TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2025.12.06 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending December 6, 2025, written by Vicki Simons.
I welcome your comments, thoughts and feedback on the items of your choice below.
1. Regarding CDLs, DHS, DOT, ICE, illegal, language, and training:
This entire section has to do with people who have Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) without proper authorization — and the regulations regarding that.
Among those unauthorized to have CDLs in the USA are those who do not have English language proficiency.
CDLs
- CDLs should be limited to drivers who are trained, vetted, qualified
- FMCSA gets time-out on CDL crackdown
- States: CDL restrictions to cripple supply lines, raise costs
- Trucking Reacts to DOT Moves on CDLs, Immigrants
- Who is vetting ‘wanted terrorist’ CDL driver applicants?
DHS
DOT
- DOT gives boot to thousands of CDL training providers
- DOT kicks 3,000 truck driver trainers off registry
- DOT Review Finds 44% of Trucking Schools Are Noncompliant
- DOT shuts down Minnesota’s non-domiciled CDL program
- DOT Targets 7,000 CDL Schools in Entry Level Driver Training Provider Purge
- DOT Targets 7,000 CDL Schools in Entry-Level Driver Training Initiative
- DOT Targets Pennsylvania for Non-Domiciled CDLs
- DOT threatens another state’s funding over non-domiciled CDLs
- DOT’s non-domiciled CDL crackdown hugely popular with truck drivers: Overdrive survey results
- Federal review finds 44% of US trucking schools don’t comply with government rules
ICE
Illegal
- Truck driver faces deportation after fatal Oregon crash
- Trucking Resurgence: ATA, trucking execs’ plans for non-domiciled CDLs, fraud, more
- Wyoming immigration raid leads to 40 ‘criminal alien’ drivers arrested
Language
- English-language crackdown exposes how cheap labor and CDL fraud are remaking trucking
- FMCSA English Proficiency Violations and Why Carriers Aren’t Being Shut Down
- Fourth trucker caught in ICE dragnet after fatal crash
- ICE lodges detainer for trucker charged with negligent homicide in Oregon
- Illinois bill would slam the brakes on unprepared drivers
- Illinois Rep. claims “outrageous” number of drivers didn’t speak English during her plain clothes tour of truck stops
- Inside the Legal Battle That Could Reshape Commercial Licensing
- Minnesota Catches FMCSA Heat for Non-Domiciled CDLs
- Minnesota stops issuing non-domiciled CDLs following USDOT’s warning that $30.4 million is at risk
- Mississippi sending illegal truckers to ICE
- The Feds drop the hammer on illegal immigration
- The non-domiciled CDL comments are in — what are groups saying?
- US DOT says one-third of Minnesota-issued non-domiciled CDLs illegal
Training
- Crackdown on trucking schools shouldn’t disrupt industry. But scrutiny on immigrant drivers might
- FMCSA registry rife with fake CDL schools, industry exec says
- Nearly 3K CDL training providers removed from FMCSA registry
- Training-provider attrition a part of FMCSA purge
- Trump Administration Purges 3,000 CDL Schools From Federal Registry
- US removes nearly 3,000 CDL training providers from registry
- USDOT cracks down on illegal CDL mills, announces new ELD vetting process
- What to Know About DOT’s Crackdown on CDL Mills
- What to Know About DOT’s Crackdown on CDL Mills
2. Regarding adjustment, ATRI, border, business, CRST, duties, and leasing:
Adjustment
- 10 Roads Express to Shut Down After Losing USPS Business
- 10 Roads Express to shut down operations, end USPS contracts
- 50 truck fleet shuts down
- Acquisition through growth: The shift in logistics growth strategies
- Bollinger Motors shuts down amid financial woes
ATRI
Border
- Border Patrol Detains Mexican Truck Drivers for ‘Cabotage’
- Borderlands Mexico: Truckers lift nationwide blockades after reaching deal
- It’s cabotage, U.S. Border Patrol says
Business
- 6 tips to seamlessly add Shared Truckload to your next RFP
- Catastrophic engine failure delivers customer calamity: Prep for the worst
- How recourse factoring impacts trucking cash flow and risk
- Late-model used-truck prices see decline in October: Analysts
- Small Carrier Success Stories: Graig Morin and Brown Dog Trucking
- Trucking in 2025: Survival of the Fittest in a Year of Uncertainty
CRST
- CRST Posting Gains in Tough Market, CEO Says
- My Apology to CRST: I Got It Wrong
- Road rumors: Is CRST shutting down its OTR operations?
- UPDATE: CRST confirms partial fleet reduction and redistribution
Duties
Leasing
3. Regarding load board, pay, pricing, and rates:
Load board
Let’s hope that the number of loads springs back up from Christmas freight!
Pay
Pricing
- Feds investigate unfair foreign truck trailer pricing
- Retailers report transportation pricing surge in November
- South Africa to Prosecute Maersk, CMA Units for Price Fixing
Rates
4. Regarding consumers, economy, employment, inflation, and Thanksgiving:
Consumers
Economy
- ACT: Freight volumes and capacity decline in October
- ACT: Preliminary Class 8 orders down 47% y/y in November
- Cyber Monday Could Break Spending Records
- Cyber Monday Remains Biggest Online Spending Day at $14.25B
- ECONOMIC TRUCKING TRENDS: Spot market improves in both Canada, US
- Freight market troubles linger
- FTR: Class 8 orders down 17% in November
- Industry stable, with modest growth in retail deliveries: Motive
- Manufacturing Slump Deepens in November as Orders Decline
- OECD Forecasts World Economy to Grow 3.2% This Year
- Used Truck Sales Hit Fifth Consecutive Year-Over-Year Gain
Employment
- Canada cracking down on misclassification in trucking
- Canada’s Algoma Steel to Cut 1,000 Jobs Amid US Tariffs
- Canadian government aims to put the brakes on widespread worker misclassification
- Jobless Claims Drop to Lowest Level Since April
- US filings for jobless benefits fall to 191,000, lowest since September of 2022
Inflation
Thanksgiving
- Thanksgiving deaths down on Georgia roads
- Thanksgiving weekend snowstorm keeps Indiana troopers busy
5. Regarding autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, fuel, and fuel economy:
Autonomous vehicles
I wholeheartedly 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 our 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.
- EV Maker Bollinger Motors Shuts Down
- NEVI Funds Available Again for EV Charging Networks
- The EV Truck Reality Check and Why Edison Motors’ Hybrid Might Be What Actually Works
- Top Tips for EV Fleet Infrastructure in 2026
- VW Is Reviving Scout to Be Mostly Hybrids Rather Than EVs
Fuel
- Benchmark diesel posts its biggest 1-week decline in almost a year
- Biofuel Producers Ask Trump For Year-Round E15 Sales
- Choosing the right fuel is like choosing the right tool for the job
- Diesel prices drop for second straight week
- Gasoline Prices Fall to 4-Year Low on Cheap Oil, Flat Demand
- US Eyes Diesel Generators to Meet Growing AI Power Demand
Fuel economy
- The push to 12 mpg: How one owner-operator’s doing it
- Trump Administration Pushes Major Cut to MPG Standards
- Trump to Ease Mileage Rules in Bid to Curb Rising Car Prices
6. Regarding containers, inspections, and parking:
Containers
- Asia-US container rates fall 32% in latest week
- New gains for container rates as key ocean routes improve
Inspections
If you keep yourself and your rig in perpetual readiness for an inspection, you’ll never be caught off-guard.
- Alabama detains 82 individuals in CMV inspections with ICE
- ALEA partnering with ICE for coordinated CMV inspections
- MTO, MCU to conduct unannounced inspections at Ontario truck driving schools
- Ottawa launches inspection blitz on Driver Inc. misclassification
- Week-long inspection blitz nets 45 out-of-service violations in Wyoming
Parking
- ‘No trucks’ signs doing more harm than good in newly developed warehouse corridor, residents say
- Study seeks the missing math behind truck parking crisis
- Truck parking: FMCSA plans to survey ‘several thousand truck drivers’
- Wisconsin wants input from truckers on parking shortages
7. Regarding crashes, death, drugs, fatalities, fraud, smuggling, tax evasion, 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.
- Property damage crash leads to blocked on ramp
- Trucker rescued after dangling off West Virginia bridge for more than 5 hours
Death
I express my deep sympathy — and offer my condolences — to the families of those whose loved ones died as described.
- Alabama man dead after semi truck rolls over in Birmingham
- Arkansas man dead after crashing into semi on Interstate 40
Drugs
Never ever haul or take illegal drugs.
- CBP catches semi with more than 40 pounds of cocaine
- Mississippi authorities find trucker positive for meth
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?
- Freightliner driver arrested in crash that killed two
- Oregon police investigating semi driver for killing a pedestrian
- Three dead in wrong-way crash on I-75 in north Georgia
- Trucker dead, 1 seriously hurt after Florida chain-reaction crash
- Two dead in Indiana crash with truck and amish buggy
- Woman dies after crash with semi truck
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.
- FBI Raises Reward for Olympian Turned Drug Smuggler
- Texas driver caught smuggling 23 people in sleeper | Heavy-specialized HOS exemption renewed
Tax evasion
According to one source:
The core difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion is that tax avoidance is legal, while tax evasion is illegal and a criminal offense.
Tax avoidance involves using legal strategies within the tax code to reduce the amount of tax owed, often referred to as sound tax planning. Tax evasion, in contrast, involves illegal and fraudulent activities to deliberately underpay or not pay taxes at all.
Now for the article…
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.
8. Regarding ELDs, EU, HOS, registration, and regulations:
ELDs
I am glad that this situation is finally being addressed!
- FMCSA announces ‘complete overhaul’ of ELD vetting process
- FMCSA Cracks Down on Fraudulent ELDs With New Vetting System — But Stops Short of Third-Party Certification
- FMCSA outlines new plan to stop ELD cheating
- FMCSA overhauls ELD vetting after logs-tampering craze
- FMCSA overhauls vetting of truckers’ ELDs
- FMCSA Toughens ELD Certification Process
- Inside DOT’s New ELD Approval Overhaul, What Changed and Why It Matters
EU
HOS
- FMCSA denies request for wintertime HOS relief for propane haulers
- FMCSA runs clock out on pair of hours-of-service exemption requests
Registration
Regulations
- FMCSA gives specialized carriers a break from rest break mandate
- FMCSA’s New Motus Registration System Promises Modernization
- TAEC releases plan to eliminate bad actors, restore fair competition
9. Regarding legal, politics, ports, recalls, and research:
Legal
- 50,000+ Call on OEMs to Drop California Lawsuit
- ATRI Study Examines the Scale and Causes of Growing Trucking Litigation Awards
- First Brands Flails as Customers Don’t Know Who to Pay
- First shots fired at Supreme Court in broker liability case
- Lawsuit Abuse Strains Trucking Industry
- The fallout from nuclear verdicts
- Thunder Bay police ticket 12 truck drivers for designated route violations
- Trucker facing charges after road rage incident in Missouri
Politics
- Fiscal 2026 Funding Bill Stuck in Congressional Negotiations
- North Carolina Finally Ends Booting on Commercial Vehicles — Could Other States Follow?
- Predatory towing under fire in Missouri with new bill
- Trucker restroom access could become law in New Hampshire
- Two states propose roadside saliva tests for truckers and others
Ports
- Indiana port expands barge steel capacity
- Port of Mobile launches $100M Pier B South overhaul
- Ports warn intermodal in the crosshairs of rail merger
Recalls
If your tractor or trailer is under a recall, please have the work attended to as soon as possible.
- Mack, Volvo Trucks issue trio of recalls
- Massive recall: 18,000+ International, Mack and Volvo trucks impacted by safety issues
Research
10. Regarding roads, shipping, statistics, and supply chain:
Roads
Shipping
Statistics
- ATRI: Pre-crash negligence triples trucking company liability
- SONAR releases new tender data, Truckload Volume Index, and Truckload Rejection Index
- The Impact of E-Commerce Growth on Trucking Demand
Supply Chain
- DHL Supply Chain takes delivery of first Tesla Semi
- Why Adaptability (Not AI) Will Decide the Next Supply Chain Leaders
- Why Track and Trace Is Essential for Modern Supply Chains by Chris Cunnane, Intersystems
- Why we’re all talking about Supply Chain Insiders
11. Regarding tariffs, technology, veterans, and weather:
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.
- Costco Joins Legal Fight Over Trump Tariffs
- Costco sues Trump administration as tariff backlash intensifies
- Global Goods Trade Slows as Tariff Front-Loading Ends
Technology
- Amazon Freight highlights steady, tech-driven growth in transportation
- BeyondTrucks Adds Real-Time AI Optimization to TMS to Boost Dispatcher Productivity
- Challenger automates load planning, gives Optimal Dynamics Canadian market entry
- Daimler Truck and Torc Robotics Tap Israeli Company for Lidar Systems
- Epika Fleet Services partners with Accelerated Fleet Services
- How AI-native technology is reshaping transportation management
- Isaac to integrate telematics with Freightliner, Western Star trucks
- Isuzu and Decisiv Announce Stronger Telematics Partnership
- McLeod’s New TMS Release Promises Smarter Planning, Faster Invoicing, and AI-Powered Operations for Trucking Companies and Freight Brokers
- Nvidia’s Lobbying Pays Off in AI Export Fight
- Securing the Chain: Data Integrity and Confidentiality in a Shared Ecosystem
- This AI booked a load in 10 minutes by speaking to 96 carriers at the same time
- Torc Taps Innoviz for Short-Range Lidar Requirements
- Traditional Cybersecurity Training Doesn’t Stop Today’s Social Engineering Attacks in Trucking. Learn What Does.
- Trucking Tech Wrap-Up: The Year’s Biggest Innovations
- Trucking’s Telematics Technology Crisis
- US DOT asks for input on modernizing data gathering
- US Seeks New Alliances to Bolster AI Supply Chains
- Wabtec Acquires Frauscher Sensor Technology Group
Veterans
- ATA Promotes Veterans’ Access to Apprenticeships
- ATA urges Congress to strengthen veterans’ career pathways to trucking
Weather
- Heavy snow predicted for Northeast as Midwest still struggles with Thanksgiving weather snarls
- PennDOT enacts travel restrictions
- Snow, rain and cold in store for some post-Thanksgiving travelers
- Weather-related accidents shut down Interstate 55 in Arkansas
- Winter weather expected to hit Missouri on Monday
12. Regarding awards, recognition, and skill:
Awards
Congratulations to the professional truck driver who was issued an award!
Recognition
This section regards “highway heroes” who helped their fellow human beings in a time of need.
Thank you!
- Do You Know a Highway Hero?
- Finalists for Highway Angel selected
- Goodyear launches search for 2025’s Highway Hero Award
- Goodyear seeking “Highway Hero”
Skill
I’ve never before seen a video of a trucker who was able to “undo” a jackknife that he/she had been in.
I applaud the trucker in the video who used his/her skill to maneuver out of a difficult, slick situation.
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: 2025.12.06 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.
