Miami Cargo Jet Tragedy, UP-NS Labor Concerns, & Mexico B-1 Visa Dispute | The Morning Minute

FreightWaves (0:00)

We kick things off with a devastating cargo jet accident that has shut down half of Miami International Airport's operations. An Amazon Air cargo plane operated by North Carolina base 21 Air overran a runway during landing Sunday afternoon, struck multiple vehicles on a nearby road, and caught fire, leaving five people dead and five seriously injured. The Boeing 767-300 freighter was arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, when it left the runway traveling at 130 miles per hour.

Two of Miami's four runways remain closed Monday morning, causing flight operations to be impacted throughout the day. The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a team of experts to investigate the runway excursion while the cause remains under investigation. Over on the rails, more than 100 House Democrats are demanding that railroad workers come first in the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern Mega Merger Review.

In a rare showing of party unity just weeks before crucial midterm elections, 102 members led by Representative Valerie Hoyle sent a letter Thursday to the Surface Transportation Board demanding the $85 billion transaction be evaluated first and foremost for its impact on railroad jobs, safety, and accountability. The deal, first announced in July 2025, would create the first transcontinental freight railroad and the largest rail network in the country's history.

Mark Wallace, National President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, says Union Pacific's offer of lifetime employment for Union members does not fully protect some positions. The board has set a November 18th deadline for comments, protests, and requests for conditions. Finally, a visa enforcement dispute is threatening to disrupt cross-border freight flows between Mexico and the United States. Trucking industry leaders in Mexico are intensifying calls for US officials to clarify how B1 visa rules are being enforced against cross-border truck drivers. After Mexican drivers began losing their visas, following encounters with US officials involving alleged cabotage violations, the dispute spilled into Public View Thursday when truck drivers blocked commercial traffic at the Mexicali, Mexico-Calexico, East border crossing, and protest of visa revocations. Mexico's National Chamber of Freight Transportation estimates more than 25,000 visas have been revoked from commercial drivers along Mexico's northern border, including potentially 4,000 in the Tijuana area alone. Industry leaders warn that continued uncertainty could disrupt time-sensitive shipments, including medical products, technology, food, and perishables moving from Mexico into the United States.