Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and are looking forward to the new year. With the holidays behind us, we are now greeted with the upcoming legislative session. Christine will be spending much of her time in Pierre over the next few months working on critical issues concerning our industry. There are a couple of prominent issues dealing with lawsuits in trucking. The first is transparency of third-party litigation. This would require disclosure of investors funding lawsuits against trucking companies in our state. The second is punitive damages for wrongful deaths. I think everyone in our industry has seen the many nuclear verdicts against trucking companies and associates of our industry in the past few years. We hope to address these exorbitant verdicts before they put undue financial burdens on trucking companies in our state.
We have our upcoming South Dakota Trucking Association’s Annual Legislative Reception on February 10th at 6pm. I hope to see many of you there to meet legislators directly and engage with them about what is affecting our industry. A reminder as well, the following day, February 11th, is our Winter Board meeting. I hope to see you all in Pierre!
Safe travels,
Justin Anders Anders Trucking dispatch@anderstrucking.com
Welcome to Our Newest Members
Eastman, Inc.
Terry Eastman, President 12171 Lake Road Easter Township, SD 56219
Phone: 605-694-2899
Email: jackie@eastmaninc.net US DOT # 867333
Falls Edge Chiropractic Dr. Jade Larson
4925 E. 26th Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57110
Phone: 605-575-3973 / Fax: 605-332-6616
Email: fallsedgechiro@gmail.com
Website: fallsedgechiro.com DOT Medical Services
JUSTIN LARSON (605) 224-1611
PIERRE, SD
KURT SWANSON (605) 224-1611
PIERRE, SD
TACHA ARTZ (605) 737-7865
RAPID CITY, SD
JORDAN GAU (605) 996-4698
MITCHELL, SD
GREG BALDWIN (605) 336-2795
SIOUX FALLS, SD
WE KNOW TRANSPORTATION
NICK BACKLUND (605) 996-4698
MITCHELL, SD
RUSS STOUGH (605) 336-4444
SIOUX FALLS, SD
Acrisure Truck Group consultants are experts in the coverage of all size trucks and farm equipment, so we know the risks and liabilities to make sure you are fully covered. We have four locations in South Dakota to serve you and your truck insurance needs—Pierre, Mitchell, Rapid City and Sioux Falls.
SDTA STAFF
Christine Vinatieri-Erickson President christine@southdakotatrucking.com
Michelle Wells Member Manager michelle@southdakotatrucking.com
2025 is here, bringing excitement and a sense of change. In our industry, we remain hopeful for common-sense reforms. Recent burdensome changes have impacted trucking and everyday consumers, but it’s time to focus on moving forward and getting back to work.
Your SDTA staff has been hard at work planning this year’s events. Be sure to check out the important dates and mark your calendars! The Truck Driving Championship is just four months away. Last year’s event saw record participation, and we’re eager to achieve that again in 2025.
We’ve also been reaching out to gather additional email addresses to expand our database. This is a critical step in ensuring timely communication about events, industry updates, and advocacy efforts on your behalf. Please send our team as many employee email addresses as you’d like to include.
Finally, the 100th Legislative Session is underway. With many new legislators and an incoming Governor and Lieutenant Governor, it’s an exciting yet busy time. Bills have been slow to appear, but we anticipate a flood of them before the deadlines. As your dedicated lobbyist, I am on the ground in Pierre, advocating for SDTA. Expect to receive weekly Under the Dome updates and video recaps to keep you informed.
Stay warm and keep moving forward!
Onward,
Christine Vinatieri-Erickson
Photos Courtesy of David Bordewyk
DaleThompson
Dale Thompson, Johnson Feed, Inc., Canton, SD, was selected as the January 2025 Driver of the Month by the South Dakota Safety Management Council.
Dale has spent an impressive 38 years at JFI and has a total of 40 years in the trucking industry. His career is a testament to dedication, professionalism, and excellence. Over the course of his career, Dale has driven an astounding 5.2 million miles, with 5 million of those being accident-free miles at JFI. These statistics reflect his strong commitment to safety, precision, and unwavering reliability on the road.
His expertise and steadfast dedication not only set him apart but also serve as an inspiration to his fellow drivers. He exemplifies what it means to be a true professional in the trucking industry, and his contributions to JFI and the industry as a whole cannot be overstated.
Dale lives in Harrisburg, SD, and has three adult children: Ray (39), Tara (37), and Cole (29). He is also a proud grandfather of seven grandchildren.
The South Dakota Trucking Association joins the Safety Management Council in congratulating Dale Thompson for being selected as the January 2025 Driver of the Month.
We offer high-quality, low-cost CDL training options in the South Dakota region that are available online from any device. Our curriculum is fully compliant with the current FMCSA ELDT Training standards, and we are a member in good standing of the Training Provider Registry as a Theory provider.
To learn about our fully-online, FMCSA-compliant CDL Theory program and how you can join our
or go to www.southdakotatrucking.com
FEBRUARY 10, 2025
SDTA/SDADA Joint Executive Committee Meeting
4:00 p.m.
Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center Pierre, SD
FEBRUARY 10, 2025
Annual Legislative Reception & Sundae Bar
6:00 p.m.
Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center Pierre, SD
FEBRUARY 11, 2025
SDTA Winter Executive Committee Meeting
10:00 a.m.
Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center Pierre, SD
FEBRUARY 11, 2025
SDTA Winter Board of Directors Meeting
12:30 p.m.
Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center Pierre, SD
MAY 8, 2025
SDTA Spring/Summer Executive Committee Meeting
10:00 a.m.
AmericInn Chamberlain, SD
MAY 8, 2025
SDTA Spring/Summer Board of Directors Meeting
1:00 p.m.
AmericInn Chamberlain, SD
MAY 8, 2025
Social Hour, Dinner and Calcutta for the Annual Cliff Tjaden Fishing Event
6:00 p.m.
AmericInn
Chamberlain, SD
MAY 9, 2025
Annual Cliff Tjaden Fishing Event
7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Cedar Shore Marina Oacoma, SD
MAY 17, 2025
SD Truck Driving Championships
7:00 a.m.
Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls, SD
JUNE 5-8, 2025
Wheel Jam Truck Show
State Fairgrounds Huron, SD
JULY 10, 2025
SDTA East River Golf Event
9:00 a.m.
Brandon Golf Course Brandon, SD
AUGUST 20-23, 2025
National Truck Driving Championships Minneapolis, MN
SEPTEMBER 14-20, 2025
National Truck Driver Appreciation Week
SEPTEMBER 16-18, 2025
SDTA 90th Annual Convention Grand Falls Casino and Golf Resort Larchwood, IA
NOVEMBER 13, 2025
SDTA & SDADA Annual Pheasant Hunt
8:00 a.m.
Meet at Hutch’s Cafe Presho, SD
NOVEMBER 14, 2025
SDTA Fall Executive Committee Meeting 8:00 a.m.
AmericInn Fort Pierre, SD
NOVEMBER 14, 2025
SDTA Fall Board of Directors Meeting 10:00 a.m.
AmericInn Fort Pierre, SD
DECEMBER 4, 2025
West River Legislative Reception
5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Hyatt Place Rapid City, SD
DECEMBER 11 , 2025
East River Legislative Reception
5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Minervas | Lower Level Sioux Falls, SD
FMCSA Grants ATA’s Request for Inspector Exemption
Mark Schremmer | Senior Editor | Land Line
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has granted a limited five-year exemption to the American Trucking Associations from training or experience requirements related to conducting commercial motor vehicle inspections.
FMCSA announced the exemption in a notice that was published in the Federal Register on Thursday, Jan. 16.
Current regulations require motor carriers and intermodal equipment providers to ensure that individuals performing annual inspections of commercial motor vehicles, including individuals who inspect, maintain, repair or service CMV brake systems, have a total of at least one year of training or experience.
In 2021, ATA requested an exemption on behalf of individuals seeking inspector qualifications. Instead, ATA requested that FMCSA permit educators to self-certify their training programs based on the Technology and Maintenance Council’s recommended practices and permit technicians who complete those programs to be qualified to inspect commercial motor vehicles in less than one year.
The exemption request was supported by the American Bus Association.
The group said that the exemption would “positively impact the commercial motor vehicle industry by expanding accessibility and opportunities for professional development and staffing.”
FMCSA agreed that ATA’s Technology and Maintenance Council has developed a series of best practices that serve to give training providers the necessary content to deliver comprehensive training programs and assessments that provide individuals with the knowledge and skills to become qualified inspectors.
The agency said it has determined that “granting an exemption from the requirements that motor carriers and intermodal equipment providers ensure that individuals performing annual inspections have one year of training, experience or a combination thereof would likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than the level of safety provided by the regulatory requirements if the individuals instead successfully complete a performance-based inspector training program consistent with the Technology and Maintenance Council’s recommended practices.”
The exemption took effect Thursday, Jan. 16 and will run through Jan. 16, 2030.
Reprinted from Land Line.
ATA’s Efforts Pay Off: Credentialing Reform Bill Clears Final Hurdle
Dana Guthrie | The Trucker
WASHINGTON — The American Trucking Associations (ATA) is applauding the House passage of the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act; the bill now heads to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.
“For far too long, the truck drivers who keep our country running have been subjected to an outdated, inefficient credentialing system that does not respect their time and money,” said Chris Spear, ATA President. “That begins to change today. By taking the final step needed to eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, Congress will provide essential supply chain workers with overdue relief from redundant background checks and fees. The Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act is a bipartisan victory for common sense. We commend Members of Congress, especially Senator Roger Wicker and Congressman Garret Graves, who stood up for truckers, making it easier and less costly for hardworking Americans to obtain the credentials they need to do their jobs.”
The Senate passed the bill unanimously in November.
In a press release, the ATA thanked Representatives Garret Graves (R-Louisiana), Adam Smith (D-Washington), Mark Green (R-Tennessee), Michael Guest (R-Mississippi), Salud Carbajal (D-California) and Dina Titus (D-Nevada) for authoring the bill and working tirelessly to get it across the finish line. ATA also thanked House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) for his instrumental role in scheduling a vote before the end of the congressional session. This was the final step in the legislative process since the bill, which was introduced in the Senate by Senators Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Jon Tester (D-Montana), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), and Angus King (I-Maine), passed the upper chamber unanimously last month.
ATA has been at the forefront of the push to pass this bipartisan legislation to eliminate redundant fees and background checks for essential supply chain workers, according to the release. Beginning last year, ATA assembled a group of over 150 organizations representing trucking, rail, energy, organized labor, agriculture, third-party logistics providers and other key supply chain stakeholders in support of the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act.
“The bill has been a mainstay in ATA’s Call on Washington program this year, which has facilitated 700 meetings between ATA’s member companies and lawmakers on Capitol Hill since the beginning of this Congress,” the release said. “ATA also leveraged its 50-state federation to put pressure on key Members of Congress. As part of this comprehensive, ongoing advocacy effort, ATA President and CEO Chris Spear headed to Capitol Hill to meet one-on-one with the bill’s original sponsors and committee leaders to shore up support.”
According to the release, the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act cuts through red tape to allow workers to apply existing valid background checks to multiple TSA-managed credentialing programs, such as the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) and Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME) programs. By eliminating duplicative screenings and harmonizing these programs, the bill would codify formal recommendations by the Government Accountability Office dating back to 2007. These recommendations were reaffirmed in 2020 in a comprehensive security assessment conducted by the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center. The bill does not make any modifications to the backend security threat assessment conducted on individual applicants, ensuring that they undergo the same level of review as they do under current law..’ ”
Reprinted from The Trucker.
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FMCSA Retains Fleets’ 50% Random Drug Testing Rate in 2025
But PHMSA’s Drug Testing Rate Rises From 25% to 50% This Year
Eric Miller | Senior Reporter | Transport Topics
Motor carriers must continue to conduct random drug tests with 50% of their truck drivers and random alcohol tests with 10% of their drivers in 2025, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced.
These percentages have remained in effect since 2020, when FMCSA officials announced they were increasing the minimum annual percentage rate for random controlled substances testing for drivers of commercial motor vehicles from 25% of the average number of driver positions.
While the random drug test rate requirement remained the same for FMCSA, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration determined that the minimum random drug testing rate for covered employees will increase to 50% during calendar year 2025. The new percentage means carriers must randomly test one of every two drivers they employ.
“The FMCSA administrator must increase the minimum annual random testing percentage rate when the data received under the reporting requirements for any calendar year indicate that the reported positive rate is equal to or greater than 1.0%,” the agency said.
Under this performance-based system, when the minimum annual percentage rate for random controlled substances testing is 25% and the data received under the reporting requirements for any calendar year indicate that the reported positive rate increases to at least 1%, FMCSA may increase the testing rate to 50%, the agency said.
FMCSA’s final rule, “Controlled Substances and Alcohol Use and Testing,” published in 2001, set up the process by which the agency determines whether the minimum annual percentage rate for random testing should increase or decrease. The final rule stipulated that the decision to increase or decrease the percentage rate would be based on the trucking industry’s overall positive random controlled substance test rate, as reported by motor carrier employers to FMCSA.
“The Department of Transportation’s decision to maintain the random drug testing rate at 50% for FMCSA-regulated employers is unsurprising,” said Brenna Lyles, senior director of safety policy for American Trucking Associations. “The federal
The drug testing rate has been the same since 2020. For truck drivers, if the national average positive rate is below 1% for two consecutive years, the testing rate drops to 25%. (Getty Images 1207515903)
regulations governing these rates allow the testing threshold to drop below 50% only if positive test results account for less than 1% of industry drug tests for two consecutive years. Additionally, with consistently high rates of marijuana positives and an upward trend in employee refusals reported to the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, we would not expect a decrease in the required testing threshold.”
Lyles added, “These statistics underscore the importance of ongoing vigilance to ensure safety in our industry and on our highways.”
“Unfortunately, it’s performance based,” said Thomas Bray, senior business adviser and editor at J.J. Keller & Associates. “The FMCSA requires certain carriers to send out surveys, and you have to reply with the [Management Information System] report, which is based on your drug and alcohol testing for the previous year.”
The agency compiles the reports from the carriers and looks at the national positive rate for drug and alcohol tests, Bray said.
“For trucks, if it’s below 1% for two consecutive years, the testing rate drops to 25%,” Bray said. “That’s significant, so all the cost for running the program basically gets cut in half. But that has to happen for two consecutive years.
“We haven’t done that. We’ve been hanging around 1.1% or 1.2%. The bottom line is nothing changes. So if you have 300 drivers, you have to do 150 random tests over the next 12 months.”
Reprinted from Transport Topics.
Why Truck Volumes, Rates Will Improve in 2025, According to Analysts
Annual forecasts from trucking analysts paint a brighter picture for 2025: truck volumes growing by about 1.6% and for-hire rates continuing to improve. But some political uncertainty could create headwinds.
Jeremy Wolfe | Editor | FleetOwner
Market analysts predict moderate growth to freight volumes and for-hire rates in 2025, giving fleets hope after a difficult 2024.
The optimistic forecasts come from annual outlooks by the American Trucking Associations, ACT Research, FTR Transportation Intelligence, and DAT Freight & Analytics.
“As we close the books on 2024, the coming year promises a dynamic freight environment—one driven by change but full of opportunity,” Jeff Clementz, DAT president and CEO, said in the firm’s annual outlook.
The firms’ predictions see freight volumes growing 1% to 1.6% and for-hire rates beginning their upturn later this year—as early as Q2.
ATA predicts 1.6% growth in truck volumes
In its latest annual freight forecast in collaboration with S&P Global Market Intelligence, ATA Freight Transportation Forecast 2024 to 2035, the association expects truck volumes to grow 1.6% in 2025.
“In this edition of Forecast, the trucking industry continues to dominate the freight transportation industry in terms of both tonnage and revenue, comprising 72.7% of tonnage and 76.9% of revenue in 2024,” said Bob Costello, ATA’s chief economist. “We project that market share to hold over the next decade as the country continues to rely on trucking to move the vast majority of freight.”
As research firms predict the overall U.S. economy to grow by about 2.1% in 2025, ATA predicts U.S. industrial output will
grow by about 0.6% and manufacturing output will grow by about 0.9% next year. Meanwhile, the report forecasts total imports would grow by 3.6% and exports would grow by 3.9%.
With trucks poised to continue handling a substantial majority of freight movement, increasing economic activity would boost freight volumes.
For the report’s long-term projections, ATA expects truck volumes to rise from 2024’s 11.27 billion tons to nearly 14 billion tons by 2035. The report also predicts general trucking industry revenue to grow over that same period, from roughly $906 billion last year to $1.46 trillion in 2035.
ACT Research’s free industry forecast blog post makes similar predictions to ATA’s. The research firm projects freight demand to grow about 1.8% year-over-year—close to ATA’s 1.6% prediction.
In their 2025 Transportation Outlook, analysts at FTR Transportation Intelligence were a little more cautious in predicting 2025 volumes. The firm predicts around 1% growth.
“We’re expecting the overall truck freight volume up around a percentage point year over year,” Avery Vise, VP of trucking at FTR, said during the webinar. “It doesn’t sound like much, but 2024 was only up two-tenths of a percent, so it’s a lot better. It varies significantly by equipment type.”
Vise sees refrigerated and flatbed loadings growing significantly more in 2025 than short haul or heavy haul loads, for example.
DAT sees rate upturn as soon as Q2
The annual outlook from DAT Freight & Analytics projects an upturn in for-hire rates this year.
DAT observed that new contract rates are growing as carriers continue to exit the marketplace. The firm expects the trend of rising rates to continue, with rates increasing akin to pre-pandemic levels. By Q2 at the earliest, the market could flip in the carriers’ favor.
Headwinds still threaten fleet prosperity, the report notes. Strife over tariffs, geopolitical chaos, and labor struggles from mass deportation spell uncertainty for the future of freight.
Echoing DAT, ACT Research also predicted spot rates would increase gradually throughout the year—though excess capacity may continue to burden for-hire trucking. Reprinted
FMCSA Issues Report on Advancing Women in Trucking
Safe Truck Parking, Better Sexual Harassment Training Needed
Noël Fletcher | Staff Reporter | Transport Topics
An advisory board tasked with recommending to federal regulators strategies for promoting trucking careers for women included improving safety and eradicating harassment among key areas of focus. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Jan. 15 delivered to Congress a final report outlining actions it has taken to promote trucking careers for women based on input it received from the ad hoc Women of Trucking Advisory Board.
Stood up by the Department of Transportation as mandated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, WOTAB was disbanded following the issuance of the FMCSA’s “Recommendations Report to Congress.”
The board held six public meetings from Nov. 9, 2022, to Nov. 13, 2023, to gather input on critical issues facing women in the industry. Board members also evaluated current education, training, mentoring efforts and outreach strategies to learn about direct and indirect roadblocks discouraging women from seeking and pursuing trucking careers.
The report to Congress noted WOTAB stressed the need to improve safety for women in trucking by “identifying and eradicating sexual harassment and violence against women.” Recommended strategies included:
• Dismiss drivers or others with documented cases of committing sexual harassment and assault
• Create ways to report and hold commercial motor carriers accountable
• Provide safe parking and bathroom access for women truck drivers
Compared to the employed labor force at large, women are significantly underrepresented among CDL holders. (CDLIS/BLS data via USDOT)
(ACS data via USDOT)
The board also discussed a crime prevention survey for truckers conducted by FMCSA in 2022. The findings noted that women truck drivers are more likely to experience harassment than their male counterparts, especially from other drivers and trainers working within their companies.
Respondents noted that more sexual harassment took place in urban areas and in the following states: California, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Oklahoma.
FMCSA’s report to Congress outlined actions it has taken and others in progress based on input from WOTAB. These include collaborating with the Federal Highway Administration and the National Coalition on Truck Parking to create safe truck parking areas and developing a proposed rule focused on raising awareness about sexual harassment and assault in driver training standards. FMCSA also created a Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Working Group that is studying the issue in the trucking industry.
“FMCSA agrees with WOTAB’s recommendations and is committed to working with the private sector and stakeholders to implement them. These issues are complex and require a government-private sector partnership to bring about long-term change to the motor carrier industry,” the agency noted.
The agency mentioned in the report that WOTAB suggested commercial motor carriers and other industry stakeholders should also be educated on challenges women face and be encouraged to help remove barriers.
Continued on Page 21.
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FMCSA Issues Report on Advancing Women in Trucking continued.
In addition, the report to Congress noted that FMCSA in December 2023 issued an advanced notice of enforcement policy reminding state courts and driver licensing agencies of a regulatory mandate disqualifying an individual from holding a commercial driver license or learner’s permit from operating a commercial motor vehicle if that person used a commercial vehicle to commit a felony, including felony sexual assault.
“FMCSA is working with its enforcement partners and with constituents such as the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance to increase awareness and enhance training to enforce this requirement,” the report stated.
In addition to challenges for women, WOTAB’s efforts also included creating a presentation on the “Demographics of
the Commercial Motor Vehicle Workforce” that identified potential gaps in hiring younger people, those not born in the United States, and people from Asian, multiracial, Hispanic and Latino backgrounds.
The 18-member board was chaired by Joyce Sauer Brenny, CEO and founder of Minnesota-based Brenny Transportation Inc., and vice chair Dianne McNair-Smith, CEO of 3 Girls Trucking Academy of Mississippi.
“We thank the WOTAB members for their dedication and efforts to make the trucking industry safer and more inclusive for women. While the WOTAB’s work is complete, FMCSA remains steadfast in its commitment to make the trucking industry safer and with opportunities for all,”
FMCSA stated.
Reprinted from Transport Topics.
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Small Fleets Could Be at Higher Risk of Cyber Threats
Angel Coker Jones | Senior Editor | Commercial Carrier Journal
Truckers don’t leave the keys in their truck unattended. Mechanics lock up shop at the end of the day. And trucking companies often install fences around their yards. It’s all part of physical security.
Cybersecurity is just as important, said Artie Crawford, director of cybersecurity at the National Motor Freight Traffic Association. He said there are just as many, if not more, risks to a trucking company’s electronic footprint as their physical footprint.
Smaller fleets tend to think bad actors are more likely to target larger fleets, but Crawford said that is a common misconception, and smaller fleets need to take action to secure their electronic footprints.
“The size of the organization doesn’t really matter,” Crawford said during an NMFTA webinar last week. “Ransomware as a service looks to exploit any size of organization, from the 100 million dollar-plus organizations or billion-dollar organizations for that matter all the way down to possibly the single owner operator who’s making $120,000 a year.”
The NMFTA is hosting a series of webinars called Roadmap to Resilience in which it recently focused on owner operators and small carriers with five to 50 trucks.
While smaller companies may not make the news when breached, that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Crawford said they are oftentimes greater targets because they’re easier to breach.
Ben Wilkens, cybersecurity principal engineer at NMFTA, said it’s important to understand that everyone is a target.
But he said there currently is no tailored set of cybersecurity controls specific to trucking, which has some unique risk surfaces compared to other industries.
“Trucking is a complicated industry. There’s a lot going on. It’s fast paced. The minute you think you know what’s going on, the economy changes, the rates change, fuel changes, regulation changes,” Wilkens said. “It’s hard to keep
up with all of that and also a constantly changing cyber landscape.”
That is why the NMFTA is working to build out the bones of a cyber security framework specific to trucking – a roadmap that boils down some of the more complicated cybersecurity standards for easy digestion for smaller legacy fleets. He said many of the frameworks available, like Transported Asset Protection Association for example, are extremely complicated because they are tailored for cyber professionals, which most small fleets don’t have on staff.
NMFTA is taking a step back from those guidelines to look at how these controls relate to the trucking industry and how they can be done in uncomplicated and cost-effective way.
“How can we bring a list of core best practice controls to start small and then build incrementally on that,” Wilkens said.
The first step, he said, is identifying the keys to your kingdom. Pinpoint your most important assets: what critical information or systems you need for business continuity in the event of an attack. You need the keys to your truck, access to fuel, broker/ shipper contacts, insurance documents and contacts, etc.
“If you store all of those things online, and then suddenly you can’t access those systems, how are you going to maintain continuity in your business?” Wilkens said. “It’s really important as we start to craft a plan of action for securing our business, we need to understand how secure we are now or how vulnerable we are now.”
Then determine how a threat actor could access, destroy or misuse those assets. Wilkens said run “what if” scenarios to help determine those. Risks could be a fire in the building, a hacker, ransomware as a service, theft or loss.
Then establish how best to protect those assets.
Wilkens said some may choose to use an MSSP: managed security service provider.
“Not everyone has the time, the resources, the expertise or, quite frankly, the interest in managing their own cybersecurity internally, especially if you’re a one-person, two-person shop where you’re driving, you’re booking loads, you’re doing the accounting, or maybe you have a business partner or spouse to help,” he said. “You don’t need to add cybersecurity as one of those hats that you wear. Sometimes it can be a lot more cost effective to contract out the tactical day-to-day cybersecurity concerns to a managed security service provider.”
But he said be mindful of who you choose. Ask important questions:
• How is the provider going to address specific risks to ensure sufficient coverage? What is your incidence response plan?
• Do you know who CISA is and all the resources they provide? Do you understand security as it applies to the trucking industry? If they do a lot of work for financial institutions, their approach to cybersecurity might be different than what a trucking company needs.
• How many trucking companies are you supporting?
• What type of remote management tools do you use?
“It’s really important to understand that outsourcing to a service provider never is going to replace the need for your cybersecurity awareness and your ongoing education about the threats to your operation,” Wilkens said.
He said many fleets think cybersecurity is too expensive, but that isn’t the case.
“There are a lot of things you can do first – practices you can enact. Practicing good cyber hygiene is free,” he said. “I think it’s easy to say that the lack of cybersecurity is too expensive not to invest in.”
Reprinted from Commercial Carrier Journal.
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FMCSA Answers Questions About Changes to SMS
Mark Schremmer | Senior Editor | Land Line
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Thursday, Jan. 16 held its first of three webinars designed to inform motor carriers about changes to the Safety Measurement System.
FMCSA is in the process of updating its system to display the results of a new SMS methodology that will attempt to improve the “fairness, accuracy and clarity” of the program.
The agency uses SMS to prioritize motor carriers that require intervention.
The meeting focused on three of the nine changes coming to the Safety Measurement System.
1. Reorganized BASICS. FMCSA is reorganizing the vehicle maintenance and unsafe driving BASICS (now called compliance categories) to focus on motor carriers with higher crash rates and more accurately pinpoint unsafe behaviors.
2. Reorganized roadside violations. The agency is reorganizing more than 2,000 violation codes into approximately 100 violation groups of similar safety behaviors to prevent inconsistencies that occur when multiple violations are cited for a single or very similar underlying issue.
3. Simplified severity weights. FMCSA is replacing the 1-10 weighting scale for violations in SMS with a 1-2 scale.
Along with the condensed violation groups, motor carriers will no longer be dinged for the same type of violation multiple times in the same inspection. For instance, the new methodology will count an hours-of-service violation as a single violation rather than penalizing the carrier for driving beyond the 14-, 11-, eight- and 70-hour limits.
“If a carrier is cited with all these violations in an inspection, SMS will treat this as a single violation,” said Wesley Russell
of FMCSA’s Transportation Specialist Compliance Division. “It treats motor carriers a little more evenly and fairly.”
Despite supporting some of the proposed changes, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said that FMCSA needs to incentivize actual safety performance over compliance in order to accurately identify at-risk carriers and reduce crashes.
Q&A Session
Toward the end of the webinar, members of the public were given time to ask questions about the SMS update. Below are a sample of some of the questions that were asked.
Q. When will these changes be implemented?
FMCSA currently is in the second phase of the update. The launch of the new system will occur in phase three. The agency could not provide a date of when that will happen but said that a notice will be published in the Federal Register before changes take effect.
“When we do make a decision on implementation, we plan to make another Federal Register notice with significant lead time,” said David Yessen, chief of FMCSA’s compliance division. “There will be sufficient advance notice.”
Q. Will the changes be retroactive?
Once the new system is live, it will recalculate data based on the two-year history of that date.
FMCSA’s second webinar about changes to SMS will take place from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern on Feb. 25.
Reprinted from Land Line.
Trump’s Executive Order Eliminating ‘Electric Vehicle Mandate’ Explained
Tyson Fisher | Associate Editor | Land Line
As promised, President Donald Trump signed a slew of executive orders on Day 1 of his second term, including orders to reverse former President Joe Biden’s so-called “electric vehicle mandate.”
On Monday, Jan. 20, Trump signed more than two dozen executive orders addressing a variety of issues. Among those orders was one dealing specifically with energy, including electric vehicle policies and charging infrastructure funding.
Although the executive order titled “Unleashing American Energy” does revoke specific executive orders signed by Biden, it also paints with a very broad brush, leaving virtually any climate- or energy-related regulation on the chopping block. However, there are questions about how far Trump can go in reversing certain actions, opening the floodgates to agency rulemakings and legal challenges.
“Electric Vehicle Mandate” in the Crosshairs
Trump has laid out a policy “to eliminate the ‘electric vehicle (EV) mandate,’” which is likely to apply to stricter truck emission standards established last year.
In the executive order, Trump establishes a new U.S. policy to eliminate an electric vehicle mandate and to “promote true consumer choice, which is essential for economic growth and innovation, by removing regulatory barriers to motor vehicle access.” The order also calls for terminating “state emissions waivers that function to limit sales of gasoline-powered automobiles.”
What that entails remains to be seen. Trump has had his sights set on more stringent emission standards on passenger vehicles that were finalized last March. That rule does not require manufacturers to sell electric vehicles by a certain date. Rather, the higher standards would effectively compel manufacturers to have battery-electric vehicles make up between 30% to 56% of new light-duty cars from model years 2030-32 in order to stay compliant.
On the heavy-duty side, Trump may also target stricter emission standards on trucks that were also finalized last March. That rule requires 25% of model year 2032 sleeper cab tractors to be zero-emission trucks. Although the rule does not specifically require battery-electric trucks, no other technologies are being manufactured at scale for large trucks.
Those two emission rules will likely be the center of Trump’s efforts to roll back “electric vehicle mandates.” If successful-
ly reversed, manufacturers may be able to produce vehicles consistent with standards set during Trump’s first term.
Fate of Advanced Clean Trucks
There are a handful of states with vehicle emission regulations that go above and beyond federal standards thanks to Environmental Protection Agency waivers granted to California. Those regulations are also vulnerable to Trump’s objectives.
Most notably, California’s Advanced Clean Cars II and Advanced Clean Trucks rules have been the center of controversy. In December, the EPA allowed the Golden State to move forward with its Advanced Clean Cars II rules, which require all new passenger vehicles sold in California to be zero-direct-emission by 2035. In March 2023, EPA granted a waiver for Advanced Clean Trucks, requiring 40% of new Class 8 trucks sold in California to be zero-emission by 2035.
The EPA can revoke waivers a previous administration granted. That is exactly what Trump did in 2019, when he revoked California’s waiver for Advanced Clean Cars. However, the Biden administration reinstated the waiver in 2022.
Last year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the EPA has the authority to grant California its Advanced Clean Cars waiver. That ruling is currently being reviewed by the Supreme Court.
Infrastructure Funding Paused, Including Electric Vehicle Charging
Trump has also ordered the federal government to “immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.”
Essentially, the billions of dollars made available through the bipartisan infrastructure law are being frozen for at least a few months. Agencies have 90 days to submit a report to the Office of Management and Budget detailing how their disbursement of funds aligns with Trump’s new policies outlined in the executive order. Any future infrastructure funding must first be signed off by OMB.
In announcing that he will be “terminating the Green New Deal,” Trump specifically pointed to electric vehicle charging. The executive order requires the pausing of funding for “electric vehicle charging stations made available through the
Continued on Page 29.
Trump’s Executive Order Eliminating ‘Electric Vehicle Mandate’ Explained continued.
National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program.” Those Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act programs allocate $7.5 billion to build out a nationwide network of 500,000 electric vehicle chargers.
The lack of a charging infrastructure has been a strong talking point of those critical of electric vehicles. Several states implementing Advanced Clean Trucks, for example, have very few publicly available charging stations for electric trucks.
What’s Next?
Reversing established regulations can be a lengthy – and not always successful – process.
Executive orders are limited in their powers. Any directives they give must follow applicable federal laws and the Constitution. There are two main mechanisms by which Trump can fulfill his orders: regulation and legislation.
A likely path toward eliminating federal emission standards and California’s waivers is through the rulemaking process. Trump’s EPA can issue a rule that simultaneously sets lower emission standards and revokes California’s waiver. That is the process he chose when invalidating Advanced Clean Cars and amending greenhouse gas and Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards in 2019.
Trump also has the option to have Congress carry out his orders by passing bills for him to sign into law. Although laws are more difficult for a future administration to dissolve compared to agency regulations, they are also more difficult to get through Congress. Republicans control both chambers but by the slimmest of margins.
Either way, any attempt to reverse vehicle emission standards is virtually guaranteed to be challenged in court. A court can pause any of Trump’s actions while litigation plays out. Trump’s 2019 reversals were challenged in federal court and were rendered moot after Biden took over the White House and reversed Trump’s reversals.
Meanwhile, there are still several federal lawsuits pending that challenge Biden’s emission standards, including the heavy-duty truck standards and Advanced Clean Trucks. Trump’s executive order directs agencies to review such lawsuits and ask for courts to pause or delay litigation as necessary.
Bottom line: An elimination of an “electric vehicle mandate” cannot be done in the stroke of a pen and will likely take some time to execute.
Reprinted from Land Line.
Road Team Captains Share Career Insights
SD Road Team Captains Jeremy Senger and Gary Schmidt recently spoke to Future Farmers of America (FFA) students at Newell High School. Their insightful discussion about the exciting career opportunities in the trucking industry helped students envision a bright future ahead.
Nominate Them for Driver of the Month
Each month, the SDTA Safety Management Council selects a professional truck driver to be recognized as the SDTA Driver of the Month from the submitted nominations. By nominating a driver, you provide them with the opportunity to be celebrated as a leader in their industry by both the association and their peers. This is a valuable honor for drivers, and without your nomination, they may miss out on this recognition.
Nominate your driver today! You can find the nomination form and rules online at www.southdakotatrucking.com under the Resources tab.
Scan the code to download the form
For more information, please contact the SDTA office at 605-334-8871 or michelle@southdakotatrucking.com
At Agtegra, our mission is simple: ‘Do something great for my farm and family that nobody else will do.’ To accomplish this, Agtegra offers diverse career opportunities where employees can grow and work in their local communities. Your personal and professional needs matter here – which is why we offer a variety of competitive benefits to employees, including healthcare and retirement, generous paid-timeoff (PTO), family leave, and a clothing allowance just to name a few. It’s not just a job at Agtegra – it’s a place where we invite all employees to Start Here. Grow Here. Commercial Driver’s License Required - WILL HELP OBTAIN!
