TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2026.02.14

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2026.02.14 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending February 14, 2026, written by Vicki Simons.

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

TDMST Weekly Round-Up

1. Regarding Home Support Team Members, Language, SCAC, Tipline, And Weather:

Home Support Team Members

Saturday, February 14, 2026, is known as Valentine’s Day, a day that many associate with love.

Love can, of course, extend to one’s home support team members, including one’s family members.

If you cannot be at home, please touch base with your home support team members sometime on Valentine’s Day.

One option, which allows users to both hear and see each other, is the video conferencing Zoom cloud meeting app, which is available for:

both Android
and iOS devices.

Because of Zoom’s terms of service, some people — including me — have started to use the Jitsi (or Jitsi Meet) video conferencing platform, available for:

both Android
and iOS devices.

I strongly encourage you to keep your relationships with your home support team member strong!

Language

I am glad that this topic is getting the attention it deserves.

This is part of “General qualifications of drivers [who drive a commercial motor vehicle]” 49 C.F.R. 391.11(b)(2):

Can read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records;

It appears that for too long, states have been letting this slide and now they cannot run from the consequences.

Here are at least some of this week’s articles on this topic:

SCAC

The first paragraph of the first article in this section reads:

The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) has announced the launch of SCAC Verified, a new initiative aimed at strengthening the integrity of the Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) system and reducing fraud in the freight industry.

I will say that I’m a little hesitant about truckers having another “new verification process,” but I hope that the pros greatly outweigh the cons.

What are your thoughts about this?

Please comment through the form below.

Tipline

This sounds like another variation of the “see something, say something” initiative.

Will it work?

That remains to be seen.

Weather

The first article in this section includes:

[Winter Storm Fern] has proven to be the most disruptive weather event to surface transportation markets in nearly five years, leading many to wonder whether it is the catalyst the market has been waiting for.

What is your perspective?

How did Winter Storm Fern and Winter Storm Gianna impact you as a trucker and your income?

Please comment through the form below.

2. Regarding ELDs, Regulations, And Underride:

ELDs

I oppose mandatory ELDs in commercial motor vehicles and have yet to see a monetary reward for truckers who use them.

Others within the trucking industry were speaking out against the Electronic Logging Devices “mandate” long before December 4, 2017, but you may read my commentary on the mandate.

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

So, I’m truly distressed for every trucker who invested in a “self-certified” ELD that used to be on the approved list, only to later have that certification revoked!

If you are such a trucker, I want to hear from you about how expensive this was for you.

Regulations

Underride

A quote from the article in this section:

In the vast majority of side underride crashes, who is the striking vehicle, and what is the driver doing to not see this 53’ long trailer?

The answer, overwhelmingly, is the passenger vehicle and distraction.

A side underride crash, by definition, occurs when a car strikes the side of a trailer. The car is the bullet. The trailer is the wall. And while there are certainly scenarios where the truck driver bears fault, making an improper turn across traffic, failing to yield, crossing a divided highway, the physics of the crash type itself means that the passenger vehicle is the one making contact. …

If this issue concerns you, please contact your federal legislators.

A Billion-Dollar Fix for a Distraction Problem Disguised as an Underride Problem

3. Regarding Alcohol, Crashes, Death, Drugs, Fatalities, Fire, Fraud, Scam, Theft, 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.

Death

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

Drugs

Never ever haul or take illegal drugs.

Fatalities

I express my deep sympathy — and offer my condolences — to the families of the loved ones who died.

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

Fiery collision involving 2 semi truck kills 2 people in Wyoming

Fire

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.

Five charged in scheme to collect ‘illegal fees’ from non-U.S. citizens in exchange for expedited Kentucky driver’s licenses

Scam

Please be aware of and speak out against these and other types of scams that can impact truckers and trucking companies.

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.

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.

Trucker shot by another semi passenger in Mississippi road rage incident

4. Regarding Deaf, Guide, Health, Legal, And Regulations:

Deaf

This is a sensitive topic and I mean absolutely no disrespect to those with a hearing disability.

However, in my opinion, there are times when I believe it is absolutely critical for a professional truck driver to be able to hear.

Specific instances include:

At the approach of a law enforcement vehicle, fire truck, or ambulance, all with a siren going;
When a train is approaching and the lights at the intersection malfunction;
When being directed by someone who is speaking; and
In other emergency situations (such as when something is on fire and someone is calling for an evacuation).

That being said, technology may exist that is able to “hear” for someone and transcribe it into written text somehow.

I don’t know how this technology would work when a hearing-impaired person is sleeping.

Please be on your guard.

Discrimination against hearing-impaired persons is illegal.

Guide

Health

Truck drivers: Follow the 5-minute rule to feel better without ‘overhauling’ your life

5. Regarding Autonomous Vehicles, AVs, Electric Vehicles, Emissions, And Fuel:

Autonomous Vehicles

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

AVs

The article in this section seems to relate “automated vehicles” (AVs) with “autonomous vehicles.”

OOIDA as quoted in this article:

“… Congress should not pursue a one-size-fits-all legislative approach that implements the same policies for autonomous passenger vehicles and commercial trucks. The introduction of autonomous technology to both classes presents distinct safety challenges that should be addressed and regulated on separate paths.”

NHTSA plans road ahead for AVs

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

6. Regarding Broker, Business, Canada, Chameleon, And Conditions:

Broker

As the market turns, broker stress tests are already underway

Business

Canada

Chameleon

Conditions

7. Regarding Consumers, Economy, Employment, Future, Rates, Tariffs, And Tolls:

Consumers

Holiday Retail Shopping Ends on Lackluster Note

Economy

Employment

Future

Motor Carriers and Freight Brokers Anticipate Demand Turn in 2026

Rates

DAT: Spot truckload rates continue to strengthen

Tariffs

Tolls

Bill opens the door for tolling on Wyoming roadways

8. Regarding Teamsters, Technology, Training, And Waymo:

Teamsters

Technology

Training

Waymo

9. Regarding Inspections, Operations, And Parking:

Inspections

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

Operations

For reference purposes:

Please don’t turn where it is illegal to do so!

And drive according to conditions (meaning that if the road is wet, you may need to slow down).

Parking

10. Regarding Bridges, Epstein, Politics, Protests, And USMCA:

Bridges

Epstein

Politics

Protests

Highway protests jam roads, states push back

USMCA

One pro-American outlet has written much about the problems associated with USMCA.

11. Regarding Freight, Repair, And Supply Chain:

Freight

From flowers to oil…

Repair

I agree that professional truck drivers should have the right to repair their own trucks.

Supply Chain

12. Regarding EPA, Safety, And Speed Limit:

EPA

Quoting the last article in this section:

The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday revoked its own 2009 “endangerment finding,” a scientific conclusion that for 16 years has been the central basis for regulating planet-warming emissions from power plants, vehicles and other sources.

The finding itself is straightforward: Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases — caused by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas — endanger public health and welfare.

It was adopted after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that greenhouse gases are air pollutants that can be regulated under the Clean Air Act.

I find it hilarious that anyone considers carbon dioxide — part of the air that humans exhale — to “endanger public health.”

Furthermore, since plants “breathe in” carbon dioxide, wouldn’t a simpler solution be to plant more trees and vegetation?

Safety

The second article in this section is excellent, albeit very long, part of which says:

If there is a single word that defines the state of trucking in 2026, it’s unaccountable. Nobody is accountable for anything. Not the carriers. Not the brokerages. Not the shippers. Not the state agencies issuing licenses. Not the medical examiners’ rubber-stamping physicals. Not the third-party testers selling passing scores. If there’s going to be accountability, it’s almost always isolated to the drivers who kill people on the highway. That’s not the general rule, sometimes even the driver walks free. …

Accountability means consequences that match the gravity of the failure. Right now, you face stiffer penalties for tax fraud than for running an illegal trucking operation that kills someone. Until that changes, until carrier principals face real prison time, until brokerages face real liability, until the entire chain of profit is held to the same standard as the chain of harm, nothing changes. People will keep dying.

This article also describes “chameleon carriers.”

Speed Limit

Please drive safely at all speeds!

Variable speed limits introduced on I-70 Mountain Corridor in Colorado

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

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