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The latest trucking industry news, plus plain-English guides to DOT compliance, driver qualification, fleet safety, and lawsuit defense.

National average diesel

Week of September 21, 2026 · EIA

$6.529/ gal

+24.4¢vs last week

+$2.78vs last year

East Coast: $6.268
Midwest: $6.680
Gulf Coast: $6.177
Rocky Mountains: $6.340
West Coast: $7.456
California: $8.246

Surveyed weekly by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Read our coverage.

Trucking news

All news

September 26, 2026Court Blocks FMCSA From Pulling the Records of 17 Million CDL Holders
September 22, 2026Freight Volumes Just Turned Positive for the First Time in 42 Months
September 17, 2026Diesel Hit $6.29 a Gallon — Up 68% in a Year — Just as Spot Rates Had Their Worst August on Record
September 14, 2026National Truck Driver Appreciation Week 2026: Practical Ways Fleets Can Thank Their Drivers

Latest articles

A tired commercial driver resting in a truck sleeper berth at a rest area

Driver HealthSeptember 27, 20264 min read

Sleep Apnea and Your DOT Card: Most of What You've Been Told Isn't a Rule

There is no FMCSA sleep apnea regulation. No federal BMI cutoff. No mandatory screening test. Almost every hard number drivers repeat about apnea and the DOT card traces back to a bulletin that was rescinded — here's what actually applies.

A conference room set up for a deposition with documents and a court reporter's station

Litigation DefenseSeptember 26, 2026

The Questions a Plaintiff's Attorney Will Ask Your Safety Director

In a serious truck accident case, the safety director's deposition is frequently where the number gets decided. The questions are predictable — they are designed to make your own policies the weapon. Here's what gets asked and why.

A row of new Class 8 tractors on a dealer lot with a technician inspecting an engine

BUY OR WAIT?!Risk ManagementSeptember 24, 2026

Buy a 2026 Truck or Wait for 2027? What EPA's Latest Proposal Changes

The 2027 NOx standard isn't moving. But in July, EPA proposed softening the warranty and useful-life rules behind it — a change the agency estimates could cut up to $6,000 per engine. Comments closed Aug. 29, and fleets are deciding without a final answer.

A driver handing a commercial driver's license and immigration paperwork across a licensing agency counter

DOT ComplianceSeptember 22, 2026

Non-Domiciled CDLs: The Rule Is in Force, and Renewals Are Where Carriers Get Caught

FMCSA's non-domiciled CDL rule took effect March 16, 2026, and a federal appeals court refused to pause it. Arguments were heard Sept. 15. Existing licenses stay valid until they expire — the problem shows up at renewal.

A loaded trailer parked alone at a dimly lit truck stop at night

Risk ManagementSeptember 21, 2026

Cargo Thieves Are Stealing Less Freight and Making Twice the Money

Verisk CargoNet logged 677 supply chain theft incidents in Q2 2026, down 26% from a year earlier. Losses still more than doubled, to $304.6 million. Thieves stopped stealing more and started stealing better — and the way in is usually your own paperwork.

A fleet manager reviewing insurance renewal paperwork and cost-per-mile figures at a desk with trucks visible outside

Risk ManagementSeptember 20, 2026

Trucking Insurance Costs in 2026: Why Yours Went Up and What Actually Brings It Down

ATRI put the cost of running a truck at a record $2.336 a mile, with insurance at 10.6 cents and climbing faster than almost any other line item in early 2026. Fuel you can't control. Insurance you can — here's what underwriters actually price on.

A carrier completing Unified Carrier Registration paperwork on a laptop in a trucking office

DOT ComplianceSeptember 16, 2026

UCR 2027 Registration Opens Oct. 1 — and Fees Are Up About 20%

FMCSA adopted the UCR Board's recommended increase for registration year 2027. A two-truck carrier goes from $46 to $55; a 1,000-plus fleet goes from $44,836 to $54,165. Here's the full bracket table and how to register without getting scammed.

A semi-truck with its headlights on driving down a snow-covered road through a pine forest as snow falls at dusk

Fleet SafetySeptember 15, 2026

Winter Fleet Safety Checklist: How to Prepare Trucks and Drivers Before the First Storm

Snow, ice and short days turn small maintenance and training gaps into jackknifes and claims. Here's a fall checklist for trucks, drivers, dispatch and documentation, so your fleet is ready before the first storm instead of after it.

A dash camera mounted at the top of a semi-truck windshield, seen from the driver's seat looking out at highway traffic

Risk ManagementSeptember 11, 2026

Dash Cams and Trucking Liability: How Video Protects Your Fleet (and When It Can Hurt You)

Forward-facing video can clear a driver within hours of a crash, but footage you fail to preserve, or unsafe driving you recorded and ignored, can be turned against you. Here's how to run a dash cam program that lowers your liability instead of adding to it.

A CDL driver reviewing a lease agreement and settlement statement to check whether they are correctly classified as an independent contractor

DOT ComplianceSeptember 9, 2026

Misclassified CDL Driver Rights: How to Tell If You're Really an Independent Contractor

Getting a 1099 instead of a W-2 doesn't make you an independent contractor — the law looks at how you actually work, not what the paperwork says. Here's how classification is really decided in trucking, the signs you may be misclassified, what changes if you're an employee, and what carriers need on file to keep a legitimate owner-operator program defensible.

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