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TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2025.12.13

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2025.12.13 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending December 13, 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 holidays, language, and weather:

Holidays

Language

This is part of “General qualifications of drivers [who drive a commercial motor vehicle]” 49 C.F.R. 391.11(b)(2):

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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;

Here are at least some of this week’s articles on this topic:

Weather

Even though the first day of winter 2025 – 2026 is on Sunday, December 21, harsh winter weather can strike some places any time of the year.

I have personally seen snow falling in Wyoming in August!

Please practice safe driving year round and also obey all official truck bans, such as those that restrict high-profile vehicles traveling in strong winds.

2. Regarding age, bridge strikes, collapse, containers, parts, roads, safety, and speed:

Age

The third article in this section says:

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) is announcing its strong support for the Responsible Opportunity for Under-21 Trucking Engagement (ROUTE) Act, legislation introduced by Representative Harriet Hageman (R-WY). …

Under current federal rules, 18–20-year-old CDL holders can legally drive hundreds of miles within a single state but cannot cross a nearby state line even when that interstate trip is shorter, safer, and more practical. The ROUTE Act resolves these long-standing inconsistencies in a tightly controlled, safety-focused manner, according to OOIDA.

Do you agree or disagree and why?

Please comment through the form below. Thanks.

Bridge strikes

Collapse

Containers

Parts

Roads

Safety

Speed

3. Regarding alcohol, crashes, fatalities, fire, fraud, theft, 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.

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

What caused this fire to start in the first place?

The article doesn’t say. Hmm…

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.

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.

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.

4. Regarding ASE certification, ATRI, CVSA, DOT, FMCSA, HOS, NDAA, politics, and regulations:

ASE certification

I don’t understand why any organization would offer to provide certification for tests that have been discontinued. Hmm…

ATRI

Part of the article in this section reads:

ATRI’s analysis identified several issues that tend to drive up the size of jury verdicts or settlements:

  • Negligent hiring or onboarding
  • Moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries
  • Other injury types associated with long-term care or disability

Regarding the first bullet point, I have read over the years about truckers who should never have been hired in the first place.

This makes me wonder why some trucking companies are seeking to “fill seats” (quantity) without looking at with whom those seats are being filled (quality).

Proverbs 26:10 says: “Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or passerby.”

If a trucking company is going to entrust a truck and freight/cargo on-board to a trucker, it seems to me that that trucker needs to be totally vetted in advance.

Hmm…

CVSA

Why is this situation still dragging on?

It seems to me that a lot more work should have been done on the front end to eliminate problems!

DOT

FMCSA

HOS

NDAA

The subtitle of the first article in this section is:

Trucking, Coast Guard Provisions Tucked Into Annual Defense Policy Bill

So, that’s why this has come up.

Politics

Regulations

From the article in this section, we read:

The Certified Transportation Regulatory Expert (CTRE) Certification Program provides in-depth training designed to make participants more effective at improving trucking fleet compliance and protecting their truck drivers and assets.

5. Regarding autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, fuel, hydrogen, and Tesla:

Autonomous vehicles

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

Fuel

Hydrogen

Tesla

6. Regarding congestion, economy, employment, fines, future, rates, tolls, and wait times:

Congestion

According to the article in this section:

According to Inrix’s annual Global Traffic Scoreboard, the average U.S. driver lost 49 hours to traffic congestion this year. That is six hours more than last year. Since time is money, each driver lost nearly $900 worth of time.

For the entire country, more than 2 million full-time jobs worth of productivity were lost in traffic congestion, costing the country more than $85 billion. That does not account for the commercial costs lost with trucks hauling freight being stuck in traffic.

What has been your experience as a trucker?

Please comment through the form below. Thanks.

Economy

Employment

Fines

I don’t understand all of the particulars, but here’s one quote from the article:

“ODOT’s certification process involves background checks and adherence to approved rates and procedures to protect Oregonians from deceitful and unsafe practices, like charging too much, damaging items or stealing belongings,” said ODOT Commerce and Compliance Division Investigation and Compliance Manager Leah Cisneros. “We strongly recommend checking our website before hiring a moving company to make sure the company is ODOT certified.”

Future

The second article in this section states:

Uncertainty and headwinds continue to weigh heavily on the 2026 freight outlook, according to ACT Research.

Rates

The first article in this section includes info on:

  • Total Spot Loads;
  • Total Spot Rates;
  • Dry Van Spot Rates;
  • Refrigerated Spot Rates; and
  • Flatbed Spot Rates.

Tolls

The first article in this section says, in part:

Businesses and commercial carriers in Canada and the United States are urging the New York state governor Kathy Hochul to halt the implementation of a new incoming 1% fee on tolls processed through commercial toll management service providers, calling it a toll surcharge. Meanwhile, the Thruway Authority argues this is not a toll increase, but an administrative fee, applicable only to toll management service providers.

What are your thoughts on this?

Please comment through the form below.

Wait times

The article in this section reveals:

Truck drivers at Graphic Packaging International in Waco, Texas saw wait times of more than eight hours in lines more than a half mile long on Wednesday, December 10th – Just one week after a driver made to wait 13 hours reported the facility to OSHA for failure to provide access to bathrooms.

We reported through our website:

Pay Truckers Delayed or Detained at the Docks for Waiting Time

In 2009, Mike was assigned a load through his company that — not including driving time — required him to spend more than a full day between the shipper’s and receiver’s docks. …

Mike’s total wait time was 26 hours, 23 minutes from the time we arrived at the receiver until the time the trailer was empty.

So, I don’t doubt that things like this are happening in other places within the U.S. trucking industry.

7. Regarding ELDs, fatigue, health, testing, and training:

ELDs

In my opinion, the “crackdown” on Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) should have happened before they were mandated!

Fatigue

The article in this section states:

An analysis of more than 3 million dangerous driving events by commercial drivers worldwide found that early-morning fatigue risk is universal, and that distracted driving is more frequent during the daytime.

Health

Testing

Training

8. Regarding inspections, issues, legal, operations, parking, recalls, and statistics:

Inspections

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

Issues

Legal

Operations

Parking

Recalls

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

Statistics

The article in this section says:

Both sides of the market [a carrier safety director and a shipper’s risk manager] look at the same [Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)] data from valid perspectives, but both are missing the big picture: in its current form, CSA tells only part of the safety story—and it distorts the part it does tell.

There’s a great deal of detail in this article that makes me agree that there are significant problems that need to be corrected!

9. Regarding supply chain, and technology:

Supply chain

Technology

10. Regarding tariffs and trade:

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.

Trade

11. Regarding adjustment, border, brokers, business, events, and rebrand:

Adjustment

Border

Brokers

Business

Events

Rebrand

12. Regarding awards and recognition:

Awards

Congratulations to the truckers named here:

The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association (APTA) named Stephen Hare of Midland Transport its Driver of the Year, and Raymond Dunbar of Eassons Transportation Group, the Good Samaritan of the Year.

The article didn’t go into a lot of detail about why Mr. Hare was recognized, other than to say: “He brings dedication, old-school work ethic, and unwavering pride in everything he does with the highest standard of professionalism.”

Recognition

I recognize and thank those who helped out their fellow human beings in a time of need, whether the help was a trucker or someone who helped a trucker.

Thanks!

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: 2025.12.13 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.



Rand McNally 2026 Deluxe Motor Carriers' Road Atlas - spiral-bound, laminated, with reliable truck routes. Buy now. #ad
Hurdlr: Automatic Business Expense and Mileage Tracker. Attention O-Os: Hurdlr automatically tracks all of your mileage, expenses, income streams, and tax deductions in real-time. Get started now.
DAT TruckersEdge Load Board: Most Loads. Best Rates. Serving Owner-Operators Since 1978. 10% off for 12 months * New customers only.
Portable Solar Charger Power Bank, 63200mAh, Dual Outputs & Dual Inputs, Charge via USB, Solar, or Hand Crank, 4 LEDs Flashlight, Fast Charging Battery Pack, for Truckers, Outdoor Camping, Survival Gear. This is the exact unit Vicki bought, uses, and recommends. Buy Now. #ad
Get 35+ FREE downloads for truckers now! Get links to everything from a spending diary to a beginner budget; from 3 packing lists to 2 to-do checklists; and MUCH MORE!