Briefly: Three men charged in connection with numerous truck thefts -

Three men were recently arrested in Florida in connection with the theft of numerous heavy-duty trucks.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said its Auto Theft Unit has arrested three individuals who are said to have stolen semi-trucks and dump trucks valued at more than $6 million.

According to the sheriff’s office, over the past several months, detectives with the Auto Theft Unit conducted an extensive investigation into a group targeting vehicles from multiple Florida counties. The stolen vehicles were taken from Hillsborough, Polk, Hernando, Pasco, Sarasota, and Pinellas counties. Thefts go as far back as September of 2024.

Working in partnership with the Statewide Prosecutor’s Office, detectives identified and arrested Rayge Sanchez, 40, Christian Garcia Diaz, 26, and Jose Nuñez, 29, who all had ties to the theft operation.

The sheriff’s office said all three suspects are facing the following charges:

Rayge Sanchez:

Grand Theft $100,000 or More (x5)
Rico Conspiracy or Endeavor

Christian Garcia Diaz:

Grand Theft $100,000 or More (x5)
Rico Conspiracy or Endeavor

Jose Nuñez:

Grand Theft $100,000 or More (x7)
Rico Conspiracy or Endeavor

“These weren’t just stolen trucks; these were critical tools for businesses, livelihoods for families, and key components of infrastructure projects across our region,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Thanks to the relentless work of our Auto Theft Unit and our partners at the Statewide Prosecutor’s Office, we’ve stopped a major criminal enterprise that was taking from those who help drive our economy forward.”

Love’s now has Ralson tires

Love’s Travel Stops is now carrying Ralson RTR51 commercial truck tires.

“This is a very important step in the continued progress of Ralson commercial truck tires in the US,” said Mark Roe, vice president of sales for Ralson Tire North America. “With its extensive number of locations and outstanding reputation in the trucking industry, Love’s provides an ideal servicing network for Ralson.”

Ralson’s primary headquarters are located in India. It’s U.S. operations are based in Spring Hill, Tennessee.

With more than 430 maintenance shops, Love’s Truck Care and Speedco combined have more than 1,400 maintenance bays and 1,100 emergency roadside vehicles.

“We are proud to partner with Ralson and add more value to our tire offerings,” said Eric Daniels, Love’s vice president of truck care. “Ralson tires, produced in one of the world’s most advanced truck, bus and radial tire (TBR) plants, provide the level of high quality that our customers have come to expect from Love’s.”

The Ralson RTR51, designed for the trailer axle, features full-depth, multi-dimensional sipes to counter irregular wear and rib tearing. Corrugated cooling fins effectively dissipate heat for long tread life, and a chamfered solid shoulder counters lateral forces in high scrub applications. A balanced rib ratio distributes pressure evenly for long tread life.

Global tire manufacturer Ralson, which entered the US market in 2023, has a rapidly expanding distribution footprint in America. The company recently announced the opening of two distribution centers on the East Coast.

Like Love’s, Ralson is a family-owned business. For more than 50 years and four generations, Ralson has been manufacturing high quality tires. The company started its journey in 1974 with the production of 2- and 3-wheel vehicle tires. Today, Ralson supplies tires to more than 70 countries through the committed efforts of 8,000 employees.

CRST honored by Kloeckner Metals

CRST, alongside three of its agent partners, has been honored with the Premier Asset-Based Carrier of the Year Award from Kloeckner Metals. This award recognizes outstanding service, commitment, and reliability in freight transportation throughout 2024.

CRST agents Kim Filipas – BHM Transportation LLC, Deb Wolfe – Wolfe Creek Logistics, and Regina Summers – Summers Transportation played a pivotal role in earning this distinction.

“Our agents are the heart of our success, and this recognition from Kloeckner Metals reinforces the value of the relationships they build every day,” Tim Barth, VP – Agent Development.

The Premier Asset-Based Carrier of the Year Award reflects CRST and its partner agency’s ability to provide flexible, driven solutions while maintaining industry-leading reliability and customer service.

Their dedication to service excellence and long-term customer partnerships exemplifies CRST’s commitment to delivering reliable, high-quality logistics solutions.