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TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2026.08.29

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2026.08.29 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending August 29, 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 ATRI, Industry, Language, and NTDAW:

ATRI

According to the third article in this section:

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This week, ATRI launched its 22nd annual Top Industry Issues Survey. The annual survey asks industry stakeholders to rank the top issues of concern for the industry along with potential strategies for addressing each issue. …

The survey is given to motor carriers and drivers, so we are able to see how each group views the industry and its problems.

If you are a professional truck driver, please feel free to participate in ATRI’s “driver” survey as soon as possible, recognizing that there may be a deadline.

Industry

According to the first article in this section:

The OOIDA Foundation examined [the] key signals [listed] and how they affect individual sectors as well as the overall market in its August freight update.

The sectors listed in the article include van, flatbed, reefer, truck, and freight markets.

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;

This needs to be the standard across the U.S. trucking industry.

NTDAW

FYI: National Truck Driver Appreciation Week 2026 takes place from Sunday, September 13, through Saturday, September 19, 2026.

This annual event led by the American Trucking Associations honors the millions of professional truck drivers who safely and securely move essential goods across the United States.

2. Regarding Border, Canada, Ports, Tariffs, and Trade:

Border

Canada

This section is mostly about the tariffs situation affecting Canada, but other articles about tariffs appear below.

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…

Ports

Tariffs

About tariffs outside Canada…

Trade

3. Regarding Brokers, Business, Costs, Delivery, Insurance, Intermodal, Loads, and Military:

Brokers

Business

Costs

Delivery

According to the first article in this section:

Amazon is rapidly expanding its Prime Air drone delivery program to seven states … with additional metro areas…

It would be very interesting to see regarding Amazon’s drone delivery service:

  • The price per ounce or pound;
  • The weight limit per drone; and
  • The guarantee against damage or loss in the contract.

Just saying.

Insurance

Please regularly review your truck insurance to see if it is just right to meet your needs without being too expensive.

Intermodal

According to the first article in this section:

Discover how intermodal freight is delivering massive savings in today’s volatile market. As truckload spot and contract rates stabilize, intermodal options provide a crucial cost-saving advantage, especially on key lanes. Learn where to find the biggest savings and how shifting modes can optimize your freight spend.

Can you benefit from this?

Loads

Military

If you follow these kinds of shipments, these articles may benefit you…

4. Regarding Alcohol, Crashes, Distracted Driving, Drugs, Fatalities, Fatigue, Fire, and Fraud:

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.

Distracted Driving

According to the article in this section:

In 2025, [Colorado State Patrol] investigated a total of 316 commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crashes involving distracted driving. Of these, 60 crashes resulted in injury or death.

… Possible penalties include [for the trucker]:

– Drivers can be fined up to $2,750

– Repeat offenses will result in the driver being disqualified or put out-of-service for up to 120 days

For reference purposes:

Distracted Driving: Beware of Attention Diverters That Can Be Fatal

Drugs

Never ever haul or take illegal drugs.

Fatalities

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, as it concerns a “highway”:

Fatality means any injury which results in the death of a person at the time of the motor vehicle accident or within 30 days of the accident.

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

Fatigue

One source says: “Drowsy driving and fatigued driving are essentially the same thing, often used interchangeably to describe operating a vehicle while impaired by sleepiness or exhaustion, which slows reaction time, impairs judgment, and reduces awareness, making it as dangerous as drunk driving.”

For your convenience, here’s a post on this site on this topic:

Drowsy Driving: Dangers, Statistics, and No Substitutes

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.

5. Regarding Impaired, Missing, Recovery, Smuggling, Theft, Violations, and Violence:

Impaired

According to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators: “Impaired driving is the act of operating a motor vehicle while being impaired by alcohol, or any drug (prescribed or illicit).”

Missing

“BOLO” is an acronym for “be on the lookout.”

Recovery

I am glad whenever I read of stolen goods having been recovered!

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.

And don’t attempt to smuggle illegal products.

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:

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.

6. Regarding Autonomous Vehicles, Electric Vehicles, Emissions, Fuel, Hydrogen, Iran, and Oil:

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.

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

Fuel

So that you can track the price of fuel:

In an effort to save as much fuel as possible, here are a few of the articles on this site dealing with aerodynamics:

Now this week’s articles on this topic:

Hydrogen

According to the article in this section:

US Hybrid will establish its headquarters and manufacturing operations in Lancaster, Calif., where it plans to produce hydrogen-powered trucks and buses and employ 1,200 people.

Being able to concentrate for fuel a gas that is abundant and free sounds great, until one realizes that, according to one overview, hydrogen makes up about 0.00005% (or 0.55 parts per million) of Earth’s dry air by volume.

The question comes to mind about the circumstances under which nitrogen gas will burn.

According to two overview resources:

  • Nitrogen is an inert, non-flammable gas commonly used to reduce oxygen levels and create safer conditions. Although it doesn’t burn or support combustion, excessive nitrogen in enclosed spaces can lead to potential suffocation risks.
  • Nitrogen gas can burn only under extreme energy input, such as a high-voltage electric arc in the presence of oxygen, because it is normally an inert gas that suppresses combustion.

So, that’s that!

Iran

Oil

7. Regarding Consumers, Economy, Pricing, Rates, Rejection, Surcharge, and Tolls:

Consumers

Regarding 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 6+ 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;
– exceeded $39 Trillion on May 18, 2026; and
– exceeded $40 Trillion on August 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.

Economy

Pricing

According to the article in this section:

Tabi’s Rush Feldhacker breaks down who currently holds the pricing power in the unpredictable freight market using their new Pricing Pressure Index. Learn how brokers are leveraging data to make smarter spot rate decisions, and why shippers are feeling the market shift later than expected. Discover the latest trends and what to expect in the second half of the year.

I’m a bit wary about “brokers” being able to [leverage] data.

What kinds of data? Who is involved? For what purposes?

Rates

Rejection

One overview says:

Tender rejections are the percentage of electronic, contracted shipping loads that a carrier refuses to take from a shipper.

There are a number of reasons why carriers reject tenders, market indicators, and a way to calculate the Tender Rejection Rate (TRR).

For more info on this topic, please see:

Why tracking tender reject rate is important.

Now for the article in this section:

Surcharge

Tolls

8. Regarding Ban, Dash Trash, HOS, Inspections, Last Mile, Parking, Roads, and Towing:

Ban

Please pay attention to roads that have been banned to commercial motor vehicles.

Dash Trash

Extending from the article on this site:

Dash Trash: What a Trashy Looking Truck Says and Does…

According to the article in this section:

A professional truck driver is pitching fleets on a modular cab organizer he says could help reduce distracted-driving accidents — and the nine-figure legal exposure that increasingly follows them.

HOS

Inspections

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

Last Mile

Parking

There’s a related article in the “Towing” section below.

Roads

Towing

The opening paragraph from the first article in this section says:

A nationwide truck parking shortage has left truckers vulnerable to people looking to take advantage of the situation. One driver’s $9,000 towing bill highlights that problem and another: predatory towing.

Ouch!

9. Regarding Legal, Politics, and Records:

Legal

Politics

Records

I’m glad that there have been legal barriers to the federal government obtaining data that, in my opinion, they should not have.

10. Regarding Safety, Shipping, Speeding, Supply Chain, and Technology:

Safety

Shipping

Speeding

No matter how “hot” your load is, obey the speed limit in every jurisdiction where you travel.

Supply Chain

Technology

11. Regarding Training, Truckers, and Trucks:

Training

Truckers

Trucks

12. Regarding Comedy and Recognition:

Comedy

Every once in a while, you’ve just got to laugh at the irony and the wry responses. 🙂

Recognition

Thank you to everyone who helps out their fellow human beings in a time of need, whether it was a trucker doing the helping or the trucker being helped.

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: 2026.08.29 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.
Factor with more freedom. Non-recourse + no annual contracts. DAT Outgo.
Factoring that pays faster. Super fast funding speeds. DAT Outgo.
For all that truckers do all year long... thanks!
Rate Match Guarantee. We'll meet or beat your current rate. DAT Outgo.