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
DAT TruckersEdge Load Board: Most Loads. Best Rates. Serving Owner-Operators Since 1978. 10% off for 12 months * New customers only.
Do NOT attempt to drive on ice unless you have the equipment and training to do so. Prepare now for a major winter storm!
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!

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2026.01.24

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2026.01.24 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending January 24, 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 Weather:

As I write this, Winter Storm Fern is dumping snow, freezing rain, and other winter precipitation across many states.

DAT TruckersEdge - Most Loads. Best Rates. Serving Owner-Operators Since 1978. 10% off your first 12 months. New customers only.

Dane Wigington of GeoengineeringWatch.org reported:

Those things having been written, there are times when it is not only unwise to drive, but downright dangerous!

I have addressed some of these times here:

Refuse to Drive a Truck When These Situations Happen

I have also addressed:

Because of these things and during this storm, I put this unlinked “ad” on this site:

Do NOT attempt to drive on ice unless you have the equipment and training to do so. Prepare now for a major winter storm!

Remember: No load is worth your life!

Weather

2. Regarding Border, Brokers, Business, and Capacity:

Border

Brokers

Business

Capacity

3. Regarding Bridges, Ports, Roads, and Routing:

Bridges

Please note that the Chesapeake Bay Bridge is different from the Francis Scott Key Bridge that collapsed in March 2024 after a container ship struck it.

Ports

Roads

Routing

When it comes to truck routes, I have addressed this issue on this posts on this site:

Now for the article…

4. Regarding Autonomous Vehicles, Electric Vehicles, Fuel, and Oil:

Autonomous Vehicles

I completely 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

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

Fuel

Oil

5. Regarding Crashes, Deaths, Distracted Driving, Drugs, Fatalities, Fraud, Injury, Theft, and Violence:

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.

Deaths

I express my deep sympathy — and offer my condolences — to the families of those whose loved ones died as reported in these articles.

Distracted Driving

For reference purposes:

Distracted Driving: Beware of Attention Diverters That Can Be Fatal

Drugs

Never ever haul or take illegal drugs.

Fatalities

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

Can you learn anything from the articles below that would help prevent being involved in a fatal large truck 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.

Injury

May the Lord heal these people!

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.

6. Regarding America’s Road Team and Cabotage:

America’s Road Team

For more information on this topic, please see America’s Road Team on the ATA’s website.

Cabotage

According to Wikipedia:

“Cabotage is the transport of goods or passengers between two places in the same country by a carrier registered in a different country.”

7. Regarding Economy, Employment, Inflation, Loads, Pay, Rates, Scam, Tolls, Tariffs, and Trade:

Economy

Employment

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 5+ years.

According to FiscalData.Treasury.gov, the U.S. debt:
– exceeded $37 Trillion on August 11, 2025; and
– exceeded $38 Trillion on October 23, 2025;
meaning that the U.S. national debt is now increasing by $1 trillion about every 75 days.

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.

Loads

DAT TruckersEdge: Most Loads. Best Rates. Serving O-Os Since 1978. 10% off your first 12 months. New customers only.

Pay

Rates

Scam

Please be aware of and speak out against these and other types of scams that can impact truckers and trucking companies.

Tolls

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

8. Regarding ELDs, Inspections, Insurance, Language, and Last Mile:

ELDs

How many times will the FMCSA reject the use of certain ELDs after they once previously required only self-certification of the products?

Others within the trucking industry were speaking out against the Electronic Logging Devices “mandate” long before December 4, 2017, but you may read my commentary on the mandate.

In TDMST Weekly Round-Up: 2017.12.09, I quoted Indiana’s Attorney General, Curtis Hill, regarding the self-certification provision regarding ELDs.

I also asked, “In what other industry besides trucking has the government ever mandated the purchase of a ‘self-certification’ product?“

So, I’m truly distressed for every trucker who invested in a “self-certified” ELD that used to be on the approved list, only to later have that certification revoked!

If you are such a trucker, I want to hear from you about how expensive this was for you.

Inspections

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

Insurance

Language

I am glad that this situation regarding truckers who cannot read, write, or speak English is getting the attention it deserves.

Let’s hope that the action matches the attention!

Last Mile

9. Regarding Legal, LTL, OOIDA, Politics, Registration, and Regulations:

Legal

LTL

OOIDA

Politics

Registration

The subtitle of the first article in this section reads:

After three decades of failed attempts and a fraud epidemic, the agency rolls out what it should have built in 1996

This article has specific instructions that merit reading.

Regulations

10. Regarding Maintenance, Operations, Parking, and Restroom:

Maintenance

Operations

Parking

Restroom

In my opinion, the issue with OTR truckers using restrooms could be solved by allowing them to keep a well-maintained portable toilet in their trucks.

I have written about this:

Now for the articles…

11. Regarding Safety, Supply Chain, and Truck Parts:

Safety

Supply Chain

Truck Parts

12. Regarding Technology, Testing, and Training:

Technology

Testing

Training

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: 2026.01.24 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.



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!
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
DAT TruckersEdge Load Board: Most Loads. Best Rates. Serving Owner-Operators Since 1978. 10% off for 12 months * New customers only.
Do NOT attempt to drive on ice unless you have the equipment and training to do so. Prepare now for a major winter storm!