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TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2026.03.07

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2026.03.07 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending March 7, 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 Iran, Oil, and Venezuela:

Iran

Regardless of your view about the rightness or wrongness of the aggression against the nation of Iran, this situation could have a profound impact upon the trucking industry and fuel procurement, more about which I have added under the “Oil” section below.

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I have summarized an article below this bullet list.

Summarizing this article:

The White House’s War on Iran: A Catastrophic Failure of Foresight That Will Plunge the West Into Economic Ruin

=====

Energy, Fuel, and Cost Impacts – Summary

  1. Closure of a Critical Global Energy Route
    • Iran has selectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important oil transit routes in the world.
    • A significant share of global oil and natural gas exports normally pass through this corridor from the Persian Gulf to global markets.
    • The blockade disrupts energy supply chains, immediately tightening global fuel supplies.
  2. Rapid Increase in Oil and Fuel Prices
    • The conflict has caused oil prices to surge and financial markets to react sharply.
    • Analysts warn that oil could exceed $100 per barrel and possibly reach $200 per barrel if the blockade continues.
    • Rising oil prices quickly translate into higher gasoline and diesel prices for consumers and businesses.
  3. Inflation Driven by Energy Costs
    • Higher fuel prices raise transportation costs across the entire economy.
    • This triggers broader inflation in goods and services, as businesses pass along higher energy expenses.
  4. Impact on Agriculture and Food Costs
    • Natural gas is a key input for fertilizer production.
    • If energy supplies remain disrupted:
      • Fertilizer costs increase.
      • Agricultural production costs rise.
      • Food prices climb, potentially leading to shortages.
  5. Shipping and Trade Disruptions
    • Shipping and energy contracts are declaring force majeure, meaning supply agreements cannot be fulfilled.
    • Global shipping costs increase due to:
      • fuel price spikes
      • disrupted trade routes
      • war-related risk premiums.
  6. Long-Term Economic Damage
    • Prolonged energy disruptions could:
      • damage Western industrial production
      • weaken global trade
      • trigger widespread inflation.

The article suggests that sustained high energy costs could severely harm economic growth and financial stability.

In simple terms:

The article argues that war with Iran could disrupt global oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz, causing major spikes in oil, gasoline, and energy prices. Those higher energy costs would cascade through the economy—raising transportation, fertilizer, food, and shipping costs—leading to broad inflation and economic instability.

=====

Oil

According to a June 25, 2024, press release on EngineTechForum.org:

… 99.9% of the nation’s commercial vehicles, from small white box delivery trucks on up to the largest 18 wheelers, are powered by internal combustion engines. Diesel makes up the largest share at 76%, followed by gasoline at 22%, then natural gas and propane.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration says:
“Most of the diesel fuel consumed in the United States is produced in U.S. oil refineries.”

An article updated on March 2, 2026, stated:
“In 2025, the US exported 35% more oil than it imported.”

That article also answered the question:
Where does the US import petroleum from?

Of the petroleum and crude oil that the US imported in 2025, the majority was from Canada. The top five exporters to the US were:

  • Canada (57%)
  • Mexico (6%)
  • Saudi Arabia (4%)
  • Iraq (3%)
  • Brazil (3%)

The remaining 27% came from 63 other countries, territories, or other areas of special sovereignty.

While this may sound like a time to breathe a sound of relief, the article quoted in the section above indicates that we could be in for a very bumpy ride economically.

This may apply not only to the USA, but other countries as well.

Here are recent articles on this topic:

Venezuela

2. Regarding Exemption, Language, Legal, Politics, and Regulations:

Exemption

Language

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

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:

Legal

Politics

Regulations

3. Regarding Agriculture, Future, Predictability, and Supply Chain:

Agriculture

Future

According to the first article in this section:

The report, which surveyed over 100 global distribution professionals, shows that 54% expect to adopt a new demand forecasting approach in 2026. This signals a move toward more precise, data-driven inventory management. …

These strategic adjustments are a direct response to a market where distributors cite economic uncertainty as their most impactful challenge, followed closely by greater competition.

Now for the articles…

Predictability

Supply Chain

4. Regarding Amazon, FMCSA, HOS, OTA, TCA, and UPS:

Amazon

FMCSA

HOS

The second article in this section opens with:

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is currently seeking 18 drivers to help the agency test and fine-tune two upcoming hours-of-service pilot programs.

All I can say is, “Here we go again!”

OTA

TCA

UPS

5. Regarding Alcohol, Crashes, Dalilah Law, Drugs, Fatalities, Fraud, Scam, Staged, Theft, Violations, 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.

Dalilah Law

In a nutshell, the Dalilah Law would stop any state from granting CDLs to illegal aliens.

While this sounds like another one of those “states rights” situations, The Constitution of the United States says (in part) in Article IV, Section 4:

“The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion…”

There are immigration laws on the federal books to prevent an invasion from illegal aliens, laws which clearly have not been upheld.

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.

Scam

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

Staged

According to one source:

A “staged” truck crash is an intentional, premeditated collision orchestrated by fraudsters to fraudulently claim insurance money, often targeting commercial vehicles.

Criminals maneuver a car to force a truck into an accident, typically using tactics like the “swoop and squat” (cutting off and braking) or “sideswipe” to blame the truck driver.

Now for the articles…

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.

Violations

A lot of violations are found during truck inspections while others are spotted on the road.

Make it your aim as a trucker to do everything in compliance with the law and regulations — even if your trucking company is trying to get you to compromise.

For your convenience, please review these posts:

Now for the news article on this topic:

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 Brokers, Business, Chameleon, Insurance, Next-Day Delivery, and Pilot Program:

Brokers

Business

Chameleon

For background on chameleon carriers, please read:

The Anatomy of a Chameleon Carrier Empire. How They Build It.

Insurance

Please regularly review your truck insurance to see if it is just right to meet your needs without being too expensive.

Next-Day Delivery

I personally think that consumers are going to put more pressure on shippers to provide next-day delivery, even if it costs more.

Pilot Program

I wonder if this is the same as or different from the HOS project referred to above. Hmm…

7. Regarding Autonomous Vehicles, Electric Vehicles, and Fuel:

Autonomous Vehicles

I most definitely 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

8. Regarding Bans, Bottleneck, Inspections, Safety, Speed, and Traffic:

Bans

Bottleneck

Inspections

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

Safety

Speed

Traffic

9. Regarding Congestion Pricing, Economy, Employment, Food, Rates, Restaurants, Retention, Strike, Tariffs, Taxes, Tolls, Trade, and Trailer Optimization:

Congestion Pricing

The third article in this section states:

…on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026 District Judge Liman ruled that the administration’s effort to terminate the program last spring was illegal. Liman also ruled that Transportation Secretary Duffy’s threat to withhold funding from New York transportation projects if congestion pricing was not ended was illegal.

Good! I go back to The Tenth Amendment on this.

Economy

Employment

Food

Rates

Restaurants

Retention

The first article in this section covered the release of an “inaugural Driver Experience Report, a nationwide survey of more than 1,100 commercial drivers”:

The “Key Report Findings” include;

  • Pay…
  • Technology…
  • Safety and equipment…
  • Communication and respect…

Read more…

Strike

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.

Taxes

Tolls

Trade

Trailer Optimization

10. Regarding Age, ELDs, Endorsements, Parking, Permits, Qualifications, Students, Training, and Truckers:

Age

According to an article updated on Sept. 8, 2025, entitled “Auto insurance rates by age in 2025“:

18-year-old drivers on their own policy pay the highest car insurance premiums out of the age groups Bankrate analyzed.

Given this kind of statistic, I wonder how elected officials, insurance executives, and trucking company owners can seriously think that hiring teen truckers is a good idea.

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.

Endorsements

Parking

Permits

Qualifications

According to the article in this section:

Abrupt changes to driver eligibility standards can disrupt that planning and affect service reliability, with downstream implications for public health, environmental management and municipal operations, according to a Waste Pro USA press release.

Well, if this is implying that we should continue to allow those who cannot read, write, and speak with English language proficiency, then too bad!

The powers-that-be should have thought about the impact to the trucking industry long before now.

How do we fix this mess now that we’re in it?

Listen to what truckers are saying and make amends that are satisfactory to them!

Exit interviews from truckers who left the industry are also instructive.

Students

Training

Truckers

11. Regarding Containers, Recalls, and Technology:

Containers

Recalls

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

Technology

12. Regarding Awards:

Awards

Congratulations to all truckers who have:

  • demonstrated skill and achievement in their work as professional truck drivers;
  • been given a tangible reward; or
  • been nominated for or given an award.

If you know of a trucker who is deserving of such an award, please nominate him or her.

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: 2026.03.07 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.



Rate Match Guarantee. We'll meet or beat your current rate. DAT Outgo.
Factor smarter, faster, and save. Keep more of what you earn. DAT Outgo.
Factoring that pays faster. Super fast funding speeds. DAT Outgo.
Factor with more freedom. Non-recourse + no annual contracts. DAT Outgo.