The Playbook

The benchmark used for most fuel surcharges fell for the fourth consecutive week.

Discover why 9,500 drivers out of service doesn’t mean what you think it means and what that really means for the industry.

The conversation around non-domiciled CDLs has become one of the loudest and most emotionally charged debates trucking has seen in years. Depending on where you get your information, HR 5688 is either a long-overdue fix to a broken system — or a Trojan horse that could reopen the very loopholes drivers believe flooded the industry […]

Over the past several days, screenshots like the one circulating below have spread rapidly across trucking social media. The letter, issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), notifies a driver that their non-domiciled Commercial Learner’s Permit or CDL has been cancelled effective immediately, citing non-compliance with federal regulations. Naturally, that has triggered a […]

When a November 2025 draft memo from the Department of Transportation surfaced promising a groundbreaking “data-driven severity matrix” to catch chameleon carriers, it raised uncomfortable questions about ARCHI (Application Review and Chameleon Investigation), built with $3.5 million in congressional funding in 2012-2013. Is this bureaucratic amnesia, rebranding of an underperforming system, or evidence that FMCSA’s chameleon detection infrastructure has been quietly abandoned?

Drawing parallels to COVID-era passenger carriers that either collapsed or strategically positioned for recovery, this analysis examines how predictive financial management, disciplined cost control, and forward-thinking strategy determine which carriers survive brutal market downturns, and why the industry’s broken pricing structure punishes operators doing everything right.

The benchmark diesel price used for most fuel surcharges has plummeted over the last two weeks.

The debate over non-domiciled CDL holders — and immigrant CDL drivers who entered the workforce after 2019 — has exploded across social media. One viral crash video turns into a sweeping accusation. One fraudulent licensing scandal becomes proof of a national crisis. One politician posts a clip, and suddenly the internet decides an entire segment […]

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is rolling out Motus, a new registration system designed to replace the agency’s decades-old platform, offering what it calls “a more intuitive, user-friendly experience.”

Inspectors issued 6,455 English-language proficiency violations through October 2025 while placing only 1,816 drivers out of service, reflecting a notable enforcement gap stemming from legitimate regulatory exemptions rather than inconsistent application.

The benchmark diesel price used for most fuel surcharges is down 11 cents/gallon in two weeks.

For years, drivers rolling through North Carolina have been dealing with a problem that never should’ve been part of their workday—a growing number of private parking-lot companies slapping boots on tractor-trailers and box trucks the second a driver stepped away from the vehicle. Some operators waited in the shadows for truckers to leave the cab. […]

After 25 years of documented CDL fraud schemes producing 6,000+ fraudulent licenses and at least 13 deaths, FMCSA finally removed 3,000 training providers from the federal registry. The problem? Another 36,000 providers remain unvalidated, operating on the same honor system that enabled Operation Safe Road, Larex Incorporated, and the Massachusetts golden handshake scheme.

Edison Motors’ diesel-electric hybrid trucks prove EVs can work in trucking when you build around operational realities rather than regulatory fantasies. That’s the kind of practical engineering that deserves attention.

The FMCSA announced Monday a “complete overhaul” of the ELD approval process, implementing pre-publication vetting. This comes after the agency has revoked 308 devices from the approved list.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found FMCSA likely violated federal law when it attempted to eliminate approximately 200,000 commercial driver licenses without following standard procedures. The November 13 emergency stay revealed failures that leave 200,000 drivers in legal limbo while courts define the boundaries of administrative power during claimed emergencies.

The benchmark diesel price used for most fuel surcharges declined after four weeks of increases.

For the last 48 hours, a single inspection report has been blowing up timelines across trucking social media. Not because of a brake issue. Not because of a weight violation. Not even because of an ELD malfunction. It’s blowing up because of one line buried inside the violation notes — a line many drivers never […]

A newly surfaced draft memo from inside the U.S. Department of Transportation signals one of the strongest federal moves yet to identify and shut down “chameleon carriers” — companies that repeatedly shut down, reopen under new names, and dodge enforcement. For years, these operators have quietly slipped through the cracks, hurting small legitimate carriers and […]

Some small carriers believe direct shippers only care about price, capacity, and service. But in 2025, that’s not the full picture anymore. The companies you’re trying to do business with — whether it’s a local manufacturer, a regional distributor, or a national retailer — are vetting carriers differently. They’re pulling up Google. They’re checking your […]