TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2025.05.24 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending May 24, 2025, written by Vicki Simons.
I welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.
1. Regarding inspections, language, Memorial Day, and theft:
Inspections
If you keep yourself and your rig in perpetual readiness for an inspection, you’ll never be caught off-guard.
- 38% of inspected commercial vehicles out-of-service during Roadcheck operation in Permian Basin
- Connecticut officers talk HOS, ELP enforcement at Roadcheck 2025
- Nebraska troopers find 73 violations during commercial vehicle inspection operation in Lancaster County
- New commercial vehicle enforcement facility opens along SR-46 in California
- Roadcheck effects persist as truckload market still tightening
- Roadside checkpoint results in 12 truck inspections, 41 violations, CHP says
- Sheriff shares video of sparking wheel assembly falling off passing commercial vehicle, hitting cars
- Three states teamed up for two week ‘Operation United Front’ commercial vehicle patrol and traffic blitz
- Troopers to target seat belt use in 6-state enforcement effort
Language
I am so glad that this situation is receiving the attention it deserves!
- Connor’s Law: A Milestone for Road Safety
- DOT calls for enforcement of English-proficiency regs
- DOT Secretary Duffy makes English language enforcement update
- DOT’s Duffy says enforcement of English language rule begins June 25
- Duffy restores English language proficiency enforcement for truckers
- Duffy, DOT to Enforce English-Language Standard
- English Proficiency Requirement for Truckers Explained
- FMCSA introduces two-step process to determine truck driver’s English language proficiency
- FMCSA posts redacted guidance on determining English proficiency
- Input sought on English language proficiency enforcement in U.S.
- Interview with an OOS, non-citizen driver who can’t read English
- Lawmaker introduces bill codifying English proficiency for truckers
- Oklahoma lawmakers pass bill cracking down on non-domiciled commercial vehicle drivers
- Oklahoma passes legislation levying $3K fines for ELP violations
- Short sea shipping; Duffy signs English language EO; fraud as a business model |
- The DOT can enforce English language proficiency — but not kindness and understanding
- U.S. Transportation Secretary signs order supporting English proficiency requirements
- USDOT vows to ‘take action’ to uphold English language requirements for truckers
- ‘You’re Out’: FMCSA Cracks Down on English Proficiency Rules for CDL Drivers
Memorial Day
The article in this section states:
Memorial Day also marks the start of the 100 Deadliest Days of Summer, during which traffic crashes and fatalities spike between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
So, please prepare appropriately.
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.
At all times, be aware that others seek opportunities to steal tractors, trailers, and the contents from within.
Learn to look at your tractor and trailer for places and procedures that can lead to theft — and then make it harder to steal from them!
- Armenian crime ring members accused of fraudulently contracting with Amazon for trucking routes to steal $83 million in goods
- Armenian crime rings charged with attempted murder, $83M Amazon cargo theft
- Cargo theft bill unanimously advances through committee
- Cargo theft expected to spike over holiday weekend
- Cargo theft expected to spike over Memorial Day weekend
- Cargo theft risks rise ahead of Memorial Day weekend
- Down: How Cargo Theft is Disrupting Supply Chains
- Freight thefts slam Southern California shippers; retail and consumers left holding tariff bag |
- Holiday cargo theft warning issued ahead of Memorial Day
- Two accused of stealing $287K worth of Apple products from truck in motion on Pennsylvania Turnpike
- White Paper: Breaking In, Breaking Down: How Cargo Theft is Disrupting Supply Chains
2. Regarding tariffs and trade:
Tariffs
- As shippers adjust to tariffs, the message at Momentum is: Don’t forget the TMS
- Canada Says Most Tariffs on US Remain, Contradicting Report
- China-US Trade Soars in Race to Hit Trade Truce Window
- Chinese Imports Expected to Surge Amid 90-Day Tariff Pause
- Drewry: China-US container rates up by double digits
- GM Stops Small Number of Car Exports to China Due to Tariffs
- It’s ‘Crunch Time’ for US Importers Facing Tariff Deadlines
- ITS Logistics report shows surge stressing US rail ramps after tariffs slashed
- LA Port Shipments Fell 30% in Early May After Trump Tariffs
- M&A trends amid tariff uncertainty
- Savannah sees record containers amid tariff frenzy
- States Offer Business Opportunities Amid Tariff Turbulence
- Trump threatens 25% import tax on Apple unless iPhones are made in the US
- Trump Threatens 50% Tariff on EU as Trade War Intensifies
- Trump threatens tariffs on European Union, iPhones
Trade
- G-7 Ministers Tread Carefully Amid US Trade Tensions
- Trade War Command Center quantifies import turmoil
- US moves to stop China parcel shipments bearing counterfeit postal labels
- US Sets the Stage for Duties on Battery Materials From China
- US trade representative holds second hearing on Chinese ship fees
3. Regarding autonomous vehicles, batteries, electric vehicles, emissions, and fuel:
Autonomous vehicles
I am totally opposed to 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.
I am glad that at least in one geographical area, the power-that-be have seen fit to allow an actual human to be in the tractor!
- Aurora keeps person in the driver’s seat for driverless hauls
- Aurora puts operator back in driver’s seat of autonomous trucks
- Aurora to put human back in driver’s seat
- Autonomous truck rules near passage at statehouses
- Autonomous Truck Startup Einride Considers US IPO
- Autonomous truck tech company puts a human back in the driver’s seat after request from PACCAR
- Kurt the CyberGuy: Fully autonomous big rigs hit the road in Texas, sparking debate over road safety
- Musk Expects ‘Hundreds of Thousands’ of Self-Driving Teslas
- Why Aurora Put Drivers Back Behind the Wheel of Its Autonomous Trucks
Batteries
Electric vehicles
Before you buy an all-electric Commercial Motor Vehicle, please do your due diligence by asking some questions and getting answers.
- Electric truck mandate paused in two states
- EV Charging Rates Go Dynamic
- Ford’s EV Battery Plant May Add Nissan to Client List
- House Backs Electric Vehicle, Hybrid Fees in Budget Bill
- Shippers, carriers push ahead on last-mile electrification plans
Emissions
I am super glad that the issue having to do with emissions is finally heading back toward common sense!
- Advanced Clean Trucks: A Controversial Shift
- Congress Revokes EPA Waivers for California’s Clean Truck, NOx Rules
- Congress spikes CARB’s ACT, Omnibus rules
- More States Delay Enforcement of California’s Zero-Emission Truck Mandate
- Oregon Delays Enforcement of Clean Truck Rule
- Oregon, Vermont Halt Zero-Emission Truck Mandates
- Oregon, Vermont Halt Zero-Emission Truck Mandates
- Policy Watch: Navigating CARB’s New Regulations
- Senate cancels California’s clean-truck waivers
- Senate passes resolutions to revoke California emissions waivers
- Senate Votes to Block Clean Air Standards in California
- Senate will try to block California vehicle standards that would phase out gas-powered cars
- Trucking celebrates revoking of California’s Advanced Clean Trucks reg
- Trucking organizations praise Senate’s repeal of CA’s pollution waivers
Fuel
- After surge in diesel futures price, retail prices catch up, benchmark rises
- Diesel Price Increases 6¢ to Settle at $3.536
- Diesel prices increase significantly, erasing weeks of declines
- Fuel supply challenges continue
- Microsoft volunteers for fuel premium to move server racks by air
- Test Drive: Hyundai’s Xcient Fuel Cell Truck
4. Regarding alcohol, crashes, drugs, fatalities, fraud, 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.
- Authorities investigating 18-wheeler crash on Indiana toll road
- Driver injured after rollover in New Hampshire
- Semi hauling lumber crashes in California
- Trucker & his family sent to hospital by rear-end crash with unlicensed truck driver
Drugs
Never ever haul or take illegal drugs.
- Arkansas trooper finds 86 pounds of cocaine, 36 pounds of Fentanyl, during I-40 tractor trailer traffic stop
- ASP Seizes 36 Pounds Fentanyl, 86 Pounds of Cocaine
- OSP traffic stop leads to seizure of 60 pounds of Fentanyl
- Trucker busted on I-40 in Arkansas for possession of cocaine and Fentanyl
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?
- 10 years in prison for truck driver involved in fatal Quebec crash
- Truck driver killed after crashing into Death Valley National Park building, brake malfunction suspected
- Truck parking contributed to fatal Greyhound bus crash
- Trucker found impaled on rebar under I-35 bridge after police impound rig
- Trucker killed in fiery Oregon 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.
- Fighting fraud requires a multi-layered approach
- FMCSA Launches Identity Verification to Fight Fraud in Trucking Registration
- Freight fraud: How criminals found a way in
- Freight fraud: Leveraging the carrier identity solution
- Freight fraud: Your supply chain is showing
- Senate committee passes anti-fraud bill
- US to take on possible fraud in foreign-flag registries
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.
- Mechanic living at truck yard arrested after shooting man during night of drinking on company property
- Murder suspect shot by passenger as he tried to steal trucker’s rig to flee police
- Police arrest driver who knocked out homeowner yelling at him for using his property as turnaround
- Truck driver sentenced to four years in prison for shooting at second driver in Ohio Turnpike road rage
- Trucker criticizes police response, applauds his wife’s truck driving in face of murder suspect’s attempted car jacking
5. Regarding AB5, ATA, border, business, CSA, trucks, and weight:
AB5
The first article in the section below states:
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which represents small-business truckers, told the Ninth Circuit that AB5 violates the Commerce Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
From a constitutional point of view, I am disappointed with this legal decision.
ATA
The ATA (American Trucking Associations) says of itself:
ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation’s freight. We are a 90-year old federation with state trucking association affiliates in all 50 states. …
Even though the ATA comes out on the side of truckers from time to time, the ATA does not represent professional truck drivers.
So, one must bear that in mind when reading articles about the organization and their stands.
Note: I do appreciate their industry data!
- ATA advocates for protections for independent truckers
- ATA Endorses Modern Worker Empowerment Act
- ATA Opposes Federal Probe That Could Increase Truck Tariffs
- ATA Truck Tonnage Index declined 0.3% in April
- ATA Truck Tonnage Index Dipped in April
- ATA Truck Tonnage Index Slips 0.3% Sequentially in April
Border
Business
- 5 Red Flags on a Rate Confirmation Sheet You Should Never Ignore
- Big Fleet Tactics Small Carriers Can Borrow
- Budget proposal bad for truckers, OOIDA says
- Drivers: Buying a truck means buying a business — make it pay
- How to Choose the Right Trailer for Your Commercial Vehicle Business
- Rules, Rates and Red Flags — What Every Small Carrier Needs to Watch Right Now
- When exit plans become a liability: For sale by owner-op, Part 2
- Why Many Owner-Operators Choose Older Rigs Over New Ones
CSA
Trucks
Weight
- Missouri overweight allowance now in effect through June
- Overweight vehicles targeted by New York City DOT
- What to Know About Oversize & Overweight Load Permits
6. Regarding benefits, employment, and strike:
Benefits
Please see this page on this site:
Employee Benefits and Bonuses for Professional Truck Drivers
It is sad when any employer removes an employee benefit.
I don’t want to borrow trouble, but it would be worth watching this company’s financial data for a while.
As a reminder, there have been too many trucking companies over the years that have “suddenly shut down” due to financial trouble.
Bear in mind:
- “The prudent see danger and take cover, but the simple keep going and suffer the consequences.”
— Proverbs 22:3 - “The prudent see danger and take cover; but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.”
— Proverbs 27:12
If you drive for this trucking company, it would be worth your while to keep your options open.
Employment
- Freight industry layoffs surge across California, Texas
- International Paper closes Texas plants, cuts 117 jobs
- PTTAC to educate entry-level drivers on risks of misclassification
- Trucking sheds 25,000 jobs in Q1, but truck driver employment rises: THRC
- US filings for jobless aid, a proxy for layoffs, inch down modestly last week as uncertainty lingers
Strike
- Canada Post avoids crippling strike but not damage to parcel business
- Small businesses at risk as Canada Post workers prepare to strike
7. Regarding bridges, roads, routing, safety, and weather:
Bridges
This business of another ship hitting another bridge makes me very suspicious of those who might be seeking to undermine and destroy the United States’ infrastructure!
- New York State Thruway Invests $12.3M to Revamp I-90 Bridge
- Ship Strikes Brooklyn Bridge in Tragic Incident
- Turbulent waters may have contributed to Mexican tall ship’s crash into Brooklyn Bridge
Roads
- Big rig fire shuts down I-30 in Texas
- Pacific Coast Highway to Reopen Near Malibu After Fires
- Tennessee DOT says no road construction delays during Memorial Day weekend
- US 41 to Be Closed Tuesday for Motorcycle Event
Routing
If you’re a professional truck driver, it is your responsibility to safely navigate your commercial motor vehicle on approved truck routes.
Too many truckers are trusting non-CMV-supported GPS units, which is a huge mistake.
I totally recommend getting and using a regularly updated hard copy of a Motor Carriers Road Atlas (aka Truckers Atlas: Compare Cost Savings of Trucker Maps).
- $2,347 fine issued for tractor trailer stuck in Smuggler’s Notch
- National park road closed overnight as crews work to remove wayward semi truck
Safety
For reference purposes:
Distracted Driving: Beware of Attention Diverters That Can Be Fatal
Weather
- Freight Trains Return to Asheville After Hurricane Helene
- Severe weather leaves at least 23 dead, including 14 in storm-battered Kentucky
- Uncommon May nor’easter to bring rain, snow to New England states just before Memorial Day weekend
- Watch as Kansas tornado leaves tractor trailers tossed about
8. Regarding abandonment, ELDs, health, and parking:
Abandonment
A long time ago, I wrote a post entitled:
Abandon a Truck? Abandon Your Future in Trucking!
Regarding the second article in this section, I am glad that the chicks were adopted, but they never should have been abandoned in the first place!
- Driver ditches trailer and bails after getting stuck in historic cemetery
- Thousands of chicks found abandoned in USPS truck have been adopted
ELDs
In my opinion, the problem with ELDs being kicked off the list of which units were acceptable — because their manufacturers “self-certified” them — is completely the fault of the unconstitutional federal authority in charge.
Note: ELDs should never have been mandated in the first place!
The entire idea of an “ELD mandate” was “sold” to the powers-that-be as a means to increase safety on the road, but that simply hasn’t happened.
Further thoughts on this:
- Electronic Logging Devices Mandate Commentary
- Comments to FMCSA on Electronic Identification of CMVs
- In what other industry besides trucking has the government ever mandated the purchase of a ‘self-certification’ product?
Now for the article in this section…
Health
Parking
I love the idea proposed in Truck Parking Solutions for American Drivers:
“Americans are paying for the lack of truck parking every day, both in lost wages to the driver and higher prices to the consumer—even though America has more parking than the rest of the world combined,” says Tra Williams, founder and CEO of ParkPro. “ParkPro can solve this problem with instant scale and without spending a single dime of taxpayer dollars.”
The statistic in the article cannot be ignored: [according to the American Trucking Association], “12% of annual productivity… is lost while searching for truck parking.”
Wow!
- Feds say truck parking shortage led to triple fatality crash on I-70 involving Greyhound bus
- Interstate 75 rest areas in Ohio closing for renovations
- Lack of safe truck parking cited in NTSB report on 2023 bus crash
- NTSB finds illegal exit ramp parking contributed to deadly crash
- NTSB report reveals critical shortage of overnight truck parking as a factor in deadly 2023 crash
- Ohio DOT to close I-75 rest areas until summer 2026
- South Carolina county bans tractor trailer parking in residential areas
- Truck parking shortage contributed to deadly truck-bus crash
- Truck parking shortage partly to blame for deadly 2023 crash
9. Regarding economy, lottery, and rates:
Economy
- ACT Research: April Class 8 orders down 48%
- ACT: U.S. trailer orders down 57% from March
- April trailer net orders falls amid tariff volatility and market uncertainty
- Economic Factors Bombard Truck Makers From All Angles
- ECONOMIC TRUCKING TRENDS: Truck tonnage, trailer orders fall, while spot market gets anticipated Roadcheck bump
- Fleets in Q1 grapple with economic uncertainty, tariffs, and weather-driven setbacks
- FTR: U.S. trailer net orders decline sharply in April
- FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index still near neutral in March
- Preliminary Net Trailer Orders Drop in April Insights
- Trailer Orders Fall 32% Year Over Year in April
- Used truck and trailer inventories drop sharply as buyers shift focus to late-model, low-mileage units
- Used-truck sales, prices rose in April | Six-state seat-belt enforcement blitz under way
Lottery
Let’s hope that this trucker has financial discipline!
- Random numbers win trucker $120k jackpot
- Trucker says he’ll put his lottery winnings toward a new house
Rates
- Fed Signals No Rate Cuts Before September
- Load Posts Spike: A Significant Weekly Increase
- Rates see typical Roadcheck bump despite a decline in flatbed
- Truckload spot rates to continue upward trend, RXO says
- Van spot rates surge during International Roadcheck week
- White Paper: Q2 2025 Carrier Rate Report
- White Paper: Q2 2025 Shipper Rate Report
10. Regarding legal, politics, ports, and regulations:
Legal
- Amazon must face truckers’ lawsuit, Indiana Supreme Court rules
- Cape Coral cops seeking semi truck and driver responsible for $400K in property damage
- Ford driver issued five citations for mobile home haul, per report
- Man charged 14 years after murdering truck driver for the loose change in his pocket
- Nuclear verdicts: A litigator’s perspective
- Rival Armenian crime syndicates busted in L.A.
- Third-party litigation reform continues at statehouses
- Truck driver gets felony charge for damaging cemetery and ditching trailer
Politics
- Bill seeks to ban semi trucks from the left lane in Michigan
- Lawsuit reform pursuit advances at Texas statehouse
- Oversize and overweight trucks topic of Texas bills
- Tort reform actions at statehouses impact trucking industry
- Transportation spending is focus of Minnesota bill
- Trucking group expresses displeasure with Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’
- Trucking industry backs tax reform package
- Trump Big Beautiful Bill Faces Opposition from OOIDA
Ports
- For first time since 1998, LA-Long Beach ports bid harbor rail services
- Freight Growth Potential at Ports of Baltimore and Sacramento
- Freight Opportunities Seen at Ports of Baltimore, Sacramento
- Georgia Ports rolls out mobile app for truckers
- Georgia Ports says April ‘busiest ever’
- House passes bill to counter Beijing’s influence over global ports
- Mexico’s largest container port slowly reopens after worker strike
- No container tsunami heading to Los Angeles, says port chief
- Permitting, policy, planning shape the pace of port electrification
- Pitt Ohio opens maritime terminal in Norfolk, Virginia
- Port of Savannah introduces new app designed to aid truck drivers
Regulations
- An alarming reality: 4% of truckers on US highways lack valid licenses
- Compliance fatigue is real, and it’s costing fleets more than you think
- Transportation Secretary Promises to Go After ‘Bad Actors’ in Trucking
- Unlicensed, Unqualified and On the Road: Driver Risk Starts With Licensing
11. Regarding supply chain, and technology:
Supply chain
Technology
- AI in Logistics: Survey Uncovers Surging Adoption, Continued Concerns
- Charging Installations Drop as Trump Ramps Up Attacks on EVs
- Check Call: Cybersecurity threats come from everywhere
- Dash cam shows dump truck crashing into occupied house as driver suffers suspected seizure
- Go from uncertainty to control in 2025 with the power of trailer visibility
- Listen: What Volvo Connect Updates Can do for Trucking Fleets
- Lite-Check Introduces ‘Next-Generation’ Trailer Diagnostic Tool
- Low-cost dash cameras options for truck drivers
- Penske’s Next-Generation AI Platform Gives Insights Down to Vehicle Level
- RadioNemo FASTPORT Launches New Streaming Studio
- Rise Robotics Launches Beltdraulic All-Electric Liftgate
- Samsara Partners With Rivian to Aid Fleet Management
- TMS Suppliers Prepare for AI Implementation
- Trump Team Resists Nvidia, Upholds AI Export Curbs to China
- Waabi CEO sees success in simulation, wants AV industry to disclose safety data
- ‘We need cameras in every cab’ – Family pushing for mandatory driver-facing cameras after fatal chain reaction crash
12. Regarding awards and recognition:
Awards
Congratulations to all truckers named who were named Driver of the Month and were “recognized for their customer service, advancement of safety, and positive attitude”!
The article says:
Each driver has received a $1,000 bonus and is now eligible for 2025 Driver of the Year recognition and the $10,000 bonus that is awarded to the winner.
The one thing I don’t understand is how there can be a “driver of the year” competition for 2025 when we’re not even halfway through the year yet.
Maybe this article is simply building anticipation? Hmm…
I wish all truckers safe travels and lots of money saving opportunities on the road!
Recognition
I recognize truckers — and those who helped truckers — who helped their fellow human beings in a time of need.
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: 2025.05.24 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.
