TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2025.05.31

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2025.05.31 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending May 31, 2025, written by Vicki Simons.

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

TDMST Weekly Round-Up

1. Regarding tariffs and trade:

Tariffs

Since at least 2020, I’ve been very concerned about elected officials in the highest office of their jurisdiction wielding what seemed to be unlimited power.

This began when South Carolina Henry McMaster wrote Executive Order after Executive Order shutting down parts of my home state supposedly in the name of safety or health care.

Too many people in the state legislature did not stand up to him or work to correct what (in my opinion) was too much control under the “Emergency Health Powers Act” of 2002 (not coincidentally in the aftermath of 9/11).

Once the fervor of C0VID-19 blew over and it seemed that things got “back to normal,” those tyrannies were forgotten by many.

Enter the 2024 election of President Donald Trump, which gave rise to his rash of Executive Orders and a slew of tariffs in 2025.

I wrote to my Congressman and two U.S. Senators about the damage that would ensue were shipments from China blocked, as described in this article:

Trump Unleashes Economic Doomsday on America with “Secondary Sanctions” that BLOCK all Exports from China, with NO exceptions!

I can share links to other articles that describe the same kind of situation.

Then, we read the opening paragraph of the May 29, 2025, article entitled:
“Trump’s Tariffs Overturned: A Victory for the Rule of Law“:

In a moment of rare clarity and courage, a federal judicial panel has struck a blow for constitutional fidelity and the rule of law by ruling that President Donald Trump exceeded his lawful authority in imposing steep tariffs on a host of foreign countries. The decision, handed down by the U.S. Court of International Trade, is more than just a slap on the wrist for one president’s economic adventurism — it is a desperately needed reminder that no man, no matter how popular or powerful, is above the law.

Then came this quote in the May 30, 2025, article entitled:
“The Pen, the Phone, and the Presidency: A Roman Warning Against the Rise of the American Caesar“:

“I have an Article 2, where I have the right to do whatever I want as president.”
— President Donald J. Trump, July 23, 2019

According to Britannica (links not preserved in quote):

divine right of kings, in European history, a political doctrine in defense of monarchical absolutism, which asserted that kings derived their authority from God and could not therefore be held accountable for their actions by any earthly authority such as a parliament.

This is NOT the way the USA was set up!

This quote followed the formation of the United States by our Founding Fathers, but which they understood very well:

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
— John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton, 13th Marquess of Groppoli, … better known as Lord Acton

That is the reason why our Founding Fathers crafted The Constitution of the United States with separate branches of the federal government, with checks and balances so that no branch was able to rule absolutely.

Therefore, I was elated to read that a court had stood up to and “ruled against” the unconstitutional usurpation of Congressional authority wielded by President Trump regarding tariffs.

This is not about Democrat vs. Republican politics, but about ruling according to The Constitution that one has taken an oath of office to uphold.

Remember this quote from The Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

All men are created equal, Governments are instituted among men to secure our Creator-endowed and unalienable rights, Governments are to have “just powers” (not unjust ones), and Governments come into being at the consent of the governed. Case closed.

Trade

2. Regarding inspections and language:

Inspections

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

Language

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

3. Regarding FMCSA, legal, Oregon, politics, regulations, and speed limit:

FMCSA

Legal

Oregon

Politics

Regulations

Yay! Some regulations that affect trucking are being repealed!

Speed limit

According to the first article in this section:

North Dakota voted to raise the speed limit to 80 mph on select multi-lane highways effective Aug. 1, becoming the ninth state in the country to do so.

… Higher posted limits also means speeding violations will come with higher fines…

So, please be watching out for the following:

Traveling so fast that you cannot adequately control your truck;
The extra expenses that may be associated with faster travel; and
The need to navigate around vehicles on the road that are going more slowly (including those with a speed governor installed, which limits the maximum speed a vehicle can travel).

I’m curious regarding what kind of response will be received from those who want to pass legislation requiring that speed limiters be installed on large trucks.

4. Regarding autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, and fuel:

Autonomous vehicles

I absolutely oppose the operation of self-driving, autonomous, or driverless 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

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

Fuel

5. Regarding congestion pricing, economy, inflation, lottery, rates, tolls, and utilization:

Congestion pricing

According to the first article in this section:

A federal judge in New York has barred the Trump administration from taking action against the state for not ending congestion pricing, allowing the cameras to stay on without repercussions.

As I’ve stated in the past, the Tenth Amendment is in place for a reason.

If New York City wants to commit financial suicide by leaving this pricing scheme in place, in my opinion, they are welcome to do so and pay the consequences that come with it!

Economy

Inflation

Key Inflation Gauge Cools in April

Lottery

Wow!

Trucker digs lottery ticket out of the trash & wins $1Mil

Rates

Tolls

This is something to watch: truck-only tolls in Rhode Island.

Trucking group opposes resuming truck-only tolls

Utilization

The article in this section opens with:

A new Flock Freight and Drive Research study reveals a significant surge in truckload underutilization.

While I understand that “underutilization” is a problem, I also understand that a shipper may choose to pay for the entire use of a trailer.

I recall vividly the time when my husband Mike picked up a single 200-pound pipe — that was anchored in place on the floor of the trailer he was hauling — and transported it for quite a distance.

Yes, 99% of the space in the trailer was “empty,” but according to what he heard, the shipper paid for the use of the entire trailer and didn’t want anything else in the trailer with the pipe!

So, as someone with an analytical mind, I think this topic bears more consideration.

Study finds 58% of truckloads moved over half empty in 2024

6. Regarding 4PLs, business, Canada, leasing, maintenance, and recalls:

4PLS

I’ve heard of 3PLs, but 4PLs?

According to the article, 4PLs are fourth-party logistics providers.

What Trucking Companies Need to Know About 4PLs

Business

Recalls

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

Ford Recalls 1 Million Vehicles Over Rearview Camera Issue

7. Regarding AB5, containers, ports, and supply chain:

AB5

This is another Tenth Amendment issue, in my opinion.

And if California wants to face the consequences of this law, let them!

Truckers who live in California, if this sounds unreasonable, perhaps — even though it may be costly to you personally — it may be time to relocate.

If the state doesn’t stand up for your right to work as you have in the past, will you allow yourself to be put in an economic/employment prison?

California’s AB 5 independent contractor law upheld in court

Containers

Ports

Supply chain

8. Regarding crashes, fatalities, fire, fraud, scams, smuggling, and theft:

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.

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?

Fire

Big rig fire shuts down Interstate 20 in Louisiana

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.

Scams

Be on your guard against scams of all kinds.

Utah warns public about toll scams

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.

Theft

Never take something that doesn’t belong to you unless you have permission from the owner.

With as much surveillance equipment in place in the 21st century, it’s only a matter of time before the thieves are apprehended.

9. Regarding operations I, operations II, parking, technology, and transition:

Operations I

The article in this section describes a preventable tragedy.

Quoting the article:

Police say that an investigation revealed no issues with the truck braking system.

While I don’t know exactly what happened, I speculate that the trucker didn’t properly set his brakes before exiting the tractor.

I express my deep sympathy — and offer my condolences — to the family of the trucker who died.

71-year-old driver run over by own truck while disconnecting from trailer

Operations II

I could be wrong, but based on what I understand from this article, the trucker was a bit too loose in his description of what he was hauling.

As one description says:

“Loose lips sink ships” is an American English idiom that means being careful about what you say, especially when it comes to sensitive or confidential information.

Be careful about what you say — in person, on the phone, by text, or by some other means — to anyone (or can be overheard/read by anyone) who is not in the direct need to know about what you’re hauling.

Why? You can make yourself the target of a hijacking!

Trucker hauling Ferraris caught red-handed indulging in a late night truck stop snack with his dog

Parking

Technology

Transition

10. Regarding truck parts, truck stops, truckers, trucking, and trucks:

Truck parts

Heavy-duty truck parts maker, distributor to close after 46-year run

Truck stops

Truckers

Trucking

Trucks

11. Regarding employment, shortage, strike, and training:

Employment

Shortage

The article states:

Let’s set the record straight: There is no widespread truck driver shortage in 2025. There. I said it. If you’ve been anywhere near the supply chain over the past four years, you know exactly why that sentence deserves to be said. Again. Louder.

Folks at OOIDA have been saying this for how long?

The ‘Great Driver Shortage’ Myth

Strike

Well, I hope this ends well.

Teamsters at Kroger vote ‘overwhelmingly’ to authorize driver strike

Training

CVTA: House passage of tax bill is major win for new truck driving students

12. Regarding recognition:

Recognition

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

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