress must seize this opportunity to pass HR 8505 and empower the FMCSA to uphold its responsibility to the logistics industry and the broader economy.

For those in the logistics sector, the TIA Annual conference this April will provide a forum to discuss advocacy efforts around HR 8505, share insights on fraud prevention and unify the industry’s voice in urging legislative action. Together, we can drive meaningful changes and secure the future of the supply chain.

Burroughs is president & CEO of Transportation Intermediaries Association. For more information about TIA, visit news.tianet.org.

King was recognized alongside two companies, and he is the first individual to ever receive the change leader award.

He was recognized for his commitment to educating, encouraging and empowering employees and helping them succeed in their careers.

King’s dedication to the Arkansas Road Team, where he serves as a safety advocate and industry ambassador, is a testament to his leadership and passion for promoting an inclusive workplace. His work not only champions road safety but also creates a sense of belonging and acceptance within the trucking community.

“We are thrilled to see Jessie’s contributions recognized on a national level,” said Shannon Newton, President of the Arkansas Trucking Association. We are proud to send Jessie across the state to speak to audiences as an Arkansas Road Team Captain, where he shares his passion for the industry and invites young Arkansans to consider trucking as a career.”

”Whether he is delivering freight, encouraging his colleagues or sharing his passion for trucking with students and drivers around Arkansas, Jessie makes our industry a better, more inclusive place to work.”

“The trucking industry is a vibrant source of quality careers for Americans from all walks of life. It is a place where individuals can find acceptance, belonging and personal fulfillment, serving as the glue that keeps America together. ATA believes that diversity has been a key factor in the industry’s past and present success,” said ATA COO Sarah Rajtik. “The purpose of the ATA Change Leader Award is to recognize ATA members who are committed to fostering a culture of acceptance and belonging for their employees.”
Other ATA Change Leader Award winners include
• Atlas World Group for their work in developing a modern, comprehensive DEI training course, ensuring that all employees have access to relevant and effective education.
• Ceramex North America for creating several initiatives that support employee engagement and inclusion including health and wellness programs, transparent communication channels and leadership development programs.

“There are nearly 36,000 professional truck drivers in Arkansas – delivering everything from seeds and livestock for local farmers to books and technology for neighborhood schools,” Gov. Sanders said in the proclamation. “In times of prosperity or times of crisis, Arkansas’ and our Nation’s economy rides on the shoulders of professional drivers who bring what we need every day to thrive and survive, build and rebuild our lives across the state.”

Sen John Boozman also called attention to the contributions of drivers at the nation’s capital with a congressional resolution to designate the week as National Truck Driver Appreciation Week in the U.S. Senate. “The American people owe a debt of gratitude to truck drivers for the work they do and the altruistic example they set to put food on our tables, keep our homes comfortable, and support our families and jobs,” the resolutions stated.

The Arkansas Trucking Association is celebrating the occasion Thursday, Sept. 19, at the TA Petro Stopping Center in North Little Rock, gifting free lunch to the professional drivers travelling along I-40, where more than 15,000 truck travel each day.

“Truck drivers are the quiet champions of our communities,” said ATA President Shannon Newton. “Behind almost every aspect of our lives is a skilled driver, traveling long stretches of road, often far from home, to ensure Arkansas families and businesses stay connected. National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is a chance for everyone to notice—to notice when the shelves are stocked, packages are delivered and who makes it happen.”

For the fourth year, ATA has also launched a billboard campaign around the state throughout September to thank drivers and prompt the public to keep noticing the 5-star service drivers perform in our society.

The Arkansas Trucking Association would like to extend its appreciation to several member companies for their support and donations for this year’s Truck Driver Appreciation Day event: ABF Freight, Aon, Arkansas Retailers, Bill Davis Trucking, Bowerman Trucking, CC Jones, CCMSI, Dedicated Logistics, Great West Casualty Company, Hurricane Express, J Hook Towing, J.B. Hunt Transport, McKee Foods Transportation, MHC Truck Leasing of Little Rock, Ozarko Tire Centers, PC Promotions, PrePass, Rich Insurance, SMS Trucking, Star Transportation, Tracy Law PLLC, TravelCenters of America, Tri-State Thermo King, Tyson Foods, W&B Service Co., Woodfield, and Wright Lindsey Jennings.