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October 3, 2026The REVOKE Act Would Let DOT Shut Off USDOT Numbers Immediately. It's Aimed at Chameleon Carriers
October 1, 2026Highway Programs Extended to Dec. 11. What's Still on the Table for Trucking
September 30, 2026The Paper Medical Card Waiver Ends Oct. 11. Here's What Changes for Your Drivers
September 26, 2026Court Blocks FMCSA From Pulling the Records of 17 Million CDL Holders

Latest articles

A truck driver resting in a sleeper berth with an electronic logging device visible on the dashboard

Fleet SafetyOctober 8, 20263 min read

FMCSA's Hours of Service Pilots: Pausing the 14-Hour Clock and New Sleeper Splits, Explained

FMCSA has finished pre-testing two hours of service pilot programs and plans to expand both in 2027, with 512 drivers. One lets drivers pause the 14-hour clock for up to three hours. The other allows sleeper berth splits like 6/4 and 5/5.

A safety manager signing a driver's annual review form next to a printed motor vehicle record

DOT ComplianceOctober 7, 2026

The Annual Driver Review: What 391.25 Actually Requires, and What Auditors Find Missing

Once a year, every driver's record has to be pulled from every state that licensed them, and someone has to review it and sign off. It's one of the simplest requirements in the driver qualification file and one of the most commonly cited in audits.

A certified letter from a law firm on a desk in a trucking office next to a dash camera and a laptop

Litigation DefenseOctober 6, 2026

You Got a Preservation Letter After a Truck Crash. Here's What to Save, and How Fast

The letter usually arrives before the lawsuit. It demands that you keep everything tied to the crash, from dash cam footage to ECM data to the driver's phone. Much of that data deletes itself on a schedule, and losing it after you've been put on notice can cost you the case.

A medical examiner taking a truck driver's blood pressure with an arm cuff in a clinic

Driver HealthOctober 5, 2026

Blood Pressure and the DOT Physical: The Numbers Examiners Use, and How to Keep a Two-Year Card

High blood pressure is one of the most common reasons drivers walk out of a DOT physical with a one-year card instead of two, or a three-month card instead of one. The thresholds examiners use are well established, and most drivers can stay on the right side of them.

A trucker's fuel receipts and a mileage log spread on a desk beside a calculator

DOT ComplianceOctober 4, 2026

IFTA Third-Quarter Return: Due Nov. 2 This Year, and What Record Diesel Means for Your Filing

IFTA returns for July through September are normally due Oct. 31. This year that's a Saturday, so the deadline moves to Monday, Nov. 2. Here's what goes into the return, what a late one costs, and the mistakes that lead to audits.

A deer standing at the edge of a rural two-lane highway at dusk as a semi truck approaches with headlights on

Fleet SafetyOctober 2, 2026

Deer Season Is Crash Season: What Truck Drivers and Fleets Should Do Between October and December

November, October and December are the three worst months of the year for hitting a large animal. For a truck, a deer strike is rarely a safety disaster, but a swerve to avoid one can be, and the paperwork afterwards affects your safety record.

A certified medical examiner entering a commercial driver's physical exam results into a computer during a DOT physical

DOT ComplianceSeptember 30, 2026

Your Medical Card Files Itself Now — and That's How CDLs Are Quietly Getting Downgraded

Since June 2025, examiners send DOT physical results straight to FMCSA, which passes them to the states. When a link in that chain breaks, the state record shows the driver uncertified and the CDL gets downgraded — often without anyone knowing.

A small carrier's office desk with a laptop open to a government registration form and a USDOT number decal

DOT ComplianceSeptember 29, 2026

MCS-150 Biennial Update: When Yours Is Due, How to File in Motus, and What Happens If You Miss It

Every USDOT number has to be updated every two years, even if nothing has changed. The due date is hidden in the last two digits of the number, the filing is free, and the penalties for missing it are real, even though FMCSA has paused them for now.

A roadside inspector speaking with a commercial driver beside a parked truck

DOT ComplianceSeptember 29, 2026

FMCSA Wants English Proficiency Written Into the Rules as an Out-of-Service Violation — Comments Close Oct. 9

FMCSA published a proposed rule on Aug. 10 that would write the English language proficiency requirement into the regulations as an out-of-service violation, aligning federal rules with CVSA's criteria. The comment period closes Oct. 9, 2026.

A safety manager reviewing inspection reports and safety data on a computer in a trucking office

Fleet SafetySeptember 28, 2026

How to Actually Lower Your CSA Scores (and What Doesn't Work)

CSA scores decide how much attention you get from enforcement, what you pay for insurance, and which shippers will load you. Most carriers treat them as weather. They're not — a meaningful share of what sits in your profile is either wrong or challengeable.

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