Welcome to the WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Newsletter presented by Nikola. In this issue, is TikTok causing a global cucumber shortage?; is 2026 Tesla Semi’s year?; worst traffic according to truckers; and more.
Sponsored by Nikola: Clean. Quiet. Smart. Sustainability delivered today. Nikola’s Class 8 battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks are available now. Learn more about incentives in your area.
The cucmmunity: supply chain crisis?
TikTok
They’re eating the cucumbers! — Earlier this morning my wife sent me a video from our local Publix in Chattanooga that showed that the store had been cleaned out of cucumbers. Initially, I thought it was an isolated incident until I started asking around in my network.
Turns out, this issue is being reported globally!
FOX21
In August the BBC reported, “Icelandic supermarkets have been left in a pickle, after a viral TikTok trend saw an unprecedented surge in demand for cucumbers – leaving suppliers racing to keep up.”
Now it has hit our shores. FOX 21 Colorado reports, “Farmers markets and other sources were out of pickling cucumbers as far as Colorado Springs.”
LinkedIn
El Nino and extreme weather in Mexico may partially be to blame for shortages but heightened demand could be exacerbating it.
What’s driving that demand? A Canadian Tik Toker named Logan Moffitt who has 6.8 million followers is captivating the world with his cucumber recipes. The perfect storm of bad weather and seasonal depression has converged to form a viral pickling trend.
With some of his recipes racking up millions of views, he’s sending an army of followers searchin’ for gherkins. Big pickle, give this man a job.
Sort of like with the toilet paper crisis during the pandemic (and briefly during the port strike), if 50-100 extra shoppers come in to buy toilet paper (or cucumbers) and the grocery stores procurement team hadn’t anticipated that, they won’t have enough stock.
This is especially true with perishables where the clock for freshness is always ticking.
TikTok
Also, I must say this is the most wholesome TikTok trend I have heard of yet. Eating cucumbers, yes. Eating Tide Pods, no.
Have you or your family been impacted by cucumber supply chain outages? Email me.
Meme that delivered
You just know you’ll need it a week after throwing them out.
Will 2026 be the year for Tesla Semi and EVs?
Production – The long delay of mass production of the Tesla Semi may soon be over. FreightWaves reports, “Tesla executives say the company will begin full production of its all-electric Class 8 Semi truck in 2026.”
The company has only delivered roughly 200 Tesla Semis so far, leaving many pre-order purchasers in the dark on when they may take delivery.
“We’re progressing swiftly in the build of a Semi factory in our gigafactory in Reno,” – An unidentified Tesla executive said during a call with analysts to discuss third-quarter earnings after the market closed Wednesday
With Tesla’s Reno factory nearly complete, the company says mass production of the Semi will begin in the first quarter of 2026. However, this initial trial period has been without its pratfalls.
Last month, the NTSB reported that a Tesla Semi battery fire last August shutdown I-80 for more than 12 hours.
We were recently able to learn a little bit more about how the truck performs in a new report from DHL.
The report said, “[Tesla Semi has a] jaw-dropping range of 500 miles (800 km), its three motors deliver triple the power of a conventional diesel semi and a “badass” acceleration of 0–60 mph (100 km/h) in 20 seconds. What’s not to love?”
Although the report says that the Tesla Semi is ready for primetime, Tesla’s executives are still looking at Q1 2026 at the earliest.
Tesla’s Elon Musk claims, “We have kind of ridiculous demand for the Semi.” And he isn’t wrong. We were just out in Long Beach, filming our documentary, “Rebuilding the Gateway to America.” In that, we focused on how the drayage community is working towards zero emissions goals.
What we saw were a number of fleets running both Nikola battery electric trucks as well their hydrogen powered fuel cell option. If you want to know how fleets are answering this call with trucks that are available right now, watch the feature.
Are you planning on getting an EV for your fleet? Email me.
Memes that delivered part 2
With Halloween just one week away, what is your dad tax percentage this year? I’ve informed my kids that ours will be 8.9%. Let me know yours. Email me.
Worst traffic according to truckers
Gridlocked – What city has the worst traffic according to truckers? That’s the question trucker and all around great follow on X Mark “Fuzz” Outlaw put out to his audience.
Here’s what they had to say:
Thewasteryears – Atlanta – LA – DFW. That’s the order, I don’t make the rules.
JB – I always dreaded Atlanta
John-Cok Toastin’ – Nobody got Jamaica NY?
Patty – Me personally I dread Nashville & Chattanooga. Honorable mentions:
-DC/Baltimore
-Atlanta & anywhere from there all the way to Charlotte on 85
-Coming in to Chicago from any direction at evening rush (cuz I just want to get home
Lace Up Flip Flops – Austin? Atlanta? Chicago? Denver? Orlando? That’s my top 5.
JK – Been everywhere twice and Atlanta traffic has always left the worst impression.
Atlanta got bodied by almost everyone on Mark’s list. On a list of worst bottlenecks that ATRI released last year, Atlanta had 6 of the top-20. What’s your pick? Email me.
Friday on WHAT THE TRUCK?!?
DATA behind cargo and rail theft epidemic; DOT puts $30M towards parking – Friday live on WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, I’m joined by Overhaul’s Danny Ramon to look at the data behind the cargo and rail theft epidemic. We all saw the recent rail looting in Chicago and have heard the ever increasing reports of freight theft, but what do the numbers say?
DOT is putting $30 million towards truck parking. We’ll get the latest details on what’s happening from OOIDA’s Lewie Pugh.
Part 5 of our new documentary “Rebuilding the Gateway to America.”
Plus, more on the cucumber shortage, 2026 being the year of EVs; and the latest headlines and weirdness going down in this wild industry.
Catch new shows live at noon EDT Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on FreightWaves LinkedIn, Facebook, X or YouTube, or on demand by looking up WHAT THE TRUCK?!? on your favorite podcast player and at 5 p.m. Eastern on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Trucking Channel 146.
Halloweenmaxing
Halloween logo – Just in time for spooky season, we dropped our latest shirt in the shop. Head on over to WTTGear.com to get our newest merch! Use code WTTFans for 10% off.
STP x F3
Get your tickets to the logistics event of the year, F3, right here. (That’s my discount link.)
Now on demand
Flexport CEO says 80% chance of port strike; art of freight photography
Trucking’s top issues; software driving Nikola; Port of Los Angeles $1T quarter?
How NASA is shipping humans back to the moon; Duty Drawback 101
The rest of the noise
- Freighter capsizes and sinks in Dakar after being hit by bulk carrier
- Port of Long Beach hits record container volumes
- ILA strike betting market is moving
- Over 600 layoffs hit supply chain firms in California, Illinois and New York
Thanks for reading, and feel free to forward this to a friend.
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Exit through the gift shop: WTTGear.com
Don’t be a stranger,
Dooner
