Trucking Industry News

If we’re serious about road safety, the focus can’t stay stuck on blaming drivers after something happens. The real accountability starts higher up, at the people and systems responsible for deciding who is qualified to be on the road in the first place. When CDL testing was handled mostly by the state, the process was slower and stricter, and fewer people walked away with a license because the standard was enforced with less outside pressure. Now that more CDL exams are bein

Arizona troopers say they stopped a semi on Interstate 40 near Kingman after noticing behavior that raised serious red flags. According to authorities, the driver showed signs of impairment so severe that he allegedly became confused about his own route and responsibilities, at one point believing he had already completed his delivery when he hadn’t. Troopers described the situation as alarming, especially considering the size of the vehicle and the danger a single mistake ca

Gary Poole, a 60-year-old truck driver from Waynesboro, Mississippi, was killed early Thursday morning in a crash involving two commercial vehicles on Interstate 10 East near Vinton, Louisiana, according to Louisiana State Police. Authorities said the crash occurred shortly after 1 a.m. when Poole’s tractor-trailer struck the rear of another 18-wheeler. The force of the impact caused the load to shift forward into the cab. Poole was pronounced dead at the scene, while the oth

California has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation after more than $33 million in federal commercial vehicle safety grant funding was terminated. According to Reuters, federal officials said the funds were cut because California failed to adequately enforce a long-standing federal requirement that commercial truck drivers be able to read, speak, and understand English. State officials dispute that claim, arguing their enforcement practices comply wit

Confusion has been growing around Commercial Driver’s Licenses that display the phrase “Not for Federal ID,” with some drivers reporting that their credentials are being questioned or misunderstood. The wording itself has become the trigger. To people unfamiliar with REAL ID rules, the phrase can sound like a warning label suggesting the license is limited, invalid, or unofficial. Because trucking is regulated at the federal level, many assume “not for federal” must also mean

New FMCSA crash data analyzed by FreightWaves highlights a growing safety divide within the trucking industry, particularly when crash involvement is measured on a per-driver basis. As of Nov. 30, 2025, large carriers with more than 500 drivers generally reported crash rates between 4.9% and 6.5%, with Transdev Services Inc. leading at 6.56% (61 crashes, 1 fatality) and Western Express Inc. close behind at 6.15% (270 crashes, 4 fatalities). Other large fleets clustered in the

A commercial truck driver is now behind bars after investigators determined distracted driving caused a fiery multi-vehicle crash that killed five people. Authorities concluded the driver failed to slow or stop in a construction zone, triggering a chain-reaction collision involving multiple vehicles. Digital forensic evidence later showed the driver was actively using a social media app on his phone in the moments leading up to the crash, a detail prosecutors said directly co

A multi-vehicle crash involving a semi-truck and a school bus shut down northbound Interstate 5 near Lacey, Washington, after authorities say the truck driver was operating without a valid commercial driver’s license. The collision occurred on wet road conditions and triggered a chain-reaction crash involving several passenger vehicles. Three people were transported to the hospital with injuries. Officials confirmed that no children were on the school bus at the time of the c

Thousands of commercial truck drivers have been placed out of service in 2025 as federal regulators stepped up enforcement of long-standing English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements, according to statements from the U.S. Department of Transportation and inspection data referenced by industry reporting. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said roughly 9,500 drivers have been taken off the road after failing roadside inspections tied to English-language standards. The rul

A 31-year-old truck driver, identified by Louisiana State Police as Travion Miller of Coushatta, Louisiana, was killed in a tragic crash early Monday morning on Interstate 49 near Asseff Road in DeSoto Parish. According to investigators, Miller was traveling north in a 2024 Mack around 3:40 a.m. when, for reasons still under investigation, the truck veered off the roadway. The rig struck an unoccupied parked vehicle, climbed an embankment, and overturned. State Police report

Approval of H-2B visas for truck-driving positions remains exceptionally rare, according to federal data and industry analysis. The H-2B program, primarily designed for temporary, seasonal non-agricultural work, has never been a significant source of drivers for the trucking industry. USCIS filings show that only a very small fraction of all H-2B positions fall under transportation roles, and analysts estimate that truck drivers account for only about 1,000 approvals in FY 20

U.S. Xpress has enacted broad company-wide layoffs after an internal email revealed the carrier is facing a “reduced truck count” and softer freight demand heading into December. The cuts come as the market continues to slump, forcing even large, well-established trucking companies to tighten operations and scale back resources. While the exact number of employees affected was not disclosed, the move signals a significant internal adjustment as the company responds to shrinki

Rumors are circulating online that two Minnesota-based carriers, MinStar Transport and Transport Designs, may be shutting down operations, potentially affecting around 200 drivers only weeks before Christmas. Posts being shared across trucking groups claim each fleet runs roughly 100 trucks and note that both companies are tied to the same ownership group. As of now, no official statement has been released by either carrier or its parent company, and federal records continue

A Florida truck driver has been sentenced to life in prison after a jury found he intentionally drove his semi-truck into a group of people outside Emperors Gentlemen’s Club in Tampa. Prosecutors said 25-year-old Dylan Fogle had been kicked out of the club earlier in the night for inappropriate behavior. Witnesses and surveillance footage showed that Fogle returned behind the wheel of his company-owned semi, accelerated toward a group standing in the parking lot, and struck m

CRST triggered widespread speculation this week after early reports suggested the company was shutting down its over-the-road (OTR) trucking operations. The headlines spread fast, fueling panic among drivers and chatter across the industry. But updated statements clarified the real situation: CRST is not closing its doors. Instead, the company is scaling back one specific segment, the solo, one-way OTR van division, citing brutal market conditions, low freight rates, and unsu

**Editor’s note: information featured in the story image above was incorrect. The incident did not result in death. We apologize for this error. A routine Monday morning drive on I-55 turned violent when 46-year-old Michel Quintana-Betancourt of Miami allegedly opened fire on another semi-truck while both rigs were moving between Pevely and Barnhart, Missouri. According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the victim was struck by a single round but managed to pull over

Per active scanner traffic, Interstate 64 westbound near Sandstone Mountain, around the 137 mile marker, is currently shut down following a reported collision involving two tractor-trailers. Early radio reports indicate the crash occurred near the mandatory truck stop area, and emergency crews are responding to what is being described as a serious incident with a possible fatality. Traffic in both directions may be affected as responders work the scene. At this time, no offic

A routine traffic violation turned into a major smuggling bust after Texas DPS stopped a white Freightliner on I-35 in La Salle County for driving on the improved shoulder. The driver, 24-year-old John David Amaya of Laredo, was found to be operating the truck without a valid CDL, immediately raising red flags for troopers. During the inspection, a Border Patrol K-9 alerted to the vehicle, prompting officers to open the sleeper compartment. Inside, they discovered 23 undocume

A tractor-trailer hauling a full load of bricks slid off U.S. Route 35 in Mason County, West Virginia, early Tuesday morning, leaving the cab hanging nearly 90 feet over the side of the Lower Pleasant-Hartley Road bridge. The trailer remained on the roadway, but the cab dangled in the air with the driver trapped inside for more than five hours as snow continued falling across the region. Multiple fire departments from Mason, Putnam, Kanawha, and surrounding counties responded

Some trucking companies are now using APU telematics to remotely disable a driver’s heat, even during freezing temperatures. While these systems were designed for diagnostics and fuel control, misusing them can put drivers at risk. Diesel bunk heaters burn only 0.1–0.2 gallons per hour, yet disabling them can leave a sleeper cab dropping to dangerous temperatures within hours, especially in northern states. Safety advocates warn that this practice may violate OSHA’s duty to p