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Latest for small fleets
13,273 Trucks Got Parked During Blitz Week. If Your Violation Is Wrong, You Have a Real Way to Fight It.
The 2026 CVSA International Roadcheck ran May 12 through 14 — but enforcement didn’t stop there. Blitz week ran May 10 through 17, and by the time it closed out, the numbers were more significant than what the three-day event alone produced: 38,926 inspections. 69,446 violations. 13,273 out-of-service orders. 25,008 carriers inspected. What a lot […]
Will the BUILD America 250 Act be the next capacity squeeze
The BUILD America 250 Act changes broker qualification rules, overhauls the DataQs violation dispute process, and puts a federal clock on hair drug testing. Here is what those three provisions mean for brokers, motor carriers, insurance renewals and driver capacity
BUILD America 250 Act hands AV trucks a fed framework
The BUILD America 250 Act creates the first federal framework for autonomous commercial trucks. It is not a green light. DOT has 2 years to write the safety standard; the liability question stays in front of a jury; and the bill funds retraining for drivers in the cab today.
The carrier vetting tech stack is the new line of defense in freight
The Supreme Court just told 28,000 freight brokers that they owe a duty of ordinary care in carrier selection. The question every broker, shipper, and 3PL should be asking is not whether they need a carrier vetting process. That question was answered on May 14. The question is: what technology are they using to build one that a jury will believe?
Editor’s picks
Roadcheck Day 2 Nearly Tripled Day 1 Volume. The Violation Data Shows Where Trucks Are Failing.
Thursday, May 14, 2026
The Two Materials That Predict Freight Demand Both Just Posted Gains. Here Is What February’s Data Is Telling Us.
Sunday, April 5, 2026
When Retailers Move Their Supply Chains, Your Load Board Changes – Here Is What 250 Retail Executives Just Told You About Where Freight Is Heading
Saturday, March 14, 2026Education and tools
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