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TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2026.08.08

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2026.08.08 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending August 8, 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 Enforcement, Inspections, Language, and Operations:

Enforcement

Please ensure that you as a trucker are qualified, authorized, and have all legal paperwork to do your trucking job.

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Inspections

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

Language

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;

Operations

The articles in this section cover a wide variety of topics.

You may also want to see the post “Making Large Truck Operations as Frugal as Possible” on this site.

2. Regarding Fuel, Iran, and Oil:

Fuel

I published this on August 3 on the TruckDriversMoneySavingTips page on Facebook:

Can anyone refute this from credible sources?

Quote from the article linked below:

=====

When Diesel Runs Dry, Everything Stops

If you think this is just about long-haul truckers paying more at the pump, think again. Diesel powers the trucks, trains, tractors, and construction equipment that keep America alive. If diesel disappears, supply chains crater and grocery shelves go empty. California is already proposing a ban on diesel locomotives by 2035, which could have severe implications for transportation of goods like fertilizer, grain, coal, and raw materials necessary for production [8]. Without these trains, the economy will struggle to function — and that’s the intended future being pushed by the same politicians who claim to care about feeding the world.

I think most people are failing to grasp the severity of this situation. This isn’t just a fuel problem; it’s a food problem, a heating problem, and a transportation collapse all wrapped into one. As I stated in my Citizens Log years ago, we are witnessing the deliberate dismantling of energy infrastructure [9]. Diesel is the lifeblood of the food supply chain — every loaf of bread, every gallon of milk, every box of cereal travels on a diesel-powered truck or train. When diesel runs dry, everything stops.

=====

The Diesel Shortage Is Real—and Refineries Are At Risk of Blowing Up From Lack of Scheduled Maintenance
08/03/2026 // Mike Adams
https://www.naturalnews.com/2026-08-03-diesel-shortage-real-refineries-start-blowing-up.html

Given that, I don’t know how this is possible:

U.S. diesel exports surge to record.

Thoughts?

Please share through the form below.

Iran

Oil

3. Regarding Border, Brokers, Business, Capacity, Containers, Liability, and Recalls:

Border

Brokers

Business

Capacity

Containers

Liability

Recalls

If your tractor or trailer is under a recall, please have the work attended to as soon as possible.

4. Regarding Autonomous Vehicles, Electric Vehicles, Emissions, Hybrid, and Teamsters:

Autonomous Vehicles

I most definitely 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.

See also the section on Teamsters below.

Electric Vehicles

It could be that with the price of fuel being so high right now, that truckers and trucking companies are looking at alternatives.

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

Emissions

Hybrid

Just one snippet from the article in this section:

Instead of asking the tractor to do all the work, Range Energy is, in essence, finally asking the trailer to start carrying some of its own weight.

Interesting premise!

Teamsters

Regarding the second article in this section, see also the section above on Autonomous Vehicles.

That article says:

On August 5, 2026, Teamsters California filed suit against the California DMV in Alameda Superior Court, alleging that the agency “circumvented laws requiring the agency to study and publicly disclose the economic impacts of allowing self-driving heavy-duty trucks on the state’s roads, thereby denying the public meaningful input on the decision.”

What are your thoughts?

Please share through the form below.

5. Regarding Alcohol, Bridge Strikes, Crashes, Death, Drugs, and Fatalities:

Alcohol

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

Bridge Strikes

A bridge strike is a low clearance issue.

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

Now for the articles in this section:

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 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?

6. Regarding Fled, Fraud, Injury, Scam, Theft, and Violations:

Fled

The circumstances may not be exactly as described, but one AI overview from an injury attorney’s website says:

Fleeing the scene turns a simple traffic mistake or minor accident into a separate, severe criminal offense. Staying means exchanging insurance or facing standard, non-criminal liability. Fleeing adds felony or misdemeanor charges, mandatory license suspension, steep multi-thousand-dollar fines, and years of prison time.

That being said, since the article in this situation involves an actual death, fleeing the scene could result in severe consequences!

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.

Injury

May the Lord heal these truckers!

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.

Violations

A lot of violations are found during truck inspections while others are spotted on the road.

Make it your aim as a trucker to do everything in compliance with the law and regulations — even if your trucking company is trying to get you to compromise.

For your convenience, please review these posts:

Now for the news articles on this topic:

7. Regarding Cybercrime, Statistics, Supply Chain, Survey, and Technology:

Cybercrime

If you own your truck and/or trucking company, please put technology safeguards in place!

Statistics

Supply Chain

Survey

The article says:

According to CVSA, responses to the survey will help to inform the group’s “recommendations and future strategies to address these issues across North America.”

Have you responded?

Technology

8. Regarding Economy, Employment, Inflation, Lottery, Pay, Rates, Strike, Tariffs, and Trade:

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.

Although the dates may be shifting over time, according to FiscalData.Treasury.gov, the U.S. debt:
– exceeded $36 Trillion on November 21, 2024;
– exceeded $37 Trillion on August 11, 2025;
– exceeded $38 Trillion on October 21, 2025; and
– exceeded $39 Trillion on May 18, 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.

Lottery

Hmm…

Pay

According to the first article in this section:

Effective Aug. 9, regional drivers will earn 66 cents per mile, an increase from the previous top rate of 64 cents per mile. The updated compensation plan also eliminates the separate pay rate for drivers without hazardous materials endorsements, bringing all regional drivers to the new 66-cent mileage rate.

How does this sound to you?

Rates

Pay attention to rates and please make sure that the increased price of fuel is built into your calculations.

Strike

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

Now for the articles in this section…

Trade

9. Regarding ELDs, Jones Act, Legal, Politics, and Veterans:

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.

Jones Act

According to one AI overview:

From a trucker’s perspective, the Jones Act (the Merchant Marine Act of 1920) is a federal law requiring all goods moved by water between U.S. ports to travel on ships that are U.S.-built, owned, flagged, and crewed. Because it limits domestic marine competition and raises water shipping costs, it indirectly forces a massive amount of long-distance freight onto American highways and into the trucking industry.

What is your take on this?

Legal

Politics

Veterans

10. Regarding Idling, Maintenance, Parking, and Restroom:

Idling

Please feel free to look at the 9-post section on this site associated with idling.

Truck Idling: Need, Problems, Cost and Alternatives Overview

Maintenance

Parking

Restroom

In my opinion, the issue with OTR truckers using restrooms could be solved by allowing them to keep a well-maintained portable toilet in their trucks.

I have written about this:

Now for the article…

11. Regarding Roads, Safety, and Securement, :

Roads

Safety

Securement

It is the professional truck driver’s responsibility to make sure that his/her load is secure before driving.

The Code of Federal Regulations 49 CFR Part 393 covers “Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation”.

Subpart I details “Protection Against Shifting and Falling Cargo”.

It covers everything from § 393.104 Standards for cargo securement devices and systems to very specific kinds of loads including boulders, containers, metal coils, etc..

If you have not been trained on how to secure your load, demand that your trucking company provide you with that training before you drive a single inch!

Why? Because you as the trucker will be held responsible for it if something goes wrong.

12. Regarding Awards and Championship:

Awards

Congratulations to all truckers who have:

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

Here are articles about some of the nominees for, finalists, and winners of awards.

Championship

Congratulations to all truckers who have been scheduled to participate in a truck driving championship!

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: 2026.08.08 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.
Rate Match Guarantee. We'll meet or beat your current rate. DAT Outgo.
Factor with more freedom. Non-recourse + no annual contracts. DAT Outgo.
Factoring that pays faster. Super fast funding speeds. DAT Outgo.