TRUCKING

The Iran conflict is delivering a gut punch to America's trucking industry, with diesel prices spiraling to levels that are rewriting the economics of moving goods across the country — and threatening to push an already-stressed carrier base toward the breaking point. Average on-highway diesel prices have surged past $5.40 per gallon nationally, with the situation in California dramatically worse. The Golden State's on-highway average hit $7.22 per gallon in late March, a 44.

The testimony was damning in its simplicity. "Everything was a lie to get paid," said Damian Labeaud — a self-described "slammer" who spent years deliberately driving cars into eighteen-wheelers on New Orleans highways, on behalf of personal injury attorneys who would then sue the trucking companies for millions. Labeaud's words, delivered last week from the witness stand in federal court, cut to the heart of what prosecutors are calling one of the most audacious insurance fr

The Supreme Court handed the Trump administration a stinging defeat last month, striking down the president's sweeping use of tariff powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act — a ruling that reverberated immediately through the nation's freight networks. But for an industry that has spent three years navigating one of the worst downturns in its history, the verdict has prompted relief and anxiety in roughly equal measure. The court's 6-3 decision found that

The U.S. trucking industry was supposed to be turning a corner in 2026. Instead, the war in Iran just moved the corner further away. Diesel futures surged as much as 17 per cent on Monday after the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz choked off roughly a fifth of the world's seaborne oil supply. Retail diesel prices have already climbed past $3.75 a gallon, the highest in more than three months, and analysts warn the worst may be ahead. For an industry that burns throug

The US Department of Transportation has moved to close more than 550 commercial driver's licence training schools across the country after a sweeping five-day federal investigation uncovered widespread safety violations and fraudulent practices. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the enforcement action on 18th February, revealing that more than 300 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration investigators had been dispatched across all 50 states to conduct over 1,4

Moody's has stripped freight brokerage giant RXO of its investment-grade credit rating, cutting it one notch to Ba1, a move that underscores just how deep the pain runs in America's trucking sector even as the market shows early signs of tightening. The downgrade, announced on Tuesday, applies to RXO's senior unsecured notes, its corporate family rating, and its probability of default rating. It also covers a newly announced $400 million debt offering due in 2031, which RXO i

A landmark piece of federal legislation introduced last week could fundamentally reshape the American trucking industry by allowing autonomous freight trucks to generate revenue while still in their testing phase. The Self Drive Act of 2026, formally introduced on February 5 by Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), grants the Secretary of Transportation explicit authority to permit manufacturers and fleet operators to conduct "limited commercial operations" under a testing permit — a firs

A startup founded by a former CIA officer just pulled in $60 million to bring intelligence community tactics to one of the most unglamorous corners of the American economy — and Washington is paying attention. GenLogs, an Arlington, Virginia-based firm that deploys roadside sensors and artificial intelligence to track truck movements across the country, closed its Series B round this week, led by Battery Ventures with participation from IVP, Cathay Innovation and 9Yards. The

Federal regulators escalated enforcement of electronic logging device standards in late January, pulling eight devices from the approved list within a two-week span after companies failed to meet minimum technical requirements — though two have since been reinstated following swift corrective action. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration removed the devices for noncompliance with Title 49 CFR regulations governing ELD functionality. FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs s

STG Logistics became the largest trucking company to seek bankruptcy protection in 2026 when it filed for Chapter 11 reorganization January 12th, carrying more than $1 billion in debt onto the growing pile of freight industry casualties. The 41-year-old intermodal and logistics giant entered into a restructuring support agreement with equity sponsors and lenders that eliminates roughly 91 percent of its debt whilst providing $150 million in fresh capital to keep operations ru

2025 was a year of uncertainty and disruption, and one question was whether the Environmental Protection Agency would proceed with or delay the 2027 heavy-duty truck emissions regulations. Late in the year, we heard from the American Trucking Associations that the 2027 nitrogen-oxide (NOx) emissions limits will partially go into effect in 2027. There’s been no official announcement from EPA, but the general expectation is that the agency will announce changes to the rule by m

It’s shaping up to be another tough year in 2026 for US freight. With a big hand from a Department of Transportation crackdown on foreign drivers, the trucking industry is finally getting a handle on the overcapacity that has plagued the industry since the end of the pandemic and has kept freight rates low. But constraining supply alone won’t reverse the industry’s fortunes. The demand side of the equation still looks anemic for 2026 after the goods economy was thrown into a

The California Department of Motor Vehicles said this week that it is delaying the cancellation of thousands of migrant truck driver licenses. The announcement means approximately 17,000 migrant truck drivers won’t have their commercial licenses revoked on Jan. 5. Instead, they can remain on the roads and will have another two months to re-test and re-apply. The decision comes amid pressure from the U.S. Department of Transportation , which announced in November 2025 that it

The U.S. Transportation Department on Friday threatened to pull $73 million in funding from New York state over commercial driver licenses improperly issued to non-U.S. citizens, the latest in a series of Trump administration threats aimed at Democratic-run states. The department said New York must take actions to address concerns about immigrant truck drivers within 30 days or possibly lose federal highway funding after a federal audit. The agency in September issued an emer

The Department of Transportation is threatening to shut down thousands of truck driving schools and other training providers as part of the Trump administration's widening crackdown on the U.S. trucking industry. The DOT announced Monday it plans to revoke the accreditation of nearly 3,000 trucking schools and trainers unless they can comply with federal requirements within 30 days, and it warned another 4,000 schools and trainers that they could face similar action. "We are

U.S. Border Patrol agents said 37 people were arrested in the span of three days in an operation along the I-90 Thruway. Thirty individuals lacking legal status had valid CDL licenses from states across the nation, including New York. These individuals were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation proceedings. It's the latest action from the government as they look to rein in the trucking industry in the wake of a few deadly incidents. Th

Fatal truck crashes in Texas are rising while federal enforcement stalls— leaving unsafe carriers on the road and families paying the price. Fatal crashes involving large trucks are near record highs, yet federal safety enforcement against dangerous trucking companies has dropped dramatically in 2025. In Texas—the deadliest state for truck crashes—the decline has left motorists more vulnerable than ever. Real World Consequences for Truck Safety Slowdown Since January, federal

Swedish autonomous trucking company Einride said on Wednesday it has agreed to go public in the U.S. through a merger with blank-check firm Legato Merger Corp III (LEGT.A), in a deal valuing the company at $1.8 billion. The listing comes after a wave of electric-vehicle startups went public during the pandemic-era SPAC boom with the aim of capitalizing on the huge demand for clean-energy vehicles and government incentives for the purchase of battery-powered cars. But several

A fleet of 13 tractor-trailers next month will be part of a convoy to deliver memorial wreaths to veterans graves at Arlington National Cemetery. Wreaths Across America’s annual “Escort to Arlington” kicks off on Saturday, Dec. 6. The official route, which can be viewed here , will travel down the East Coast from Lubec, Maine and arrive in Arlington, Virginia Dec. 12. Along the way, the convoy will stop for public events at schools, memorials, and other locations . This year'

Head of On-Road Solutions Sasko Cuklev said he sees AVs potentially becoming a new mode of delivering freight. Dive Brief Volvo Autonomous Solutions is potentially quarters away, as opposed to years, from removing safety drivers in the U.S., Head of On-Road Solutions Sasko Cuklev said Oct. 26 at the American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference & Exhibition. The company is currently operating five trucks on two lanes in Texas, Cuklev said at a news conference. One lan