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Sikh Coalition sues California DMV over ‘unlawful’ CDL removals The Sikh Coalition has filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Motor Vehicles, arguing that thousands of commercial drivers are facing the loss of their livelihoods due to DMV-caused clerical problems. The Sikh Coalition filed for declaratory and injunctive relief last week in the Superior…

DOT wants private sector to end $43M freight bottleneck The American Legion Memorial Bridge on the Capital Beltway outside Washington, D.C. — a primary East Coast bypass for long-distance trucks — is costing the freight industry an estimated $43 million in delay-related impacts because of congestion. The issue matters for drivers because this stretch of…

Texas Jury Awards $44M to Family of Man Killed in Semi Crash A Dallas County jury awarded $44.1 million to the family of Christopher Ray Vardy, 49, who was killed in a crash on I-35 during the February 2021 winter ice storm that led to a massive, multi-vehicle pileup in Fort Worth. According to the…

Union Pacific sets date for historic rail merger filing Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern say they plan to file their formal merger application with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) on December 19, setting a new target date for a deal that would create the first freight-only transcontinental railroad. The proposed combination, valued at $85…

Car hauler RPM acquires fleet services provider PARS RPM Freight Systems, a non-asset-based third-party logistics provider focused on finished vehicle transportation, has acquired Professional Automotive Relocation Services (PARS), a fleet management services provider. The deal was announced in a PRNewswire release. RPM described itself as an international logistics and supply chain solutions company, while PARS…

Diesel reverses course, falls 20 cents over 3 weeks Diesel prices have moved back down after a run-up earlier in the month, falling about 20 cents per gallon over the past three weeks. The latest weekly drop was 9.3 cents per gallon, matching the same-sized decline last seen on December 18, 2023. That December 2023…

Intermodal traffic continues to hold down overall U.S. rail volume WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic declined for the ninth consecutive week, with falling intermodal volumes again pulling down the national totals. For the week ending Dec. 6, the Association of American Railroads reported overall U.S. rail volume of 508,999 total carloads and intermodal units. For…

Wyoming troopers responded to 39 semi truck blowovers this week Wyoming highway troopers have been busy this week as powerful winds continue to hit central and southeastern parts of the state. The Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) said troopers have responded to 39 truck blowovers since Tuesday, December 9, as gusts described as hurricane-force moved across…

Morgan Stanley sees supply-side ‘spark’ for trucking in 2026 Morgan Stanley is looking for a trucking recovery in 2026, but not because it expects demand to suddenly surge. Instead, the bank’s transportation team says the main driver could be tighter supply caused by new regulatory enforcement that reduces the number of trucks and drivers able…

Rivian Unveils In-House Autonomy Chip, Plans to Replace Nvidia in Future Vehicles Rivian Automotive Inc. used its first Autonomy & AI Day in Palo Alto, California, to lay out a major change in how it plans to power automated-driving features: the EV maker is moving away from Nvidia processors and toward its own in-house computer…

Briefly: ECU issue leads International to recall more than 600 trucks International has issued a recall covering more than 600 trucks due to a potential issue tied to an electronic control unit (ECU). While the notice is relatively small compared with some recent high-profile actions, it’s another reminder that software and electronic components are increasingly…

The sand must flow: Aurora’s driverless fleet hits Permian roads Aurora Innovation has reached a commercial agreement with Detmar Logistics to haul frac sand in West Texas’ Permian Basin using autonomous trucks on public roads and highways. The companies announced the deal on Dec. 8, 2025. According to Aurora, this deployment marks the first time…

Kenworth, Peterbilt roll out new medium-duty battery-EV models Kenworth and Peterbilt have expanded their battery-electric lineups with new medium-duty models built around PACCAR’s integrated PACCAR ePowertrain. The announcements add more zero-tailpipe-emissions choices in the same weight and vocational segments many fleets already run with diesel. For drivers, the big takeaway is that both brands are…

Warehouse cramming is about to begin — Freightonomics The SONAR Truckload Rejection Index has moved above last year’s peak, a sign that the truckload market is tightening even as freight demand remains uncertain. For drivers, tender rejections are one of the clearer signals that available capacity is getting absorbed and carriers are becoming less willing…

Walmart Isn’t on Nasdaq 100 Index — Yet Walmart has moved its primary stock listing off the New York Stock Exchange and onto the Nasdaq, ending a run of more than half a century on the NYSE. The retailer kept its longtime ticker symbol, WMT, and the transfer became effective Dec. 9, 2025. The switch…

Congress Eyes Passage of National Defense Authorization Act Congress is moving a massive defense policy package toward the finish line, with the House advancing a compromise version of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would authorize $900.6 billion for national defense programs. The Senate has already taken a key procedural step and…

2026 forecast: Government policies, overcapacity among headwinds Looking ahead to 2026, multiple economic forecasts point to a year where freight demand improves, but operating conditions stay complicated. Analysts expect inflation to remain a problem, government policy to keep supply chains unsettled, and pockets of overcapacity to continue weighing on pricing power. One major theme is…

Trucking 101: 10 winter-driving reminders for running in snow and ice As winter weather settles in, safe operation comes down to basics: being seen, keeping traction, and giving yourself time and space to react. Safety advisors and instructors continue to emphasize that professional drivers should treat snow and ice as a different roadway, not just…

Morgan Stanley sees supply-side “spark” for trucking in 2026 Morgan Stanley is calling for a trucking recovery in 2026 that’s driven less by a sudden jump in freight demand and more by the supply side of the market getting tighter. In its 2026 outlook, the bank said new regulatory enforcement around driver-related rules is expected…

China Turns Away Nvidia H200 Despite US Export Approval China is preparing to limit access to Nvidia’s advanced H200 artificial intelligence chips, even after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. would allow the chips to be exported to approved customers in China under national security conditions. The Financial Times reported Tuesday, citing two people…

DOT may scrap Biden-era road safety initiative WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is weighing changes that could unwind parts of a Biden-era road safety push, even as the earlier effort was described as successful at reducing fatalities involving passenger cars and large trucks. The latest move came last Wednesday, when the National Highway Traffic Safety…

Why the Northeast is quietly running out of diesel Diesel is pulling in two directions across the Northeast right now. At the pump, some drivers are seeing a short-term break. In the background, policy costs, winter energy demand, and a growing push to move away from diesel—especially in remote communities—are tightening the conversation around supply,…

Transfix’s big move as it licenses its brokerage TMS to NFI Transfix says it has reached a milestone by licensing its transportation management system (TMS) built for freight brokerages. The first customer for that licensed platform is NFI—the same truckload carrier and supply chain provider that acquired Transfix’s brokerage business. As part of the launch,…

Is Texas Quietly Downgrading Non-Domiciled CDLs? — Here’s What We Actually Know So Far Texas appears to be tightening its interpretation of non-domiciled CDL compliance, and some drivers say it’s happening retroactively. The practical effect is immediate: drivers who rely on a non-domiciled Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) or CDL could suddenly be taken off the…

Walmart Isn’t on the Nasdaq-100 Index — Yet Walmart has moved its primary stock listing from the New York Stock Exchange to the Nasdaq, ending a run of more than 50 years on the NYSE and marking the largest company ever to make that switch. The retailer first announced the transfer in November, saying it…

Congress Eyes Passage of National Defense Authorization Act The U.S. House has advanced a compromise version of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), approving the massive defense policy bill on a 312-112 vote and sending it to the Senate for final action. The measure authorizes roughly $900 billion in annual military spending and…

Transfix licenses its brokerage TMS to NFI in a shift beyond pricing tech Transfix has reached a new milestone by moving deeper into transportation management software, announcing that it is licensing its brokerage transportation management system (TMS) to NFI. NFI is the same truckload carrier and supply chain provider that previously acquired Transfix’s brokerage business….

Codifying the Interim Rule or Locking in Ambiguity? Inside the Real Debate Over HR 5688 A debate over HR 5688 has taken shape around a simple question that matters to working drivers: does the bill actually expand access to something drivers need, or does it just put today’s limits into permanent law? One of the…

Trucker shouts out Colorado trooper for helping after he lost engine management while descending mountain pass A truck driver is publicly recognizing a Colorado State Patrol (CSP) trooper for stepping in during a tense mechanical issue on La Veta Pass earlier this month. According to the driver, the trooper responded with “patience, reassurance, and a…

Connect with freight leaders nationwide at the FreightWaves Roadshow as trucking faces infrastructure, enforcement and market pressure The FreightWaves Roadshow 2026 is preparing to kick off with a focus on bringing freight and supply chain professionals together in major freight cities around the country. The stated goal is to connect industry participants with insights and…

Fix the potholes: Truckers’ Highway Report Card “Best Roads” points to what works, and what still doesn’t Across the country, drivers keep coming back to the same complaint: rough pavement and potholes that turn routine trips into slow, expensive, and sometimes dangerous miles. A recent “Best Roads” Highway Report Card discussion has pushed that issue…

Project44 acquires ClearMetal to strengthen predictive tools Project44 has acquired ClearMetal, a move aimed at strengthening the predictive side of its freight visibility and transportation management tools. Project44 provides intelligent transportation management, end-to-end visibility, yard management, and last mile solutions. The company says its network connects more than 1.5 billion shipments annually for over 1,000…

The ‘ingenious strategy’ behind most truckers’ least favorite week of the year: International Roadcheck International Roadcheck started as a highway safety effort, but recent enforcement trends are widening its impact well beyond the usual three-day inspection blitz. Immigrant advocates say the week has become part of a broader enforcement drive that indiscriminately targets foreign-born truckers…

DOT wants private sector to end $43M freight bottleneck The American Legion Memorial Bridge on the Capital Beltway outside Washington, D.C. — a key East Coast bypass for long-distance trucks — is costing the freight industry an estimated $43 million in delays due to congestion. The congestion at the bridge is drawing attention as federal…

Mexico’s heavy-truck exports plunge 22% as light-vehicle demand also dips Mexico’s heavy-vehicle sector turned in a sharp downturn in November 2025, with production down 28% year over year and exports falling 21.9%, according to preliminary figures cited in the provided information. The decline was tied mainly to weak U.S. demand and recent tariff pressures, alongside…

Mexico’s heavy-truck exports plunge 22% as light-vehicle demand also dips Mexico’s heavy-vehicle manufacturing sector took a sharp hit in November 2025, with production down 28% year over year and exports falling 21.9%, based on preliminary industry figures cited in the raw details provided. The downturn was tied mainly to weak U.S. demand, along with recent…

China Turns Away Nvidia H200 Despite US Export Approval China is preparing to limit access to Nvidia’s advanced H200 artificial-intelligence chips, despite a recent U.S. policy shift that would allow the chips to be exported to China, according to the Financial Times, citing two people with knowledge of the matter. The development matters because it…

Veritiv adds curbside-recyclable TempSafe PalletShield to cold-chain shipper lineup Veritiv has expanded its TempSafe® lineup of curbside-recyclable temperature-controlled packaging with the launch of TempSafe® PalletShield™, a pallet shipper aimed at bulk cold-chain freight. The company positions the product as a fiber-based alternative to traditional pallet shippers, with validated thermal performance designed for real-world shipping conditions….

Autonomous trucks take aim at frac sand hauling jobs Detmar Logistics, a San Antonio-based company known for dry bulk and frac sand last-mile work, has reached a commercial agreement with Aurora Innovation to haul frac sand (proppant) using autonomous trucks in the Permian Basin. Aurora said the trucks will move proppant around the clock for…

Maersk Picks New CFO Robert Erni With Logistics Background A.P. Moller–Maersk has named Robert Erni as its next chief financial officer and a member of the company’s executive board, tapping a finance leader with decades of experience in the logistics sector. Erni, 59, is joining Maersk from Germany-based Dachser GmbH & Co., where he also…

Flatbed carrier PGT expands West through acquisition PGT Trucking Inc. has acquired the assets of fellow flatbed carrier Debrick Truck Line Co. of Paola, Kansas, the company said Dec. 9. PGT, based in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, operates an asset-based trucking business offering flatbed, dedicated, international, project cargo and specialized shipping services. The deal adds a Midwest…

The hidden cost of manual processes in freight brokerage Freight brokerages that still handle back-office work by hand—processing invoices, tracking down proofs of delivery (PODs), and chasing customer payments—are paying for it in ways drivers can feel on the road. Manual systems tend to create slower cash conversion cycles, more errors, and greater exposure to…

New York May Lose $73M in Federal Highway Funds Over Improper Immigrant CDLs New York is facing the possible loss of $73 million in federal highway funding after federal investigators found problems with how the state issued certain commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants, according to information released Friday by the U.S. Department of Transportation and…