News

A fast-moving wildfire near Floriston at the California-Nevada border forced the closure of westbound Interstate 80 and prompted evacuation warnings near Boca Reservoir before crews began reopening the highway under restrictions. Westbound I-80 closed during fire response The fire was reported around 10 a.m. Wednesday and expanded rapidly, growing from an estimated 10 acres to…

This National Truck Driver Appreciation Week may soon become federally recognized A resolution introduced in Congress would designate Sept. 13-19, 2026, as National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, giving professional drivers a formal congressional tribute for the work they perform throughout the year. Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman introduced the resolution, which supports recognizing the full week…

A new AAA study highlights a disconnect between motorists’ attitudes toward speeding and their views on speed restrictions for commercial trucks. The findings suggest that some drivers object to speed limits in their own vehicles while supporting measures designed to control truck speeds. Drivers’ Views on Speed Restrictions The study focuses on the contrast between…

A new state law is placing limits on how long automatic license plate reader data can be retained and how it may be shared, responding to growing concerns about the use of privately operated camera networks to track vehicle movements. Law Sets 21-Day Retention Limit Open-source reporting indicates that as many as 28 agencies and…

A truck driver faces a felony vandalism charge after police said he intentionally drove a tractor-trailer through the front of an ALDI grocery store in East Nashville, Tennessee. No injuries were reported, but the crash caused more than $250,000 in damage. Truck entered store near front entrance The incident occurred around midnight Thursday at the…

FMCSA waives HOS regs for gas, diesel haulers The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued a temporary hours-of-service waiver allowing eligible drivers hauling gasoline and diesel fuel to drive for up to 16 hours in any 24-hour period. The waiver took effect at 12:00 a.m. on Sept. 16, 2026, and remains in effect through…

Savannah port moves 1 million TEUs to start fiscal year The Port of Savannah moved more than 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units during the first two months of its fiscal year, posting a 2.2% increase from the same period a year earlier despite weather-related disruptions in Asia and low water levels affecting the Panama Canal….

At shippers’ confab, defining a “fragile” trucking market NEW YORK — The U.S. trucking market is not showing the explosive demand seen during the COVID-era freight boom, but it may be more vulnerable to disruption than recent stability suggests. That was the central message from FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller and Zach Strickland, the company’s director…

Oral arguments in Pink Cheetah Express v. Total Quality Logistics focused on whether an email from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration can require a freight broker to provide records under federal broker-transparency rules. Dispute centers on FMCSA email Representing Pink Cheetah Express, Laurence Socci argued that the district court incorrectly treated the FMCSA email…

Oil prices steady as Saudi pipeline closure pressures supply Brent crude remained above $100 a barrel on September 17 as traders assessed supply risks and continuing uncertainty surrounding Iran and the wider Middle East. The international benchmark settled at $104.08 a barrel, down 1.66% from the previous day’s $105.83, according to market data tracking Brent…

A new state law is placing tighter limits on how data collected by automated license plate reader cameras can be retained and shared, including a 21-day retention limit in most cases. The change comes as reporting indicates that Flock Safety camera systems are already in use by at least 28 agencies and other entities across…

CEOs, ex-military chiefs back Chinese connected vehicle ban Major automakers, business leaders and retired military commanders are urging Congress to permanently restrict Chinese connected vehicles and automotive technology in the United States, citing national security and economic concerns. The push comes as the Senate Commerce Committee considers the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026. The…

A new AAA study highlights a disconnect in how motorists view speed restrictions: some drivers support speed limiters on commercial trucks while continuing to exceed posted limits themselves. The findings come as speeding remains a major contributor to traffic fatalities in the United States. Speeding remains a leading safety factor According to 2024 data from…

Federal regulators are defending a rule that significantly narrows eligibility for non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses, a change the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimates could affect roughly 200,000 CDL holders. In a filing with the D.C. Circuit, FMCSA said the rule is intended to strengthen identity, immigration-status and driving-record verification—not to assert that non-domiciled CDL…

A Los Angeles truck driver has been sentenced to 15 years and eight months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Prosecutors said authorities found more than 4,700 pounds of the drug in a truck he was driving. Driver Sentenced in Federal Drug Case Ruben Saenz, 38, was sentenced by U.S….

Police recover $586,000 copper shipment within eight hours after suspected carrier impersonation Authorities recovered a $586,000 copper shipment within about eight hours after investigators determined it had been diverted from its intended route in a suspected carrier-impersonation scheme. The shipment consisted of six pallets of copper picked up in DeKalb, Illinois, and scheduled for delivery…

Aviro360 targets dwell time with automated yard inventory Yard congestion and inaccurate equipment records can create delays long before a truck reaches the loading dock. Aviro360, a yard-technology company incubated by intermodal terminal operator ConGlobal, is attempting to address that problem by automating inventory checks and connecting physical yard activity with transportation and enterprise software….

Diesel Prices Just Broke Records. Worse Ahead? Diesel prices have reached about $6.33 per gallon, roughly 50 cents above the previous record, adding another major cost burden for truck drivers, small fleets and the shippers that depend on them. Tom Kloza, an independent oil analyst and an adviser to Gulf Oil, said the trucking industry…

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a proclamation allowing farmers to haul heavier loads of grain, fertilizer and manure on state roads without obtaining permits during the harvest season. Exemption Intended to Support Harvest Operations The waiver is intended to help Iowa farmers move agricultural commodities and inputs more efficiently as grain harvest gets underway….

China, U.S. Discuss Cutting Tariffs on Agriculture and Energy The United States and China are discussing targeted tariff reductions on goods including American agricultural products and energy, as officials prepare for a meeting between the two countries’ leaders next week. The discussions could also produce an agreement to lower duties on Chinese inputs used by…

Oral arguments in Pink Cheetah Express v. Total Quality Logistics focused on whether an email from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) can require a freight broker to provide records and follow broker-transparency requirements. Dispute centers on FMCSA email Laurence Socci, representing Pink Cheetah Express, argued that the district court mischaracterized the FMCSA’s email…

Texas police impound dump truck registered as passenger vehicle with unlicensed CMV driver behind the wheel Krugerville police impounded a dump truck and cited its driver after a traffic stop uncovered multiple registration and licensing violations, according to a September 14 release from the Krugerville Police Department (KVPD). A KVPD officer initiated the stop on…

A Los Angeles truck driver was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, federal prosecutors announced. Authorities said more than 4,700 pounds of methamphetamine were found in a truck he was driving. Driver sentenced in federal drug case Ruben Saenz, 38, was sentenced by…

Congresswoman Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) has introduced a resolution supporting the designation of Sept. 13-19, 2026, as National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, an annual observance recognizing the nation’s professional truck drivers and their role in moving essential goods. Resolution recognizes professional drivers According to Hageman’s office, the resolution “thanks the 3.6 million Americans who drive for…

A legal challenge over the federal government’s non-domiciled commercial driver’s license rules moved forward Sept. 11, as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit heard arguments in a dispute between the California Department of Motor Vehicles and the U.S. Department of Transportation. The case centers on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s decision…

Truckers sound off on EPA emissions rules, with calls for total elimination Owner-operators responding to a recent Overdrive poll made their position clear: Many believe the Environmental Protection Agency’s planned 2027 heavy-duty emissions requirements go too far, and some want the rules eliminated altogether. The poll was conducted as the EPA reevaluates the Biden-era Heavy-Duty…

Uber Freight warns tight capacity could fuel Q4 freight rate surge The U.S. freight market is entering the fourth quarter with truckload capacity still under pressure, even as some pricing and tender indicators have begun to stabilize, according to Uber Freight’s Q3 Market Update & Outlook Report. The company said shippers that continue securing transportation…

Cass: Truckload rates jump 11% in August as freight shipments turn positive Truckload linehaul rates rose sharply in August, while freight shipment volumes posted their first year-over-year increase in three and a half years, according to data from Cass Information Systems. Cass’ Truckload Linehaul Index increased 11.3% year over year in August, marking the index’s…

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has issued a harvest-season proclamation allowing farmers to transport heavier loads of grain, fertilizer and manure on state highways without obtaining special permits. Exemption Covers Non-Interstate Highways The exemption applies to loads traveling on Iowa highways outside the interstate system. State officials said the measure is intended to support an efficient…

Landstar purchases 2,000 new trailers, giving its “big blue star” a new look Landstar System Inc. is moving forward with a fleet modernization program that includes the purchase of 2,000 new dry van trailers. The trailers will carry a refreshed version of the company’s familiar “big blue star” design and will include several equipment and…

Georgia voters will decide whether to extend a transportation tax that supports road and infrastructure work, with the tax scheduled to sunset in April 2028 if the extension is rejected. The outcome could affect funding for roads, bridges, intersections and other transportation projects across the state. Transportation tax extension heads to voters The ballot questions…

ICE Arrests Truck Driver Wanted for Wire Fraud at Pennsylvania Weigh Station A truck driver was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a commercial vehicle inspection at a Pennsylvania weigh station, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The arrest occurred Sept. 4 at a weigh station in Newberry, Pennsylvania. An…

Haneef “Lew” Palmer, 33, of Philadelphia, has been sentenced to 121 months in federal prison for leading a cargo theft crew that prosecutors say stole approximately $1.5 million in goods from parked tractor-trailers during a six-month spree in the Philadelphia area. Tractor-trailers targeted in theft spree The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of…

Daimler Truck North America is recalling 2,404 Freightliner Cascadia and Western Star 49X trucks after some vehicles received an incorrect repair during earlier brake-related recalls. Vehicles Repaired Under Earlier Recalls Affected The recall covers certain 2020–2023 Freightliner Cascadia and 2022 Western Star 49X vehicles that were previously repaired under recall numbers 23V073 or 22V817. According…

Charlotte County Targets Commercial Truck Parking Along Public Rights-of-Way PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Charlotte County is tightening enforcement of where large commercial vehicles can park after residents complained that semitrailers and other commercial trucks were lining public rights-of-way. Residents Cite Safety and Infrastructure Concerns Residents told county officials that parked commercial vehicles are creating safety…

Port scheduling outage ‘resolved,’ but fleets could face fees as HOS relief extends A two-day outage affecting the eModal appointment system at TraPac terminals in Oakland and the Los Angeles area disrupted container haulers and raised concerns about demurrage charges for freight that could not be moved on schedule. TraPac’s operations team at the Port…

Motive Raises $1.3 Billion From General Catalyst and Withdraws IPO Filing Motive, the fleet and workforce management technology company formerly known as KeepTruckin, has raised more than $1.3 billion in growth financing from General Catalyst and withdrawn its registration for a planned public offering. The San Francisco-based company said its annual recurring revenue has surpassed…

Borderlands Mexico: Exports of Mexican-made heavy-duty trucks to U.S. roar back Mexico’s heavy-duty vehicle industry posted a sharp recovery in August, with production doubling and exports more than doubling from a year earlier. The rebound comes as demand in the United States improves alongside the freight market and as manufacturers with Mexican assembly plants increase…

A federal appeals court is weighing whether states may issue non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) with expiration dates extending beyond the applicant’s federal work authorization. The case could determine whether the U.S. Department of Transportation was authorized to withhold approximately $160 million from California over the state’s handling of those credentials. California challenges federal funding…

Why the Northeast is quietly running out of diesel Diesel supplies are tightening across the United States, but the strain is most visible on the East Coast, where inventories have fallen to historically low levels and regional fuel prices have surged. The East Coast, identified by the Energy Information Administration as Petroleum Administration for Defense…

Iowa has issued a harvest-related disaster proclamation temporarily suspending certain registration, permit and fee requirements for eligible agricultural loads transported on the state’s non-interstate highways. Waiver Covers Non-Interstate Highways The proclamation was issued as the 2026 grain harvest gets underway across Iowa. State officials cited increased agricultural truck traffic and the need to move crops…

Colorado troopers share video of semi truck using runaway ramp on I-70 The Colorado State Patrol has shared video of a runaway semi truck entering an escape ramp on westbound Interstate 70 near Eisenhower Pass, using the footage to remind commercial drivers and motorists why the ramps are available and how they should be used….

Daimler Truck North America is recalling 2,404 Freightliner Cascadia and Western Star 49X trucks after some vehicles received an incompatible software remedy during earlier brake-related recalls instead of the required replacement components. Trucks Previously Repaired Under Earlier Recalls The recall covers certain 2020-2023 Freightliner Cascadia trucks and 2022 Western Star 49X trucks that were previously…

Commemorative events marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks are expected to bring security measures and temporary traffic restrictions to New York City and other locations on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. Truck drivers should monitor state 511 systems and transportation department alerts before entering affected areas. Lower Manhattan closures and security…

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit heard arguments Sept. 11 in a dispute over the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s decision to withhold approximately $160 million from California. The funding action is tied to the state’s handling of more than 17,000 non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses. Dispute centers on California CDL enforcement Transportation…