TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2026.06.20

TDMST Weekly Round-Up 2026.06.20 is the trucking commentary on news affecting professional truck drivers for the week ending June 20, 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 DACA, Language, and Violations:

DACA

According to the article in this section (link preserved):

First, the trucker from Utah said that he thinks many people are lumping English-proficiency regulations and the non-domiciled CDL rule together. Regulations have long required CDL holders to possess basic English skills to ensure they can read road signs and communicate with law enforcement. Last year, the Department of Transportation called for the regulation to be enforced and for violators to be placed out of service.

The non-domiciled CDL rule, however, focuses more on immigration status and FMCSA’s ability to vet the drivers. …

Rivera Lujan was raised in California. After DACA status was granted in 2012 to certain people who came to the United States as children and met various requirements, Rivera Lujan followed his brother into trucking in 2014. He worked under his brother for a few years before becoming an owner-operator in 2017. In 2019, he said he bought a new truck and trailer, both of which are now paid off.

He is now in his 30s and is married with a family. He said he would like to become a U.S. citizen but that he doesn’t have a current pathway…

Although FMCSA’s formal response brief is due next month, the agency has already said that the rule is critical to highway safety because thousands of drivers were issued non-domiciled CDLs without proper vetting.

When a U.S. driver applies for a CDL, their driving history is reviewed. The agency contends that this is often not possible for applicants from other countries.

The plaintiffs argue that the safety rationale does not apply to DACA recipients, who have resided in the U.S. since childhood.

One question at this point is: If this man has been inside the USA for that long, why isn’t he already an American citizen?

What do you think?

Should DACA recipients be given an automatic exemption or should each DACA recipient undergo an English proficiency test to prove they are English-proficient?

Please comment through the form below.

DACA recipient becomes face of non-domiciled CDL lawsuit

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:

Violations

This is one of the longest lists of articles about violations that I’ve ever published.

Please look through these articles to see if there is anything you can learn to help you prevent being involved in a similar violation.

2. Regarding Brokers, Business, C.H. Robinson, Chameleon Carriers, Insurance, and Recalls:

Brokers

Business

C.H. Robinson

Chameleon Carriers

For background on chameleon carriers, please read:

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

How troopers tackle remote ELD manipulation, ‘chameleon’ operations

Insurance

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

Recalls

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

3. Regarding Alcohol, Crashes, Drugs, Fatalities, Fraud, Injury, and Theft:

Alcohol

Never ever consume alcohol — or use an alcohol-containing product (such as mouthwash) — before beginning to drive a commercial motor vehicle!

Busted by himself: Trucker calls 911 to report his own DUI

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.

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.

4. Regarding ATRI, Legal, Parasite, and Trucking:

ATRI

According to the first article in this section:

Fleets are increasingly adopting in-cab monitoring systems alongside other core safety technologies. In response, ATRI conducted prior research that examined driver perspectives of these systems, with a specific focus on DFCs [driver-facing cameras].

This new study builds upon that work, collecting before and after safety metrics to identify any statistical relationships between deployment of in-cab monitoring systems and improvements in safety outcomes. The research will also map specific carrier and driver strategies for managing in-cab data that improve safety outcomes.

I am very interested in learning what the results of this study are!

Legal

Parasite

Regarding the “Screwworm,” I have found via Telegram:

So, what else needs to be said?

Screwworm Spreads Beyond Initial Control Zone

Trucking

5. Regarding Benefits, Detention, Economy, Employment, Fines, Inflation, Pay, Rates, Tariffs, Taxes, and Tolls:

Benefits

According to the article in this section (links preserved):

Somewhere between 30% and 40% of an employee’s base compensation goes toward benefits; that’s roughly $13.58 for every hour worked. Yet studies shows that 77% of employees don’t fully utilize their benefits, and 13% of them forget they’re even available.

If you’re a professional truck driver who does not utilize all company-offered benefits, please respond through the form below to explain why.

Thanks.

Your drivers aren’t using their benefits. Here’s what that’s costing you

Detention

The excerpt at the top of the June 15, 2026, article in this section reveals:

A 2024 ATRI study found detention affects nearly 40% of truckload stops and costs the industry more than $15 billion annually. Despite the toll on drivers, fleets, and supply chains, the problem remains stubbornly persistent.

Farther down in the article, we read (link preserved):

Truck detention was voted as the fifth-highest issue for drivers and causes the industry over $15 billion in annual losses, according to a 2024 study by the American Transportation Research Institute. Yet most people in the industry accept detention as a cost of doing business.

What are your thoughts?

Please comment through the form below.

Why Truck Detention Keeps Costing Fleets Time and Money

Economy

Employment

Fines

The article in this section says:

Under the new law, the penalty for the employer of a truck driver caught using Smuggler’s Notch will increase from $1,000 to $10,000.

If the truck becomes stuck and causes significant disruptions to traffic, the fine increases from the current $2,000 amount to $20,000 under the new law.

Some readers will be absolutely baffled, but I totally agree with this because of the problems that each “stuckage” causes.

I wish that the law requiring GPS providers to update their systems had been passed.

But more importantly, I want to know why trucking companies are still “allowing” their truckers to use non-CMV GPS units or apps that route them this way.

If one has all of the pertinent data, one can estimate the cost to tow a big rig out of Smugglers Notch.

But now with the law being changed to a $10,000 fine, how many CMV-specific GPS units can be purchased for that?

Governor signs bill increasing fines for stuck trucks in Smuggler’s Notch to $20,000

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.

Although the dates may be shifting over time, according to FiscalData.Treasury.gov, the U.S. debt:
– exceeded $36 Trillion on November 21, 2024;
– exceeded $37 Trillion on August 11, 2025;
– exceeded $38 Trillion on October 21, 2025; and
– exceeded $39 Trillion on May 18, 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.

Producer Prices Rise in May as Energy Costs Drive Inflation Higher

Pay

According to the article in this section (link preserved):

Rising driver pay is typically a sign of improving truckload fundamentals. While it is still early in the upcycle, some carriers are implementing pay hikes to keep drivers happy and their equipment seated.

Joliet, Illinois-based carrier GP Transco announced Monday that it has increased pay for all company drivers by 5 cents per mile. The rate bump pushes the upper end of its pay scale to 72 cents per mile. Top performers will also have a chance to earn another 6 cents per mile in incentive pay.

Is this enough?

Truckload market’s upswing ushers in driver pay hikes

Rates

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

Now for the articles in this section…

Taxes

Tolls

6. Regarding Autonomous Vehicles, Electric Vehicles, Emissions, Fuel, Hydrogen, Iran, and Oil:

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

It could be that with the price of fuel being so high right now, that truckers and trucking companies are looking at alternatives.

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

Emissions

ZET deployments on the rise across the U.S.

Fuel

So that you can track the price of fuel:

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:

Hydrogen

Iran

Oil

7. Regarding Collapse, Containers, and Fertilizer:

Collapse

According to the article in this section:

Prosecutors have filed a criminal charge against the chief engineer of a cargo ship involved in the deadly 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, accusing him of failing to notify the U.S. Coast Guard of hazardous conditions on the ship.

… Prosecutors say in court documents that Deenadayalan was the chief engineer of the container ship when it was in the Port of Baltimore in the days before the deadly bridge collision, and that Deenadayalan willfully failed to notify the U.S. Coast Guard that an improper fuel pump without a backup system was being used to power two of the ship’s generators.

While I’m glad that the particulars have been worked out legally, I would like to know — since it has been well over 2 years since this collapse occurred — when the bridge is going to be rebuilt!

Cargo ship’s chief engineer charged in 2024 Francis Scott Key bridge collapse in Baltimore

Containers

Fertilizer

The lack of fertilizer is only part of the problem.

According to a June 16, 2026, article:

Farmers in Russia report they can no longer get diesel. Suppliers are diverting fuel to western cities while rural areas are left dry. Even officials warn they must prepare for the “complete closure” of agriculture in the region.

This is the canary in the coal mine.

While the world burns through strategic reserves to hide the energy shock, real farms are hitting the wall. No fuel means no planting. No planting means no harvest. The buffers are almost gone, and when they run out, the hard landing arrives.

In my area of South Carolina, the price of gasoline has dropped. I wondered if that might be politically motivated (the Primary Election having taken place on June 9 and the Runoff being scheduled for June 23.) We’ll soon see.

You may read more about the [U.S.] Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Fertilizer Ships Face Long Backlog Even If Hormuz Reopens

8. Regarding DEF, ELDs, Inspections, LTL, and Testing:

DEF

ELDs

The first article in this section says:

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is taking an axe to yet another unnecessary paperwork requirement for truckers.

In a final rule expected to be published in the Federal Register on June 22, the agency will announce its decision to rescind the regulation requiring motor carriers to keep a copy of their ELD owner’s manual with them in the vehicle.

Sarcastically, I have to say a deflated “woohoo”…

So, truckers won’t have to have a copy of the ELD manual.

Is that a big deal?

What about not requiring truckers to have an ELD, period?

Inspections

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

LTL

Testing

This trucker definitely has a point!

Should off-duty random drug tests be allowed by FMCSA? Trucker says no

9. Regarding Motus, Politics, Regulations, Safety, Speed, and Towing:

Motus

FMCSA new authorities fall to zero after Motus? Not quite

Politics

Regulations

Safety

Speed

Towing

10. Regarding Operations, Parking, Rest Areas, Routing Guides, and Training:

Operations

Parking

Rest Areas

Routing Guides

Routing guides are crumbling: ‘It is different this time’

Training

11. Regarding Robotaxis, Supply Chain, Technology, and Weather:

Robotaxis

Supply Chain

Technology

Weather

12. Regarding Awards, Championship, and Recognition:

Awards

If you know of someone who qualifies, please feel free to nominate him/her.

Deadline approaching for “Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence” award nominations

Championship

Congratulations to all truckers who compete in a trucking championship and to the winners!

Recognition

I recognize those who helped their fellow human beings in a time of need, whether the trucker was the one doing the help or receiving the help.

Nelson named Highway Angel for aiding stranded family

I wish you — and all professional truck drivers — safe travels and lots of money saving opportunities on the road.

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