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TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2026.04.04

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2026.04.04 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending April 4, 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 Energy, Fuel, Iran, Oil, Tariffs, and Trade:

Based on my limited reading, it seems to me that people around the world are reeling from the illegal, immoral, and unconstitutional war of aggression against Iran that was started by U.S. President Donald J. Trump.

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Supply chains have been disrupted and the price of fuel has risen sharply, as shown in these charts:

The US Retail Diesel Price data from December 29, 2025, through March 30, 2026, is (in reverse chronological order, in U.S. dollars):

  • March 30, 2026: 5.401
  • March 23, 2026: 5.375
  • March 16, 2026: 5.071
  • March 09, 2026: 4.859
  • March 02, 2026: 3.897
  • February 23, 2026: 3.809
  • February 16, 2026: 3.711
  • February 09, 2026: 3.688
  • February 02, 2026: 3.681
  • January 26, 2026: 3.624
  • January 19, 2026: 3.53
  • January 12, 2026: 3.459
  • January 05, 2026: 3.477
  • December 29, 2025: 3.50

How are you dealing with this situation?

Please share your comments through the form below.

Energy

Fuel

Iran

Oil

Tariffs

For a much better and more thorough explanation about the problems with Trump-issued tariffs, please search for the word “tariffs” in Peggy Hall’s Substack archive.

There’s also a short video on Telegram with this description:

Peter Schiff on Trump’s punitive tariffs against U.S. allies and why all tariffs are paid by the American people, not foreign manufacturers

Articles on this topic this week include:

Trade

2. Regarding Business, Capacity, DEF, ELDs, Leasing, and Towing:

Business

Capacity

According to the glossary on this website: “In logistics, capacity is the amount of physical space, assets or personnel available to carry, store or deliver goods.”

DEF

According to the first article in this section:

Diesel Exhaust Fluid sensors will no longer be required on equipment that runs on the fuel, following a change in policy announced Friday by the Environmental Protection Agency.

I consider this to be a positive.

Do you?

ELDs

How many times will the FMCSA reject the use of certain ELDs after they once previously required only self-certification of the products?

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.

In TDMST Weekly Round-Up: 2017.12.09, I quoted Indiana’s Attorney General, Curtis Hill, regarding the self-certification provision regarding ELDs.

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.

Leasing

There are numerous mentions regarding truck leasing on this site.

One article is entitled:

Commercial Truck Leasing: Beware of Designed-to-Fail Schemes

Towing

Predatory towing is a violation of the commandment to “love your neighbor” as you love yourself.

3. Regarding California, Canada, Legal, and Politics:

California

Canada

Legal

There are lots of illegal things that truckers can be involved in.

Highlighting this article — Truck driver cited for attending Zoom meeting while driving — I have a few observations and questions.

First, truckers listen to the radio, music of their choice, audiobooks, and chatter on the CB all the time.

Second, what makes attending a Zoom meeting different?

Third, if this Zoom meeting was at all interactive, that would be a problem for an on-duty and driving trucker.

Fourth, please remember that when you drive a commercial motor vehicle, you are being paid to safely transport the truck and all cargo within safely from place to place.

You are not being paid to attend instructional classes while you drive. Just saying.

Politics

4. Regarding CDLs, Dalilah’s Law, and Language:

CDLs

Dalilah’s Law

In a nutshell, Dalilah’s Law would stop any state from granting CDLs to illegal aliens.

While this sounds like another one of those “states rights” situations, The Constitution of the United States says (in part) in Article IV, Section 4:

“The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion…”

There are immigration laws on the federal books to prevent an invasion from illegal aliens, laws which clearly have not been upheld.

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;

Now for the articles on this topic…

5. Regarding Autonomous Vehicles, Cellcentric, Electric Vehicles, Fuel Card, and NOx:

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.

Cellcentric

Fuel cell technology sounds interesting to me.

I wonder about the pros and cons.

Electric Vehicles

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

Fuel Card

You may wish to read this post on this site:

Truck Stop Rewards Program Information for Professional Truckers

NOx

The subtitle of the article in this section reads:

A recent EPA reference mixed up NOx and nitrous oxide. It’s an easy mistake. Just not one you expect to see in emissions policy. Let’s look at the difference.

Wow!

6. Regarding Collapse, Crashes, Distracted Driving, Drugs, Fatalities, Fraud, Smuggling, Staged, and Theft:

Collapse

Can you believe that it’s been two years since that bridge collapsed?

Wow!

Furthermore, what’s taking the powers that be so long to get started on construction?

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.

Distracted Driving

For reference purposes:

Distracted Driving: Beware of Attention Diverters That Can Be Fatal

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.

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

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.

Staged

According to one source:

A “staged” truck crash is an intentional, premeditated collision orchestrated by fraudsters to fraudulently claim insurance money, often targeting commercial vehicles.

Criminals maneuver a car to force a truck into an accident, typically using tactics like the “swoop and squat” (cutting off and braking) or “sideswipe” to blame the truck driver.

Be on your guard regarding these kinds of maneuvers.

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.

7. Regarding Economy, Employment, Inflation, Rates, Strike, Taxes, and Tolls:

Economy

Employment

Inflation

One source (pages 17 and 18) says that inflation is:

  • both “an increase in the amount of currency, resulting in rising prices”;
  • and “theft.”

Take a look at the M1 money supply — and what happened in early 2020 — and you’ll realize immediately what has happened to prices in the USA over the last 5+ years.

According to FiscalData.Treasury.gov, the U.S. debt:
– exceeded $37 Trillion on August 11, 2025;
– exceeded $38 Trillion on October 23, 2025; and
– exceeded $39 Trillion on March 27, 2026.

Obviously, this is unsustainable and some people have indicated that the collapse of the U.S. dollar is imminent.

If you have not already done so, please make preparations regarding your financial future.

Rates

Taxes

Tolls

I found this article extremely interesting:
ATA ordered to pay $200,000 to state of Rhode Island after years-long fight over truck-only tolling

Since when has the ATA ever come down on the wrong side of a legal fight on tolls?

Well, they have now!

8. Regarding DOT Medical Card, GPS, HOS, Low Clearance, and Safety:

DOT Medical Card

GPS

According to the second article in this section:

GPS directions have been blamed for bridge strikes and for getting truck drivers lost. In a recent incident, however, GPS may have helped land a commercial driver in jail.

The article further says:

CBP officers arrested the commercial driver and turned him and the firearms over to the Buffalo Police Department to face a felony charge for criminal possession of a weapon.

Please remember that a GPS is only as good as the data that’s in it!

HOS

With supporting links in the article in this section, we read:

In a new report to Congress, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration acknowledged that there has been a “significant increase” in post-crash inspections recording at least one out-of-service hours-of-service violation since the 2020 HOS changes.

Yet the agency contends HOS changes themselves cannot be established as cause for the increase.

My question is: How much evidence is it going to take before “cause” is determined?

Low Clearance

When it comes to truck routes, I have addressed this issue on this posts on this site:

Now for the article in this section:

Safety

9. Regarding Inspections, Maintenance, Operations, and Wheel Separations:

Inspections

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

Maintenance

Operations

Wheel Separations

Good gracious!

The article in this section says:

Two separate commercial motor vehicles lost wheels from their trailers within 33 minutes on March 28 in Northern Ontario, leading to charges against both drivers and one carrier.

Truckers, please make sure that you’re doing thorough pre-trip and post-trip inspections.

10. Regarding Smart Freight Corridor Pilot, Supply Chain, and Technology:

Smart Freight Corridor Pilot

The second article in this section addresses the Interstate 40 corridor:

A pilot program aimed at improving safety, reducing congestion and advancing freight technology has been announced by the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

Read more:

Supply Chain

Technology

11. Regarding Parking, Training, Trucking, and Weather:

Parking

Training

Trucking

Weather

12. Regarding Awards:

Awards

Congratulations to all truckers who have:

  • demonstrated skill and achievement in their work as professional truck drivers;
  • been given a tangible reward; or
  • been nominated for or given an award.

Here are the articles this week:

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: 2026.04.04 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.



Factor smarter, faster, and save. Keep more of what you earn. DAT Outgo.
Factoring that pays faster. Super fast funding speeds. DAT Outgo.
Factor with more freedom. Non-recourse + no annual contracts. DAT Outgo.
Rate Match Guarantee. We'll meet or beat your current rate. DAT Outgo.