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

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2026.04.18

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2026.04.18 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending April 18, 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 Fuel, Iran, Oil, Shipping, Supply Chain, Tariffs, and Taxes:

Based on my limited reading, it seems to me that people around the world are reeling from the illegal, immoral, and unconstitutional war of aggression against Iran that was started by U.S. President Donald J. Trump.

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

Supply chains have been disrupted and the price of fuel, oil, other products, and various services have risen sharply, as shown in the articles in this section.

If this situation bothers you, please contact your federal elected officials.

Fuel

So that you can track the price of fuel:

Now for some of the most recent articles on this topic:

Iran

Oil

Shipping

Supply Chain

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.

There’s also a short video on Telegram with this description:

Peter Schiff on Trump’s punitive tariffs against U.S. allies and why all tariffs are paid by the American people, not foreign manufacturers

Taxes

Although I think that all fuel taxes should be audited — to make sure that they go to fund infrastructure — I wonder if suspending them in order to relieve the suffering at the pump is wise.

Of course, I disagree with the reason why the price of fuel has gone up (the war in Iran), but if fuel taxes go to fund infrastructure and if they are suspended, what is going to happen to our roads?

2. Regarding Language, Medical Card, Testing, and Training:

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;

Now for some of the most recent articles on this topic:

Medical Card

According to the first article in this section:

This past week, the agency announced it would grant a six-month exemption allowing carriers to continue relying on paper cards for medical certification for up to 60 days after their exam. The exemption went into effect on April 11 and is set to expire on October 11.

Some of the most recent articles on this topic include:

Testing

The article in this section reads:

…two common forms of drug test subversion [during urinalysis] increased over 370% and 36%, respectively, from 2022 to 2023 among federally regulated, safety-sensitive employees.

“Oral fluid, hair and other directly observed specimen types significantly reduce the opportunity for specimen substitution and have demonstrated higher positivity rates as a result,” the lawmakers said.

Do you agree or disagree?

What have you seen on the road?

Please comment through the form below.

Training

3. Regarding Adjustment, ATRI, Border, Business, Capacity, Chameleon Carriers, Insurance, and Leasing:

Adjustment

ATRI

Border

Business

Capacity

Chameleon Carriers

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.

Leasing

There are numerous mentions regarding truck leasing on this site.

One article is entitled:

Commercial Truck Leasing: Beware of Designed-to-Fail Schemes

4. Regarding Autonomous Vehicles and Electric Vehicles:

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.

5. Regarding Aerodynamics, Economy, Employment, Inflation, Loading, Lottery, Pay, Rates, and Tolls:

Aerodynamics

In an effort to save as much fuel as possible, here are a few of the articles on this site dealing with aerodynamics:

Now this week’s articles on this topic:

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;
– exceeded $38 Trillion on October 23, 2025; and
– exceeded $39 Trillion on March 27, 2026.

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.

Loading

Now this gadget looks really innovative!

If you have one of these glide systems in your trailer, please consider writing a product review.

Lottery

Let’s hope that lottery winners will exercise the financial discipline not to end up in a worse situation than they were in before they won!

Pay

The article reads in part:

while the average income for 2024 reported by ATBS under the old system was $64,000, the $71,800 for 2025 was basically flat to the 2024 figure if that latter number had been calculated on the same basis as the 2025 number.

Rates

Pay attention to rates and please make sure that the increased price of fuel is built into your calculations.

Tolls

Tampering with one’s license plate to try to avoid paying a toll is theft.

6. Regarding Bypass, DataQs, ELDs, Inspections, NWZAW, Operations, and Securement:

Bypass

DataQs

Through the DataQs page on the FMCSA website, I found this PDF:

DataQs Fact Sheet and User Roles

According to the first article in this section:

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rolled out key updates to the agency’s DataQs program that are intended to provide truckers with a faster response when they request a safety record correction.

We’ll find out if this works.

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

ELDs

Part of what I saw in the article in this section:

The stat is that chameleon carriers are four times more likely to be involved in crashes than others.

That’s a problem!

Inspections

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

NWZAW

“NWZAW” is my acronym for National Work Zone Awareness Week.

Operations

Please pay attention to every aspect of your operation of a commercial motor vehicle!

Securement

It is the professional truck driver’s responsibility to make sure that his/her load is secure before driving.

The Code of Federal Regulations 49 CFR Part 393 covers “Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation”.

Subpart I details “Protection Against Shifting and Falling Cargo”.

7. Regarding California, Canada, Legal, Prime, Protests, and Quotas:

California

Canada

Legal

Prime

Protests

Please be aware of the Hobbs Act:

18 U.S. Code § 1951 – Interference with commerce by threats or violence

(a)Whoever in any way or degree obstructs, delays, or affects commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce, by robbery or extortion or attempts or conspires so to do, or commits or threatens physical violence to any person or property in furtherance of a plan or purpose to do anything in violation of this section shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.

While this is a matter for attorneys and judges to decide, in my opinion, any action by people on a road that “shuts down” or “completely stops” commerce is a violation of federal law and the perpetrators need to be held responsible for their actions.

Quotas

I disagree with quotas for writing tickets because they seem like money-generating schemes.

This is not legal advice, but I recently came across a few videos from a guy from Hampton Law Firm about what to do if one is pulled over (in a car), including regarding refusing to take field sobriety tests.

The same advice may not apply to those driving a commercial motor vehicle.

So, please do your due diligence.

8. Regarding Crashes, Death, Distracted Driving, Fatalities, Fraud, and Impaired Driving:

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.

Death

I express my deep sympathy — and offer my condolences — to the family of the loved one who died as reported in this article.

Distracted Driving

For reference purposes:

Distracted Driving: Beware of Attention Diverters That Can Be Fatal

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.

Impaired Driving

In a nutshell, the article in this section describes the following:

  • Alcohol impairment
  • Drug or substance impairment
  • Impairment from
    • Over-the-counter drugs
    • Fatigue
    • Emotions
    • Distraction

Please review the article for details.

9. Regarding Person Hit, Scam, Smuggling, Staged, Theft, and Violence:

Person Hit

This is sort of a cross between a crash and a fatality.

Scam

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

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.

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.

Be on your guard regarding these kinds of maneuvers.

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.

10. Regarding Maintenance, News, Parking, Ports, Recalls, Repair, and Tires:

Maintenance

News

Parking

Ports

Recalls

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

Repair

Tires

11. Regarding Technology, Truck Stop, Weather, and Weight:

Technology

Truck Stop

Weather

Weight

Please pay attention to the amount of weight you are legally allowed to carry with and without a permit.

12. Regarding Awards and Recognition:

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.

Articles include:

Recognition

Thank you to everyone who helped out their fellow human beings in a time of need, whether it was the trucker doing the helping or the trucker being helped.

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: 2026.04.18 to our TDMST Weekly Round-Up Trucking Commentary or our Truck Drivers Money Saving Tips home page.



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