English language proficiency has long been part of the federal qualifications for interstate commercial vehicle drivers. Under 49 CFR 391.11(b)(2), drivers must have enough English language proficiency to understand road signs, communicate with law enforcement, and complete required records.
A California bill that once proposed covering up to 90% of an electric truck’s purchase cost is still moving through the Legislature but that headline-making provision is no longer part of the bill. The July 1 amendment to SB 1213 removed the proposed 90% voucher language. The current version now focuses primarily on electric truck pricing transparency, future reviews of certain HVIP voucher limits, and a state study of possible…
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says its non-domiciled CDL rule is not based on proof that foreign drivers are less safe than U.S. drivers. Instead, FMCSA told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that the rule is aimed at driver-history gaps and document-verification problems in the non-domiciled CDL process. The agency’s position is that some non-domiciled CDL applicants cannot be vetted in the same…
Recent FMCSA registration changes have created confusion across the trucking industry. Many motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders have heard that MC numbers are being eliminated, while others still see MC, MX, or FF docket numbers tied to operating authority records. The clearest answer is this: FMCSA has proposed no longer assigning MC numbers, but that change has not automatically taken effect with the first release of Motus: USDOT Registration…
A new road is about to open near one of the busiest cargo gateways in the country. On July 15, 2026, the Brampton Road Connector is scheduled to begin carrying traffic between the Port of Savannah and Georgia’s interstate network. Despite the name, the connector does not introduce a new kind of freight. It is a new route built to move existing Georgia freight more directly between port terminals, highways,…
North American trade entered the summer of 2026 with strong momentum. Just days before the official USMCA review 2026 process reached a critical point, new federal freight data showed a sharp rise in cross-border freight moving between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. That timing matters because the freight rebound shows how active regional trade remains while the future of the USMCA agreement is being reviewed. The agreement has not…
Rhode Island truck tolls are not back yet, but the state is getting closer to restarting the truck-only tolling program that has been inactive since 2022. After years of legal challenges, court rulings, and equipment delays, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation is now moving forward with a new back-office billing system that could help bring toll transactions back online in 2027. For trucking companies, this is not just another…
The freight market has been under pressure for more than two years, but recent developments suggest the challenges are spreading well beyond lower freight rates. What began as a slowdown in trucking has expanded into warehousing, contract logistics, staffing, and freight brokerage, creating financial strain across multiple parts of the supply chain. Recent reports show freight layoffs continuing at logistics companies, while more trucking bankruptcies and broker failures are making…
For truck drivers, July 1 isn't just another date on the calendar. It's when several new state laws take effect, bringing changes that could influence everything from CDL eligibility and highway speeds to cargo theft investigations, traffic enforcement, and legal transparency. If you've been wondering, "What is the new law for truck drivers in 2026?" the answer isn't a single nationwide regulation. Instead, multiple states are rolling out their own…
Ohio has downgraded approximately 1,200 non-domiciled CDLs as state officials review commercial driver's licenses under updated federal standards. The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) began examining roughly 5,000 non-domiciled CDL records after recent federal rule changes and guidance from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Drivers are receiving notices based on whether the documentation used to obtain their CDL meets current federal requirements. The review has become one…