With all the challenges the trucking industry faces, a government shutdown is not typically one that comes to mind. However, given the recent shutdown, it has become another thing to navigate. The impact has been noticeable, disrupting operations, delaying payments, and creating uncertainty throughout supply chains.
We have seen disruptions in freight flow and regulatory delays due to reduced staffing at U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Additionally, slowed federal spending and decreased activities in industries such as construction, defense, and agriculture have weakened overall freight demand. This shutdown adds another layer of economic and operational stress to an already volatile trucking environment.
I pray for a swift resolution to alleviate the burden on our industry.
On a lighter note, our Annual South Dakota Trucking Association (SDTA) and South Dakota Auto Dealers Association (SDADA) Pheasant Hunt is scheduled for November 13, 2025, near Presho, SD. Our Fall Board Meeting will be held the following day, November 14, in Ft. Pierre. Please RSVP as soon as possible if you plan to attend.
Safe travels,
Justin Anders Anders Trucking dispatch@anderstrucking.com
Update SDTA’s Mailing Address
We have discontinued the use of our PO Box. Please ensure this update is communicated to the appropriate team members so that our address change is properly reflected in your records.
Moving forward, all mail should be sent to our physical address at:
3801 S. Kiwanis Avenue
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
Thank you for your attention to this change.
JUSTIN LARSON (605) 224-1611
PIERRE, SD
KURT SWANSON (605) 224-1611
PIERRE, SD
JORDAN GAU (605) 996-4698
MITCHELL, SD NICK BACKLUND (605) 996-4698
MITCHELL, SD
TACHA ARTZ (605) 737-7865 RAPID CITY, SD GREG BALDWIN (605) 336-2795 SIOUX FALLS, SD
WE KNOW TRANSPORTATION
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
Wow what a busy couple of months it has been and I don’t see that slowing down anytime soon.
South Dakota was recently one of six states audited for the issuance of non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs). Following the audit, it was determined that South Dakota is currently out of compliance with federal requirements. As a result, the state is temporarily unable to issue new non-domiciled CDLs until the identified issues are resolved.
I have been in direct contact with the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, which has assured me that they are actively reviewing all previously issued non-domiciled CDLs. In addition, a corrective action plan will be implemented to ensure future compliance and to prevent similar issues moving forward.
In a state like South Dakota—where trucking plays a critical role in transporting our agricultural products, manufactured goods, and everyday necessities—consistent enforcement is essential. It not only promotes safety on our roads but also helps maintain a level playing field for professional drivers who follow the rules. We appreciate the U.S. Department of Transportation’s commitment to ensuring compliance and accountability.
SDTA supports efforts to enforce proper federal qualifications and authorization while upholding rigorous credentialing standards for our industry. While this continues to develop, we will continue to provide additional information to you.
You’ve heard me say it time and time again — if we don’t have a seat at the table, we can easily become lunch. Recently, the South Dakota Trucking Association (SDTA) was invited by representatives from the Dusty Johnson for Governor campaign to host an industry roundtable. This provided an invaluable opportunity for SDTA board members to speak directly about the challenges our industry is facing, and to ensure trucking has a strong voice in shaping policy discussions.
This is exactly what engagement looks like: industry leaders, carrier representatives, training providers, and state officials all coming together for an open, candid, and solution-focused conversation. It’s important to note that this was not an endorsement by SDTA or any of its members. We welcome and encourage all candidates to host similar opportunities to hear directly from the trucking community.
Key topics discussed during the roundtable included:
• Strengthening verification processes for non-domiciled CDL applicants while maintaining operational efficiency.
• Exploring legislative solutions at both the state and federal levels to streamline credentialing and improve information sharing among agencies.
Continued on Page 7.
JamesJacquot
James “Jim” Jacquot, Trimac Transportation, Rapid City, SD was selected as the October 2025 Driver of the Month by the South Dakota Safety Management Council.
Jim has been a professional driver since the age of 18, logging more than 4,000,000 miles with only one non-chargeable accident throughout his career—2.5 million of those miles with Trimac. In addition to his time on the road, he spent two years working in Trimac’s safety department and has trained numerous drivers over the years. Known for his thoroughness and attention to detail, Jim takes great pride in maintaining the highest standards of safety and professionalism. He has also been recognized as Driver of the Month twice before, in 2014 and 2016.
Outside of work, Jim enjoys traveling and spending time with his family. He and his wife, Delana, make their home in Rapid City, SD. They have two adult children and three grandchildren.
The South Dakota Trucking Association joins the Safety Management Council in congratulating James “Jim” Jacquot on being selected as the October 2025 Driver of the Month.
Christine’s Corner continued from Page 5.
• Enhancing communication channels between carriers and state licensing authorities to reduce delays, eliminate confusion, and ensure all carriers are held to equal standards.
• Rising insurance costs, which continue to put pressure on carriers of all sizes.
• Tort reform, focusing on addressing lawsuit abuse in South Dakota through increased transparency in third-party litigation and potential caps to curb excessive legal costs.
• Predatory towing practices — while this issue has not significantly impacted South Dakota yet, it has become a major problem in other states, and we aim to stay ahead of the curve by proactively discussing potential solutions.
The conversation was constructive, forward-looking, and solution-oriented. By engaging directly with policymakers, we are helping ensure that South Dakota remains a national leader in transportation policy and workforce development.
Onward,
Christine Vinatieri-Erickson
nomination form & rules can be found online at www.southdakotatrucking.com under the Resource s tab. For more information, please contact the SDTA office at 605-334-8871 or michelle@southdakotatrucking.com
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
FEBRUARY 9, 2026
SDTA/SDADA Joint Executive Committee Meeting
4:00 p.m.
Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center Pierre, SD
FEBRUARY 9, 2026
SDTA/SDADA Annual Legislative Reception
6:00 p.m.
Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center Pierre, SD
FEBRUARY 10, 2026
SDTA Winter Executive Committee Meeting
10:00 a.m.
Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center Pierre, SD
FEBRUARY 10, 2026
SDTA Winter Board of Directors Meeting 12:30 p.m.
Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center Pierre, SD
MAY 7, 2026
SDTA Spring/Summer Executive Committee Meeting
10:00 a.m.
AmericInn Chamberlain, SD
MAY 7, 2026
SDTA Spring/Summer Board of Directors Meeting 1:00 p.m.
AmericInn Chamberlain, SD
MAY 7, 2026
Social Hour, Dinner and Calcutta for the Annual Cliff Tjaden Fishing Event
6:00 p.m.
AmericInn Chamberlain, SD
MAY 8, 2026
Annual Cliff Tjaden Fishing Event
7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
MAY 16, 2026
SD Truck Driving Championships
7:00 a.m.
Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls, SD
JUNE 4-7, 2026
Wheel Jam Truck Show
State Fairgrounds Huron, SD
JULY 9, 2026
SDTA East River Golf Event
9:00 a.m.
Brandon Golf Course Brandon, SD
AUGUST 11-15, 2026
National Truck Driving Championships
David L. Lawrence Convention Center Pittsburgh, PA
SEPTEMBER 1-3, 2026
SDTA 91st Annual Convention
Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel & Casino
Deadwood, SD
SEPTEMBER 13-19, 2026
National Truck Driver
Appreciation Week
Derek Barrs Closer to Taking Charge of FMCSA
Appointment Comes as Trump Team Pushes Infrastructure
Eugene Mulero | Senior Reporter | Transport Topics
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has a new leader on deck in Derek Barrs.
The U.S. Senate on Oct. 3 advanced for a floor vote the nomination Barrs to manage the nation’s trucking regulator even as the federal government remained locked in a partial shutdown.
Barrs will join Secretary Sean Duffy’s team at the U.S. Department of Transportation at a time when the Trump administration is promoting funding for big picture infrastructure projects and revisiting certain Biden-era emissions programs.
American Trucking Associations offered a strong endorsement of Barrs.
“Following extensive advocacy by ATA, we are pleased that the Senate has voted to approve the nomination of Derek Barrs to serve as administrator of FMCSA,” ATA President Chris Spear said. “Mr. Barrs’ confirmation was long overdue, and with rising concerns about motor vehicle safety enforcement, his leadership is urgently needed to drive accountability, strengthen state-level compliance and ensure only qualified commercial drivers operate on our nation’s roadways.
“Mr. Barrs is well-equipped to meet this moment, boasting nearly two decades of experience in law enforcement as well as in the [commercial motor vehicle] industry,” Spear continued. “Throughout his career, he has demonstrated his ability to bridge industry and enforcement, forge consensus, and deliver results. With Mr. Barrs’ expertise and the strong support of the Trump administration, we can uphold the highest standards of safety on our nation’s highways.”
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance executive director Collin Mooney also touted the newly confirmed agency chief.
“The alliance is looking forward to working with FMCSA administrator Barrs and the FMCSA team to continue to strengthen our partnership, share expertise and enhance safety initiatives with the goal of to reducing crashes, injuries and fatalities
Soon after Barrs' confirmation Oct. 3, American Trucking Associations offered a strong endorsement. (commerce.senate.gov)
involving commercial motor vehicles,” Mooney said. “Together, CVSA and FMCSA will continue to make meaningful progress toward reducing crashes, saving lives and promoting a culture of safety.”
Barrs, a former Florida Highway Patrol chief with more than three decades in public safety, is recognized as an authority on safety policy throughout the commercial transportation sector. During his Senate confirmation hearing earlier this year, Barrs detailed the task ahead if he were to be named leader at the DOT sub-agency.
“I understand that FMCSA’s actions impact an entire industry, and I am committed to ensuring that agency decisions are informed, balanced and transparent,” he said. “If confirmed, I will continue to strengthen relationships between government and stakeholders, working together on our shared goal of improving roadway safety as well as addressing critical safety issues.”
It is expected that Barrs will be confirmed soon. An earlier version of this story indicated his confirmation vote had already taken place.
Reprinted from Transport Topics.
Transport Companies are Working Closely with Shippers on LTL Overhaul
Pitt Ohio and Echo Global Logistics are helping steer their customers toward proper implementation of the new NMFC.
Alejandra Carranza | Reporter | Trucking Dive
With the National Motor Freight Traffic Association’s LTL classification changes now in place, transportation companies are coordinating closely with shippers to work out how to best simplify the process.
The National Motor Freight Classification changes, which took effect on July 19, were designed to simplify LTL pricing based on freight density.
Logistics providers Echo Global Logistics and Pitt Ohio Express took to the stage at the FTR Transportation Conference to share their perspectives on where the industry is now with the LTL overhaul.
Speakers said the main theme surrounding conversation between carriers, shippers, and third-party logistics providers is establishing the impact of the changes and how to address them.
“We did a lot of work to identify shippers that were going to be affected by this,” Marty Martin, SVP of LTL at Echo Global Logistics, said at the conference.
In the case of Echo Global, the Chicago-headquartered 3PL launched an email campaign to reach out to shippers on not only how the NMFC changes were going to impact them but “what type of changes they were going to have to make to their shipping behaviors as a result of these upcoming changes,” Martin said.
The shippers most shocked by the changes were companies mainly shipping under a single-class item. For the first time, these types of shippers had to think about what their dimension and density was, Martin added.
For Pitt Ohio, the company is considering the current freight market in its approach to implementing changes to its shippers’ cargo handling.
“Right now, I would say that we’re more in the data collection stage,” Shawn Galloway, VP of pricing at Pitt Ohio, said
at the conference. “And then our plan is to work with customers. Especially in the soft freight market, I don’t think it’s a good idea to just go out there and start hitting customers over the head with a stick and adjusting their charges.”
Galloway said the company is starting to examine internal data on how the NMFC changes affect customers. After identifying issues, the Pittsburgh-based transportation services provider will then talk with each customer to correct any information if needed to avoid extra fees that could come with the wrong classification.
“If the customer is still using an old NMFC number, an old class, it’s up to us to catch that and then make the changes,” he said.
Shippers have also been acquiring more dimensioning technology to prepare for the NMFC changes. A. Duie Pyle and Southeastern Freight Lines told Trucking Dive in July that they’ve added more dimensioners to boost accuracy for the classification changes.
Echo Global reiterated that adaptive approach.
“We’ve seen more interest among shippers in acquiring dimensioning technology to put on their docks in the last nine months than I’ve seen in the last five years,” Martin said. “It’s really accelerated. I wish I could own stock in a dimensioning company — because I think over the next few years, that’s really going to explode.”
Despite the classification transformation, FedEx shippers have some time to get their affairs in order as the carrier has paused implementation of the LTL classification enforcement until Dec. 1.
Meanwhile, the NMFTA plans to release more NMFC changes Dec. 6. Earlier this month, the group requested feedback on a second docket of proposed changes to classification provisions and federal regulatory concerns. A public meeting on the updates will be held Sept. 29.
Reprinted from Trucking Dive.
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Guy Fieri’s Tequila Stolen in Double Brokering Scheme
Two truckloads of Santo Tequila — a brand co-owned by Food Network host Guy Fieri and former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar — disappeared somewhere between Texas and Pennsylvania late last year after impostor carriers obtained the job through an online freight scam, according to “60 Minutes.”
"How do you lose, you know, that many thousands of bottles of tequila?" Fieri told the program. He said that if a theft like this can happen to his company, “then everybody’s vulnerable.”
The stolen shipment, valued at more than $1 million, is now a high-profile example of how digital fraud is reshaping cargo theft. Investigators told “60 Minutes” the thieves used forged carrier identities and spoofed GPS data to make the load appear in transit while redirecting it across the country.
The scheme — known in the freight industry as double brokering — has become a costly operational hazard for carriers and brokers nationwide.
The shipment of 24,000 bottles disappeared after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border into Laredo, Texas, “60 Minutes” reported Oct. 5. It was bound for a Santo Spirits warehouse in Lansdale, Pa., but never arrived.
Fake Carriers, Forged Paperwork and Spoofed GPS
Santo Spirits CEO Dan Butkus told “60 Minutes” that the company’s logistics partner hired a carrier that re-brokered the job to another firm, which turned out to be fictitious. The impostor carrier used forged documents, phony email accounts and fake phone numbers to appear legitimate, he said. Thieves sent video of a supposed breakdown and routine delay updates to mask the fraud.
The GPS data itself was manipulated. Butkus said the signal was “spoofed or emulated,” so the shipment appeared on tracking systems to be near Washington, D.C., before supposedly closing in on the Pennsylvania facility. The tequila, in fact, had been rerouted west.
Investigators interviewed by “60 Minutes” said the drivers who picked up the loads were legitimate and unaware of the deception. They were reportedly redirected by criminals to deliver the trailers to Los Angeles, where the cargo vanished. Three weeks later, the Los Angeles Police Department’s Cargo Theft Unit recovered about 11,000 bottles in a Southeast L.A. warehouse. The second truck and its cargo remain missing.
Guy Fieri stands on stage in February at his Flavortown Tailgate in New Orleans, with a bottle of Santo Tequila and cigar in hand. (Amy Harris/ Invision/Associated Press)
The tequila case is a vivid illustration of how cyber-enabled freight crime has evolved from parking-lot pilfering to remote manipulation of digital systems. CargoNet operations chief Keith Lewis told 60 Minutes that online diversion thefts have surged 1,200% in the past four years.
“It happens multiple times a day,” he said, noting that the cost of such losses “100% falls back on the consumer.”
The “60 Minutes” report noted that investigators linked the Santo theft to a transnational gang operating out of Armenia, reflecting the global reach of organized cargo theft networks now targeting U.S. supply chains.
ATA: Cargo Theft Costs Economy $35 Billion a Year
American Trucking Associations estimates cargo theft costs the economy up to $35 billion a year, with an average loss exceeding $200,000 per incident. ATA says thefts have risen 1,500% since early 2021, driven in part by fraudulent carrier activity and weak enforcement.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is seeking input from trucking stakeholders on strategies to deter cargo crime, including improved carrier verification, information sharing and theft reporting. In a Sept. 19 Federal Register notice, DOT said organized theft rings are exploiting “highly coordinated operations” that use identity fraud, cyber intrusion and staged diversions to infiltrate freight networks.
Reprinted from Transport Topics.
Truckers Back on the Hook for Demurrage and Detention Charges
Tyson Fisher | Associate Editor | Land Line Motor carriers are once again responsible for demurrage and detention fees. This change ends a brief break that lasted just over a year.
A federal appeals court has partially overturned a Federal Maritime Commission rule regulating demurrage and detention charges. Issued last February, the rule aimed to help truckers who were billed despite having no control over the fees.
Maersk, the world’s second largest container shipping company with more than 700 ships deployed, defines demurrage and detention as:
• Demurrage: The time the filled containers spend inside the terminal. This is measured from when they are offloaded from the vessel or train until they are picked up at the port (gated out).
• Detention: The time the containers spend outside the terminal. Measured between picking them up at the port when they’re full and returning them to the port or a depot when they’re empty. For an importer, this is usually the time to unpack.
The new rule defined to whom ocean carriers can issue demurrage and detention invoices: whoever contracted with the billing party for “ocean transportation or storage of cargo” and the consignee. In other words, shippers and receivers.
Demurrage and detention fees could be billed only to those with a contractual relationship with the ocean carriers. That’s because only they understand and can dispute those charges. Trucking companies with no knowledge or involvement in those contracts complained about being held accountable.
However, some motor carriers could be held liable for demurrage and detention fees in the original final rule. In some cases, ocean carriers contract directly with trucking companies. This situation fits the rule’s focus on contracts.
Yet the final rule clearly stated that a billed party is anyone with a contract for “ocean transportation.” Since trucking companies provide land transportation, it was possible they could be exempt.
Clearing up that confusion, the Federal Maritime Commission issued a final rule correction last May. Simply put, motor carriers could not be billed for demurrage and detention fees.
The World Shipping Council, which represents the world’s largest ocean carriers, challenged the rule.
The association argued that the entire purpose of the rule was to exempt those with no contractual relationship from liability. Despite that, the rule exempted trucking companies with a contract while keeping receivers with no contractual relationship to the ocean carrier on the hook. Therefore, the rule was arbitrary and capricious.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit agreed.
In the opinion, the court points to the Federal Maritime Commission’s own words in the original final rule:
“As discussed in the NPRM, a primary purpose of this rule is to stop demurrage and detention invoices from being sent to parties who did not negotiate contract terms with the billing party. That concern is not present where a motor carrier has directly contracted with (an ocean carrier). Nothing in this rule, either in the proposed or final version, prohibits (an ocean carrier) from issuing a demurrage or detention invoice to a motor carrier when a contractual relationship exists …”
In its correction, the Federal Maritime Commission explained that the rule applied only to contracts based on through bills of lading. Any contracts not based on through bills of lading would be exempt. The court ruled that the commission’s explanation still contradicted the purpose of the rule.
Through bill of lading or not, “the trucker has precisely the kind of firsthand information from negotiating the contract that the Commission views to be vital to allowing imposition of demurrage and detention fees.”
“In short, when faced with a seeming discrepancy in the reach of the rule given its underlying rationale, the Commission acknowledged – even embraced – the existence of the evident inconsistency but gave no reasonable justification for it,” the court ruled. “None of this is to say definitively that the Commission could never give a satisfactory explanation for categorically excluding motor carriers from the field of parties that may be assessed demurrage and detention fees, should the Commission opt to maintain that policy. Rather, it is to say that the Commission has yet to give such an explanation.”
Essentially, the court told the Federal Maritime Commission it cannot say billing depends on contracts, then ban billing for one class of contracting partners while allowing it for some non-contracting ones, without explaining why.
The court struck down only the section of the rule dealing with who can be billed for demurrage and detention fees. Other parts of the rule, including invoice timelines and dispute resolution, remain intact. LL
ATRI Report Finds $6.6 Billion in Annual Losses as Digital Crimes Rise
Top categories for stolen merchandise are food and beverages, which can be easily resold.
Noël Fletcher | Staff Reporter | Transport
Topics
Cargo theft costs the freight transportation industry $18 million each day in direct and indirect losses, with 74% of stolen goods disappearing forever, according to a new American Transportation Research Institute report.
ATRI’s 70-page report determined that numerous weaknesses throughout the supply chain are making cargo an easy target for criminals and creating difficulties for victims to prevent future incidents. The report evaluated cargo theft data from motor carriers, logistics service providers, insurers and others to understand and quantify the scope and causes of cargo theft.
“Unfortunately, we’ve reached a point where cargo theft has become a standard cost of doing business for trucking companies, with consumers ultimately footing the bill for many billions of dollars in losses. Something must be done to stop these costly crimes,” said Ben Banks, president of TCW Inc. “ATRI’s new research on cargo theft puts real-world numbers to the issue and will hopefully motivate stakeholders to act quickly on solutions.”
“The Fight Against Cargo Theft: Insights from the Trucking Industry” was prepared by Jeffrey Short, vice president, and Dan Murray, senior vice president, of ATRI.
Findings showed the annual cargo theft cost to the industry is about $6.6 billion, or more than $18 million each day.
Annual theft costs average $520,000 per motor carrier and about $1.84 million per logistics service provider, the report found.
Researchers conducted numerous interviews with industry participants such as motor carriers who lost goods due to cargo
theft. They also had input from experts who work to monitor and prevent this crime.
“The new digital platform for cargo theft is possible, in part, because of rapidly expanding visibility into supply chains and reliance on information systems. Freight capacity can be sourced and contracted from anywhere in the world through an internet connection. While supply chain visibility and automation have dramatically improved over the last two decades, that same digital environment has given cargo thieves unfettered access to cargo and customer data. The result has been an influx of schemes where freight is stolen through non-traditional means,” the report stated.
ATRI examined how and where cargo theft occurs, prevention strategies, forming strong law enforcement partnerships and the role of insurance in risk management.
Top categories for stolen merchandise are food and beverages, which can be easily resold.
(American Transportation Research Institute)
Cargo is more likely to be stolen near major freight and logistics hubs in large cities where significant goods are moving on interstate corridors while law enforcement capabilities are strained.
Key areas for cargo thieves are California, Texas, Illinois and Tennessee. Urban areas with the highest rates of stolen trailers and trailer pilferage include Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta and New York. Cities experiencing recent cargo theft spikes include Chicago, Memphis, Houston, Miami, Savannah and Newark.
Prevention strategies include protecting and monitoring facilities, trucks and trailers.
ATRI’s report found that the most common theft locations differ between motor carriers and logistics service providers.
(CHUYN/Getty Images)
(American Transportation Research Institute)
For motor carriers, it’s their terminals, where 24% of thefts occur. Logistics service providers, on the other hand, experience 51% of theft at customer pickup locations through strategic schemes.
ATRI advised that motor carriers can thwart terminal theft by securing their facilities and providing access only to trusted, vetted people.
(American Transportation Research Institute)
Comprehensive anti-cargo theft tools can be developed through state legislation to arm all stakeholders with enforcement resources and legal tools, ATRI noted.
Reprinted from Transport Topics.
The full report is available on ATRI's website here: https:// truckingresearch.org/2025/10/the-fight-against-cargo-theftinsights-from-the-trucking-industry/
FMCSA Extends Medical Certification Waiver
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has once again extended a waiver intended to help states maintain compliance with new federal guidelines for medical certification of commercial drivers.
In June, the agency announced it would be implementing new guidelines outlined in the Medical Examiner’s Certification Integration rule. Under the new regulations, medical examiners are required to electronically submit results from physicals to FMCSA and state licensing agencies within 24 hours of the exam. The new rule also eliminated the need for drivers to carry a paper copy of their medical certification card.
By July, all but 12 states – Alaska, California, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Vermont and Wyoming – had implemented the new regulations.
At that time, the agency issued a waiver that allowed CDL holders to continue to use paper copies of medical examiner’s certificates as proof of their medical certification for up to 15 days after the date the certificate is issued.
According to FMCSA, the waiver was provided so “drivers with valid medical certification and their employers are not negatively impacted for delays outside of their control” as states continued to transition to the new rule.
The waiver is set to expire on Oct. 12.
Over a month after the original waiver was issued, the same twelve states were still noncompliant with the new regulations, prompting the agency to issue a modified version of the waiver that would allow drivers to use a paper copy of their certificate for up to 60 days after their exam. While
the modified version bought drivers an additional 45 days, the expiration date for the waiver did not change.
Now, as the original waiver nears its expiration date, there are still states that are noncompliant with the new regulations. You guessed it… the same twelve states.
On Thursday, Oct. 9, FMCSA issued yet another waiver that would allow drivers to continue to use a paper copy of the medical card for up to 60 days after the exam.
The new waiver goes into effect on Oct. 13 and will expire on Jan. 10, 2026.
Truckers needing a DOT physical and their primary care physician does not do them, the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners home page has a section to search for a provider. LL
Reprinted from Land Line.
Ryan Witkowski | Staff Writer | Land Line
ATBS: How a Driver Can Make it in a Tough Trucking Market
John Kingston | FreightWaves
Take on extra loads and watch your costs is the core of the message from Mike Hosted income peaked at $164,929 in the second quarter of 2022. But by the fourth quarter of that same year, it had dipped to $150,006.
Mike Hosted, the vice president of sales and marketing at trucking-focused financial advisory and accounting firm ATBS, opened up the company’s mid-year webinar Tuesday on the state of the industry by talking about what a lousy trucking market drivers are enduring.
But by the end of his one-hour online presentation, he was showing data how drivers that have stayed with their carrier or kept their nose to the grindstone–or in this case, the highway–have actually improved their position in the past few years.
The dichotomy in Hosted’s presentation was stark. He laid out a scenario in which a number of trucking cost centers have been rising, with particularly grim numbers coming out of the bill for maintenance. A chart on truck payments also showed the level of that rising burden.
But Hosted also recommended a series of specific steps that at times morphed into more of a philosophy on how keeping a truck on the road and being willing to steer it into lanes that many drivers might swear off can help spread out higher fixed costs across more miles, leading to better profitability.
Hosted was blunt about the state of the industry that drivers encounter. “Nothing has gotten better with trucking,” he said. “Things haven’t gotten any easier.” His company is in a position to know; it is the financial advisor and tax preparer for an
enormous clientele of independent owner operators along with some company drivers.
Staying at Your Carrier Can Be Profitable
But Hosted, in a series of slides, presented data that showed how drivers that stuck around at carriers for a longer period steadily recorded higher pay. One comparison showed that drivers who stayed with their carrier for more than a year, compared to those who exited quickly, could see about a one-third jump in average income. That gain is created, he said, “by not turning over and not jumping around and doing the right things.”
“I realize that doesn’t work with every carrier,” he said. “I understand the industry but what I can tell you is that there’s a lot of successful carriers.”
Since a bottoming of the industry’s average income levels in the fourth quarter of 2023, per ATBS data, “those drivers that aren’t turning over, that are sticking with it, their net income has gone up every time we’ve done this study for the last two years.”
Incomes Coming Back From Post-Crash Low
For example, Hosted showed a slide of annualized net income for ATBS clients who have used the company’s services for more than a year. For the top onethird of ATBS clients, annualized net
That pay level has started to rebound. In the second quarter of this year, that number for the top third of ATBS clients had risen to $161,082.
But to Hosted’s point about being willing to take certain steps, like additional loads or more challenging lanes, there has not been much of a rebound in the bottom third of ATBS clients.
That cohort had average annualized net income or $61,029 in the second quarter of 2022. By the fourth quarter of that year it had dropped to $57,066. But in this year’s second quarter, it had barely moved up, coming in at $57,192.
Most notable were the gains for the top 10% of ATBS clients. Hosted presented data that did not go back as far as the strong market of 2022. But in the second quarter of 2023, their annualized net income was $206,058. In 2025’s second quarter, that figure had risen to $224,715.
All those drivers have faced some increase in costs, as noted by Hosted. But the overall picture for costs in the last year was mostly lower, driven almost exclusively by the decline in fuel prices. (The average weekly retail diesel price published by the Department of Energy/ Energy Information Administration was about $3.91/gallon in the first half of 2024. In the first half of this year, it was about $3.59/g.)
What costs are rising are being offset to a large degree by the decline in diesel prices, according to Hosted’s data. The end result is that ATBS’ estimate on trucking variable costs between July 2024 and July 2025 were down 5.6%, to an average annual cost of $65,016. Fuel costs during that time were down more than 10%.
But fixed costs are up 2.1%, or $1,189, to $57,564.
Burden of Rising Maintenance Costs
Hosted’s discussion of maintenance costs was the most pessimistic.
He showed a chart that said in the last year, dry van operators are paying another $1,711 for maintenance, for an annual outlay of $12,483. Reefer maintenance costs have risen even further, to $12,453, up $2,745. The increase in flatbed maintenance has been more moderate, up $486 to $14,087.
“Parts cost more, labor costs more, and people have been running their trucks longer,” Hosted said. Hosted showed data that he said indicated that “we’re skyrocketing to the highest we’ve ever been in terms of monthly maintenance costs.”
That led to a discussion of what Hosted said was likely to be a big factor in the market going forward: deferred maintenance.
When drivers face what Hosted called “tough maintenance or a tough marketplace,” he said drivers will delay maintenance for longer “because they can’t afford to do some of the simple things.”
But delaying maintenance has its limits, he added, “because there’s so many sensors and things that will shut your truck down now, you can’t defer as much as you used to be able to.”
Used Truck Prices Likely to Rise
An area of uncertainty Hosted discussed was one where he conceded he believed something different now than he did just a few weeks ago: the cost of used trucks.
The cost of acquiring a truck is likely to be pressured higher, Hosted said. “I thought used truck prices might actually have a chance to go down here in the near future, until this tariff hit,” Hosted said, referring to the recent announcement by the Trump administration to place tariffs on imports of heavy-duty vehicles.
As a result, Hosted said, “we’re going to see fewer orders on new trucks” which as he noted are already at low levels.
“Nobody’s buying new trucks right now because they’re too expensive,” he said. “They’re about to get more expensive.”
Combine that with incomes that by some of the ATBS measurements are higher, but not fantastically higher, and it’s a squeeze. With fewer new vehicles coming in the market, and demand for what is out there on the dealer lots reduced because of economic conditions, older vehicles are going to see their lives extended. “That tells me used truck prices could actually go up when a week ago I might have told you they were actually going to go down,” Hosted said.
But the ATBS webinar was not all doom and gloom on the outlook.
Discussions that Hosted said he has had recently with fleets have led him to optimism on other fronts, but not for the entire sector.
“Some of the smaller fleets right now are struggling,” he said. “They’re struggling with turnover, they’re struggling to find good drivers to stay there.”
That has resulted in what Hosted said was a noticeable drop in service with some smaller fleets. Bigger ones are taking advantage, he said.
“The larger fleets are actually winning back 2% to 3% rate increases, and they’re getting better volume,” Hosted said. In some of the larger fleets–Hosted did not identify them by name but said “you would all know them”–are reporting to ATBS that they’re “getting really good volume back, up 8% to 12% in the freight they’re going to haul over the next year.”
Hosted’s philosophical discussion about how drivers can cope with the current market included some specific guidelines on what a driver should track to mimic those that ATBS are seeing succeed.
Those ATBS clients who are in those categories that have shown income gains despite the weak market, Hosted said, “are taking that extra level. They’re watching their fuel margin. They know their fixed cost per day and they know their variable cost per mile. They’re really just focusing on the numbers.”
But on a broader, less data-driven level, what are the practices that drivers with rising incomes pursue? Holden’s comment: “I can’t say this enough. Extend your range.”
Head to the Tough Lanes
“I just can’t even imagine what it’s like driving in New York City and the East Coast and all the tolls and things like that,” Hosted said. “But what I’ll tell you is the best paying freight and the best, most profitable drivers go back and forth where people live.”
A recent visit to what he called a “very large carrier” drove home that point, Hosted said. A primary route for the company is Chicago to the Northeast; he said the company specialized in that lane “pretty much exclusively.”
“The tolls are high, the fuel costs are high, but the rates they’re getting are the highest,” Hosted said.
Hosted presented a slide that laid out ATBS’ estimates on how a driver would benefit from grabbing more work. The title of the slide: Take an Extra Load.
The numbers laid out were based on ATBS estimates of various costs. Its rate per mile estimate was $1.83; it assumed fixed costs would be zero as other loads would have been adequate to cover them. The variable cost per mile for the purpose of the ATBS example was 70 cents.
Hosted said the contribution margin is revenue less variable costs.
Under that scenario, Hosted said, one additional 500-mile load would yield a profit of $565. Doing that monthly would produce $6,780 in profits.
And in the category of obvious, the slide noted that adding two loads per month would double those amounts.
Reprinted from Truckers News.
Bill Would Relaunch ‘Floundering’ Under-21 Trucker Apprenticeship
Mark Schremmer | Senior Editor | Land Line
After the initial under-21 commercial driver apprenticeship program drew underwhelming numbers, lawmakers in the House want to make some tweaks.
Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., recently reintroduced the Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE) Safe Act.
HR5563 aims to introduce 18- to 20-year-olds to interstate trucking. Currently, 21 is the minimum age for commercial drivers to cross state lines. Intrastate truckers can start at 18.
Citing a driver shortage, proponents of the bill have said that lowering the age is necessary to attract a new generation of drivers to trucking. However, multiple studies over the years have indicated that there is no driver shortage. For instance, a 2024 study from the National Academies of Sciences said that the idea of a driver shortage goes against the basic economic principles of supply and demand.
Still, the driver-shortage narrative led to the creation of the under-21 apprenticeship program in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
FMCSA’S Apprenticeship Pilot Program For Truckers
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced the creation of the pilot program in January 2022. Since then, the numbers have never been good.
In April 2024, it was reported that FMCSA had received only 113 applications from motor carriers. Only 34 of those carriers had been fully approved to participate in the program. According to the report, 36 applications were rejected for failing to complete registration. The program was set up to accommodate 1,000 motor carriers and 3,000 under-21 drivers.
As of the end of 2025’s second quarter, FMCSA reported that it had received 211 motor carrier applications and that 62 had been approved. Meanwhile, only 80 applications had been received from apprentice drivers. Out of those, only 42 completed both probationary periods of the program.
The American Trucking Associations has blamed the lack of participation on certain requirements in the program, such as driver-facing cameras.
DRIVE Safe Act
Crawford said that HR5563 “simplifies” the under-21 apprenticeship program. The proposed program would have probationary periods of 120 hours and 280 hours. The updated version would not have driver-facing cameras but would require forward-facing cameras, automatic emergency braking systems, automatic transmissions and a CDL holder – who
is at least 26 years old and has two years of experience – on board.
The DRIVE Safe Act currently has six co-sponsors.
Opposition
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which promotes increasing entry-level driver training standards, is against allowing 18-year-olds straight out of high school to start operating as long-haul truckers. Instead, OOIDA believes lawmakers should consider establishing a 150-mile radius for younger drivers that would allow them to cross state lines.
“The solution to this problem is not suddenly permitting that inexperienced driver to cross the country without limitations, entering terrain and experiencing elements they find unfamiliar and have not been trained to handle safely,” OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh told lawmakers at a Senate hearing in July.
He also noted that truck drivers of all ages oppose inward-facing cameras.
Bryce Mongeon, OOIDA’s director of legislative affairs, said that large carriers need to address driver pay and working conditions to reduce turnover rates instead of risking safety by allowing 18-year-olds to haul freight across the country.
“With the current under-21 pilot program floundering miserably, Congress should not double-down on this failed policy,” Mongeon said. “In fact, one of the most pressing issues facing truckers is rock-bottom freight rates due to driver overcapacity. There is simply no reason for Congress to expand the pool of available drivers for long-haul, interstate trucking, especially given the lack of clear safety performance data from the ongoing pilot program. If Congress wants to address interstate trucking challenges, we have advocated for a limited short-haul exemption that would allow younger drivers to gain experience in familiar conditions while being able to cross state lines.” LL
Reprinted from Land Line.
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We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the South Dakota Highway Patrol and the District Two Motor Carrier Enforcement Officers for their generous support in assisting the South Dakota Trucking Association’s Safety Management Council with this year’s annual ditch cleanup.
For many years, the Safety Management Council of the South Dakota Trucking Association has proudly participated in the Adopt A Highway program, demonstrating our commitment to community care by maintaining a two-mile stretch of South Dakota Highway 19, just north of Humboldt. Together, we are making a tangible difference in keeping our highways clean and safe for everyone.
ATA Calls on Congress to Strengthen CDL Standards
Dana Guthrie | The Trucker
“Though commercial trucking is among the most heavily regulated industries in the United States, gaps in oversight, enforcement, and qualification requirements…threaten safety on our nation’s highways,” said Chris Spear, ATA president, CEO.
According to the ATA, the letter was sent “in light of several high-profile crashes involving unqualified drivers on our nation’s highways.”
In addition to calling on Congress to close dangerous loopholes, ATA raised concerns about cabotage – the illegal practice of foreign carriers conducting domestic freight movements – which poses an ongoing threat to the viability of U.S. carriers.
Critical Importance of Trained, Qualified Drivers
“As the largest national association representing the trucking industry, ATA and its members recognize the critical importance of a trained, qualified driver workforce and have identified several specific
steps towards strengthening the processes and checks that ensure a commercial driver is fit to operate on our nation’s roadways,” Spear said. “ATA respectfully urges [Congress’] consideration of these actions to further close critical gaps in our driver qualification system, strengthen enforcement of existing standards, and prevent unsafe operators from entering or remaining in the trucking industry.”
While the U.S. Department of Transportation has taken major steps forward under the leadership of Secretary Sean Duffy, targeted legislative reforms are urgently needed to support USDOT’s efforts and ensure all commercial drivers are properly qualified, adequately trained and legally operating in the country, according to the letter.
Six Recommendations
ATA made six recommendations on actions Congress should take related to English Language Proficiency (ELP), cabotage violations, Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) and commercial driver’s license (CDL) issuance. They include:
• Codify the President’s Executive Order on ELP for truck drivers.
• Direct FMCSA to initiate a rulemaking requiring an ELP test as part of the CDL issuance process.
• Require individuals to hold a standard driver’s license for at least one year before becoming eligible for a CDL, with limited exceptions for certain workforce training programs.
• Strengthen federal and state oversight of CDL issuance and testing to ensure only fully qualified drivers enter the industry.
• Expedite the removal of non-compliant training providers from the FMCSA Training Provider Registry (TPR).
• Strengthen enforcement and penalties against illegal cabotage.
Read ATA’s letter and full recommendations to congressional leaders here: https://www.trucking.org/sites/default/ files/2025-10/2025-10-08%20ATA%20 Letter%20to%20Congress%20on%20 ELP%2C%20Cabotage%20%26%20 ELDT%20Recs.pdf
Reprinted from The Trucker.
ATRI Research Addresses Shortage of Qualified Diesel Techs in Trucking
Washington, D.C. – The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) today released new research on causes and solutions for the current gaps in diesel technician training, recruitment, and retention. Qualified techs are indispensable to a safe and efficient trucking industry, yet 65.5 percent of shops were understaffed in 2025 with an average of 19.3 percent of positions unfilled. The research synthesized findings from techs, shops, and training programs.
Most techs (61.8%) enter the career without any formal training, requiring an average of 357 training hours and $8,211 in trainee wages to prepare them. Even with formal training, more than 30 percent of training program graduates were unqualified in 20 core skill areas, according to diesel shops. In 7 of these core skill areas, each additional hour of training improved tech qualification by more than 16 percent, and as such additional training hours in these areas can improve outcomes. In 6 core skill areas, however, each additional hour of training improved tech qualification by less than 8 percent, highlighting the need for critical curricula upgrades.
The most common barrier reported by techs at the start of their career was the high cost of acquiring their own tools (29.0%), followed by a lack of prior tech knowledge (28.0%), insufficient pay (16.1%), and poor shop mentorship
(10.8%). Though pay and schedules were the two aspects of employment that most attracted techs to the trucking industry, techs also ranked the pursuit of more interesting work (ranked 3rd) and greater variety of work (ranked 5th) as vitally important.
Forty-four percent of trucking techs were considering other tech jobs, with automotive and agriculture the most common alternative industries. Dissatisfaction with pay, interactions with management, and variety of work were the aspects of employment that had the most statistically significant association with techs choosing to look for a new job versus staying at their current job. The research also evaluated techs’ perspectives on other industries to identify how trucking’s comparative strengths and weaknesses match up to techs’ varying priorities.
“With a lack of qualified techs and stiff competition from other industries, tech employment in the trucking industry is not keeping up with demand, especially when it comes to retaining entry-level technicians just entering the workforce,” said Robert Braswell, Executive Director of ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council. “ATRI’s report helps trucking shops identify not only where they and their training program partners can improve but also how to better leverage our industry’s existing strengths.”
The full report is available on ATRI’s website here: https://truckingresearch. org/2025/08/addressing-the-shortage-of-qualified-diesel-technicians/
ATRI Seeks Motor Carrier Training and Safety Data on New Entrant Truck Drivers
Washington, D.C. – ATRI has issued a call for motor carrier participation in new research analyzing the impacts of new entrant truck driver training on safety
and retention. The study is an update to research published by ATRI in 2008, and this latest study will focus on the efficacy of FMCSA’s Entry-Level Driver Training requirements.
Participating carriers are required to submit the following data points for each of their new-entrant drivers:
• Demographics – days employed, CDL training provider, total miles driven, etc.
For the purposes of this research, new entrants are defined as CDL drivers who have been driving professionally for 3 weeks to 24 months, and whose first professional truck driving job was with your carrier (i.e., they had no prior truck driving employer). Any driver who has met this definition since March 2022 could be included in the data collection. In addition, participating motor carriers will be asked to report fleetwide averages for training and retention metrics such as hours of driving with a trainer and nights home per week.
Participating carriers must have employed a minimum of 25 new entrant drivers in the requested time period (March 2022 – August 2025).
All data is strictly confidential, and ATRI is prepared to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement for participation in this research. All data will be anonymized and published in aggregate form only.
If interested in participating, please complete the motor carrier questionnaire at https://www.research.net/r/ MCInterestAndEligibility.
ATRI is the trucking industry’s 501c3 not-for-profit research organization. It is engaged in critical research relating to freight transportation’s essential role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient transportation system.
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