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TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2025.08.09

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2025.08.09 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending August 9, 2025, written by Vicki Simons.

I welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.

TDMST Weekly Round-Up

1. Regarding regulations, safety, securement, and weather:

Regulations

The fourth article in this section opens with:

DAT TruckersEdge - Most Loads. Best Rates. Serving Owner-Operators Since 1978. 10% off your first 12 months. New customers only.

The United States Department of Transportation is asking the public to provide input on the development of the DOT Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2026-2030. …

In developing the FY 2026-2030 DOT Strategic Plan, the department is asking for public input on [the questions listed]…

If you are knowledgeable about this and desire to share your opinion, please do so.

The last article in this section states:

The railroad industry is warning that collisions between trains and trucks potentially could increase if regulators allow trucks hauling hazardous materials to drive through certain types of grade crossings without stopping.

If this concerns you, please contact your federal elected officials to speak out.

Safety

One quote from the article in this section:

Young drivers were much more likely to say they picked up their phone to make or receive calls, read text messages, and send text messages while driving.

So, please be careful on the road.

Securement

This article states:

FMCSA’s Drivers Handbook on Cargo Securement classifies different commodities and stipulates the standards for proper securement of these specific load types:

Unfortunately, the link to the “FMCSA’s Drivers Handbook on Cargo Securement” in the article is broken.

This may not be the complete or most up-to-date PDF document, but here is a link to at least get you started:

Scribd.com: Drivers Handbook On Cargo Securement | PDF | Cargo | Dangerous Goods

Weather

2. Regarding politics, tariffs, and trade:

Politics

Tariffs

Trade

3. Regarding autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, emissions, fuel, hydrogen, and oil:

Autonomous vehicles

I totally oppose the operation of self-driving, autonomous, or driverless commercial motor vehicles on the same roads as the motoring public — but I share articles on this topic with our readers to help us stay current on the topic.

Electric vehicles

Before you buy an all-electric Commercial Motor Vehicle, please do your due diligence by asking some questions and getting answers.

Emissions

Fuel

Hydrogen

Oil

4. Regarding alcohol, crashes, drugs, fatalities, fire, fraud, smuggling, staging, theft, thrown, and violence:

Alcohol

Never ever consume alcohol — or use an alcohol-containing product (such as mouthwash) — before beginning to drive a commercial motor vehicle!

Crashes

Please look through these articles to see if there is anything you can learn to help you prevent being involved in a similar crash.

Drugs

Never ever haul or take illegal drugs.

Fatalities

I express my deep sympathy — and offer my condolences — to the families of those whose loved ones died in these crashes.

Can you learn anything from the articles below that would help prevent being involved in a fatal large truck crash?

Fire

It seems to me that there are a lot more truck fires than there used to be and I wonder if that is because more electric trucks with lithium batteries are in use.

Fraud

Never attempt to deceive, misrepresent something, intentionally pervert the truth, or pretend to be someone else for the purpose of trying to get something valuable.

Smuggling

Never ever transport people made in the image of God as if they were cattle or cargo — no matter how large of an incentive you’ve been offered.

Staging

Well, this appears to be a copycat crime.

I would have hoped that with the series of fraudulent staged crashes in Louisiana, that people would have learned not to do this again.

I guess some people take longer to learn.

Theft

Never take something that doesn’t belong to you unless you have permission from the owner.

With as much surveillance equipment as is in place in the 21st century, it’s only a matter of time before the thieves are apprehended.

Thrown

You may want to read what is on this post on my site:

Items Thrown From Overpasses Smash Windshields and Hurt Truckers

Violence

It is never right to perpetrate violence upon someone in an unprovoked manner.

All perpetrators of violence must be dealt with in a just legal manner.

5. Regarding border, brokers, business, ELDs, and HVUT:

Border

Brokers

Business

ELDs

On December 4, 2017, I provided an Electronic Logging Devices Mandate Commentary.

I also wrote: In what other industry besides trucking has the government ever mandated the purchase of a ‘self-certification’ product?

I genuinely feel sorry for truckers who invested their money into an ELD system that has been kicked off the list.

If you used one or more ELDs that has been kicked off the list, I’d like to hear from you.

How much in direct dollars (for the cost of the ELD) and indirect dollars (the time that it took learning how to use the ELD) has it cost you to replace a now-delisted ELD system?

Please comment through the form below.

HVUT

The article in this section states:

If you’re new to the trucking industry, you might not know about the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax. Due at the end of August, this flat tax is collected by the IRS. It’s based on the weight of your rig.

6. Regarding economy, employment, pay, surcharge, taxes, and tolls:

Economy

Employment

Pay

The first article in this section opens with:

Intrastate truck drivers for one of the largest distributors in the United States have fallen under the interstate overtime pay exemption due to loopholes in the law. Now, truckers are telling the Ninth Circuit that the courts have got it all wrong.

Surcharge

The article in this section states:

The U.S. Postal Service on Friday announced plans to implement surcharges for package delivery during the peak holiday season to cover extra handling costs, a decision likely to stir more complaints from groups who say rates have been rising too fast.

Please bear these things in mind.

Taxes

The article in this section says:

Tax incentives can be powerful tools to reduce costs, improve cash flow, and reinvest in your business. Understanding which tax deductions are available to truck owners—and how to use it—can make a major difference as you plan for the year ahead. Let’s break down the most impactful tax breaks designed specifically with the trucking industry in mind.

This article includes a section called “Per Diem Rates for Drivers.”

Tolls

7. Regarding CARB, NHTSA, and NMFTA:

CARB

From the second article in this section:

And so, as zealots are wont to do, CARB and EPA decided they were simply going to cram their aggressive agenda down the country’s throat – with virtually zero buy-in from the industry that was going to be impacted by these massive changes the most. …

CARB and EPA could have listened to the trucking industry’s valid concerns regarding these regulations. …

But – again – CARB and EPA ignored the trucking industry. … they came across as arrogant, dismissive and uncaring in the process. …

And the irony of all this is that because they managed to infuriate so many people with their insistence on an unworkable plan, CARB and EPA have set any meaningful progress on combatting climate change back by years.

Now personally, I don’t believe in the so-called “climate change.”

This January 29, 2024, article says:

Forget about “following the science” of Deep State plotters. Earth offers plenty of evidence that the man-made climate crisis is a concocted hoax. …

I think that the so-called “climate change” is just another way for the “powers-that-be” to try to control people.

NHTSA

NHTSA: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

NMFTA

NMFTA: National Motor Freight Traffic Association

8. Regarding age, food, testing, tests, training, truckers, and trucking:

Age

The article in this section says:

The U.S. truck driver workforce is facing an aging workforce, persistent gender and racial imbalances, and growing difficulty in attracting younger drivers, according to a report by the American Transportation Research Institute.

Food

You may wish to look at this section on my site:

Trucker Food and Recipes — In-Truck Eating, Cooking, Saving.

Testing

The article in this section says:

At Knight-Swift alone, hair testing rejected 7,159 driver applicants who passed urine tests, according to company data. J.B. Hunt reported that since implementing hair testing in 2006, the company has identified 3,200 applicants with drugs in their systems, including 1,700 who tested positive for cocaine. But opponents argue the numbers don’t tell the whole story. …

The testing controversy has spawned multiple discrimination lawsuits and federal complaints, with minority groups claiming hair follicle tests produce disproportionate false positives based on hair color and texture.

The article also says that two groups “formally opposed federal hair testing proposals” based on religious grounds.

Tests

The article in this section states:

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is discontinuing five tests on Dec. 31.

The tests are listed.

Training

Truckers

Trucking

9. Regarding containers, inspections, intermodal, and tires:

Containers

Inspections

If you keep yourself and your rig in perpetual readiness for an inspection, you’ll never be caught off-guard.

Intermodal

Tires

10. Regarding language, legal, and technology:

Language

The subtitle of the third article in this section reads:

Since late June, more than 1,200 truck drivers have been pulled off the road for failing English-language tests — a number that’s sparking heated debate over safety, fairness, and whether this enforcement is fixing a real problem or distracting from the bigger ones facing trucking.

The article links to Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts | FMCSA.

Legal

Technology

11. Regarding maintenance, operations, parking, technicians, and towing:

Maintenance

Operations

Parking

Technicians

Towing

12. Regarding appreciation, awards, awards – nominations, and awards – recognition:

Appreciation

The article in this section states:

Trucker Path, a mobile app for North American truckers, recently announced the fourth annual National Truck Driver Appreciation Sweepstakes (NTDAS).

U.S. truck drivers with a valid commercial driver’s license can enter the sweepstakes from Aug. 4 to Sept. 12.

Awards

Congratulations to all semi-finalists in trucking excellence contests!

Awards – nominations

If you know of worthy professional truck drivers who deserve to be nominated, please do!

Awards – recognition

I recognize those who helped their fellow human beings in a time of need.

Thanks!

I wish you — and all professional truck drivers — safe travels and lots of money saving opportunities on the road.






Return from TDMST Weekly Round-Up: 2025.08.09 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.


Invest in real estate (Roots: REIT). Get started with only $100. 17.2% annual average returns (7/1/21 - 5/6/25). Increase passive income, save for retirement. Referred by Investor ID 52797.