Waymo Expands Robotaxi Fleet, Trump Orders Alcatraz Rebuild, and Tomato Recall Hits 11 States
Good morning! ☀️ Welcome to The Workday Dash — where the only thing moving faster than freight is the news. Today’s lineup is a full-blown logistics smoothie:
🚗 Waymo’s whipping up a robotaxi takeover, adding 2,000 shiny new Jaguars to its autonomous fleet by 2026. If you're in urban transport, it’s time to start thinking in lidar.
🏝️ Trump wants to reopen Alcatraz — yes, that Alcatraz. From tourist trap to tough-on-crime comeback? Someone’s gonna need a bulk barge contract.
🍅 And tomatoes just made the no-fly list: Ray & Mascari’s vine-ripe recall is sweeping 11 states thanks to a Salmonella scare. If you’re in food freight, it's a PSA wrapped in a clamshell.
Let’s dash.
“Control your own destiny or someone else will.”
Waymo Gears Up for Major Robotaxi Expansion
Alphabet's self-driving arm just confirmed it's adding 2,000 more Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis to its autonomous fleet by 2026 — bringing the total to 3,500 across San Francisco, LA, Phoenix, and Austin. They’re clocking 250,000 paid passenger rides per week, and now they’ve got eyes on Atlanta, Miami, and DC next.
With their Arizona factory cranking out vehicles (and upgrading to handle new models like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Zeekr RT), Waymo’s building serious momentum in the autonomous mobility game. Bonus: each vehicle drives itself into service.
Why You Should Care:
If you’re in transportation and logistics — heads up. This isn’t just a robotaxi story. It’s a logistics game-changer. Autonomous fleets could be the next big thing in last-mile delivery, ride-share freight, and urban parcel movement.
🔥 Hot Take:
If your fleet still needs a driver to hit the road, Waymo’s about to drive right past you — and probably won’t even honk.
The Rock Returns? Trump Orders Rebuild of Alcatraz for America’s ‘Worst Offenders’
President Trump just dropped a wild one: he’s ordering federal agencies to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz to house America’s “worst offenders.” Yep, the same Alcatraz that shut down in 1963 because it was too expensive to operate (think: barging in everything from water to food).
Now a historic tourist hotspot run by the National Park Service, Alcatraz would need a total overhaul — plus insane logistics — to become a functioning prison again. No timeline. No budget. Just vibes, a call for “Law, Order, and JUSTICE,” and a not-so-subtle throwback to old-school tough-on-crime theatrics.
Why You Should Care:
This isn’t just a PR stunt — if it happens, it’s a massive supply chain operation. Think marine freight, security infrastructure, staff transport, daily resupply missions, and major construction in a place with no natural resources.
🔥 Hot Take:
Rebuilding Alcatraz? Great for headlines, brutal for logistics. Justice might be blind, but it still needs a cargo manifest.
Tomato Recall Hits 11 States Over Salmonella Risk
Ray & Mascari just pulled its 4-count Vine Ripe Tomatoes from shelves across 11 states after a potential Salmonella contamination. The recall affects clamshell-packed tomatoes sold at Gordon Food Service Stores in places like Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania — and the FDA isn’t mincing words: this bug can get deadly.
The contamination traces back to Hanshaw & Capling Farms in Florida, sparking a full reverse logistics scramble. If your business deals in fresh produce, now’s the time to double-check your food safety protocols, temperature controls, and traceability systems.
Why It Matters:
Recalls don’t just bruise brands — they wreck schedules, reroute freight, and test your crisis playbook in real time.
🔥 Hot Take:
If your cold chain can’t keep up when tomatoes go hot, you’re not running logistics — you’re just playing ketchup.
The Workday Dash is an aggregation of articles regarding the transportation logistics, trucking, and supply chain industries for July 31, 2025, from iLevel Logistics Inc.