Spooky Supply Chain: Pirates, Poisoned Pills and Train Robbers with Grace Sharkey

Grace Sharkey and I traded five cargo crime stories for a Halloween edition of Freight Friends. Every one of them turns on the same weak spot: the moment freight changes hands, and the question of who is really holding it.We start in Turfan on the Silk Road in the 670s. A merchant vanished on the road to Kucha, and his brother sued for 275 bolts of silk with no contract and only two witnesses. Grace takes us to Chicago in 1982, when someone laced Tylenol capsules with cyanide and Johnson & Johnson pulled about 31 million bottles off the shelves. That recall is the reason pill bottles come sealed today.From there it's Henry Every's 1695 raid on the Mughal treasure ship Ganj-i-Sawai, worth around $4 million per pirate in today's wages. Grace follows with the ghosts of the St. Lawrence River: the Empress of Ireland sinking in 14 minutes, the villages flooded for the Seaway in 1958 and the freighter that later sank near them. I close with the Reno Gang, who robbed a moving train outside Seymour, Indiana in 1866.Each story ends with how the same crime looks now, from container theft on China-Europe freight trains to break-ins at rail yards in Chicago, Los Angeles and Memphis.In this episodeWhy a Tang dynasty court gave two witnesses the same weight as a signed contractHow the 1982 Tylenol recall led to tamper-evident packaging and the Federal Anti-Tampering ActHow much each pirate took home from the Ganj-i-SawaiThe captain who caught a murderer by wireless, then survived the Empress of IrelandWhy the Renos robbed a moving train out in the country instead of a depotWho's in our upcoming Cargo Crime guide on CargoRexComing soon: the Cargo Crime guideAt the IANA Intermodal Expo in Long Beach, I recorded six interviews with people who fight cargo crime for a living. They're the heart of our Cargo Crime guide, coming to CargoRex Research the first week of November.Scott Cornell, SPG Cargo & Logistics and TAPAJoe Ohr, NMFTABernardo Mendez Arista, GateIn AIReed Loustalot, Truck Parking ClubJared Palmer, EPIC Insurance BrokersKristy Knichel, Knichel LogisticsCargo Crime guide on CargoRex ResearchLinks from the episodeGrace Sharkey on LinkedInOrderfulNMFTA Threat Report Portal, for reporting cargo crime and fraud anonymouslyFreight fraud and identity verification companies on CargoRexMore Source to Porch storiesCompanies mentioned on CargoRexSPI LogisticsOrderfulNMFTAGateIn AIEPIC Insurance Brokers & ConsultantsKnichel LogisticsRelated company listings on CargoRexArviemCargoNet by VeriskMarineTrafficAmsted Digital SolutionsRelated episodesFreight Friends: State of Cargo Crime, South American Logistics, and Wicked DollsWhat I Learned at IANA Expo 2026: Cargo Crime, Rail and Autonomous FreightThe Business Case for Paranoia: Best-Of Cargo Crime & Fraud Prevention$13B Halloween Supply Chains, China's Rare-Earth Grip, and Should You Even Start a Podcast?Sources for the storiesAt Legal Crossroads: Tang Law and Foreigners in Seventh-Century Turfan, China HandsChicago Tylenol murders, WikipediaHenry Every, WikipediaGanj-i-Sawai, WikipediaRMS Empress of Ireland, WikipediaLost Villages, WikipediaReno Gang, WikipediaChina-Europe freight train trips up 10.8-fold in a decade, CGTNMaritime piracy in 2026 fell to 1992 levels despite Somalia, Yemen surge, The Maritime ExecutiveFreight train robberies cost millions, Fortune-----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers. 

A customs entry might take minutes to prepare while the truck waits days to cross. José Miñarro explains how that disconnect happens when nobody coordinates the paperwork with the freight.I’m joined by José, Managing Director at CustomsNet, to walk through what shippers need to settle before their first Mexico shipment moves. We discuss the information importers must provide and how proper onboarding catches problems before they reach the border. José also explains why keeping accurate records matters long after delivery.This conversation is part of CargoRex’s Mexico Cross-Border Freight Guide.Links from the show:• Watch the original CargoRex interview with José• Connect with José on LinkedIn• Read the full Mexico Cross-Border Freight GuideRelated episodes:• What Logistics World Showed Me About Mexico Trade• Why WhatsApp Is Still Doing Mexico TMS Work -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers. 

A security policy can look great on paper. The harder question is whether everyone handling your freight actually follows it.I’m joined by Joe Hurst, co-founder and president of Veroot, to explain CTPAT, the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, and what it takes to get certified and stay compliant. We discuss how companies document their security practices and keep checking their freight partners after onboarding. Joe also shares examples of security failures that reveal why training and follow-through matter. If your compliance program depends on one employee knowing where everything lives, this conversation gives you plenty to consider.This conversation is part of CargoRex’s Mexico Cross-Border Freight Guide.Links from the show:• Watch the original CargoRex interview with Joe• Connect with Joe on LinkedIn• Explore Veroot on CargoRex• Read the full Mexico Cross-Border Freight GuideRelated episodes:• The Business Case for Paranoia: Best-Of Cargo Crime & Fraud Prevention• Why WhatsApp Is Still Doing Mexico TMS Work -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers. 

Your freight crosses into Mexico. If something happens to it there, do you know whose insurance responds and what it actually covers?I’m joined by Mark Vickers, Executive Vice President and Head of International Logistics at Reliance Partners, to examine the coverage assumptions that can turn a lost load into an expensive argument. We discuss why carrier liability and cargo insurance need separate attention, what a shipper might mean when they say they’re self-insured, and how contracts affect the conversation after a loss. Mark also explains how carrier vetting and shipment tracking fit into risk management.This conversation is part of CargoRex’s Mexico Cross-Border Freight Guide.Links from the show:Watch the original CargoRex interview with MarkConnect with Mark on LinkedInExplore Reliance Partners on CargoRexRead the full Mexico Cross-Border Freight GuideRelated episodes:The Business Case for Paranoia: Best-Of Cargo Crime & Fraud PreventionWhat Logistics World Showed Me About Mexico Trade -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers. 

Your customer asks if you can handle their Mexico freight. Before you say yes, you need to understand who will move it and what happens when the shipment changes hands at the border.I’m joined by Matt Silver, co-founder and CEO of Cargado, to walk through moving that first cross-border load. Matt explains how a trailer can stay loaded while the truck and driver change, how to find carriers that serve the right lanes, and why introductions to the customs broker matter. We also discuss how Cargado uses carrier bids to inform pricing and brings freight conversations out of scattered WhatsApp chats.This conversation is part of CargoRex’s Mexico Cross-Border Freight Guide.Links from the show:• Watch the original CargoRex interview with Matt• Connect with Matt on LinkedIn• Explore Cargado on CargoRex• Read the full Mexico Cross-Border Freight GuideRelated episodes:• What Logistics World Showed Me About Mexico Trade -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers. 

A trip through Sri Lanka makes it hard to look at tea and cinnamon as ordinary groceries. You see the farms, meet the people, and start following the journey those products take beyond the island.Grace Sharkey and I talk about what I noticed during my visit, including the Port of Colombo and Sri Lanka’s place in Indian Ocean trade. We also discuss the work behind artisanal tea and the hospitality that made this trip feel so personal. This is the Sri Lanka conversation from our July Freight Friends episode.In this segment:• Tea farming and the people behind the finished product• Cinnamon and Sri Lanka’s trading history• Colombo, Indian Ocean shipping and observations from the tripListen to the full Freight Friends conversation:https://everythingislogistics.com/freight-friends-edi-fees-ai-hype-vs-reality-and-totos-ceramics-that-secretly-power-chip-manufacturing/ -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers. 

Seven containers were waiting near an Antarctic ice shelf’s edge when a blizzard changed the plan. The ice broke away, carrying the cargo out to sea.Grace Sharkey brings this story to Freight Friends, and we talk through the difficulty of supplying a research station in such an unforgiving place. The conversation leads into Shackleton’s survival story and the challenge of operating on moving ice. Even getting supplies to the edge of the world takes an extraordinary amount of coordination.In this segment:• How containers ended up drifting on an iceberg• Research-station resupply and waste removal• Moving ice, survival and the limits of recoveryListen to the full Freight Friends conversation:https://everythingislogistics.com/freight-friends-edi-fees-ai-hype-vs-reality-and-totos-ceramics-that-secretly-power-chip-manufacturing/Links mentioned:Reporting on the container incident: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-23/tasmania-iceberg-breaks-away-with-shipping-containers-on-board/106710726-----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers. 

The rocket gets the glamor shot, but a launch is only one leg of a much larger network. Before anything leaves Earth, hardware has already moved through factories and specialized facilities. After launch, somebody still has to manage fuel, communications, maintenance, replacement parts, materials, and the trip back.In this solo episode, I follow five pieces of the emerging space supply chain: Rocket Lab’s deployable GHOST launch concept, the recurring resupply needs behind SpaceX’s Moon-base ambitions, Dawn Aerospace’s Loop refueling interface, Cascade Space’s deep-space communications capacity, and Anatar’s advanced textiles and material traceability. These efforts are at different stages. The logistics question is how to make each handoff dependable enough for the next mission.In this episode:Why a launch site that can move changes capacity planningThe deliveries, repairs, and reverse flows a Moon base would needHow a common docking and fuel-transfer connection could enable orbital refuelingWhy a lost signal is a serious exception in deep spaceThe manufacturing and traceability questions behind spacesuits and other soft goodsLinks and resources:Rocket Lab GHOST: https://rocketlabcorp.com/updates/rocket-lab-unveils-ghost-deployable-launch-system-to-enable-responsive-space-missions-worldwide/Dawn Aerospace Loop: https://www.dawnaerospace.com/latest-news/in-orbit-refueling-loop-networkCascade Space: https://www.cascadespace.com/Anatar: https://www.anatarindustries.com/newsroom/anatar-approved-to-join-the-arm-instituteKaia Rhodes on X: https://x.com/kaiarhodes/status/2049959076197511561Related episodes:NASA Series: Deep Space Logistics: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-everything-is-logistics-73784837/episode/nasa-series-deep-space-logistics-202946654/Building Warehouses in Space with Inversion: https://everythingislogistics.com/building-warehouses-in-space-with-inversion/-----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers. 

The company behind Japan’s heated toilets also makes precision ceramics used in semiconductor manufacturing. TOTO’s role in that supply chain sent Grace Sharkey and me down a very unexpected rabbit hole.Fresh from my trip to Japan, I compare notes with Grace about what we noticed there. We talk about the care behind everyday products, the food we still think about, and the maritime details at Tokyo DisneySea. This standalone Freight Friends segment connects an unusual manufacturing story with the places we experienced firsthand.In this segment:• How TOTO’s precision ceramics support chipmaking• Japan through a honeymoon and a student exchange• Food, everyday design and Tokyo DisneySea’s maritime worldListen to the full Freight Friends conversation:https://everythingislogistics.com/freight-friends-edi-fees-ai-hype-vs-reality-and-totos-ceramics-that-secretly-power-chip-manufacturing/Links mentioned:TOTO’s electrostatic chucks: https://jp.toto.com/en/products/ceramics/elewafer/ -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers. 

I went to my first IANA Intermodal Expo with a confession: intermodal was one of the weakest areas in my logistics coverage. I had worked inside an asset-based 3PL with an intermodal department, but it mostly operated in the background. Three days in Long Beach gave me a much clearer picture of the mode, the technology surrounding it and the security problems that follow freight across ports, rail yards and highways.In this solo episode, I’m sharing what I learned about the infrastructure connecting the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, why cargo security can unravel when a driver cannot find safe parking, and where autonomous freight systems are becoming useful today. I also recorded six conversations for CargoRex’s upcoming cargo crime guide with Scott Cornell, Joe Ohr, Bernardo Mendez, Jared Palmer, Reed Loustalot and Kristy Knichel.In this episode:Why intermodal became a blind spot during my 3PL careerWhat the Alameda Corridor reveals about hidden freight infrastructureHow cargo crime connects physical security, cyber risk, insurance and driver safetyWhy secure truck parking belongs in the cargo security conversationWhat I learned from six interviews recorded at IANAHow GLĪD, Humble Robotics and Bot Auto are approaching autonomous freightWhy yards, terminals and dedicated lanes are practical starting points for autonomyWhat IANA’s podcast booth offered logistics creatorsResources mentioned:IANA Intermodal Expo: https://www.intermodal.org/intermodalexpoAlameda Corridor Mid-Corridor Trench: https://www.acta.org/about/projects/completed-projects/alameda-corridor-mid/NMFTA Freight Fraud Prevention Hub: https://freightfraudhub.com/TAPA Americas: https://www.tapaonline.org/Company mentioned on CargoRex:Bot Auto on CargoRex: https://cargorex.io/business/bot-auto/Related episodes:Leading IANA: Anne Reinke on Rail and Intermodal: https://everythingislogistics.com/from-rail-roots-to-leading-iana/How Intermodal Can Win Back Shippers: https://everythingislogistics.com/how-intermodal-can-win-back-shippers/Why Cargo Crime Keeps Getting Worse: https://everythingislogistics.com/why-cargo-crime-keeps-getting-worse/Everything is Logistics is hosted by Blythe Brumleve Milligan and presented by SPI Logistics.Learn more: https://everythingislogistics.com/ -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers.