Latest · 2
Trailer orders jump in September as fleets move early on 2027 equipment
ACT Research and FTR both put preliminary September U.S. trailer orders above 42,000 units, citing pent-up replacement demand and expected tariff-driven price increases.
FMCSA lets driverless trucks use cab-mounted beacons instead of warning triangles
The five-year exemption, sought by Aurora, is open to any Level 4 autonomous truck operator that notifies FMCSA, though OOIDA calls it a troubling precedent.
FMCSA Approves 20% Increase in Unified Carrier Registration Fees for 2027
A final rule published in September 2026 raises annual UCR fees for the 2027 registration year by $9 for the smallest carriers and by $9,329 for the largest fleets.
FMCSA Proposes Writing English-Proficiency Out-of-Service Rule Into Federal Regulations
An August 2026 proposal would make the English-language out-of-service penalty part of the FMCSRs, with a narrow exception for trips that stay inside U.S.-Mexico border commercial zones.
EPA Proposes Easing 2027 Truck Engine Rules, Ending DEF Derates on New Engines
The July 2026 proposal keeps the 2027 NOx limit but would hold emissions warranties at current levels, delay longer useful-life requirements to 2030 and replace DEF-related derates with dashboard alerts.
FMCSA Drops In-Cab ELD Manual, Driver Self-Reporting and Some Inspection Paperwork Rules
Three final rules published in June 2026 trimmed paperwork requirements for drivers and carriers, with all three taking effect July 22, 2026.
Supreme Court Rules Freight Brokers Can Be Sued for Negligently Hiring Unsafe Carriers
In a unanimous May 2026 decision in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, the justices held that federal law does not shield brokers from state negligent-selection claims.
First Tesla Semi Rolls Off High-Volume Production Line in Nevada
Nine years after Tesla unveiled its battery-electric Class 8 tractor, the company started building it on a dedicated line designed for up to 50,000 trucks a year.
Diesel Posts Record One-Week Jump of 96 Cents as Strait of Hormuz Traffic Collapses
The federal benchmark that sets most fuel surcharges rose to $4.859 a gallon in the week of March 9, 2026, the largest weekly increase since the series began in 1994.
FMCSA Moves to Pull More Than 550 Truck Driving Schools From Its Training Registry
A five-day sweep of 1,426 entry-level driver training providers in February 2026 produced 448 proposed removals and 109 voluntary withdrawals from the Training Provider Registry.
FMCSA Proposes Restoring 30 Days of Automatic Hours-of-Service Relief After Emergency Declarations
A January 2026 proposal would undo the 14-day cap FMCSA set in 2023 on the automatic relief that follows a governor's or the agency's regional emergency declaration.
FMCSA Overhauls ELD Vetting to Keep Noncompliant Devices Off Its Registered List
The December 1, 2025, change replaces simple self-registration with a multistep review, including fraud checks against previously revoked devices.
25% Tariffs on Imported Medium- and Heavy-Duty Trucks and Key Parts Take Effect
Proclamation 10984 put Section 232 duties on Class 3-8 trucks, engines, transmissions, tires and other parts starting November 1, 2025, with a 10% tariff on buses.
Cargo Thefts Hold Steady in Third Quarter, but Stolen Value Hits a Record $111.88 Million
CargoNet's Q3 2025 analysis counted 772 thefts in the U.S. and Canada and found the average stolen shipment doubled in value as organized groups targeted high-value freight.
FMCSA Interim Rule Sharply Restricts Non-Domiciled CDLs
Effective September 29, 2025, the emergency rule limits non-domiciled CDLs to holders of H-2A, H-2B and E-2 status, and FMCSA estimates about 194,000 current holders will leave the freight market.
After Fatal Florida Turnpike Crash, State Department Pauses Work Visas for Truck Drivers
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the pause on August 21, 2025, nine days after a tractor-trailer making an illegal U-turn was involved in a crash that killed three people.
EPA Proposes Rescinding Endangerment Finding and All Truck Greenhouse Gas Standards
The July 29, 2025, proposal would repeal every federal GHG standard for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and engines, including the Phase 3 rule finalized in 2024.
Texas Supreme Court Reverses Nuclear Verdict Against Werner in 2014 Icy-Highway Crash
The June 27, 2025, ruling held that a pickup crossing the median, not the Werner truck, was the sole proximate cause, wiping out a 2018 jury award of nearly $90 million.
Aurora Launches Driverless Commercial Trucking Between Dallas and Houston
Aurora said on May 1, 2025, that its trucks had begun regular customer deliveries with no one behind the wheel, for launch customers Uber Freight and Hirschbach Motor Lines.
Trump Order Makes English-Proficiency Violations an Out-of-Service Offense for Truck Drivers
Executive Order 14286, signed April 28, 2025, told FMCSA to rescind 2016 enforcement guidance within 60 days and directed a review of state-issued non-domiciled CDLs.
Tariffs on Canada and Mexico Take Effect, Then Get a Second Reprieve Two Days Later
The 25% duties started March 4, 2025, and on March 6 President Trump said Mexico would not pay tariffs on goods under the USMCA until April 2, leaving cross-border carriers to plan around shifting rules.
Nikola Files for Chapter 11, Plans to Sell Assets and Wind Down
The hydrogen and battery-electric truck maker filed in Delaware on February 19, 2025, with about $47 million in cash and plans for limited truck service and HYLA fueling only through March.
'Ice Pick Bandit' Destroys 70 Tires on Nine Trucks at Arkansas Truck Stop
The January 19, 2025, attack at a Gurdon, Ark., truck stop came two days after a hit in Tennessee and made Arkansas the fourth state with a known attack that month.
FMCSA Denies Waymo and Aurora Bid to Replace Warning Triangles With Cab-Mounted Beacons
The agency said on December 27, 2024, that the 2023 request for a nationwide, industry-wide exemption for driverless trucks lacked device details, safety data and monitoring controls.