Missouri State Trooper Faces 13 Counts in Kansas City Towing Investigation A Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper has been indicted on 13 counts related to an alleged towing corruption scheme in the Kansas City area. The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office announced the indictment on May 18, 2026, following a grand jury review of the case….
FMCSA Announces $217 Million in Grants for Safety, Training, and Technology The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has allocated $217 million in grants to support safety improvements, driver training, and technology adoption across the trucking industry. The funding will be distributed through partnerships with states, training providers, law enforcement agencies, and nonprofit organizations. These grants…
Ford Discusses Potential Supply of Pickups to Military Forces in North America Ford Motor Company is currently in negotiations with defense departments in North America and Europe regarding the possible supply of pickup trucks and related software for use by armed forces. The discussions center on standard production pickup models along with integrated software solutions….
FedEx Board Approves Spinoff of Freight Division FedEx has taken a formal step toward separating its less-than-truckload freight business from its core parcel operations. The company’s board of directors has approved plans to spin off the freight division as an independent entity. The decision marks a significant structural change for FedEx, which has operated the…
Supreme Court Removes Key Legal Shield for Freight Brokers in Truck Crash Cases The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a ruling that limits the ability of freight brokers to avoid liability when they select unsafe carriers. The decision follows a serious truck crash and clarifies the legal responsibilities brokers carry when arranging transportation. The case…
Michigan Lifts Final Spring Weight Restrictions The Michigan Department of Transportation has removed the last of its spring weight restrictions as of Friday. The restrictions, which limited vehicle weights on certain state and local roads, were in place during the annual spring thaw period when frost begins to leave the ground. Weight restrictions are a…
Department of Labor Issues New Guidance on English Proficiency for Foreign Commercial Drivers The U.S. Department of Labor is reinforcing existing requirements that employers must verify English language proficiency when hiring foreign commercial vehicle drivers. The guidance, issued by the DOL’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification on May 14, clarifies employer responsibilities under current federal…
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern Defend Revised Merger Application Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have responded to concerns about their proposed merger by submitting a revised application and stating that the filing is both comprehensive and complete. The railroads maintain that the updated documents address key issues raised during the review process. According to the…
Hy-Vee Honors Longtime Washington, Iowa Employee With Truck Wrap Hy-Vee has placed a longtime Washington, Iowa employee on the side of one of its semi trailers after nearly five decades of service at the same store. The company unveiled the wrapped trailer on May 12 outside the Washington location, recognizing Bill Baker for his 48…
Inspectors Report Challenges With Advanced ELD Manipulation Techniques Highway inspectors in New Hampshire have identified growing difficulties in detecting violations linked to sophisticated overseas services that manipulate electronic logging device data. These services reportedly allow drivers to alter hours-of-service records through remote technical support based in other countries. During a recent Roadcheck inspection event, officers…
Kentucky Reduces State Diesel Tax by Ten Cents The Commonwealth of Kentucky has reduced its state diesel fuel tax by ten cents per gallon. The change took effect this week and applies to all commercial and private diesel users operating within the state. The reduction lowers Kentucky’s per-gallon diesel tax from 29.5 cents to 19.5…
Kevin Koeller Wins Iowa Workers’ Comp Appeal The Iowa Supreme Court ruled that truck driver Kevin Koeller can pursue full workers’ compensation benefits after a 2023 crash left him permanently disabled. The court unanimously reversed lower decisions that had limited his claim, holding that his employer and insurer cannot cap benefits when the injury stems…
FMCSA Grants Five-Year Exemption for Non-Domiciled CDLs to Freely Associated States Citizens The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has approved a five-year exemption that permits the issuance of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses to eligible citizens of the Freely Associated States. The decision, announced on May 14, follows an application submitted by the Hawaii Department of…
‘AI is the new UI’: Coupa customers race to automate supply chains Coupa executives and customers met at the company’s Inspire 2026 event to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping supply chain planning. The conversations centered on the use of AI-driven tools to speed up decision-making in transportation and procurement. Attendees reported that AI applications…
The ‘Ingenious Strategy’ Behind Most Truckers’ Least Favorite Week of the Year: International Roadcheck Each year, truck drivers across North America identify the International Roadcheck as one of the more disruptive periods for operations. The multi-day inspection campaign, conducted under the auspices of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, places additional scrutiny on vehicles and operators…
DOJ Files Criminal Charges Over Key Bridge Collapse The U.S. Department of Justice has filed criminal charges in connection with the March 2024 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. The indictment alleges that the container ship collision that brought down the bridge was preventable. On March 26, 2024, the container ship…
Toyota Files to Build $2 Billion Assembly Plant in Texas Toyota has filed plans to construct a $2 billion assembly plant in Texas. The project would mark a significant expansion of the automaker’s U.S. manufacturing footprint at a time when many global vehicle producers are adjusting their production strategies. According to the filing, the new…
Cargo Theft Trends Shift Toward Internal Risks Cargo theft remains an ongoing challenge for the trucking industry. Recent observations indicate that theft patterns are evolving, with incidents increasingly occurring within trucking operations rather than from external sources alone. Industry reports suggest that traditional methods of cargo theft, such as hijackings at rest stops or parking…
Roadcheck Rates Hold Steady as Spot Market Hits Record Levels Spot rates in the Truckstop.com system reached new highs in the week leading up to the annual Roadcheck inspection blitz. Figures showed rates climbing above the $8-per-mile mark on Monday, marking one of the strongest single-day performances recorded in the platform’s data. Roadcheck, coordinated by…
SONAR Sitrep: Growing Freight Market Raises Driver Demand, Squeezing Large Carriers Van and flatbed freight volumes have been rising in recent weeks, and rejection rates have increased along with them. These conditions are creating a tighter market for drivers, particularly at larger carriers that rely on steady recruitment to keep equipment moving. Rejection rates serve…
U.S. Charges Ship Operators in Fatal Baltimore Bridge Collapse The Justice Department has filed criminal charges against the operators of the container ship involved in the March 2024 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Six people died when the vessel struck a support pier, causing the structure to fall into the Patapsco…
J.B. Hunt Executives Project Truckload Rate Increases Over Two-Year Period Executives at J.B. Hunt Transport Services addressed investors this week at a conference regarding expected changes in truckload pricing. They stated that rates in the truckload segment are likely to rise approximately 20 percent over the next two years. The comments focused on the need…
2026 CVSA Roadcheck Begins With First-Day Inspection Data Commercial vehicle inspectors conducted 1,580 inspections on the first day of the 2026 CVSA Roadcheck, covering 1,417 distinct carriers. The data comes from FMCSA inspection records aggregated through Search Carriers. Inspectors logged 2,637 violations during these checks. Of the total inspections, 496 resulted in out-of-service orders. This…
Warehouse Cramming Is About to Begin FreightWaves hosts Zach Strickland and Anthony Smith recently discussed the upcoming pressure on warehouse space in an episode of their podcast Freightonomics. They were joined by Zac Rogers, a researcher from Colorado State University, who spoke about the seasonal shift in storage demand that occurs each year as retailers…
U.S. weekly rail traffic again beats 2025 levels Industrial improvement led rail freight modestly higher as grain and chemical shipments topped volume gains. According to data released this week, total U.S. rail traffic continued to exceed 2025 levels. The latest figures show that overall carload and intermodal volumes remain ahead of the same period last…
Navy Shipbuilding Plan Includes 15 Nuclear-Powered Battleships The U.S. Navy has outlined a 30-year shipbuilding plan that calls for the construction of 15 nuclear-powered battleships along with dozens of autonomous vessels. The proposal reflects long-term fleet modernization goals and is part of a broader effort to shape naval capabilities over the coming decades. The plan…
Supreme Court ruling clarifies carrier selection responsibilities for freight brokers The Supreme Court has affirmed that freight brokers owe a duty of ordinary care when selecting carriers. The decision affects the approximately 28,000 brokers operating in the United States and establishes clearer legal expectations around carrier vetting practices. The ruling addresses a longstanding question in…
CCM names new senior vice president and general counsel Chassis provider CCM has added a senior vice president and general counsel to its management team. The appointment brings an executive with experience at a major Japanese auto manufacturer into the company’s leadership structure. The move reflects CCM’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its internal operations as…
Ford Shares Rise on Energy Storage Expansion Plans Ford Motor Company reported a two-day share price increase of 21 percent following announcements related to its energy storage business. The movement occurred as the company highlighted new investments in stationary battery systems designed for commercial and industrial use. Energy storage refers to large-scale battery installations that…
Railroads Back House Retail Crime Bill, Urge Stronger Federal Role in Supply-Chain Theft Cases The House of Representatives has passed legislation aimed at combating organized retail crime, drawing support from the rail industry. The Association of American Railroads welcomed the measure and used the occasion to press the Justice Department for greater focus on theft…
Central Freight Lines to Shut Down After 96 Years Central Freight Lines, an LTL carrier founded in 1928, is preparing to close its doors permanently. According to a source close to the company, the business has no plans to reorganize and will instead proceed with liquidation, either through Chapter 7 bankruptcy or an out-of-court process….
Hyundai Expands Xcient Dealership Network to Canada Hyundai has begun establishing a dealership network in Canada to support its Xcient line of heavy-duty tractors. The move follows the placement of 11 Xcient units already operating on Canadian roads, several of which are assigned to the BC Hydrogen Ports Project at the Port of Vancouver. The…
Supreme Court Rules State Negligent-Hiring Claims Against Freight Brokers Not Preempted by FAAAA The U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling stating that state law claims for negligent hiring against freight brokers are not preempted by the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (FAAAA). This decision means brokers can face liability under state laws for hiring…
Oil Prices Climb as President Trump Concludes Beijing Visit Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil pricing, increased by 3.8 percent to reach $109.74 per barrel. This movement coincided with the conclusion of President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing. For professional truck drivers, fluctuations in oil prices directly influence diesel costs at the pump. Brent…
The Fraudsters Are Collaborating. It’s Time the Good Guys Did Too Dale Prax, a voice in the trucking industry, advocates for cross-platform collaboration to combat freight fraud. In a recent FreightWaves post, he argues that fraudsters operate across multiple platforms in coordinated efforts, while legitimate industry players continue working in silos. Prax emphasizes that this…
CVSA Roadcheck Enforcement Blitz Underway with Special Emphasis on ELD Tampering The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has launched its annual three-day Roadcheck enforcement blitz, placing a special focus on electronic logging devices (ELDs) this year. Professional drivers across North America should prepare for increased inspections at weigh stations and roadside locations during this period….
Eyeing Growth, Chassis Provider CCM Appoints New SVP-General Counsel Container Chassis Management (CCM), a key provider of chassis solutions for intermodal trucking operations, has bolstered its executive team with the appointment of a new senior vice president and general counsel. The new appointee joins CCM from a major Japanese automaker, bringing extensive legal expertise to…
Supreme Court Rules Unanimously That F4A Safety Exception Applies to Freight Brokers in Montgomery Case The U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous 9-0 decision on Thursday in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, ruling that the safety exception in the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994 (F4A) encompasses the freight brokerage industry. This closely watched…
Autonomous Truck Gold Rush or California Dreaming? California’s Department of Motor Vehicles released updated regulations on April 28, marking a significant development for autonomous trucking. These rules apply to both light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles, expanding the state’s framework beyond its established focus on passenger robotaxis. For professional drivers, this change introduces a structured pathway for…
How Inspectors Are Catching Remote ELD Cheats During Roadcheck in Tennessee International Roadcheck, the annual enforcement initiative conducted by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, continues through May 14 across North America. This year, on the first day of the event at the Interstate 65 weigh station in Giles County, Tennessee, state highway patrol troopers demonstrated…
TL Linehaul Rates Surge in April, Cass Data Shows Cass Information Systems reports that truckload linehaul rates reached cycle highs in April, driven by supply constraints in the freight market. Linehaul rates, which represent the core transportation cost between major freight hubs excluding fuel and accessorial charges, climbed significantly during the month. This data comes…
Supreme Court Rules Unanimously: Freight Brokers Face State Negligent-Hiring Claims In a unanimous 9-0 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state negligent-hiring claims against freight brokers are not preempted by the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (FAAAA), allowing lawsuits to proceed over injuries caused by carriers brokers select. Case Background: Montgomery v. Caribe Transport…
Bypass Turns Into Savings Weigh station stops represent a routine part of the long-haul trucking routine. For an individual driver, a brief pull-off might add only a few minutes to the day’s run. Yet when viewed across an entire fleet, these stops accumulate into substantial hours of idling time, increased fuel consumption, and added operational…
Justice Department Files Criminal Charges in Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse Federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against two Singapore-based shipping companies and a technical superintendent in connection with the March 2024 collision that caused the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six construction workers. Details of the Indictment The U.S. Department of…
CVSA Roadcheck Enforcement Blitz Targets ELD Tampering The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has launched its annual Roadcheck enforcement event, a three-day initiative focused on enhancing commercial vehicle safety across North America. This year’s inspection blitz, now underway, places special emphasis on electronic logging devices (ELDs), with inspectors prioritizing checks for tampering and misuse. Roadcheck…