DOT listens. Truckers win. PDF Free Download
1 / 100/100
100%
LAND LINE
®
OOIDA
®
LAND LINE
DOT listens.
Truckers win.
Cover_ AS 2025.indd 1 7/16/25 2:14 PM
2 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
2
LAND LINE
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 3
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
LAND LINE
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
3
4 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
12
The role and resilience
of OOIDA in the
trucking industry
advocacy landscape
BY WILL COOK, OOIDA MEMBER
Opinion
StateLine
28
29
30
32
34
35
HotTopics
InAug/Sept 2025
18 What happens when
truckers unite
20 Parking progress
22 FMCSA to test OOIDA’s
hours-of-service
proposals
24 Slashing red tape and
cracking down on bad
actors
26 ‘Man in the Arena’
36 Nuclear implosion
38 Advocacy in action
40 Parking Zone
42 CVSA eyes electronic IDs
44 Down for the count
47 FMCSA hopes new medical
certification rule will
combat fraud
PitStops
8
EDITOR’S DESK
87
TRUCKING HISTORY
91
EVENTS CALENDAR
92
CLASSIFIEDS
95
LIFE & SENIOR MEMBERS
96
OOIDA GEAR
DOT listens.
Truckers win.
14
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: ¡¢£¤¡
¡¢¥£¤¦¡¤¡§¥
¨ § ¡¡ ¢
¡©§£ ¢
¡¡ ª ª
ª£
¨
§¡¦¥§¡¡©¡¡
POSTMASTER¨
§¡¥
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 5
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
LAND LINE
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
5
6 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
TruckTalk
63 A matter of privacy
76 ‘Gaps in security’
¡¡«
77 Brake Safety Week
scheduled for Aug. 24-30
78 Caught on the Lot
¬
83 Kenworth launches
battery-electric models
with ‘driver-focused
technology
¥¥§¥
86 Staged crash in Louisiana
leads to multiple arrests
LighterSide
88 Slight Detour
90 Sound Judgment
ª
98 Roses & Razzberries
ª®
YourBiz
67 Fuel surcharge critical to
trucking operations
68 Are truckers paying their
fair share for roads and
bridges?
70 Sobering truths about
drug and alcohol testing
¯
71 So, you want to be an
owner-operator?
72 ‘Troubling data’
ª®
73 Form 2290 deadline
extended until Sept. 2
in 2025
74 Business Briefs
80 Trucking & Taxes
84 Road Law
ªª
85 $69 for 70 hours of work?
77
People
48 Spread the word
55 ATHS announces 2025
hall of fame class
ª®
56 Rolling along
58 GBATS 2025 set for
Sept. 25-27
¡¡§
ª®
60 Trucking has been OOIDA
member’s life
ª®
62 ‘A great day’
¥
64 Same mission, a new
beginning
66 Seeking to save lives
¯
69 Trucking’s next
generation?
68 60
TAXES
$40K
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 7
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
LAND LINE
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
7
8 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
‘No pressure, no diamonds’
Most of the time, when we think of pressure, it
conjures up negative feelings. We feel it in times of
struggle or, dare I say, survival.
It’s also used in less severe situations like
competitions. Sportscasters love to talk about the
pressure to perform faced by the team or individual
who’s behind. It’s used in the sense of an opportunity
to rise to the occasion.
Then there’s the physics of the word “pressure.”
“No pressure, no diamonds.” That is a quote from
Thomas Carlyle, and it’s pretty spot-on right now.
Diamonds would not be possible without pressure.
They are the direct
result of high heat
and pressure. Neither
of these sounds
particularly amazing to
humans, but the result is
a precious gem. (I won’t
get into the marketing
of them that led to
diamond engagement
rings. G oogle “Adam
Ruins Everything” on
diamonds, if you really are curious. I digress.)
My point is, pressure can and does lead to good
things. Take our cover story, which starts on Page
14. When the DOT listens, truckers win. It’s a pretty
simple statement, grammatically speaking.
What led us to this point was, you guessed
it, pressure. Pressure from the Owner-Operator
Independent Drivers Association and its members
who answered Calls to Action. A well-formed,
consistent message of putting the needs of actual
truck drivers rst of putting safety rst.
I’ve been doing this trucking journalism gig for
more than two decades now. And I can tell you with
100 con dence that I’ve never seen a Department
of Transportation roll out a nine-initiative plan aimed
at bettering the lives of truckers.
NINE. Not one, not two, not three. NINE.
I got sick of using the word “unprecedented” during
the pandemic, but this move by DOT Secretary Sean
Duffy earns it. This move is unprecedented.
In this issue, Senior Editor Mark Schremmer and
Associate Editor Tyson Fisher break down what the
initiatives are and what OOIDA’s role has been in
ghting for any administration to pay attention and
act. Who knows if you weren’t in these earlier
ghts, maybe you’ll feel compelled to hop over to
FightingForTruckers.com and join in now.
Speaking of joining in: Advocacy (another word
that seems to lose meaning because it’s said so much)
comes in many, many forms. This year, L and L ine
has been highlighting the efforts of members of the
OOIDA Board of Directors and how they actively
ght for truckers.
Board Member K en Becker is highlighted this
issue. He went to bat in Texas to help a truck parking
operation off the ground well, actually, on the
ground. Making a difference for truckers sometimes
just means showing up and speaking the truth.
Becker was effective. Read about his efforts on Page
38.
L and L ine was under a little bit of pressure this
issue over the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s
announced push for electronic IDs on trucks. It was
a bit of wordsmithing debate, whether the trackers
would just track trucks or truckers. We break down
CVSA’s latest proposal on page 42.
But let’s talk quickly about function creep. CVSA
claims to want only truck information. That’s well
and good. But where does it stop? Who is to stop
more and more information from being loaded onto a
chip displayed on the side of a truck?
G o back to the rulemaking that proposed basically
the same technology. That proposal wanted data on
the truck and the driver contained on the chip. With
data breaches and cybertheft on the rise, who in the
world thinks this is a great idea?
That’s another one to get ahead of and to pressure
your lawmakers to oppose.
There it is, that pressure. That constant state of heat
and pressure that can produce a precious gem. LL
Jami Jones
Managing Editor
Editor’s Desk
I got sick of using the
word “unprecedented”
during the pandemic,
but this move by DOT
Secretary Sean Duffy
earns it. This move is
unprecedented.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 9
‘No pressure, no diamonds’
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
LAND LINE
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
The
gives you access to our national accounts with
most major tire brands, allowing you to purchase premium tires at
national account pricing ... no matter the size of your fl eet.
The
also offers 24-hour roadside services.
Save on your next tire purchase. Call 816-229-5791 or visit
www.ooida.com/discounts-rebates/gold-tire-program
and request a customized quote today!
and request a customized quote today!
and request a customized quote today!
THERE’S A
SMARTER WAY
TO BUY TIRES
OOIDA
OOIDA
OOIDA can show you how with the
new OOIDA/WEX Gold Program.
10 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
Land Line Magazine is written for professional truckers operating trucks and semitrailers in for-hire transportation of exempt and
regulated commodities.
The publisher accepts unsolicited artwork, photographs and manuscripts, but assumes no responsibility for return of materials. All
materials submitted for publication are subject to editing at our discretion. The act of mailing material shall be considered an expressed
warranty by the contributor that the material is original and in no way an infringement on the rights of others.
Advertiser correspondence should be directed to Land Line Magazine Inc., PO Box 1000, Grain Valley, MO 64029. Phone 816-229-5791.
The publisher and/or OOIDA do not necessarily
endorse or make claim or guarantee the
validity or accuracy of any advertisement
herein contained.
The publisher reserves the right to reject any
advertising materials which he feels are not in
keeping with the publication’s standards.
2017-2018 Winners
PUBLISHER ........................................
MANAGING EDITOR ................................
jami_jones@landlinemag.com
SENIOR EDITOR ............................
mark_schremmer@landlinemag.com
STATE LEGISLATIVE EDITOR ..................
keith_goble@landlinemag.com
COPY EDITOR .......................
erin_wisdom@landlinemag.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR ............................
tyson_fi sher@landlinemag.com
STAFF WRITERS ..........................................
sj_munoz@landlinemag.com
ryan_witkowski@landlinemag.com
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR AT LARGE .......
john_bendel@landlinemag.com
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR ............................
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ...................
info@4statetrucks.com
info@roadlaw.net
info@truckertaxtools.com
GENERAL MANAGER .............................
kim_borron@landlinemag.com
ART DIRECTOR ....................................
debbie_johnson@landlinemag.com
PROD. ASST. & PHOTOGRAPHER ....
nikohle_barnes@landlinemag.com
PROD./AD TRAFFIC COORDINATOR ....
sharon_costanza@landlinemag.com
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR ..........................
bret_miller@landlinemag.com
CIRCULATION SPECIALIST ....................
circulation@landlinemag.com
ISSN 0279-6503 Vol. 50, No.6
OOIDA President & CEO
OOIDA Executive Vice President
The Offi cial Publication of OOIDA
PUBLICATION HEADQUARTERS
1 NW OOIDA Drive • PO Box 1000 • Grain Valley, MO 64029
816-229-5791 • Fax 816-443-2227 • LandLine.Media • ooida.com
Easy on the eyes
°
«
LL
ISSN 0279-6503
Vol. 50, No.6
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 11
OOIDA President & CEO
OOIDA Executive Vice President
Knowing that I
have OOIDA as a
resource to take
care of the business
side of things
makes it so much
easier for me to
concentrate on the
business of driving.
It is well worth
every single penny.
– Steven Barnes,
OOIDA member
It’s worth the
investment. The
membership is
awesome; they have
some truck parking
at headquarters and
they have a great
team. And if you
need help changing
something, such as no
parking for trucks at
home, OOIDA can
get you those tools
and resources.
– Matthew Bradley,
OOIDA board member
OOIDA
No one else is
trying to bat
back government
regulation.
Period. In my opinion,
it comes down to
this: Do you think
we have enough
regulation in our
industry? If you
think we have enough
regulation and you
don’t want more
regulation, you need
to support OOIDA.
– Harrison Smith,
OOIDA board member
THIS IS WHY
WE DO WHAT WE DO.
WE FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS!
12 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
As of early July, the trucking
industry remained a battleground
for major policy debates none
more divisive than the ght
over mandatory speed limiters.
While social media lights up
with claims that “nothing is
being done,” the reality paints
a different picture one that
includes real dollars spent, real
strategy deployed and real work
being done behind the scenes.
Take a look at the OOIDA billboard campaigns popping
up across key congressional districts, with messages like:
“Truckers! Fight with us. Say NO to Mandatory Speed
L imiters.”
This isn’t just a slogan. It’s a message backed by action.
OOIDA: A grounded voice in a
fragmented industry
In an industry where associations seem to appear and
disappear every year, OOIDA has remained a constant.
With a physical presence in Washington, D.C., a
dedicated lobbying staff, a communication team and a
nationwide member base, OOIDA isn’t just reactive it’s
strategic. It’s launched billboard campaigns, run radio
spots and maintained consistent pressure in congressional
districts that actually move the needle.
This strategy is not dictated by a single voice. OOIDA’s
Board of Directors is comprised entirely of professional
truck drivers 22 members, each with real driving
experience, elected by the membership. They don’t all
agree on every issue, and that’s the point. This isn’t
an echo chamber. It’s a working board where diverse
viewpoints are debated and where decisions like what
OOIDA ghts for or against are voted on collectively.
Contrary to what some online voices claim, OOIDA
hasn’t been sitting on the sidelines. It’s been investing
in time, money, media and policy. When speed limiter
mandates hit the docket, it didn’t just post about them
online. It fought them with targeted outreach in swing
districts. It looked ahead, not just to pull bad policy off
the table but to prevent it from coming back especially
in a post-election climate where agendas shift quickly.
And let’s be clear about something: While some
are now saying, “It could still come back,” they’re
missing the bigger picture. It was dangerously close to
being enforced. OOIDA fought tooth and nail to push
it back and succeeded. Yes, it’s “on the shelf,” and
yes, it could be brought back. But that’s exactly why
this moment matters. Because now we have breathing
room to regroup, re-strategize and prepare for the next
administration, which could absolutely throw it right
back on the table.
Those who are quick to say “OOIDA didn’t do
anything” because the ght isn’t completely over are
showing their lack of understanding of how Washington
works. No one else is still out there monitoring it day in
and day out. So, if you’re that concerned step up. Be
part of the ght even when it’s not trending.
The cycle of imitation and
fragmentation
In the past ve years, I’ve watched six or more “driver
associations” rise and fall. Each time, the formula is
Opinion
The role and resilience of OOIDA
in the trucking industry advocacy
landscape
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 13
Opinion
the same: a few talking
heads, a new name, a
burst of online noise
and the promise of real
change. But it never lasts.
These groups don’t build
infrastructure. They build
personal platforms and
then disappear or implode,
leaving drivers more
divided and disillusioned
than before.
Even more frustrating
is that it’s often the same
people bouncing from
group to group, rebranding
themselves as “for the
drivers” while running the
same manipulation tactics
blackball anyone who
disagrees, attack OOIDA to
gain attention and demand unity while creating division.
Here’s what’s really going on: Some of these so-called
grassroots leaders bene ted from the very system they now
claim to oppose. They weren’t speaking out when they were
pro ting from cheap labor, predatory lease deals or in ated
rates. But now that their freight lanes are threatened by visa
labor and the market’s dried up, they’re suddenly “for the
drivers.”
It’s hard to take that seriously.
Real advocacy takes more than anger
Fighting Washington’s swamp is not a one-week effort
or a livestream rant. It takes strategy, endurance and the
ability to see more than 2 inches in front of your face.
Good leadership isn’t reactive it’s proactive. That’s what
OOIDA brings to the table. Whether you agree with it on
every issue or not, the fact remains: It’s been in the trenches
for decades, while others are still guring out how D.C.
even works.
OOIDA understands that billboards placed in the right
congressional districts can make more impact than a
thousand Facebook posts. It understands that defeating
something like a speed limiter mandate isn’t about winning
an online argument it’s about winning legislative leverage.
It also understands that internal accountability matters.
Every issue OOIDA takes on from opposing ELD
mandates to defending truck parking legislation must go
through board approval. That means professional drivers
like you and me are the ones voting on what ghts are
worth ghting. It’s grassroots not lip service.
A call for unity, not just new names
This isn’t a fan club. It’s not about blindly supporting
OOIDA or pretending it’s perfect. It’s about respecting the
fact that OOIDA is still standing, still ghting and still the
best-positioned organization we’ve got on the front lines.
New groups will keep popping up, and some will promise
the world. But until they build what OOIDA has real
infrastructure, a war chest, a legislative presence and
staying power they’ll keep repeating the same cycle
hype, fracture, fade.
If you’re frustrated, ask yourself, “Am I contributing
to a solution or just helping split the voice of real drivers
again?”
Instead of burning down what’s already built, maybe it’s
time to build on top of it. Offer your voice. Push for change.
But do it where it can actually make an impact.
Conclusion
OOIDA may not be ashy. It may not respond to every
online accusation or follow every social media wave. But
when it comes to ghting policies like mandatory speed
limiters, it’s put its money where its mouth is. Seven
billboard campaigns. Strategic congressional targeting. Real
political engagement.
And behind it all is a board of real truckers voting,
debating and making sure OOIDA stays accountable to
drivers, not corporate overlords.
If that doesn’t count as “doing something,” then maybe
we’ve lost sight of what real advocacy looks like.
It’s time to move past the division, the talking heads
and the recycled outrage and get back to something that
works. Because while other groups keep changing names,
OOIDA is still in the ght.
To join the ght, visit FightingForTruckers.com. LL
In an industry where associations seem to appear and
disappear every year, OOIDA has remained a constant.
14 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
OOIDA delivered the message, and the U.S.
Department of Transportation listened.
In late June, the White House and the
DOT announced their “Pro-Trucker Package,”
which is aimed at improving the truck driving
profession through nine initiatives. The Owner-
Operator Independent Drivers Association played
a key role in advocating on behalf of truckers for
all nine of the priorities.
“OOIDA and the 150,000 truckers we proudly
represent welcome these transformational actions
from President Donald Trump and Secretary Sean
Duffy,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said.
“These steps not only improve the daily lives of
truckers across America but also enhance safety
for everyone on the road. For years, truckers have
urged Washington to address the severe shortage
of truck parking, eliminate the dangers posed by
a national speed limiter mandate and give drivers
greater control over their hours of service.
“We thank President Trump and Secretary Duffy
for listening to the men and women behind the
wheel who keep America’s economy moving.”
The nine initiatives
The “Pro-Trucker Package” takes steps toward
addressing such OOIDA big-ticket items as expanding
truck parking, stopping a speed limiter mandate and
providing hours-of-service exibility. It also aims to
reduce regulatory burdens, modernize driver resources,
slash red tape and crack down on bad actors.
±²
¬
¬
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
DOT listens.
Truckers win.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 15
“Truckers keep America running,” Duffy said. “While
the country sleeps, truckers grind through the night to
help keep shelves stocked, families fed and businesses
humming. It’s a job that requires grit and dedication.
But for too long, Washington, D.C., has made work
harder for truckers. That ends today. Thanks to President
Trump, we’re getting Washington out of your trucks and
your business.”
The paper trail linking OOIDA to these actions
is pretty extensive. In fact, OOIDA Executive Vice
President L ewie Pugh addressed at least seven of the
issues at a House subcommittee hearing in March.
“Truck parking, speed limiters, hours-of-service
exibility, the National Consumer Complaint Database,
DataQ reform … These are all things that L ewie
Pugh has been telling folks on Capitol Hill through
Congressional testimony,” said Collin L ong, OOIDA’s
director of government affairs. “He was a witness at
a Senate hearing earlier this year as well as a House
hearing earlier this year, and he talked about all of
these items. He provided a blueprint for Washington
to start enacting all of these changes that really bene t
professional drivers. The administration took that to
heart, and they said, ‘ Here’s what our authority allows us
to do on these issues.’ It’s moving every one of them in
the right direction.”
But OOIDA’s efforts to bring light to all of these issues
have roots going back much farther than this year. The
Association’s work on these issues started years and
often decades ago.
Pugh noted that the DOT initiatives prove all those
calls and meetings with lawmakers and regulators really
can push things in the right direction.
“This is not just a win for the Association,” he said.
“It’s a win for all truckers and members out there who
are active and belong to OOIDA. This is what happens
when members answer our Calls to Action and make
their voices heard. It can take a long time, but this really
does work. L ike OOIDA President Todd Spencer always
says,
‘We’re stronger together.’”
Truck parking
The DOT is advancing more than $275 million in grant
funding to expand truck parking availability. A memo
also will be issued af rming that truck parking is a
national priority under Jason’s L aw.
OOIDA has been out in front of the truck parking issue
for years and helped Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., craft the
Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act when it was rst
introduced in 2020. The current version of the bill would
dedicate $755 million to expanding parking capacity.
Speed limiters
For the second time, the Trump administration is
shelving a rulemaking that would have required most
commercial motor vehicles to be equipped with speed
limiting devices.
OOIDA and individual truckers told regulators that the
requirement would create dangerous speed differentials
and hinder safety. The most recent notice from the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration received
more than 15,000 comments. The majority of the
comments came from truck drivers who are opposed to a
mandate.
Hours-of-service flexibility
The DOT initiative calls for a pair of pilot programs
that would provide truck drivers more control over their
hours. The rst pilot program would allow truckers to
pause their clock for up to three hours, and the second
would allow additional split sleeper berth options,
including 6/4 and 5/5 splits.
Pugh asked for both of these provisions at the House
hearing in March.
Driver resources
FMCSA is upgrading its digital tools to provide better
support for drivers and to make the tools mobile
accessible.
“This is what happens when
members answer our Calls to
Action and make their voices
heard. It can take a long time,
but this really does work.”
– Lewie Pugh,
7.
8.
9.
16 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
FMCSA’s Driver Resource page is designed to provide
truck drivers with important information about many of
OOIDA’s core issues, such as entry-level driver training.
DataQ
The agency is proposing revisions to the DataQ
requirements for grant funding to ensure proper
due process for drivers. The goal is to improve the
impartiality, timeliness and fairness of the data review
process.
For years, OOIDA has advocated for DataQ reform.
“The current Requests for Data Review process, or
Data, is broken,” Pugh testi ed in March.
National Consumer
Complaint Database
The National Consumer Complaint Database was created
as a way for truckers to le complaints to FMCSA about
coercion, fraud and unsafe practices. Under the DOT’s
initiative, the NCCDB is being migrated to a modern
customer service platform to be user-friendly and
mobile-friendly.
OOIDA told Congress and regulators that the system
needs a complete overhaul, as it is unresponsive to the
complaints. The Association also asked for the name to
be changed, as truck drivers often don’t even realize that
the database was designed for them.
Double brokering
To promote fairness and stability of the industry,
FMCSA said it is renewing its focus on combating
unlawful double brokering – a practice that directly
harms drivers.
OOIDA has been a leader in the ght against broker
fraud and general freight fraud. At House and Senate
hearings this year, Pugh spoke out about the problems
truckers face with double brokering and other criminal
activities. OOIDA petitioned FMCSA to create a broker
transparency rule as one way to combat the problem.
ELDs
When the controversial electronic logging device
mandate took effect in 2017, pre-2000 trucks were
exempt and could continue to use paper logs to track
hours of service.
The DOT con rmed that it has no plans to remove that
exemption despite hints of efforts in that direction from
the previous administration.
OOIDA opposed the original EL D mandate and has
continued to ght for the exemption to remain.
Deregulatory actions
The DOT already has been in the process of removing
“needless” regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Regulations.
For years, OOIDA has pushed for more focus on actual
safety rather than compliance with regulations that often
have nothing to do with the likelihood of a crash.
Breaking through
Throughout OOIDA’s more than 50 years, the
Association has explained to lawmakers and
government of cials that truck drivers are the true
experts when it comes to highway safety. Instead of
making their job more dif cult by continually adding
burdensome regulations, truckers should be used as a
resource.
“I think a lot of these initiatives are going to enhance
safety,” L ong said. “This administration is coming out
and saying, ‘ These drivers are the experts on safety.
L et’s take their word and move forward with things
like providing more hours-of-service exibility …
They’re killing a lot of birds with nine stones here, but
they are really demonstrating to our members and our
organization that they’re listening.”
With that said, there is a lot more work to be done.
The decision-makers are paying attention, but truckers
can’t stop now. OOIDA is encouraging all of its
150,000 members to continue making those phone
calls and ling those comments to help take all of these
initiatives to the nish line.
This latest breakthrough shows that advocacy can
work.
“A lot of our members express concerns that things
don’t really happen in Washington or that things
don’t really change in Washington,” L ong said. “The
announcement is clearly a departure from that. Things
are happening. Things are changing because the
administration is listening to drivers and organizations
who represent them, like OOIDA.” LL
DOT acts on OOIDA’s calls to
improve the truck driving
profession by reducing
regulations and providing
resources.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 17
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
LAND LINE
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
17
You’ve got
us in your
back pocket.
Compliance Connection driver
file maintenance system
Interpreting federal
regulations
Broker/Carrier agreement
review
Free broker credit rating
service
DOT Drug & Alcohol
Testing Consortium
Warranty issues
Lease agreement review
Carrier complaints
DOT Authority assistance
Permits and licensing
Form 2290/HVUT filing
Oregon bonds
SCAC codes
BOC3 service
Business Services
Department
816-229-5791
18 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
When truck drivers come together,
they can deliver a powerful message.
There may be no better example of
this than truckers’ uni ed opposition
against proposals to mandate speed
limiters on commercial motor
vehicles.
With the help of the Owner-
Operator Independent Drivers
Association, thousands of truckers
informed the decision-makers in
Washington, D.C., that slowing
trucks down is not the best route to
highway safety.
The White House and the U.S.
Department of Transportation
listened. As part of an overall “Pro-
Trucker Package” that includes
nine initiatives championed by
OOIDA, the DOT announced that
it is withdrawing the previous
administration’s speed limiter
rulemaking.
“Mandating speed limiters on
heavy-duty trucks isn’t just an
inconvenience – it is a safety
hazard when drivers are forced to
go slower than the ow of traf c,”
the DOT wrote in its June 27 news
release. “USDOT is withdrawing
the proposed rulemaking to mandate
speed limiters so professional drivers
can operate their vehicles safely.”
Long battle
OOIDA and individual truck drivers
have been pushing back on attempts
to mandate speed limiters for years.
The National Highway Traf c
Safety Administration published a
report on the topic all the way back
in 1991, and the American Trucking
Associations petitioned NHTSA
to limit trucks to 68 mph in 2006.
The effort resurfaced in 2016, when
FMCSA and NHTSA issued a joint
notice of proposed rulemaking.
When President Donald Trump
took of ce in 2017, the proposal was
sidelined.
The Biden administration
resurrected the rulemaking in
2022. Although a top speed wasn’t
introduced, FMCSA’s latest proposal
suggested that most commercial
motor vehicles with a gross vehicle
weight of 26,001 pounds would
be required to be equipped with
speed-limiting devices. Truck safety
groups called for a top speed of 60
mph – even though trucks would be
traveling highways with speed limits
as fast as 80 and 85 mph.
That’s when truck drivers stepped
up. FMCSA received more than
15,000 comments to the advance
notice. Most of the comments came
from truckers, who raised concerns
about dangerous speed differentials,
road rage and the inability to
accelerate to avoid a crash.
OOIDA also played a big role in
delivering that message.
“Studies and research have already
proven what we were all taught
long ago in driver’s ed classes – that
traf c is safest when vehicles all
travel at the same relative speed,”
OOIDA President Todd Spencer said
in 2022. “L imiting trucks to speeds
below the ow of traf c increases
interactions between vehicles, which
can lead to more crashes.”
The sheer number of comments
was enough to slow down the
previous administration from getting
a speed limiter nal rule across the
nish line.
Then, as soon as Trump was set to
take of ce this year, OOIDA wasted
no time explaining why truckers
believe that a speed limiter mandate
would be bad for highway safety and
the supply chain. L ed by OOIDA, a
coalition of 17 organizations wrote
to Trump on Jan. 16.
“In short, this mandate will be
harmful for America’s truckers
and small businesses, and it will
be counterproductive to improving
roadway safety,” the coalition wrote
days before Trump’s inauguration.
What happens when
truckers unite
go slower than the ow of traf c,”
the DOT wrote in its June 27 news
the proposed rulemaking to mandate
speed limiters so professional drivers
OOIDA and individual truck drivers
What happens when
The sheer number
of comments was
enough to slow
down the previous
administration from
getting a speed
limiter final rule
across the finish line.
Talja/stock.adobe.com
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 19
“As you consider deregulatory
action for your initial days in of ce,
our coalition believes that stopping
this mandate would be an ideal way
to start.”
ATA, meanwhile, supported a
speed limiter mandate that called
for all trucks without automatic
emergency brakes and adaptive
cruise control to be limited to 65
mph.
The fight isn’t over
The good news for truckers is that
a speed limiter mandate is off the
table through the remainder of
Trump’s term.
However, OOIDA wants to end
the proposal for good. That’s why
the Association is encouraging
lawmakers to support the DRIVE
Act, which would prohibit FMCSA
from issuing any rule or regulation
mandating speed limiters.
Without the DRIVE Act, there is
the potential for the proposal to be
resurrected when a new president
takes of ce. The DRIVE Act would
help end the game of political ping
pong.
“We don’t want this back-and-
forth every time there’s a change
in administrations,” said Bryce
Mongeon, OOIDA’s director
of legislative affairs. “What
the DRIVE Act would do is let
Congress assert its authority on this
issue and tell FMCSA simply …
‘ You’re not going to move forward
with this rulemaking.’ So, this really
is an opportunity to put this issue to
rest once and for all.” LL
20 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
vit/stock.adobe.com
After years of relentless pressure, the Owner-Operator
Independent Drivers Association is nally seeing results.
Federal investment in truck parking is no longer just talk –
it’s happening.
The truck parking crisis has plagued the industry for
decades. Yet for years, lawmakers turned a blind eye,
unaware of just how serious the issue had become. Now,
thanks to relentless grassroots advocacy, the government
is nally waking up.
The crisis hit a turning point with the murder of Jason
Rivenburg. A trucker from Fultonham, N.Y., Rivenburg
was killed while parked at an unsafe location. He had
been turned away when he arrived early for a delivery.
After parking at an abandoned gas station, he was fatally
shot and robbed for $7.
In 2012, Congress passed Jason’s L aw, which created
a truck parking survey. The rst survey results, released
in 2015, conrmed what truck drivers had been warning
about: There isn’t enough parking.
Sadly, that survey did little to increase parking capacity.
An updated survey in 2020 showed that not much had
changed in ve years. This led a lawmaker and OOIDA to
take action.
In 2020, Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., introduced the Truck
Parking Safety Improvement Act. The bill aims to
dedicate $755 million to projects that would increase free,
public parking spaces for truck drivers.
OOIDA worked closely with Bost to develop the
meaningful truck parking legislation that would garner
support throughout the industry.
Since then, OOIDA has pushed the issue forward at full
speed. Through Calls to Action and FightingForTruckers.
com, the Association gathered support for the bill. OOIDA
Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh frequently testied
to Congress about the parking crisis.
For example, earlier this year, Pugh advocated for a
“pro-trucker” highway bill during a House Highways and
Transit Subcommittee hearing. That includes increasing
parking through the passage of the Truck Parking Safety
Improvement Act.
“Alleviating the truck parking shortage has been
the top safety concern for American truckers for more
than a decade,” Pugh wrote in his submitted testimony.
“Members of Congress from every corner of the country
and across the political spectrum have supported this
legislation over the years because they understand
the truck parking crisis is negatively affecting their
constituents who make a living behind the wheel. A lack
of available parking spaces forces truckers to choose
between parking in a potentially unsafe location, such
as a highway shoulder, or continuing to drive while they
feel fatigued or are out of available driving hours under
federally mandated hours-of-service regulations.”
In its rst session, Bost’s bill died in committee with 14
bipartisan co-sponsors. But neither Bost nor truck drivers
gave up on the truck parking bill; it has been reintroduced
in each subsequent session of Congress. L ast year, the bill
was placed on the House calendar with 27 Democratic and
26 Republican co-sponsors.
This momentum continued as a new administration took
ofce.
Pro-Trucker Package
In June, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced
that the U.S. Department of Transportation is listening to
truck drivers.
The DOT unveiled a “Pro-Trucker Package,” which
includes nine new initiatives to support truck drivers.
Those initiatives address topics ranging from speed
limiters to EL Ds.
At the top of the list is truck parking. The DOT will
provide over $275 million in grants to increase parking
availability. This includes a $180 million grant awarded to
Florida in 2024, adding over 00 parking spaces along the
Parking progress
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 21
Interstate 4 corridor.
Additionally, the DOT will
issue a memo stating that truck
parking is a “national priority”
under Jason’s L aw. This will
open more grant programs for
parking projects.
Bost praised the
announcement, highlighting the impact of truck drivers
voicing concerns.
“G rowing up in a family trucking business, I know how
hard it can be to nd a safe place to stop and rest,” Bost
said in a statement. “That’s why I’ve led efforts in Congress
to expand truck parking and ght for commonsense reforms
that make life easier and safer for truckers. I’m proud to
see President Trump and Secretary of Transportation Sean
Duffy stepping up to the plate with meaningful action that
reects what drivers have been telling us for years.”
An increase in truck parking funding comes after the
National Transportation Safety Board broke with tradition
and called for more congressional truck parking funding.
That includes establishing
grant programs to increase
parking and allowing federal
funding to be used for
maintenance costs. NTSB
also called for considering
ending the federal ban on
commercializing rest areas.
OOIDA Director of G overnment Affairs Collin
Long pointed out the signicance of the NTSB’s
recommendation.
“NTSB has called for the establishment of a grant
program for states, local governments and other eligible
entities to increase parking for CMVs, which in my eyes is
an endorsement of the Truck Parking Safety Improvement
Act,” L ong said. “We hope the U.S. Senate is listening,
because it’s abundantly clear something needs to be done to
prevent more crashes like this.”
Whether members of Congress received the message
remains to be seen, but the recent announcement from the
DOT marks a step in the right direction. LL
Parking progress
“I’m proud to see President
Trump and Secretary of
Transportation Sean Duffy
stepping up to the plate
with meaningful action that
reflects what drivers have
been telling us for years.”
– Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill.,
22 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
Photo courtesy of Switchboard
Ask and you shall receive.
That’s at least how it worked
regarding the Owner-Operator
Independent Drivers Association’s
request for more hours-of-service
exibility.
When OOIDA Executive Vice
President Lewie Pugh testied in
front of the House Highways and
Transit Subcommittee in March,
he told Congress that the current
regulations are too rigid and can lead
to negative safety outcomes.
Specically, Pugh asked for
provisions that would allow truck
drivers to pause their clock for up to
three hours and utilize split sleeper
berth options of 4 and 55.
Apparently, the U.S. Department of
Transportation was listening.
The DOT announced plans on
June 27 to launch a pair of pilot
programs that will put OOIDA’s
recommendations to the test.
“To improve driver working
conditions and quality of life,
FMCSA is launching two new
pilot programs to study increased
exibility in hours-of-service
regulations,” the DOT wrote. “The
goal for each pilot is to gather data
on whether giving drivers more
control over their schedules can
improve rest and enhance safety.”
The split-duty periods pilot
program will allow participating
drivers to pause their 14-hour on-
duty period for a period of no less
than 30 minutes and no more than
three hours.
“This “split-duty period” would
provide truckers greater exibility
to rest when they’re tired and avoid
factors that make driving unsafe,”
Pugh wrote in his March testimony.
“A split-duty period would not
increase maximum driving time,
maximum on-duty time or decrease
minimum off-duty rest periods
between shifts. Additionally, drivers
would have more chances to get
sufcient rest and would not be
as pressured to beat the 14-hour
clock. This would result in positive
outcomes for driver health and
highway safety.”
Additionally, OOIDA would like to
see Congress pass the G uaranteeing
Overtime for Truckers Act to prevent
shippers and receivers from trying
to take advantage of a truck driver’s
ability to pause their clock by
making them wait for hours. In order
for the provision to work properly,
OOIDA said that truck drivers must
be in control of when and when not
to pause their clock.
The exible sleeper berth pilot
program will allow participating
drivers to split their 10-hour off-
duty period into more exible
combinations, including 4 and 55
splits.
“This exibility would improve
drivers’ rest and alertness,” Pugh told
lawmakers. “It makes far more sense
to allow alert drivers to leave the
sleeper-berth and begin driving with
the option to obtain additional rest
later in the day, rather than forcing
drivers to idly wait for their driving
clock to restart. More restrictive
sleeper-berth splits can force a
trucker to drive when tired and rest
when alert. The truth is that not all
drivers are able to sleep seven, eight
or 10 hours at a time.”
As of press time, it was unclear
when the pilot programs would begin
and how many truck drivers would
be allowed to participate. The agency
will soon publish details in the
Federal Register about each of the
pilot programs.
This is not the rst time that
OOIDA has worked with the Trump
administration to add more exibility
to the hours-of-service regulations.
OOIDA petitioned FMCSA
in February 2018 to revise the
regulations. After a lengthy comment
period that included thousands
of truck drivers asking for more
exibility, FMCSA added an
adverse-driving provision and made
changes to short-haul limits, split-
sleeper options and the 30-minute
break rule. Those rule changes took
effect in September 2020 and were
upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the D.C. Circuit in July 2022.
Although the new provisions
certainly gave truckers more control
over their schedules, OOIDA thought
the changes didn’t go far enough.
The current split sleeper berth
options are limited to 8/2 and 7/3.
Additionally, drivers want the ability
to pause their clock to avoid rush-
FMCSA to test OOIDA’s
hours-of-service proposals
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 23
hour traf c or simply because they
need an extended break.
“For years, our members have told
lawmakers and FMCSA that existing
hours-of-service rules are not sensible
for today’s trucking industry,” Pugh
said. “Hours-of-service regulations that
dictate a truck driver’s work schedule
are overly complex, provide little
exibility and in no way re ect the
physical capabilities or limitations of
individual drivers.”
In a way, FMCSA already conducted
a pilot program regarding its hours-of-
service regulations. The COVID-19
pandemic prompted the agency to
issue emergency declarations for more
than two years. At that time, FMCSA
said it was aware of only two crashes
involving truck drivers operating under
the waiver. Both were single-vehicle
crashes, and neither resulted in serious
injuries.
“This shows that drivers are
generally not going to abuse additional
hours-of-service exibility at the
risk of highway safety,” OOIDA told
FMCSA in 2022. “An experienced
driver will know when they need
to rest or take a break, and this data
shows that more practical hours-of-
service rules allow drivers to use
their time more ef ciently without
endangering other highway users. We
encourage FMCSA to take further
action to promote hours-of-service
exibility, starting with expanded split
sleeper options or letting drivers pause
their 14-hour clock up to three hours if
necessary.” LL
The split-duty periods
pilot program will allow
participating drivers
to pause their 14-hour
on-duty period for a
period of no less than
30 minutes and no
more than three hours.
24 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
Although truck parking, speed limiters and hours of
service are arguably the hot-button issues from the U.S.
Department of Transportation’s “Pro-Trucker Package,”
those are not the only efforts aimed at improving the truck
driving profession.
In addition to increasing truck parking capacity, stopping
a speed limiter mandate and exploring ways to add
exibility to the hours-of-service regulations, the DOT
announced on June 27 a total of nine initiatives that would
“remove one-size- ts-all mandates, modernize driver
resources, slash red tape and crack down on bad actors.”
DataQ reform
Saying that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration’s data review, or DataQ, system is broken,
the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association led
the charge for reform that would ensure due process for
truck drivers.
“This system is supposed to provide carriers and drivers
a fair way to challenge potentially incorrect citations or
FMCSA data,” OOIDA Executive Vice President L ewie
Pugh told members of a House subcommittee in March.
“Unfortunately, determinations are not made in a timely or
consistent manner, and too often, a determination is made
by the same person who issued the initial violation, which
creates an inherent con ict of interest. This is problematic,
because unmerited violations and inaccurate information
on an owner-operator or professional driver’s safety record
can negatively affect their employment or increase their
insurance costs, among other consequences.”
The DOT was listening and is taking steps to improve the
DataQ process.
“The agency is proposing revisions to the DataQ
requirements for Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program
grant funding to ensure proper due process for drivers,”
the DOT wrote. “The goal is to improve the impartiality,
timeliness and fairness of the data review process.”
On July 1, FMCSA published a notice with details about
its proposal to improve the appeals process.
FMCSA’s proposal would require states to incorporate a
multi-level review process for Request for Data Reviews,
escalating the review from the DataQ analyst in the state
MCSAP L ead Agency to a responsible decision-maker
or panel of subject matter experts. Each state would
be required to submit a DataQ Implementation Plan to
FMCSA detailing how its agency would meet FMCSA’s
requirements for each stage of the data review process.
FMCSA will accept comments on its DataQ
proposal through Sept. 2. To make a comment, go to
the Regulations.gov website and enter Docket No.
FMCSA-2023-0190.
ELD exemption
When the controversial electronic logging device mandate
took effect in 2017, pre-2000 trucks were exempt and
could continue to use paper logs to track hours of service.
In 2022, FMCSA sought information on whether that
exemption should be removed.
OOIDA, which fought the original EL D mandate by
petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court, was quick to oppose
any attempts at removing the exemption.
“Our members have vigorously opposed the EL D
mandate since its inception,” OOIDA wrote in comments
signed by President Todd Spencer in 2022. “There was
never suf cient research indicating the mandate would
improve highway safety, and the agency still lacks data
demonstrating any positive safety results since its full
implementation.”
As part of the DOT plan, the administration con rmed
that it would not be moving forward on a rulemaking that
would mandate the use of EL Ds for older trucks.
Double brokering
OOIDA and individual truckers have spoken out about
criminal activity involving brokers.
“As motor carriers are increasingly victimized by freight
fraud, unpaid claims, dubious charges, unpaid loads and
double brokered loads, the current lack of transparency
has left them little to no means to defend themselves from
these schemes,” Pugh told lawmakers.
In 2020, OOIDA petitioned FMCSA to enforce existing
Slashing red tape and
cracking down on bad actors
Slashing red tape and
Slashing red tape and
New Africa/stock.adobe.com
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 25
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
LAND LINE
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
25
broker transparency regulations as one way to combat the
problem. The agency issued a proposal in 2024 that received
nearly 7,000 comments.
Although the DOT didn’t speci cally address the broker
transparency rulemaking, it promised a “renewed focus” on
combating unlawful double brokering. As of press time, a
speci c plan to do so had not been released.
Deregulatory actions
At a House hearing in 2019, Spencer held up the “big green
book” of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations to
illustrate the number of regulations that truck drivers must
follow.
Spencer told lawmakers that many of those regulations
have nothing to do with highway safety and need to be
removed.
Six years later, the DOT is taking steps in that direction.
Earlier this year, the agency asked the public to comment
about regulations that could be rescinded without hindering
safety. In May, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy
announced dozens of deregulatory actions.
NCCDB and FMCSA’s Driver
Resource page
FMCSA wants to make its resources more accessible to truck
drivers. That’s why two of the DOT’s initiatives involve
updates to the agency’s National Consumer Complaint
Database and its Driver Resource webpage.
The NCCDB is the place for truckers to le complaints
to FMCSA about coercion, fraud and unsafe practices. The
Driver Resource page is meant to provide truckers with
information about entry-level driver training and other
programs.
OOIDA told Congress and regulators that the NCCDB
has done a poor job of responding to truckers’ complaints.
Additionally, the Association said the program would bene t
from a new name that better re ects its purpose.
Although it is unclear if FMCSA plans to rename the
NCCDB, the agency will update both websites to make them
mobile-friendly for truck drivers. LL
26 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
If conrmed to lead the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration, Derek Barrs said he will make highway
safety his top priority.
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and
Transportation held Barrs’ conrmation hearing on
July 16. The committee also discussed the nominations
of Jonathan Morrison as administrator of the National
Highway Trafc
Safety Administration
and Paul Roberti
as administrator of
the Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration.
“I will ensure the
agency operates
with integrity,
transparency, accountability and efciency,” Barrs wrote
in his submitted testimony. “If conrmed, I look forward
to working with you and your teams to advance our shared
goals of roadway safety and the efcient transportation of
goods. From President Roosevelt, ‘ I am ready to be the
Man in the Arena.’ I am prepared to get to work …”
Barrs, who previously had roles with the Florida
Department of Transportation, the Florida Highway Patrol
and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, received
support from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers
Association.
“During Mr. Barrs’ time as a leader at CVSA, we
appreciated his willingness to hear the concerns of small-
business truckers and take them into account during the
Alliance’s work, and we believe he will continue this
commitment to working with the men and women who
make their living behind the wheel as administrator,”
OOIDA wrote in a letter to the Senate committee signed
by President Todd Spencer.
Barrs’ knowledge of trucking is critical, as FMCSA
will be tasked with implementing nine “Pro-Trucker”
initiatives announced by the U.S. DOT.
Those initiatives included efforts to increase truck
parking capacity, provide more exibility within the hours-
of-service regulations and prevent unlawful brokering.
“G iven his knowledge and experience in the industry, we
believe Mr. Barrs will be able to carry out commonsense,
cost-effective initiatives that are already underway at
FMCSA,” OOIDA wrote. “In particular, we look forward
to working with Mr. Barrs as FMCSA implements
the initiatives, pilot programs and regulatory updates
announced by Secretary (Sean) Duffy on June 27 as part
of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s ‘ Pro-Trucker’
policy package, as well as the president’s previously
announced executive order regarding English language
prociency … With Mr. Barrs’ conrmation, we believe
FMCSA will nally make progress on these priorities.”
Barrs used his submitted testimony to acknowledge the
hard work of truck drivers.
“The trucking industry touches all of our lives,” Barrs
wrote. “Commercial drivers transport over 70% of our
nation’s freight and share the road with us every day.
These professionals are the backbone of our economy,
working long hours – often away from their families – to
ensure we have the goods we rely on. I deeply respect
their dedication and understand the delicate balance
between enhancing safety and enabling efcient freight
movement. I salute and value the American truck driver
and thank them for their work.”
As of press time in mid-July, none of the three nominees
had been conrmed.
Duffy testifies to House T&I
On the same day that the Senate held conrmation
hearings for the prospective leaders of FMCSA,
NHTSA and PHMSA, Transportation Secretary Sean
Duffy testied before the House Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee.
Duffy used a portion of his submitted testimony
to discuss lawmakers’ work on the next surface
transportation reauthorization, which is commonly
referred to as the “highway bill.” He focused on
improvements to the nation’s roads and bridges.
“The American people deserve the reliability of
America’s surface transportation network with impactful
investments towards safety, efciency and innovation,”
‘Man in the Arena’
“I deeply respect their dedication
and understand the delicate
balance between enhancing
safety and enabling efficient
freight movement. I salute and
value the American truck driver
and thank them for their work.”
– Derek Barrs,
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 27
Duffy wrote. “The president is a builder. Together, we
can build big and beautiful and realize a golden age of
transportation … Revitalizing
American infrastructure is at the
heart of this administration’s
historic agenda. America’s ability
to move goods and people freely,
safely and quickly has been a
hallmark competitive advantage.”
Duffy touted the
administration’s efforts to reduce
regulations for the industry.
“Our department has been proud
to lead under President Trump’s
historic rst six months back in of ce,” Duffy wrote.
“We are driving innovation forward transparently and
ef ciently while reducing red tape to unleash America’s
full potential.”
In addition to leading the DOT, Duffy was also recently
appointed to serve as NASA’s interim administrator.
“I am pleased to announce that I am directing our
G REAT Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, to be
interim administrator of NASA,” Trump posted to Truth
Social on July 9. “Sean is doing a TREMENDOUS job
in handling our country’s transportation affairs, including
creating a state-of-the-art air traf c control system, while
at the same time rebuilding our roads and bridges, making
them ef cient and beautiful again. He will be a fantastic
leader of the ever more important space agency, even if
only for a short period of time. Congratulations, and thank
you, Sean! ”
Duffy responded on X that he’d accepted the role.
“Honored to accept this mission,” Duffy wrote. “Time to
take over space. L et’s launch.”
Duffy, who previously served in the U.S. House of
Representatives from 2011 to 2019, was nominated to be
DOT secretary in November 2024 and then was con rmed
in January. LL
28 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
StateWatch
Alabama
A new Alabama law permits a truck driver to
challenge the accuracy of portable scales.
Previously SB110, the new law allows an operator
to request that an enforcement of cer accompany the
operator and vehicle to the nearest platform scales
certi ed by the state. The certi ed scales must be
located within 10 miles.
A second option would be for the driver to travel to
the nearest certi ed scales within 100 miles without
being accompanied by an enforcement of cer.
If the axle weights or gross weight of a vehicle is
shown by the platform scales at a weigh station to be
within the legal limits, including the allowable load
tolerance, the truck driver would not be in violation.
If a citation had been issued beforehand, it would be
considered void.
The new rule takes effect Oct. 1.
Colorado
One new Colorado law is touted to help crack down
on price gouging for everyday necessities that include
fuel.
Previously HB1010, the new law inserts a provision
to existing statute to more clearly de ne what is
covered.
Effective Aug. 6, price gouging of goods or
services necessary for the health, safety and welfare
of Coloradans during a declared emergency is
prohibited.
Price gouging is de ned as a price increase of at
least 10% above the average cost of the product or
good that is not attributable to seasonal pricing.
Indiana
Indiana G ov. Mike Braun has signed into law a road
funding bill that includes the possibility of charging
tolls on any interstate.
Previously, state lawmakers were required to
approve new tolls. HB141 allows the Indiana
Department of Transportation to bypass the legislature
for tolling authorization and go straight to the federal
government for permission.
Any new toll lanes or roads could not result in a
reduction of existing available traf c lanes.
Also included in the new law is a provision to
increase the 55 mph speed limit on the majority of
Interstate 45 in Indianapolis. The new speed limit
will be 65 mph.
Pennsylvania
Electronic permits for oversize loads are the focus of
a Pennsylvania bill. HB955 would allow an applicant
to request that PennDOT or a local authority issue a
special permit for oversize loads electronically.
For instances when a permit is inaccessible for
inspection by an of cer, the bill includes a provision
to permit the applicant to provide a physical copy
within ve business days.
Tennessee
A new Tennessee law adds to a 1-year-old law
covering license plate ippers.
Since July 1, 2024, Tennessee has banned the
manufacture, purchase, sale or possession of license
plate ippers. Offenders face up to one year in jail
andor a ne of up to 2,500.
This spring, G ov. Bill L ee signed into law a rule
revision to allow for law enforcement to seize or
impound a vehicle with a ipping device, under
certain circumstances.
Already in effect, the new rule states that the owner
or operator of an affected vehicle, if present, must
be given the opportunity to remove the license plate
ipper “if it can be removed safely.” Otherwise,
the vehicle could be seized or impounded. L aw
enforcement is permitted to seize the removed device
as contraband.
West Virginia
A rule revision in West Virginia expands the list of
vehicles covered in the state’s move-over rule.
For the past two decades, drivers have been required
to move over or slow down for stopped emergency
vehicles with lights activated.
HB2344 adds maintenance vehicles to the protected
list. Any stationary vehicle displaying “some type of
warning signal, such as emergency ashers or hazard
lights, ares or retrore ective warning sign” is also
included in the revision. LL
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 29
States around the country continue to act to address
concerns about third-party litigation nancing.
About half of all states have at least considered
legislation this year to address concerns about third-party
nancing. In 2025, Georgia, Kansas and Oklahoma have
already adopted rules to regulate the litigation-nance
industry.
Litigation nanciers back many types of commercial and
consumer claims, including truck-related incidents.
OOIDA has pointed out that truck drivers – and the
people who employ, represent and insure them – are often
the target of misguided, excessive and expensive litigation
related to personal injury cases. The ripple effects are felt
across the entire supply chain.
Such cases often are funded by nanciers with
exploitative motives. OOIDA believes that at the very
least, plaintiffs should be required to disclose any
nancing agreement associated with a civil action.
COLORADO
Colorado is the latest state to adopt rules to regulate third-
party litigation nancing. The new law focuses on setting
limitations on nancing rms and addressing concern
about foreign third-party rms.
The new law requires foreign nanciers to provide
certain information to the Colorado attorney general.
Information provided to the state must identify funders and
include a copy of litigation-nancing agreements.
Materials must also be submitted when ling civil
actions, or within 35 days if civil actions are led prior to
the implementation of nancing agreements.
Third-party litigation funders will be prohibited from
using a domestic entity to provide funds or interfering with
the right of appropriate parties to lead the course of a civil
action.
The new rules take effect Aug. 5.
ARIZONA
Arizona could soon be added to the list of states to place
guardrails for third-party litigation funders.
State law does not require the disclosure of whether
outside dollars are being used to fund a lawsuit.
A bill sent to the governor would prohibit litigation
nanciers from paying or offering to pay a commission or
referral fee to legal counsel, a law rm or a licensed health
care provider for a referral.
SB1215 would also forbid foreign-inuenced funding
arrangements.
The Arizona Trucking Association described the bill
as “commonsense legislation that brings much-needed
accountability to third-party litigation-nancing practices.”
CALIFORNIA
One bill halfway through the California statehouse
addresses third-party litigation funders.
Assembly member Michelle Rodriguez, D-Ontario,
said that lawsuit nanciers are an “unregulated, shadow
nancial sector” in the state.
To help address concerns, AB743 would require
commercial-litigation nanciers to obtain a license from
the state.
Rodriguez recently told an Assembly committee that
while the bill originally was intended to provide nancial
assistance to primarily noncommercial plaintiffs, the
nancing of commercial lawsuits has exploded.
She said licensing by the state would help to ensure
“only nancially responsible, law-abiding nanciers can
operate in California and prevent exploitative practices,
market manipulation and fraud.”
NEW YORK
The state of New York does not regulate third-party
litigation nancing. One bill headed to the governor would
remove the distinction.
A804 would set contract and disclosure requirements.
Senate Transportation Committee Chair Jeremy Cooney,
D-Rochester, wrote the rule is needed to address “bad
actors” who often act in bad faith and charge exorbitant
fees for services. He said that would change once
legislation is enacted to provide a “set of robust provisions
that would tightly regulate the services.”
Financiers would be required to submit a registration
application containing “all the information required by the
Department of State to make an evaluation of the character
and tness of the applicant company.”
OHIO
An Ohio Senate bill addresses individuals and special
interests who invest in litigation funding in exchange for a
percentage of the ensuing settlement or judgment.
Ohio does not require third-party litigation-nancing
agreements to be disclosed to other parties in the litigation.
SB10 would require disclosure. Financing rms would
also be forbidden from directing any decisions of a legal
claim, including appointing or changing counsel, litigation
strategy and settlement or other resolution.
Additionally, foreign entities would be prohibited from
entering into a litigation-funding agreement. LL
States approve third-party
litigation-financing reform
tang90246/stock.adobe.com
30 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
The rst of July marked the start date of fuel tax rate
changes in more than a quarter of all states.
Automatic fuel tax increases in California are aimed to
keep pace with ination.
For the prior year, excise tax collected on gas purchases
was set at 5. cents. The diesel rate was 45.4 cents.
As of July 1, the excise tax on
gas increased 1.6 cents per
gallon to 61.2 cents. The
diesel excise tax increased
1.2 cents per gallon to 4.
cents.
Additionally, new state
regulations are expected
to contribute to a total price
increase at the pump ranging
from 5 to 10 cents per gallon.
In Colorado, fee rates on gas and diesel are up again.
Road-usage fees assessed on gas and diesel purchases
increased one penny from 4 cents to 5 cents. A bridge and
tunnel impact fee increased from 4 cents to 7 cents. State
taxes on gas and diesel remain unchanged at 22 cents and
20.5 cents.
Combined, gas taxes and fees increased 4 cents from 30
cents to 34 cents. Diesel taxes and fees increased 4 cents
from 28.5 cents to 32.5 cents.
Connecticut’s diesel tax rate dropped July 1. Diesel in the
state is taxed following an annual formula that includes a
xed base and an adjustment that takes into account the
average wholesale diesel prices from the prior year.
The 52.4-cent diesel tax rate decreased by 7. The
change amounted to a 3.5-cent drop to 48. cents per
gallon.
Fuel tax rates in Illinois are again up. A 6-year-old capital
plan included a component tying fuel rates to ination. As
a result, the rates change on an annual basis.
The diesel and gas rates each increased 1.3 cents to 55.8
cents and 48.3 cents.
A scheduled increase also took effect in Indiana.
The excise rates on gas and diesel had been set at
35 cents and 59 cents. Starting July 1, the rates each
increased.
The gas tax rose by a penny to 36 cents. The diesel tax
increased by 2 cents to 61 cents.
Meanwhile, across the state line in Kentucky, fuel taxes
dropped. The gas and diesel rates were 2.4 cents and 23.4
cents.
The taxes include an excise tax, a supplemental highway
user tax and a petroleum environmental assurance fee.
Statute links the state fuel taxes to the average wholesale
price of fuel. As a result, when the price goes up, the tax
rate follows. On the other hand, a decline results in a
corresponding price dip.
As of July 1, both tax rates decreased by 1.4 cents to 25
cents for gas and 22 cents for diesel.
Fuel tax rates in Maryland also are down. The gas tax and
the diesel tax each decreased by 0.9 cents.
State law authorizes fuel rates to be adjusted each July
based on the consumer price index and the retail price for
fuel.
As a result, the gas tax decreased from 4.1 cents to 4
cents. The diesel rate dipped from 4.85 cents to 4.75
cents.
The state of Mississippi is collecting more fuel tax
revenue. Starting July 1, the state’s 18-cent excise tax on
fuel purchases increased by 3 cents.
The tax rate increase is part of a massive tax overhaul
bill signed into law by G ov. Tate Reeves.
The new law will increase the tax on gas and diesel by
9 cents per gallon by 2027. At that time, the fuel tax rate
will reach 27 cents.
In Missouri, the rst of July marked the fth and nal 2.5-
cent increase to the state’s fuel tax rate.
A 2021 law set up regular increases to the state’s then
17-cent fuel tax rate. The law authorized the tax to
increase by 12.5 cents over four years. On July 1, the nal
Fuel tax changes implemented
in more than a dozen states
kmls/stock.adobe.com
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 31
Largest Discount Network and
Best Discounts in the Industry
●
●
●
●
●
Largest Discount Network and
Best Discounts in the Industry
●
●
Save hundreds
on fuel.
Apply at TruckersAdvantage.com or call 816-229-5791.
increase brought the rate to 29.5 cents.
A fuel tax increase is in effect in Nebraska. The 30.4-cent
gas and diesel excise rate increased by 1.4 cents to 31.8
cents.
The state tax is made up of three components: the
variable tax, xed tax and wholesale tax. The variable and
wholesale rates are adjusted twice annually.
The increase in the state’s tax rates is a result of increased
fuel prices and a six-month adjustment in the wholesale tax
rate.
Rhode Island makes an adjustment to the fuel tax every
two years on July 1. The adjustment is based on in ation.
The rule ties the rate adjustment to the consumer price
index for all urban consumers determined as of Sept. 30 of
the prior calendar year.
As of July 1, the existing 37-cent tax rate on gas and
diesel purchases increased by a penny to 38 cents.
In Virginia, an indexing rule resulted in an increase to the
gas and diesel excise rates.
The 30.8-cent excise rate on gas increased by nearly a
penny to 31.7 cents. The 31.8-cent diesel rate increased by
the same amount to 32.7 cents.
Additionally, the wholesale sales tax on fuels increased.
The gas rate increased from 9 cents to 9.3 cents. The diesel
rate is up from .1 cents to .4 cents.
The state’s combined gas taxes total 41 cents, and the
diesel taxes are 42.1 cents.
Washington G ov. Bob Ferguson signed into law legislation
to raise $3.2 billion over six years through a mix of new
and adjusted revenue sources.
The most notable change is a 6-cent increase in the fuel
excise tax. The gas and diesel rates increased on July 1.
The gas tax increased by cents from 4.4 cents to 55.4
cents. The diesel tax increased by 3 cents on July 1 and will
increase again in July 2027 to reach 55.4 cents. LL
32 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
Progress continues at statehouses to provide basic
consumer protections from predatory towing for truck
drivers and others.
OOIDA has worked and will continue to work with
states to adopt rules to protect truck drivers involved in a
nonconsensual tow.
Connecticut
A new Connecticut law provides comprehensive towing
reform in the state.
Previously HB7162, the new law starts with a “towing
bill of rights.” The Department of Motor Vehicles
commissioner will develop the bill of rights by the end of
August.
As of Oct. 1, towing companies must make the bill of
rights available to the public.
Another provision overrides the current DMV-
established rate schedule for medium- and heavy-duty
nonconsensual tows. In its place, the agency is responsible
for establishing a new rate schedule.
Temporary rates have been in place since July 1 for
medium-duty, heavy-duty and oversize/overweight
vehicles. The temporary rates will be used until the new
rate schedule is established.
The DMV is required to create separate rate schedules
for private property trespass towing and police-ordered
towing. There will no longer be one schedule for all
nonconsensual towing.
The maximum hourly rate that could be charged for a
heavy-duty nonconsensual tow will be $700 per hour.
That amount is an increase from the current $390 rate. It
includes recovery.
Rates are required to be reconsidered and potentially
amended every three years. DMV Commissioner Tony
G uerrera previously told lawmakers his agency views
the changes “as a reasonable step forward to strengthen
oversight and protect consumers.”
Arkansas
Arkansas was the rst state this year to enact towing
reforms.
State law permits a towing or storage company to hold
a vehicle for a lien or claim for unpaid towing and storage
fees.
The new law permits vehicle owners to get their cargo
returned for a fee. It ensures that towers will get 20% of
the value of truck cargo up front. They can still have a lien
on the cargo.
Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, said the remaining
balance of the tow bill must still be paid.
“(The new law) still requires the remaining balance of
the tow bill to be paid, but this allows (motor carriers) to
remove their cargo,” Hammer explained on the Senate
oor.
Also covered in the new law is a process to le towing
complaints.
Towing services must include a notice of the state’s
complaint process on invoices.
Progress continues
on towing reform
ashington USA/stock.adobe.com
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 33
The new rule requires notication
“prominently printed in bold letters at
the bottom of each invoice” to include
the phone number and web address of
the Arkansas Towing and Recovery
Board.
Doug Morris, OOIDA director of
state government affairs, said that as
Arkansas and other states look at their
towing programs, they are learning there are towers that
take advantage of people and overcharge them.
He added that the majority of towers are running their
business the right way but that a few give the industry a bad
reputation.
The towing board is also being overhauled. An
emergency clause immediately removed all nine existing
board members. The new law stipulates that the board must
include one member who represents the trucking industry.
Another member will represent the commercial trucking
insurance industry.
Illinois
An Illinois bill headed to G ov. JB Pritzker’s desk targets
towing “bad actors.”
Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, introduced the bill
that she described as going after towing operators that
ignore penalties and continue operating under new business
names.
Currently, the Illinois Commerce Commission issues nes
to violators. Bill supporters have said that many of the
worst offenders still ignore penalties and continue operating
under new business names.
House and Senate lawmakers approved a bill by
unanimous consent that would allow the commission to
impound tow trucks with unpaid nes. SB2040 would also
permit the state to suspend plates from tow trucks with
unpaid nes.
In addition, fraudulent towers would be prohibited from
obtaining new licenses for three years. One more provision
would forbid tow truck operators from placing liens on
essential personal property left in a towed vehicle.
Villanueva said predatory towing operators have taken
advantage of consumers for far too long.
“This legislation is about restoring fairness and
accountability to the system, ensuring that no one falls
victim to these deceptive practices,” Villanueva stated after
the Senate oor vote.
North Carolina
The North Carolina L egislature
approved a bill that addresses
nonconsensual towing. A local media
report shows that predatory towing
has been an issue in the state.
The 19-page bill focuses on another
issue but includes provisions such
as commercial booting and return of
commercial cargo related to a nonconsensual tow.
S311 would outlaw immobilization of a commercial
vehicle for parking enforcement purposes. The ban would
apply to any device such as a boot.
Violators would face a Class 2 misdemeanor charge.
Fines and court costs for such offenses could top 430.
Included in the bill is a provision for return of cargo. A
tow company involved in a nonconsensual or government-
initiated tow would be required to return any commercial
cargo to the truck driver or owner of the cargo, upon
request.
A trailer swap would be permitted under the condition
that a different trailer is “of similar type that is in working
condition and was manufactured within ve years of the
manufacturing date of the original trailer, or newer, as
arranged by the commercial cargo owner.” The bill is
headed to G ov. Josh Stein’s desk.
Pennsylvania
One Pennsylvania bill is intended to make it easier to get
a large truck to a preferred facility for service. Trucks
requiring emergency service can be towed to a nearby
garage or “other place of safety.”
Sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, R-Clinton/
Union, the bill is described as easing regulations on the
towing industry to allow for safer operating procedures.
HB188 would permit a truck tractor with up to two
trailers that require emergency service to be towed to a
location of the owner’s choosing or other place of safety off
a highway.
The change would also apply to overweight combinations
as long as the tow truck travels directly to the place of
repairs or place of safety.
Borowicz said the bill would “ease regulations on our tow
truck drivers and increase safety on the roads across the
Commonwealth.” HB188 is in the House Transportation
Committee. LL
“This legislation
is about restoring
fairness and
accountability to the
system, ensuring that
no one falls victim
to these deceptive
practices.”
34 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
L ouisiana G ov. Jeff L andry has acted to sign into law tort
reform bills of interest to the trucking industry.
OOIDA advocates for reform to civil liability rules to
reduce lawsuit abuse. It contends that plaintiff’s lawyers
constantly grow more aggressive with theories and
arguments, trying to reach into the pockets of truck drivers
who often have little to no fault for an unfortunate incident.
House Bill 431
The rst new law affecting the trucking industry modies
the state’s pure comparative fault system.
Pure comparative fault allows a plaintiff’s right to
damages to be reduced by the plaintiff’s liability. Plaintiffs
are not barred from recovery.
Rep. Emily Chenevert, R-Baton Rouge, said the current
system allows someone who is 99% at fault for a wreck to
get a payout from someone who is 1% at fault.
HB431 shifts the pure comparative fault system to a
modied standard.
Effective Jan. 1, 2026, the new law changes the rule so
that anyone at least 51% at fault in a wreck is prohibited
from collecting damages.
House Bill 434
Another new law already in effect is touted to strengthen
Louisiana’s “no pay, no play” law. HB434 raises the
recovery threshold for uninsured drivers.
Uninsured motorists now are prohibited from recovering
the rst 100,000 in bodily injury and property damage
claims. L ouisiana law previously had a $15,000 limit on
bodily injury. The state had a $25,000 limit on property
damage.
Speaking on the Senate oor, Sen. Alan Seabaugh,
R-Shreveport, said the rule change will get a lot of claims
out of the state system. He pointed out that 15% to 30% of
vehicles on the road are uninsured.
“If you block those people, who are abusing the system
and not buying insurance, if you block them from bringing
claims, you’re going to lower the amount of litigation,”
Seabaugh said.
He added that the change will ultimately lower insurance
rates.
House Bill 436
A related rule also in effect prohibits “recovery of certain
damages by unauthorized aliens.”
HB43 forbids an award of general damages and past and
future wages for unauthorized aliens in a vehicle wreck.
G eneral damages include pain and suffering and other non-
economic losses.
Affected persons will be allowed to recover for other
special damages. Such damages include medical bills, lost
wages and property damage.
House Bill 450
The third rule revision already in effect cancels the Housley
Presumption. The legal doctrine presumes a link between
a wreck and an injury, even without proof of a link. The
burden of proof is placed on the defense to disprove
causation.
HB450 is described as restoring fairness by requiring real
evidence in personal injury claims. The change is touted to
help eliminate inated lawsuits and reduce insurance costs.
Advocates have said the rule change shifts the burden of
proof about injuries related to a wreck back to the plaintiffs.
House Bill 549
Dashboard cameras are the subject of another new law that
is focused on the trucking industry. The technology is touted
to enhance safety, reduce insurance fraud and lower claims
costs.
HB54 requires insurers authorized to issue commercial
vehicle insurance policies in the state to provide a discount
for policyholders of commercial vehicles with dash cams
and telematics systems.
Policyholders must provide proof the dash cam and
telematics system are installed and operational. The discount
is available during issuance or renewal. The effective date is
Jan. 1, 2026.
State trucking group welcomes progress
The L ouisiana Motor Transport Association said the enacted
reforms represent “meaningful progress toward correcting
a legal environment that has contributed to escalating
insurance premiums.”
The group added that the state is far from done addressing
the “insurance crisis and lawsuit abuse culture.” The
trucking group said issues that still need to be addressed
include transparency in medical billing and elimination of
phantom damages. LL
New Louisiana laws look to shore up
runaway insurance claims
Postmodern studio/stock.adobe.com
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 35
OOIDA’s Passenger Accident Policy
●
Low premiums
●
High benefit limits
●
No deductible
“Can we go
this time? ”
OOIDA.com
816-229-5791
A bill approved unanimously by the New York City Council
requires the city’s Department of Transportation to create
overnight truck parking in industrial business zones.
The city recently passed Intro 99-B, which expands the city’s
overnight truck parking pilot program introduced earlier this
year. The bill focuses on commercial
vehicle parking in areas not included
in the initial program.
Parking will be available only
overnight. Designated parking spots
will be inactive from 8 a.m. to 6
p.m.
The Trucking Association of New
York applauded the passing of the
bill. The lack of truck parking is a
nationwide problem.
“For far too long, the shortage
of overnight parking for truck
drivers in New York City has forced trucks to park in areas
that they shouldn’t be,” Zach Miller, TANY’s vice president
of government affairs, said in a statement. “This problem has
been exacerbated by next-day and same-day demand and strict
federal hours-of-service regulations. This creates an unsafe
environment for both drivers and the surrounding communities.
We want to thank City Council Member Dr. Nantasha
Williams, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers and the bill’s co-sponsors for their
commitment to advancing commonsense solutions to address
existing challenges around overnight truck parking.”
Before these truck parking areas are created, the NYC DOT
must reach out to community boards and council members
in the industrial zones. It also needs to connect with trucking
stakeholders.
In March, the NYC DOT announced a “metered pay-by-app,
overnight truck parking pilot.”
That program differs from the one established by the bill.
It creates 45 parking spaces that are available 24 hours a day.
Parking costs $10 every eight hours.
However, the program will last for only one year and is
limited to three of the 20 industrial business zones. The
exclusion of Southeast Queens led to an uproar among
residents and community leaders, including Williams, who
introduced Intro 99-B to address parking in her district. With
the bill passed, more parking may be added in other affected
areas. LL
Council advances
‘commonsense solutions’
36 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
Shockwaves were sent through the trucking industry in
2018 when a court held Werner Enterprises liable in a $90
million lawsuit despite no wrongdoing.
Nearly seven years later, the Texas Supreme Court has
overturned the ruling in a case that emphasizes the need
for tort reform across the nation.
In a 5-3 decision, the Texas Supreme Court reversed a
lower court’s ruling that held Werner liable for $90 million
in a personal injury lawsuit.
This ruling is seen as a major win for trucking
stakeholders, who were bafed that the company faced
such a large verdict even though a state trooper testied
that the truck driver “didn’t do anything wrong.”
While the Texas Supreme Court’s ruling allows Werner
to breathe easier, it chose not to address tort reform,
limiting its opinion.
“This is a long-awaited win for Werner,” Nathan
Meisgeier, Werner’s president and chief legal ofcer, said
in a statement. “After seven years navigating the appellate
process, we are thankful the Texas Supreme Court reached
the same conclusion as law enforcement – that the Werner
drivers and our company did nothing wrong. A different
outcome would have had far-reaching implications beyond
the transportation industry.”
The crash
The Texas Supreme Court case stems from a lawsuit
led by the family of Zachary Blake and Brianna Blake.
Zachary, who was 7 years old, was killed in the crash with
a Werner truck. Brianna, who was 12, was rendered a
quadriplegic.
In December 2014, the Blakes were traveling east on
Interstate 20 in Texas in a pickup truck driven by Zaragoza
“Trey” Salinas. Weather conditions were icy at the time.
Salinas lost control of the vehicle going 50-60 mph and
careened across a grass median, entering the westbound
lanes.
At this time, Shiraz Ali was driving a truck for Werner
going west on I-20. He was driving below the speed limit
when the pickup truck began to spin. Jeff Ackerman, a
Werner driver-trainer, was also in the truck. According to
the appellate brief, Ali reacted in half a second, hitting the
brakes.
Even the Blakes’ expert witness conceded that Ali’s
reaction was “very quick” and “appropriate to the
conditions.”
Nuclear
implosion
Andriy Blokhin/stock.adobe.com
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 37
In addition to Salinas making
statements suggesting guilt
and responsibility, a Texas
Department of Public Safety
trooper defended Ali’s actions.
Trooper Villareal, a 17-year veteran who investigated the
accident, concluded it was “truly an accident,” Ali “didn’t
do anything wrong” and there was nothing Ali “could have
done to avoid the collision.” A higher-ranking trooper who
approved the report concurred.
Company culture and
policy on trial
During the trial, the plaintiffs presented evidence not
directly related to the crash.
To show that Werner’s culture and policy led to the crash,
the plaintiffs’ attorneys provided:
●
●
●
●
●
●
This evidence convinced the jury that Werner was
responsible for the crash. In 2018, the jury found Werner
70% liable, Ali 14% liable and Salinas 16% liable. It
awarded the plaintiffs over $100 million after interest.
Werner challenged the verdict. However, the full 14th
Court of Appeals in Texas afrmed the verdict. The trucking
company appealed to the state Supreme Court, arguing that
neither the company nor Ali caused the crash. Werner also
requested that the court adopt the Admission Rule.
In its petition, Werner argued that by accepting liability for
Ali’s actions, plaintiffs could not pursue “derivative theories
of negligence.” The Admission Rule states that once an
employer admits liability, evidence of the employer’s hiring,
training or supervision practices should be inadmissible as
irrelevant and potentially prejudicial, according to the law
rm Lewis Brisbois.
The Admission Rule has
been adopted in several states.
In Texas, courts are split on the
rule, with some adopting it and
others – like the 14th Court of
Appeals – rejecting it.
If the Supreme Court were to adopt the rule, trucking
companies’ practices, policies and overarching operations
and culture could not be used in a crash lawsuit when the
company accepts vicarious liability. Effectively, jurors
would not be subjected to prejudicial evidence that fuels
nuclear verdicts.
Wrong place, wrong time
The Texas Supreme Court ultimately found that Werner’s
involvement was “mere happenstance of place and time”
and could not be held liable.
At trial, the plaintiffs were able to show that if not for the
truck driver’s speed – which was below the posted limit
but still unsafe for the conditions – the crash never would
have happened. Or at the very least, it would have been less
severe.
However, the high court found that although the Werner
driver’s presence and speed may have “furnished the
condition that made the injuries possible,” it was not a
proximate cause. Rather, the proximate cause “was the
sudden, unexpected hurtling of the victims’ vehicle into
oncoming highway trafc, for which the defendants bore no
responsibility.”
“That singular and robustly explanatory fact fully explains
why the accident happened and who is responsible for the
resulting injuries,” Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock wrote
in the majority opinion. “Because no further explanation
is reasonably necessary to substantially explain the origins
of this accident or to assign responsibility for the plaintiffs’
injuries, the rule of proximate causation does not permit
a factnder to search for other, subordinate actors in the
causal chain and assign liability to them.”
Because the court’s nding on proximate cause resulted in
reversing the nuclear verdict, the justices did not address the
Admission Rule. LL
“This is a long-awaited win
for Werner. After seven years
navigating the appellate process,
we are thankful the Texas
Supreme Court reached the same
conclusion as law enforcement –
that the Werner drivers and our
company did nothing wrong. A
different outcome would have had
far-reaching implications beyond
the transportation industry.”
38 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
Municipalities nationwide
are rejecting truck parking
developments. Yet one developer has
shown that education and advocacy can
change minds.
Chris Storm, president of Sable
Realty Advisors in Amarillo, Texas,
has worked in self-storage since the
1980s. A few years ago, he spotted an
opportunity in truck parking and got
to work on his rst parking facility. He
quickly realized that many people didn’t
see the urgent need for more parking, so
he sought help from truck drivers.
The site of Storm’s venture in truck parking sits at
Wintergreen Road and Interstate 45 in Hutchins, Texas.
Just south of Dallas and Interstate 20, the future home of
SafeStop is located along a busy freight corridor that needs
safe parking for truck drivers.
An important word here is “safe.” There are several
truck stops less than 10 miles from the future truck parking
facility. However, none of them are safe.
Several years ago, a “Do Not Stop” list went viral,
highlighting unsafe truck stops across 20 states. This list
warned truck drivers with valuable loads to avoid these
places due to rising crime rates.
A third of the listed truck stops in Texas are near Storm’s
proposed site. He aimed to create a safe, driver-friendly
option, but the Hutchins Planning and Zoning Commission
wasn’t convinced.
“I had done so much research on this,” Storm said. “I just
assumed everybody understood that there is a crisis of truck
parking nationwide, but certainly in these concentrated
areas like this, and that everybody would immediately see
the benets of what we were trying to do. That’s not the
case, necessarily.”
Informing the misinformed
Storm turned to trucking stakeholders for some help, and
the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
delivered.
A few years back, Storm met OOIDA Executive Vice
President Lewie Pugh at the Mid-America Trucking Show
in Louisville, Ky. He asked Pugh for help to push the
truck parking facility forward. That’s when OOIDA Board
Member Kenneth Becker got involved.
Hutchins Planning and Zoning commissioners initially
rejected Storm’s zoning request out of concern about an
increase in truck trafc. They were worried that another
truck parking facility would attract more drivers.
Becker spoke with city ofcials, sharing the driver’s
perspective. He explained the hard truth: Trucks are already
in Hutchins. Storm’s SafeStop would just move them off
the streets into a secure lot.
Many city ofcials didn’t grasp the seriousness of the
truck parking crisis. Becker shared some sobering statistics
well-known to industry insiders but new to most decision-
makers.
“You’re approving this warehousing, you’re approving
Advocacy in action
Photos courtesy of Kenneth Becker
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 39
Compliance
made easy.
●
●
●
●
●
●
(800) 288-3784
LAND LINE
CMCI
●
these yards, you’re approving these other things,” Becker
said. “Truck parking needs to be part of that. You approve a
million-square-foot warehouse, and there’s not one place to
park a truck except when you’re backed into the dock. Well,
you know, that creates a need.”
That appeared to ip the script. Wary city of cials changed
their tune from skeptical to enthusiastic about the new
truck parking facility. Zoning changes were granted, and a
groundbreaking ceremony was held earlier this year. Storm
expects to open SafeStop around the rst of November.
“The more we continued to talk with them, the more they
came to understand that this is really a bene cial thing for
their community,” Storm said.
SafeStop
Becker’s valuable input helped create much-needed truck
parking spaces at a facility that takes pride in safety and a
driver-friendly environment.
SafeStop’s website describes the truck parking facility
as a “well-lit, gated and fenced parking area with 24/7
surveillance.” It offers 140 truck parking spaces, clean
restrooms, free showers, healthy vending machine options
and a lounge area with free Wi-Fi and laundry facilities.
Storm is talking with food truck operators about them
swinging by for more food choices.
“I got the impression that oftentimes, drivers are not
treated as rst-class citizens,” Storm said. “They’re many
times not allowed to use restrooms at a customer’s stop and
just generally not treated as I think they should be. So what
we’re trying to do is create an environment where they are
treated well, respectfully, and the things that they need and
many things that they like would be on-site.”
Safety is a top priority for Storm. He worked with
transportation security expert JJ Coughlin, owner of
Corporate Security Solutions of Texas and chairman of
the Southwest Transportation Security Council. Storm
also consulted with Women In Trucking to make sure he
addresses the needs of female truck drivers.
Some of the security features include interactive cameras
that will trigger an alarm if they detect anyone approaching
the fence from the outside. SafeStop will also have secure
gate access.
Storm has several locations in mind for future expansion.
But for now, he is focusing on making this rst one
successful before taking that leap. LL
40 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
Parking
Zone
Parking
Zone
Parking
Zone
Parking
Big news in the world of truck parking was dropped
at the end of June with the announcement of the U.S.
Department of Transportation’s “Pro-Trucker Package.”
Still, most of the heavy lifting addressing the
nationwide shortage is being done at the state, county
and local levels, with the private sector usually involved.
Below are some of the latest of those developments.
Outpost expansion includes over
1,500 truck parking spaces
Truck terminal and eet yard company Outpost has
acquired four new properties in Dallas, Southern
California, Las Vegas and Savannah, Ga. More than
1,500 truck parking spaces are available at the locations,
including 800 in Dallas, 350 in Las Vegas, 320 in
Savannah and 100 in Fontana, Calif.
Last April, Outpost announced plans to double its
footprint, which at the time included more than 8,000
truck parking spaces across 18 facilities. The company’s
most recent announcement boosts those numbers to more
than 12,000 parking spaces at more than 20 properties.
Truck Parking Club rapid
growth continues
Paid parking provided by the private sector is one tool
in the toolbox to address the nationwide truck parking
crisis. Leading that charge is Truck Parking Club.
Averaging about 10 new properties each day, the popular
parking app currently provides access to more than
40,000 parking spaces across more than 2,200 locations.
Now, Truck Parking Club is offering some incentives
through its new Club Cash Wallet, a pre-loaded account
that offers a 3% bonus on deposits and 1% rewards on
all parking purchases. If you’re going to pay for parking,
you might as well get some of that money back and use it
toward future parking.
More truck parking near Maine airport
More truck parking is needed near Waterville Regional
Airport off Interstate 95, and the area may get it. A paid
parking facility has been proposed at 75 Airport Road,
and the city appears to be ne with it, according to the
Morning Sentinel. Current plans call for 35 parking
spaces, which can be reserved for overnight and monthly
parking. Developers appear to be working with Truck
Parking Club, so that’s at least one way to book a spot
once the facility opens.
New truck stop in Georgia
A JP Marathon truck stop has opened a new location in
LaGrange, Ga. The City Menus reported that the new
truck stop features 100 truck parking spaces, Cat scales,
showers, a truckers’ lounge, gaming areas and a large
convenience store. Food includes Dunkin’, Little Caesars
and Willie B’s Chicken Coupe.
Kentucky county addressing truck
parking zoning issues
Boone County, located just outside Cincinnati, is
seeing an increase in truck parking issues as freight
along Interstate 75 surges. However, its zoning code
de nition for “commercial parking” is outdated. County
commissioners have several options they are mulling
over. As Link NKY pointed out, the county’s ultimate
goal is “to create more truck parking while avoiding an
overly burdensome regulatory environment.”
Major development getting
pushback in Virginia
A developer wants to build a major project near
Strasburg, Va., off Interstate 81, but the town isn’t
going to make it easy. The proposal includes several
restaurants, a shopping center, a dog park and overnight
truck parking. However, a decades-old agreement and
some local residents are delaying any progress, according
to The Northern Virginia Daily. It may be some time
before a resolution is reached, further delaying more
parking in the area.
Developer taking Florida
county to court
In February, the Jefferson County Commission denied
a California-based company its bid to build a new truck
stop off U.S. Route 19. Now, the developer is taking
Private sector powers
parking push
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 41
Completing your life
insurance needs.
&
life
health
benefits
Since 2018, OOIDA life insurance has
paid over $14 million in benefits for
members and their families.
New OOIDA
members
can enroll for
$50,000
of guaranteed
coverage.
the county to court. According to ECB Publishing, the
developer is asking a circuit court to overturn the decision.
The proposed truck stop would be located just east of
Tallahassee.
Meanwhile, in Canada …
… the situation isn’t much better. The Guardian reported
that a company is trying to build a fuel station in Borden-
Carleton, Prince Edward Island, Canada. That includes a
24-hour Tim Hortons and designated truck parking. The
plan is proving to be controversial and is being held up with
the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission. Whoever
loses that battle can take the matter to the Prince Edward
Island Supreme Court. If approved, the gas station will be
the fourth in the city. That’s why locals are opposing it and
might get their way.
In recent months, Love’s, Pilot, Flying J and Shell
have opened a total of six new locations, adding
nearly 400 truck parking spaces.
at 21624 W. Alexander Farm Road (state
Route 53, Exit New River Road) in Wilmington,
Ill. (68 truck parking spaces)
at 2001 State Route 766 (Interstate 80, Exit
280) in Carlin, Nev. (72 spaces)
at 540 Timmons Way (Interstate 70, Exit
80) in West Jefferson, Ohio (80 spaces)
at 720 Transcon Lane (Interstate 40, Exit
255) in Winslow, Ariz. (81 spaces)
at 420 N. Lobdell Highway
(Interstate 10, Exit 151) in Port Allen, La. (50
spaces)
at 1255 Dallas
Drive (Highway 1, Exit 397) in Monte Creek,
British Columbia, Canada (22 spaces) LL
New truck stops
Like it or not, paid parking
provided by the private sector
is one tool in the toolbox
necessary to fix the nationwide
truck parking crisis.
42 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has made
multiple attempts to get the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration to mandate a technology that opponents
often refer to as “trackers on trucks.”
Those attempts have not been successful. Now, CVSA
aims to get the tech mandate included in the next highway
bill. If successful, FMCSA would be mandated by Congress
to issue a nal rule requiring universal electronic vehicle
identiers on new commercial vehicles.
The mandate tops the list of CVSA’s legislative priorities.
CVSA, a group of local, state and federal ofcials
focused on commercial motor vehicle enforcement, said the
mandate would allow ofcials to identify vehicles from a
short distance.
The group has argued that the technology is needed
because jurisdictions don’t have the resources to inspect
every commercial motor vehicle. The electronic ID would
allow enforcement to focus on high-risk carriers.
“Deployment of this technology would revolutionize
the way commercial motor vehicle roadside monitoring,
inspection and enforcement are conducted, exponentially
growing the program and improving roadway safety,”
CVSA wrote.
CVSA Deputy Executive Director Adrienne Gildea
said the tech wouldn’t track the vehicles or acquire any
information about the drivers.
“There are no credible privacy concerns,” CVSA wrote.
“No sensitive information, such as driver information
and data, would be transmitted, and the vehicle
would share only the universal vehicle identier. The
universal vehicle identier, potentially tied to the vehicle
identication number, would then be used by enforcement
to access information that is already required to be
displayed or made available to enforcement by existing
regulation.”
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
voiced concerns about a slippery slope and pointed out that
a 2022 notice suggested that more information could be
transmitted.
“Does CVSA really expect truckers to believe the only
thing anyone wants universal electronic IDs to transmit is
what is already
available on a
license plate?”
asked Collin Long,
OOIDA’s director
of government
affairs. “If that was
the case, then why
did the proposed
rule they petitioned
for include
information like
the driver’s hours of service, medical certication, axle
weight, pre-trip inspection date and time, and more? A new
promise from CVSA is meaningless when we’ve already
seen behind the curtain. The well was poisoned in 2022 and
CVSA should move on, rather than trying to get Congress
to bite on a widely panned proposal that has no connection
to safety.”
CVSA rst petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration to mandate the tech in 2010.
In 2022, FMCSA issued an advance notice of
CVSA eyes
electronic IDs
“OOIDA and our
members oppose
this proposal in
the strongest
possible terms.”
– Todd Spencer,
Olena/stock.adobe.com
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 43
proposed rulemaking that considered requiring all interstate
commercial motor vehicles to have an electronic ID.
OOIDA and individual truckers immediately opposed the
proposal, saying it would not improve safety and would
violate the privacy of truck drivers.
“OOIDA and our members oppose this proposal in the
strongest possible terms,” the Association wrote in comments
signed by President Todd Spencer. “Our members have been
extremely clear that this concept is an unwarranted intrusion
into their privacy, as well as an overly costly and burdensome
requirement that does nothing to improve their efciency or
safety.”
In all, the advance notice received more than 2,000
comments. Many of the comments came from individual
truckers who cited concerns about privacy and government
overreach.
The opposition was strong enough that FMCSA moved
the rulemaking to the back burner in 2023, and no action has
been taken since.
Personal conveyance
Although it is not included in the group’s legislative
priorities, CVSA also plans to make another push for stricter
rules regarding a truck driver’s use of personal conveyance.
As of press time, CVSA said it planned to petition FMCSA
about off-duty driving in late July.
CVSA petitioned FMCSA in 2020 and 2022 to create a
maximum distance or time regarding a truck driver’s personal
use of a commercial motor vehicle. Both times, CVSA’s
petition was denied.
In the 2022 petition, CVSA argued that 61% of violations
logged as personal conveyance were an attempt to conceal
hours-of-service violations. However, FMCSA said the
statistic proves violations for misuse of personal conveyance
are already being enforced.
Gildea conrmed that the group will petition FMCSA
again.
“CVSA supports revising the denition of personal
conveyance to include a set limit (2 hours) and to clarify
the regulations to allow for consistent, correct application
of the duty status,” Gildea wrote in an email to Land Line.
“The current denition of personal conveyance is incomplete
because it does not provide a limit on how long the driver can
travel under the personal conveyance designation.”
According to FMCSA guidance, a truck driver may use
a commercial motor vehicle for personal conveyance as
off-duty only when he or she is relieved from work by
the motor carrier. The truck can also be used for personal
conveyance even when it is laden as long as the load is not
being transported for the benet of the motor carrier. Personal
conveyance does not count against a truck driver’s hours of
service.
FMCSA provided seven examples of appropriate use of
personal conveyance.
FMCSA also provided eight scenarios that would not
qualify as personal conveyance.
OOIDA opposes any efforts to restrict the use of a trucker’s
personal vehicle when off-duty.
“A commercial motor vehicle driver’s time is already
overregulated in terms of when they can drive and when
they can rest,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer wrote in
comments to FMCSA in 2024. “There should not be any
additional restrictions on how a driver can use his or her
own personal time. We have supported FMCSA’s denial of
petitions that would establish personal conveyance limits. We
urge the agency to uphold this guidance and protect the use of
personal conveyance moving forward.” LL
APPROPRIATE USE
DOES NOT QUALIFY
44 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
It was a rough summer for California
after all three branches of the
federal government delivered blows to
its three vehicle emission rules.
In June, President Donald Trump
signed off on resolutions passed by
Congress that kill three California
vehicle emission rules commonly
referred to as an electric vehicle mandate.
A week later, the U.S. Supreme Court
allowed fuel producers to challenge the
mechanism by which the Golden State is
allowed to set stricter emission rules.
The congressional resolutions, Trump’s
signature and a judicial ruling from the
highest court were a three-punch combo
knocking out Advanced Clean Trucks,
Advanced Clean Cars II and the Omnibus
Low NOx regulation, with the potential to
end California’s exclusive ability to set
emission standards that go beyond federal
regulations.
Truck drivers applauded the
resolutions terminating California’s
stricter vehicle emission rules. The
Owner-Operator Independent
Drivers Association called the
move a “big win” for truck
drivers.
“Our 150,000 small-business
members have been saying it
all along: Electric trucks just
aren’t a realistic option right
now,” OOIDA President
Todd Spencer said. “They’re too expensive,
and the charging infrastructure isn’t there.
California’s NOx rules are already driving
up the cost of doing business. We’re
grateful to the lawmakers who listened to
real truckers and stood up for common
sense.”
But California is not going down without
a ght. In addition to challenging the
resolutions in court, Gov. Gavin Newsom is
directing the state to craft new vehicle emission
rules. Top truck manufacturers may also be held to a
signed agreement that ties them to the emission rules,
even if they have been struck down.
Congress executes Trump’s
order to eliminate EV mandate
One of the rst executive orders Trump signed on his
rst day back in of ce directed the termination of “state
emissions waivers that function to limit sales of gasoline-
powered automobiles.” Congress delivered.
During his rst term, Trump attempted to block
Advanced Clean Cars I through the regulatory process.
The Environmental Protection Agency withdrew its
waiver that gave California the greenlight to execute the
vehicle emission rules. That proved to be unsuccessful,
Down
for the
count
44
LAND LINE
t was a rough summer for California
after all three branches of the
federal government delivered blows to
its three vehicle emission rules.
In June, President Donald Trump
signed off on resolutions passed by
Congress that kill three California
vehicle emission rules commonly
referred to as an electric vehicle mandate.
A week later, the U.S. Supreme Court
allowed fuel producers to challenge the
mechanism by which the Golden State is
allowed to set stricter emission rules.
The congressional resolutions, Trump’s
signature and a judicial ruling from the
highest court were a three-punch combo
knocking out Advanced Clean Trucks,
Advanced Clean Cars II and the Omnibus
Low NOx regulation, with the potential to
end California’s exclusive ability to set
emission standards that go beyond federal
regulations.
Truck drivers applauded the
resolutions terminating California’s
stricter vehicle emission rules. The
Owner-Operator Independent
Drivers Association called the
move a “big win” for truck
drivers.
“Our 150,000 small-business
members have been saying it
all along: Electric trucks just
aren’t a realistic option right
now,” OOIDA President
Todd Spencer said. “They’re too expensive,
and the charging infrastructure isn’t there.
California’s NOx rules are already driving
up the cost of doing business. We’re
grateful to the lawmakers who listened to
real truckers and stood up for common
sense.”
But California is not going down without
a ght. In addition to challenging the
resolutions in court, Gov. Gavin Newsom is
directing the state to craft new vehicle emission
rules. Top truck manufacturers may also be held to a
signed agreement that ties them to the emission rules,
even if they have been struck down.
Congress executes Trump’s
order to eliminate EV mandate
One of the rst executive orders Trump signed on his
rst day back in of ce directed the termination of “state
emissions waivers that function to limit sales of gasoline-
powered automobiles.” Congress delivered.
During his rst term, Trump attempted to block
Advanced Clean Cars I through the regulatory process.
The Environmental Protection Agency withdrew its
waiver that gave California the greenlight to execute the
vehicle emission rules. That proved to be unsuccessful,
Karen Roach/stock.adobe.com
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 45
as court challenges lasted into former President Joe Biden’s
administration, which quickly reinstated the waiver.
This time around, Trump took a different approach that
would be more permanent: the Congressional Review Act.
Enacted in 1996, the Congressional Review Act
requires agencies to send new rules to Congress, allowing
lawmakers to review and
overturn them. Once a rule is
submitted, Congress has 60
days to le a joint resolution
of disapproval to revoke the
rule. Rather than the typical 60
votes needed to pass a bill in
the Senate, a CRA resolution
requires only a simple majority.
Once signed into law, an
agency is barred from issuing a
similar rule in the future. In this
case, California cannot request
an EPA waiver for vehicle
emission regulations that are “substantially the same form”
as the Advanced Clean Trucks and Advanced Clean Cars II
rules.
If a future EPA wants to grant similar vehicle emission
waivers, Congress would need to pass a law allowing the
agency to do so.
The EPA had never previously sent any of California’s
vehicle emission waivers to Congress for review. That’s
because they have been considered orders and not rules
that are reviewable. But Trump’s EPA disagreed with
that assessment and sent the waivers for the three latest
California rules to Congress.
However, both the Government Accountability Of ce and
the Senate parliamentarian told Congress that California’s
EPA waivers are not reviewable. Despite the warning from
the two nonpartisan government watchdogs, Republicans
moved forward with the resolutions anyway. They quickly
moved through Congress, mostly with a party-line vote. A
small handful of House Democrats voted in favor.
Judicial setback
About a week after Trump signed the resolutions into law,
California’s vehicle emission rules received another setback
at the U.S. Supreme Court.
In a 7-2 decision, the court reversed a ruling that
dismissed a lawsuit led by fuel producers. Lower courts
found they lacked standing to challenge the EPA waiver
for California’s Advanced Clean Cars I regulation. The
Supreme Court’s decision allows the lawsuit to move
forward but does not address the case’s merits.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the state
will continue its efforts to set stricter vehicle emission
standards, as it has done with more than 100 EPA waivers
since the Clean Air Act was passed in 1967.
“While we are disappointed by the Supreme Court’s
decision to allow this case to go forward in the lower court,
we will continue to vigorously
defend California’s authority
under the Clean Air Act,” Bonta
said in a statement. “Congress
intended for California to be
able to regulate emissions
from new vehicles sold in our
state, and we remain rmly
committed to advancing and
implementing strong standards
that safeguard public health and
reduce climate pollution. The
ght for clean air is far from
over.”
Although the lawsuit is based on Advanced Clean Cars
I, which expires this year, the underlying issue revolves
around the EPA waiver. Similar lawsuits were led to
challenge Advanced Clean Trucks. A win in one case could
pave the way for a win in the other.
A legal win against the EPA waivers could be additional
insurance for those against California’s stricter vehicle
emission rules. Those rules can be reinstated if they do not
survive a court battle that Newsom has initiated.
Newsom pushing forward with
zero-direct-emission initiative
Undeterred, Newsom vowed to continue pursuing
widespread adoption of zero-direct-emission vehicles in
California while he ghts to overturn the resolutions.
On the same day Trump signed resolutions to overturn
California’s vehicle emission rules, Newsom signed an
executive order to strengthen the state’s efforts to move
away from fossil fuels. This order applies to all vehicles,
including passenger cars and heavy-duty trucks.
“We won’t let this illegal action by Trump and
Republicans in the pockets of polluters stand in the way of
commonsense policy to clean our air, protect the health of
our kids and compete on the global stage,” Newsom said
in a statement. “I’m signing an executive order to keep
California on track with our world-leading transition to
cleaner cars.”
California hopes manufacturers will follow its vehicle
emission rules voluntarily. To encourage this, the state will
“Our 150,000 small-
business members have
been saying it all along:
Electric trucks just aren’t
a realistic option right now.
They’re too expensive,
and the charging
infrastructure isn’t there.”
– Todd Spencer,
Continued on Page 46
46 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
prioritize purchasing vehicles from compliant
manufacturers. Incentive programs will
focus on those who adhere to the now-
invalidated regulations. As Advanced Clean
Cars III is developed, the California Air
Resources Board will consider the needs
of compliant manufacturers.
In his executive order, Newsom
promised to accelerate zero-emission
technologies for all vehicle types. This
includes directing CARB to develop a new
Advanced Clean Cars III regulation.
Advanced Clean Cars III will
focus on cutting emission from
passenger vehicles and heavy-
duty trucks. This proposed rule
will serve as a backup if the
federal disapprovals of the earlier
regulations are not overturned in
court.
On that note, California and 10
other states that adopted its vehicle
emission rules have led a lawsuit
against the federal government.
The complaint argues that Congress
overstepped its authority by unlawfully invoking the
Congressional Review Act.
However, manufacturers may still be on the hook to
follow those rules.
Clean Truck Partnership
Manufacturers with over 90% of truck sales may still
need to follow California’s strict emission rules, despite
the resolutions.
In July 2023, leading heavy-duty truck and engine
makers signed the Clean Truck Partnership with
California. They agreed to meet the Advanced Clean
Trucks and Omnibus rules regardless of any legal
challenges to those regulations or CARB’s authority.
Daimler Truck North America, Navistar, Paccar, Volvo,
Cummins and the Truck and Engine Manufacturers
Association signed this partnership.
“Paccar is committed to supporting the environmental
goals of California and the nation as a whole and
welcome the harmonization of future emissions
regulation,” Paccar Chief Technology Of cer John Rich
said in a statement at the time. “This agreement provides
regulatory certainty and supports a balanced transition to
zero emissions by ensuring continued supply of product
into California and opt-in states.”
Though 10 states have adopted Advanced
Clean Trucks, this agreement is only for
California. No similar agreement exists in
the other states.
When asked about continuing to
follow Advanced Clean Trucks rules, a
Cummins spokesperson said the company
is “analyzing the potential impacts of
these developments” and that it will “remain
committed to following the law everywhere.”
Daimler Truck North America cited only federal
requirements.
“We remain committed to
adhering to the requirements set by
EPA and will continue to develop
our product strategy in alignment
with all applicable regulations,”
a DTNA spokesperson told
Land Line in an email. “Our
portfolio provides customers with
powertrain technology options that
enable regulatory compliance.”
Paccar declined to comment, and
Volvo preferred not to comment
while the Clean Truck Partnership is the subject
of litigation. Other manufacturers involved in the
agreement could not be reached.
While manufacturers are considering how they are
going to proceed, trucking stakeholders in the region are
trying to get them off the hook. Shortly after the CRA
resolutions were signed into law, the Western States
Trucking Association led a petition with the California
Of ce of Administrative Law challenging the Clean
Truck Partnership.
The trucking association argues that the agreement
creates binding regulatory mandates without going
through the required rulemaking process. Essentially, the
Clean Truck Partnership is an “underground regulation.”
“The (Clean Truck Partnership) creates new regulatory
obligations for virtually an entire industry, including
the requirement to follow regulations that are not
authorized by federal law,” the petition states. “It also
purports to grant CARB new powers, such as the power
to require new vehicle and engine certi cations to meet
requirements that do not have federal authorization.”
For now, California’s new vehicle emission rules are
dead, and they are unlikely to be resurrected anytime
soon. LL
For now, California’s
new vehicle emission
rules are dead, and
they are unlikely
to be resurrected
anytime soon.
prioritize purchasing vehicles from compliant
invalidated regulations. As Advanced Clean
includes directing CARB to develop a new
into California and opt-in states.”
Though 10 states have adopted Advanced
Clean Trucks, this agreement is only for
is “analyzing the potential impacts of
these developments” and that it will “remain
committed to following the law everywhere.”
Daimler Truck North America cited only federal
Continued from
Page 45
Robbany Hossian/stock.adobe.com
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 47
Focus on a complete
health picture.
&
life
health
benefits
Affordable eye care for OOIDA
members and their families
OOIDA’s Voluntary Vision Care Plan
&
life
&
life
&
Available to all
OOIDA members
year-round
with two
networks to
choose from
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is hopeful
its new Medical Examiner’s Certi cation Integration rule will
combat fraud and improve safety.
In late June, the agency announced the rollout of the rule.
FMCSA said the implementation marked a “major
advancement in the safety and integrity of the commercial
driver licensing process.”
“This new digitalized system will make life easier for lawful
truck drivers and harder for bad actors who want to commit
fraud,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a
statement. “It will also enhance safety on our roads and
ensure law enforcement has access to the real-time data they
need to do their jobs.”
Under the new rule, medical certi cation information will
be shared electronically with state licensing agencies directly
from the medical examiners, replacing the former paper-based
system. Medical examiners will have until midnight (local
time) of the next day following an examination to report
results. Failing to meet the new requirements could result in a
medical examiner being removed from the National Registry.
The change results in drivers no longer needing to submit
paperwork to their state agencies or carry a physical copy of
their medical certi cation card.
In addition to electronic submission, FMCSA said that other
key improvements under the new rule include:
●
●
●
As of press time, FMCSA said 38 states and Washington,
D.C., were fully compliant with the new rule. The agency said
the remaining states – Alaska, California, Florida, Iowa,
Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
York, Oklahoma, Vermont and Wyoming – are expected to
meet all requirements in the coming months.
In July, FMCSA issued a waiver for CDL holders to assist
those states that were lagging behind on complying with the
implementation of the medical certi cation rule. The waiver
– which expires on Oct. 12 – allows drivers to use paper
copies of medical exam certi cates as proof of their medical
certi cation for up to 15 days after the date the certi cate is
issued. LL
FMCSA hopes new medical
certification rule will
combat fraud
48 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
If a tree falls in the forest and no
one is around to hear it, does it
make a sound?
When it comes to advocating
for small-business truckers, that’s
precisely what the Marketing
Department of the Owner-Operator
Independent Drivers Association
is tasked with doing – making
sure drivers hear the sound of the
metaphorical trees.
Whether it’s educating members
about the myriad of discounts
and services OOIDA has to offer
or passing along details on the
Association’s latest advocacy
efforts, the dedicated marketing
staff is there to spread the word to
truckers.
Lighting the fire
That messaging starts with Marketing Director Katie
McDonald. Despite having been with the Association
for less than a year, McDonald’s impact on OOIDA has
already been felt and seen at truck shows and on social
media. While she may be new to the trucking industry,
McDonald said she came into her new role with a
passion to help truckers.
“Going through the pandemic, trying to go to Target
and for the rst time in my entire life, there was
nothing on the shelves,” McDonald told Land Line.
“I think it really opened my eyes not only to how
important it is, but how little credit they receive and
how underappreciated they are.”
The same driving force is evident in all the other
members of the marketing team, including Jordan
Sedgwick, OOIDA’s brand engagement specialist. She
said she developed a “heart for truckers” after being
introduced to the industry in 2016.
“I started as a driver manager, so I was managing
30 drivers – just hearing the day-to-day frustrations,”
Sedgwick said. “I now have that passion and it’s in my
blood and I’m probably going to be in the industry for
a long time.”
That soft spot for truckers led Sedgwick to seek
out an opportunity with OOIDA, landing a job in
the marketing department as a fuel card specialist in
August 2022.
For Robin Bakker, marketing assistant, that eye-
opening moment came after she started with the
Association in August 2023 and has served as
motivation to help advance OOIDA’s mission.
“It wasn’t until I got here that I was like, ‘These
truckers don’t get bathroom access or overtime pay?’”
Bakker said. “And learning about all of that, it just
made me want to market more just so that everyone
can realize how awful it is out there.”
A solid game plan
Having passion for what you do is important, but it’s
also important to have the knowledge and tools to do
your job effectively. In her short tenure with OOIDA,
Spread the word
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 49
McDonald has shown that she
is more than capable of leading
her team in the right direction –
especially in a time of positive
change within the industry.
“Strategy is the most
important thing that this
department does for the Association. We have to take
really complex information and drill it down in a way
that’s easy to understand,” McDonald said. “Making
sure that we are hitting our members and prospective
members with the right messages at the right time to the
right audience is something that we haven’t really done
in the past that we’re doing now, and we’re really seeing
the benets of that.”
One of the staff members helping to execute the
Marketing Department’s mission is Digital and Ad
Specialist Amber Munir. She said in her nearly two
years with OOIDA, she is most proud of how the
department has built an online presence, especially
among younger drivers.
“I think just kind of helping bring in that younger
audience and engaging them more, especially online,
and showing them that this is what OOIDA is a part of
and what we’re actually doing,” Munir said. “We’re able
to connect with them a lot better than we were 25 years
ago.”
While the team is still in its infancy – having spent
less than a year together – its members have quickly
learned to move cohesively toward a common goal.
“I have a great team. I love how energetic and
passionate they all are and open to brainstorming and
making all of the crazy ideas that we come up with
come to life,” McDonald said. “Everyone here is very
eager to learn. They’re very eager to step up and do
whatever it takes to get our name and our message out
there to support truckers. Regardless of if they’re a
member or not, we are still supporting them.”
One of the rst big tests for McDonald and her team
came in March at the Mid-America Trucking Show.
McDonald said for 2025, the Marketing Department
set out to “make a big splash” by modernizing the
look of OOIDA’s booth at the event. It wasn’t only the
appearance McDonald wanted
to change but also the message
the Association was sending to
those in attendance.
“I wanted it to be front and
center: ‘Hey, right now, your
job sucks big time. You’re
not making very much money. You’re competing. The
freight recession is obviously historic in length. This is
how you support your family,’” she said. “We want to
show you that we’re here to support you, and that was
really the most important thing for me.”
One way the Association did that was through a “Wall
of Gratitude” located on the back side of the booth. In
addition to a screen with personalized messages from
OOIDA employees thanking truckers for all that they
do, there was also a white board where attendees could
write thank you messages to their favorite truckers.
“If you read the messages, the most heartfelt ones
are kids who are thanking their mom, dad or grandpa
for what they do every day,” McDonald said. “The fact
that small children understand the grit, the grind and
the sacrice that it takes to be on the road every day is
pretty amazing and pretty heartfelt.”
After the truck show, the marketing team had the
“Wall of Gratitude” hung in the cafeteria at OOIDA’s
headquarters in Grain Valley, Mo. – a reminder to
all employees about the dedicated members they are
working to serve.
Hitting
the road
McDonald said that one
of her best marketing
tools – as well as her
“biggest educator” when
it comes to the trucking
industry – has been
Marty Ellis, the driver of
OOIDA’s tour truck.
Ellis has been with the
Association since March
Spread the word
“They’re very eager
to step up and do
whatever it takes to
get our name and our
message out there to
support truckers.”
50 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
2021, but his passion for trucking and OOIDA’s
mission started long before that.
“I have been a proud member for a long time
before coming to work for the Association,
and now as part of the OOIDA team, I am very
proud and humbled to be a small part of such a
great association,” Ellis said. “I often wonder
how I could have gotten so lucky to work with
some awesome people and to serve a great
group of members.”
While Ellis shows his humility by saying
he’s a “small part” of what OOIDA does, to the
members and those following on social media,
he’s the face of the Association. Munir said
that members will ask, “Where’s Marty?” if he
hasn’t posted in a few days.
“He’s someone who’s like them, and it’s a
way that they’re actually communicating with
one another because it’s the language they
both understand,” Munir said. “Every one of
his posts are met with positivity – because it’s
OOIDA. But it’s a truck driver’s face that’s on
OOIDA, and it’s the way they see themselves.”
For Ellis, his job isn’t just about spreading the
word about OOIDA. He’s also looking to build
on the over 150,000 small-business truckers and
drivers the Association represents.
“Marketing not only helps get our message
out – which our members need to know –
but it also helps attract more drivers to the
Association, and we all know numbers matter,”
Ellis said. “The more members that are in the
Association, the stronger the voice is.” LL
“Every one of his posts
are met with positivity
– because it’s OOIDA.
But it’s a truck driver’s
face that’s on OOIDA,
and it’s the way they
see themselves.”
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 51
phatthanit/stock.adobe.com; Vitavalka/stock.adobe.com; nexusever/stock.adobe.com; Oleksandr Moros/stock.adobe.com
Rig Expen$e
Tracker
phatthanit/stock.adobe.com; Vitavalka/stock.adobe.com; nexusever/stock.adobe.com; Oleksandr Moros/stock.adobe.com
phatthanit/stock.adobe.com; Vitavalka/stock.adobe.com; nexusever/stock.adobe.com; Oleksandr Moros/stock.adobe.com
OOIDA
PERK$
52 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
LAND LINE
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
phatthanit/stock.adobe.com; Studio Graphics/stock.adobe.com; Pixel-Shot/stock.adobe.com; dashadima/stock.adobe.com
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 53
TruckerTaxTools.com
TruckerTaxTools.com
LAND LINE
53
phatthanit/stock.adobe.com; chonespsd/stock.adobe.com; Adnan/stock.adobe.com
54 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
phatthanit/stock.adobe.com; kolonko/stock.adobe.com
OOIDA
SAFE
DRIVING
AWARDS
C gra lati s
to all r
safe drivers!
LL
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 55
The American Truck Historical Society has announced
the 2025 American Trucking and Industry Leader Hall
of Fame class.
These individuals will be honored for their
contributions to the trucking industry on Oct. 22 at
ATHS headquarters in Kansas City, Mo.
– Founded Bandag Incorporated, a tire
retreading system, in 1957 and built the company’s
rst nishing line. Within six months, the rst
Bandag franchise dealership was established. The rst
international dealer signed an agreement in the rst
year under Carver’s leadership. By 1968, there were
Bandag dealers in 25 countries. Today, there are over
1,700 Bandag dealers worldwide.
– Built the “Autocar No. 1”
in 1897, now housed in the Smithsonian National
Museum of American History. The same year, Clarke
founded the Pittsburgh Motor Vehicle Company. These
innovations shaped the future of modern American
cars and trucks and how the motor vehicle industry
changed American history. Autocar is the oldest vehicle
nameplate in the U.S. and only truck manufacturer
dedicated to severe-duty vocational applications.
- In 1936, Joe Morten & Son Inc.
formed as a company to help truckers understand new
rules from state and federal governments. The company
offered insurance speci cally made for truckers, and
within 20 years, the Great West Casualty Company was
started to handle underwriting and claims. The national
commercial trucking insurance agency represents more
than 9,000 customers in 46 states. Joe Morten & Son
Inc. is Great West Casualty Company’s largest agency.
2025 ATHS awards
During the American Truck Historical
Society’s Convention and Truck Show
in Madison, Wis., in early June, ATHS
presented several annual awards.
OOIDA President Todd Spencer was
among those honored with a Golden
Achievement Award.
“Spencer has been a guiding voice in
national transportation policy, frequently testifying
before Congress and advising key federal safety and
regulatory bodies,” ATHS said.
OOIDA life member Chris Schatz of Worland, Wyo.,
also received this honor.
ATHS presents the award to recognize individuals
who have been involved in trucking for 50 or more
consecutive years.
Louis Binder – Morris, Ill.
Dennis Chapman – Diamond Bar, Calif.
Robert Charney – Surprise, Ariz.
Dave Everett – Columbus, Neb.
Steve Haberland – Cody, Wyo.
Stroud Hollinshead – West Fargo, N.D.
George Newman – Moosup, Conn.
Chris Schatz – Worland, Wyo.
Scholarship recipients
(funded by ATHS members)
Rabeka Liberto, Kansasville, Wis. – child of ATHS
member Steven Liberto
Lucas Massei, Brooklyn, Wis. – child of ATHS
member Marco Massei
Lily Stackpole, Cushing, Maine – grandchild of ATHS
member Robert Stackpole
(funded by The Autocar Co. & ATHS Autocar
Division)
Arantza Montserrat, Birmingham, Ala. – child of
Autocar employee Juan Antonio Rivero Camacho
ATHS will hold next year’s event June 4-6 in
Cleveland. LL
ATHS announces 2025 hall of fame class
“Spencer has been a guiding
voice in national transportation
policy, frequently testifying
before Congress and advising
key federal safety and
regulatory bodies.”
56 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
When it comes to supporting a great cause, there are few
charities that truckers rally around more than the Special
Olympics.
Since 1981, the Law Enforcement Torch Run has served
as a way for members of law enforcement to help raise
awareness and funds to support Special Olympians in their
local communities. Those fundraising initiatives include
annual truck convoys hosted across the country.
Fast forward over four decades, and those efforts
have grown to include convoys held in 24 states and
four Canadian provinces. The convoys have made a big
difference, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in the
process.
The following is a list of some of the convoys scheduled
for this year. This list does not include convoys yet to be
announced, so check with the Special Olympics chapter in
your state for possible events if you’d like to participate at
a local level.
North Carolina
Truckers in the Tarheel State will gather to raise funds for
Special Olympics on at the zMax Dragway at
Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. The convoy
route travels 28 miles along Interstate 485, beginning and
ending at the Speedway. Registration is $100 per truck and
can be done online at www.ncTruckConvoy.com.
South Carolina
A week later, on , North Carolina’s neighbor to
the south will host its annual truck convoy. The event will
take place at the South Carolina Fairgrounds in Columbia,
S.C., with registration beginning at 8 a.m. Following
the convoy, a lunch and awards ceremony will be held
to recognize the truckers who participated. The cost to
register is $100 per truck.
Illinois
Drivers in Illinois will convoy on to raise funds
for their local chapter. The event will be held at CIT
Trucks in Troy, Ill. The cost to participate is $100 per
truck, with organizers hoping to raise $70,000 for Special
Olympians in their state.
Iowa
The Hawkeye State will host its annual truck convoy
on . A police escort will lead the trucks along a
20-mile route on Highway 5 starting at Veterans Parkway
(exit 101) in West Des Moines and ending at the Iowa
State Fairgrounds. The convoy will roll out at 10:30 a.m.,
with a celebration at the fairgrounds following the convoy.
Registration is $125 per truck.
Arkansas
The convoy bene ting Special Olympics Arkansas will
be held on at FedEx Freight in Little Rock, Ark.
The cost to participate is $120 per truck, with the money
raised supporting year-round sports training and athletic
competition for Special Olympians in Arkansas.
South Dakota
Now in its 22nd year, the South Dakota convoy will take
place at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds in Sioux
Falls, S.D. Registration will begin Sept. 19, with a poker
tournament and silent auction being held that day as well.
The convoy will take place the following day.
Missouri
Missouri’s truck convoy occurs only every other year,
but it is quite the party. The bi-annual fundraiser is held
alongside the Guilty By Association Truck Show, which
features a demolition derby, truck and tractor pulls,
monster truck jams and live music.
This year’s event is scheduled for at 4 State
Trucks in Joplin, Mo. The convoy will roll out at 6 p.m.,
with a free concert following the return of the trucks. The
cost is $100 per truck to participate.
Minnesota
Truckers in Minnesota get a two-day event to support their
local Special Olympians. The annual convoy is scheduled
for at the Running Aces Hotel in Columbus,
Minn. The evening of Oct. 3 will feature live music during
registration, with the convoy taking place Oct. 4. Semis
aren’t the only rides welcome on the convoy route; cars,
trucks and motorcycles can also participate. The cost of
entrance is $150 per vehicle and $15 per passenger. LL
Rolling along
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 57
&
life
health
benefits
●
●
●
●
●
Occupational Accident coverage
Three Occupational Accident policy
limits available
$500,000
$1,000,000
$2,000,000
●
●
●
●
Three Occupational Accident policy
limits available
$500,000
$1,000,000
$2,000,000
OOIDA’s
Occupational
Accident Plan
rates have
not changed
since 2006!
Got the pieces
in place to
protect
yourself?
58 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
The Guilty By Association Truck Show is back in
2025 with a full schedule of trucks, music, food and
more.
Held every other year at 4 State Trucks in Joplin,
Mo., GBATS will again host a convoy to bene t
Special Olympics of Missouri. Truckers can enter
their truck in the convoy for a $100 donation, with
every penny going to the charity.
In 2023, this effort raised $120,000. Of those funds,
$80,000 was donated in less than 30 minutes during
the convoy auction.
“But the turnout, the enthusiasm, the quantity
and caliber of trucks, the money raised for Special
Olympics – just everybody’s general desire to be
here and mix it up with other truckers was fabulous,”
Bryan “Boss Man” Martin of 4 State Trucks told Land
Line at the 2023 event. “Not only is there a ton of fun
to be had, but the industry rallies for Special Olympics
as we execute our version of the World’s Largest
Convoy.”
Registration, free of cost, for this year’s event is
scheduled for Sept. 24 through noon Central on Sept.
26 in the Petro parking lot.
Truckers are encouraged to arrive on Sept. 24 to
expedite the registration and parking.
Among the scheduled events are a demolition derby
and a concert by the Bobby Degonia Band on Sept.
25.
Trucker games are scheduled throughout the day on
Sept. 26, which will also feature a stunt show and a
truck and tractor pull. Additionally, a ZZ Top tribute
band is scheduled to perform from 7:30 to 9 p.m. that
night on the Joplin 44 Petro Stage. The entertainment
will end with a reworks show at 10 p.m.
Highlights on Sept. 27 will include the Special
Olympics convoy and a light show that will close with
a downtown street party.
GBATS 2025 set
for Sept. 25-27
¡
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 59
TRAILER & TRUCK TARPS • ACCESSORIES
LUMBER, COIL,
STEEL OR NOSE
CAB RACKS,
BOXES & FENDERS
CARGO CONTROL
& ACCESSORIES
Complete Sales, Service and Installation Since 1918
FULL CATALOG ONLINE
zamzow-tarp.com
ST. LOUIS 314-231-5034 KANSAS CITY 816-483-5213
Stock or Custom
Sizes to Order
The concert that day will mark the return of
country music star Collin Raye.
Raye, who also performed at GBATs in 2023,
is scheduled to bring another live show to Joplin.
Known for such hits as “Love Me,” “In This Life,”
“My Kind of Girl” and “I Can Still Feel You,” he
was nominated for the Country Music Association
Awards’ Male Vocalist of the Year in 1996, 1997
and 1998.
The Chad Cooke Band, a country group from
Houston, is scheduled to open for Raye. The
concert, which is free, is scheduled to start at 8 p.m.
Sept. 27 at Maiden Lane in Joplin.
“Put it on your calendars, get your rooms booked
in Joplin and join 15,000 of your friends at the
Guilty By Association Truck Show,” Martin said.
“Where else can you get 750-plus trucks in one
location, along with nightly motorsports, top-name
concerts, reworks, attractions and food trucks”
More information about GBATS 2025 can be
found at 4StateTrucks.com. LL
“Where else can you
get 750-plus trucks in
one location, along with
nightly motorsports,
top-name concerts,
fireworks, attractions
and food trucks?”
60 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
OOIDA life member Chris Schatz has been involved in
trucking in some form since the late 1960s.
Schatz, of Worland, Wyo., bought his rst truck in
1971 and has owned some 20 trucks during his six-
decade-plus career that’s covered millions of miles.
As Schatz put it, “Trucking has been my whole life.”
The Wyoming truck driver said he’s hauled anything
and everything you can tie onto a atbed to destinations
throughout the West and beyond.
Clay pipe, petroleum products, batteries, beverages and
more.
Schatz and his wife, Lynda, also drove together for
many years.
“She is an awesome driver and just a special person,”
Schatz said.
Trucking has been
OOIDA member’s life
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 61
Trucking has been
OOIDA member’s life
In his most recent role, Schatz spends his days passing
his knowledge and experience on to the next generation
of truck drivers, working as a trainer/driver for GK
Construction in Lovell, Wyo.
“I’ve worked with so many wonderful people over the
years, and this company asked me to come in and help
train the younger drivers,” Schatz said. “I retired in 2019,
but I was back by 2020 training drivers. There’s so many
awesome young people in the industry.”
Safety heavily factored into Schatz’s decision to help
train drivers how to maneuver trucks as heavy as 150,000
“Trucking has been
my whole life.”
pounds through mines in Wyoming.
“This is a company that really cares about
safety,” Schatz said. “That’s always been
important to me, and I’ve always tried to do
the right thing.”
Schatz has won several awards for his
safety record as well as numerous driver of
the year and driver of the month honors. He
has also served as the president of the Wyoming Trucking
Association.
In June, Schatz was among eight individuals to be
presented a Golden Achievement award by the American
Truck Historical Society at its national convention and
truck show in Madison, Wis.
“What a great honor,” Schatz said. “When I was a kid,
my dad had a farm and I’d see the trucks come by and
thought, ‘Man, I’d love to drive one of those one day.’ And
now, it’s been my life. I feel like I’ve never worked a day
in my life, but I’ve put a lot of hours in.”
Schatz said riding along on routes to Canada as a teen
and “getting tired of stacking hay on the farm” also
factored heavily into his decision to pursue a trucking
career.
He was nominated for the ATHS award by Steve
Haberland, a good friend of Schatz who also received a
Golden Achievement award at the same event.
“Neither of us had an idea we’d won anything until we
were at the awards banquet,” Schatz said.
A humorous twist came from an individual seated near
Schatz who told him, “Usually someone sitting next to me
wins something.”
As Schatz continues in his semi-retired lifestyle, seeing
conditions improve for those behind the wheel is high on
his wish list.
“What OOIDA is ghting for is the only hope we have
in trucking,” Schatz said. “There’s so many regulations
that there’s no reason to even have. The ELDs have people
speeding through everything. (The) hours-of-service
(regulation) has shut every café and truck stop down. What
(regulations) have done to the industry is terrible.” LL
62 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
If you happened to pass by a convoy of vintage cars this
past June, it’s possible you caught a glimpse of the Great
Race Road Rally.
The annual race started June 20 in St.
Paul, Minn., and ended on June 29 in
South Carolina.
Founded in 1983, the event is
limited to antique, vintage and
collector models from 1974
or earlier. It’s not a test of top
speed but a test of competitors’
ability to follow precise instructions
and endure a cross-country trip,
according to the event website.
The rst race in 183 included pre-World War II
automobiles. That inaugural race started in Los Angeles
and ended in Indianapolis with $250,000 of prize money
on the line.
‘A great day’
¢£
The annual race started June 20 in St.
Paul, Minn., and ended on June 29 in
South Carolina.
Founded in 1983, the event is
limited to antique, vintage and
ability to follow precise instructions
and endure a cross-country trip,
Race instructions require the competing teams to drive
at or below the posted speed limits at all times. The route
follows public highways and changes yearly. GPS systems or
computers are not allowed.
The 2025 race covered some 1,200 miles through 10 states
and ended in Lake Murray, S.C.
The second day of the rally included a stop at the Iowa 80
Truckstop in Walcott.
“It was a great day – over
120 cars at Iowa 80,” said Lee
Meier, marketing manager for
Iowa 80. “CAT Scale and Iowa
80 Truckstop were sponsors of
the fuel stop, and even though
it was hot out, we had a pretty
good turnout of people who
showed up to enjoy the vintage
cars.”
The rest of the route included
stops in Illinois, Kentucky,
West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
The race began with 124 cars and ended with 112 as several
were forced to drop out because of mechanical issues.
In the end, Jeff and Eric Fredette brought home the “Eagle
trophy” and the $50,000 grand prize. There was a total purse
of $160,000.
Iowa 80 also held its annual Truckers Jamboree in July. LL
The 2025
race covered
some 1,200
miles through
10 states and
ended in Lake
Murray, S.C.
¢
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 63
Many truck drivers have complained about motor carriers
that require the use of driver-facing cameras.
Truckers at an Illinois trucking company claim that the
cameras violate state biometric laws. In June, a judge ruled
that the case can move forward.
Judge Manish Shah of the Northern District of Illinois
federal court denied HMD Trucking’s request to dismiss the
lawsuit. The drivers argue that the driver-facing cameras
violate the Biometric Information Privacy Act.
The privacy act requires Illinois companies to have
a written policy if they collect “biometric identiers or
biometric information.” This policy must detail how
long the data will be kept and how it will be destroyed. A
“biometric identier” includes retina scans, ngerprints,
voiceprints or scans of hand or face geometry.
Companies must inform individuals in writing about the
data collection process, its purpose and its duration. They
must also get written consent from the person.
HMD Trucking uses driver-facing cameras in its trucks
to monitor drivers. By linking “facial geometry” to specic
drivers, the company can track performance and ensure
compliance while on duty.
The truck drivers claim they were never informed in
writing about the collection of their biometric data. They
also did not give any written consent.
HMD Trucking argues that the Federal Aviation
Administration Authorization Act (F4A) overrides the
privacy act claims. The company states that even if it
doesn’t, facial scans of drivers aren’t protected under the
privacy act.
F4A takes precedence over any state law related to the
price, route or service of motor carriers. HMD Trucking
says that the privacy act would prevent it from improving
customer service or public safety if drivers refuse to
consent to monitoring.
The company also claims that requiring permission or
removing cameras from non-consenting drivers would
create nancial burdens. These costs would ultimately be
passed on to consumers.
Shah disagreed. In his ruling, he noted that HMD
Trucking did not explain how having a public policy would
impact prices or services. It was also unclear how informed
consent requirements would affect safety or service, aside
from possibly removing cameras. The privacy act does not
require this.
“It’s also not enough to merely gesture to the potential
effects of enforcing state law on prices or services; the
effect must also be signicant,” Shah states in the order.
“At this stage, there’s
insufcient evidence
in the record to nd
preemption as a matter
of law.”
HMD Trucking also
claims that drivers
must show facial
scans are used for
identication. If not,
the scans do not count
as biometric identiers.
The drivers argue
that the driver-facing cameras link information to specic
individuals, suggesting that the scans can identify a person.
Shah sided with the drivers.
“(Biometric Information Privacy Act) does not require
a defendant to have used biometric information or a
biometric identier to identify a person only that the
identier is capable of identifying an individual,” Shah
states.
If the drivers win, HMD Trucking could face nes of
$5,000 for each willful or reckless violation of the privacy
act or $1,000 for each negligent one. Court documents
indicate there may be several hundred class members.
According to Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration records, HMD Trucking has nearly 300
drivers. Its website shows it also hires owner-operators. LL
A matter of privacy
Companies must
inform individuals
in writing about
the data collection
process, its purpose
and its duration.
They must also get
written consent
from the person.
64 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
OOIDA.COM/FOUNDATION
Wyatt Arntt
OOIDA
MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Mary
Johnston
ary
ohnston
ary
ohnston
ary
Wyatt Arntt
C gratulati s
2025/2026
Scholarship Winners
Madison Woehrle
Cooper Daniel
Michael Rotondo
Sig Halvorson
For regular listeners of Land Line Now on Sirius XM, you
have heard that our last broadcast on the satellite radio
platform and podcast aired July 4. While this was the end of
an era, it was not the end of audio versions of the trusted news
and lifestyle content you’ve come to trust.
After 20 years on the air, Land Line Now concluded its
relationship with Sirius in order to embark on a new endeavor
to accommodate today’s on-the-go audience.
In an ever-increasing “on-demand” society and with the
increasing popularity of podcasts, exiting the structure of a
traditional radio format presents our media team with more
options. We’re driven by a desire to connect with truckers on
their schedule with the news and stories they want to hear.
Sunsetting the Land Line Now radio show and podcast has
given us a clean slate to explore new formats and content
tailored to our audience. But one thing that hasn’t changed is
our mission. You’ll still get:
●
●
●
●
While we continue to focus on developing and launching
our new endeavor, you can catch Trucking With OOIDA with
Hosts Scott Thompson and Ashley Blackford on RadioNemo
from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Central on Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Fridays. If that time doesn’t work out for you, you can catch
the show on RadioNemo’s YouTube channel whenever it’s
convenient for you.
As far as the rest of our media offerings, you can also tune
in to our video podcast at LandLine.Media or on our YouTube
channel. It offers a variety of news and feature stories about
truckers just like you out there getting the job done every day.
Subscriptions to the print magazine remain available. You
can either call 816-229-5791 or visit LandLine.Media and
click the subscribe button.
Stay tuned – we’ll have more exciting news in the coming
months and can’t wait to be more accessible to you in the
midst of your busy schedule. LL
Same mission, a new beginning
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 65
For 13¢ a day . . .
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
LAND LINE
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
65
adimas/stock.adobe.com
66 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
It’s no secret the pandemic incited mental health struggles
for many.
And in trucking specically, the added stressors of
that period contributed to the profession landing on
an unfortunate list – a top 20 for suicides in 2021,
as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Also troubling is that the trend has continued
since then, despite trucking not making that list
previously.
“Historically, drivers don’t make the list. Historically,
drivers are quite content with what they do,” said Ben
Stafford, vice president of Workforce and Continuing
Education at Lamar State College in Port Arthur, Texas.
“They drive because they want to drive and they enjoy
driving. So it was unusual to see them pop onto the list.”
Stafford added that what likely made the difference
during the pandemic was drivers being away from family
members facing serious illness, as well as facing their
own difculties while on the road.
“Service stations or food stops would say, ‘Man, we
don’t know where you’ve been; you can’t stop here. We
don’t know how contagious this is,’” Stafford said.
He also noted that following the 5 conrmed suicides
among truck drivers in 2021 was an increase to 134
conrmed suicides in 2022 which he described as the
largest rise by category in the entire list. And with initial
data out for 2023, it seems as though the troubling trend
has continued even post-pandemic.
Stafford is doing more than simply tracking a trend,
however. He is part of a project sponsored by both the
Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and
the American Trucking Associations that will provide a
free resource for truck drivers needing help with mental
health struggles.
“What we’ve tried to do is create a product specically
geared to commercial drivers that they can access for free
24/7 while they’re on the road, because it’s not readily
possible for a driver traveling cross-country to nd a
mental health professional where they happen to be,”
Stafford said.
He added that following interviews taking place this
summer, the nished product will consist of vignettes
featuring drivers and drivers’ families, paired with clips
of a mental health professional talking about credible
steps a trucker can take while alone on the road, feeling
the same things described in the interviews.
“So it’ll provide both sides of the story,” Stafford said.
“And I think it’s critical that we’ve been able to reach
through (OOIDA and ATA) to real drivers who can relate
to and will be related to by the drivers actually on the
road – what’s it really like when you’re a thousand miles
away and your baby is sick and you can’t be there?”
In addition to serving as a resource for truckers already
on the road, this product will also be put to use in driver
training programs in hopes of preparing new entrants
to the industry for emotional challenges they may face
on the job. The plan is for the tool to be available for
both purposes this fall and given that it will be the rst
resource of its kind, Stafford believes its impact on the
industry could be signicant.
“It will be a product absolutely unique on the market,”
he said. “And our hope is to make it readily accessible
… (so truckers) can download something and have some
access to relief immediately.”
Of course, that aim ultimately extends to saving lives
and seeing that reected in the industry losing its high
ranking for suicides.
“Our hope is to see the whole category of truck
transportation off this top 20 list,” Stafford said. LL
Land Line Media’s Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
Seeking to save lives
“What we’ve tried to do is create
a product specifically geared
to commercial drivers that they
can access for free 24/7 while
they’re on the road.”
¤
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 67
Your Home for Chrome!
For most owner-operators, the cost of fuel is one
of their top expenses.
To complicate matters, diesel is a variable
cost. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers
Association recommends that truck drivers keep a
fuel ledger. Since fuel is your largest variable cost,
small changes can have signi cant results. Making
a change in your driving or equipment that adds as
little as 0.2 mile more travel per gallon of fuel (i.e.
5.7 instead of 5.5 mpg) can translate to more than
$2,000 in annual savings.
Fine-tuning every cost in a trucking operation
can make a signi cant difference in its
pro tability. A fuel surcharge is critical to certain
trucking operations, particularly when the fuel
market becomes unpredictable. That’s why it’s
important to be proactive when implementing a
fuel surcharge in your business operations.
Fuel prices are updated daily on a Land Line
resources page. A fuel surcharge calculator also
is available on OOIDA’s website, along with
education on how and why to use one.
Reuters reported in June that oil prices brie y
hit a ve-month high following the latest U.S.
military operations in the Middle East. The U.S.
Department of Homeland Security issued an
advisory due to the ongoing con ict with Iran
causing a “heightened threat environment in the
United States.” Outside of the con ict in the
Middle East, two major California oil re neries
are expected to cease operations. Phillips 66 plans
to close its Los Angeles-area re nery in the fourth
quarter of 2025.
“With everyday Californians already grappling
with rising costs at the pump along with mounting
utility bills, the prospective loss of yet another
re nery should be a wake-up call,” California
Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson)
said in a statement. “We cannot ignore the broader
implications this will have on fuel supply, job
security and economic resilience across the state.”
Valero also announced its plans to close the
Benicia re nery near San Francisco by April 202.
Fuel reports released on July 8 showed a
national average price per gallon of diesel of
$3.669 (ProMiles.com) and $3.691 (AAA). LL
Fuel surcharge critical
to trucking operations
68 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
Truck drivers are already well aware
that they pay an exorbitant amount in
taxes.
Now, the OOIDA Foundation has
released data that puts the truckers’
tax bill into perspective: Truck
drivers pay nearly 20 times more per
mile in federal taxes than the average car
owner.
“It appears our members are easily
covering any kind of damage and
more in what they are contributing
to highway maintenance,” said
Charles Sperry, research analyst
for the OOIDA Foundation.
The average passenger vehicle
contributes about 2.1 cents per mile in combined federal
and state fuel taxes, according to the Tax Foundation.
Meanwhile, the average heavy-duty truck pays 4.1 cents
per mile in federal fuel taxes.
Although that amount is nearly double what passenger
vehicles pay, it’s only a fraction of the total amount that
truckers pay in federal taxes.
Figures from members of the Owner-Operator
Independent Drivers Association show truckers pay an
annual average of $11,651 in federal fuel taxes, $27,560
in federal excise taxes on their tires, trailer and truck and
$2,921 in heavy vehicle use tax, registration and other
fees.
In all, the average OOIDA member contributes
$42,132 per year into the Highway Trust Fund, while the
average passenger vehicle driver contributes anywhere
from $137 to $296 per year. Considering that OOIDA
members average a little more than 109,000 miles per
year, they contribute 38.6 cents per mile.
It’s also worth mentioning that these gures don’t
include the state fuel taxes that truckers pay, as many
of those funds are used for state projects not related to
transportation.
“It’s a signi cantly higher rate, obviously,” Sperry
said. “You might even say that there’s a good case to be
made that in some ways, truckers are subsidizing the use
of passenger vehicles on the road.”
Truckers have
paid enough
Determining whether truckers pay
their fair share for roads and bridges
is especially important as Congress
works toward creating the next highway
bill.
At least one member of Congress is well
aware of how much truckers contribute
to the Highway Trust Fund, which is the
main funding source for highway
and bridge projects.
Rep. Mike Collins, who owns
a trucking company, said during
a House subcommittee hearing
in April that truckers already
pay their fair share. Essentially,
charging truckers more is not the best way to generate
more revenue for the Highway Trust Fund.
“I just want to take a few minutes and speak from
the perspective of a trucker because I’m in the trucking
business … The rst thing I want to start out with is
just a list of taxes we pay in the trucking industry,” the
Republican from G eorgia said.
“First of all, we pay for IRP tags, which is supposed
to be the International Registration Plan for every truck
and every tag every year. Then we’ve got (Federal
Excise Tax) taxes on new purchases, which is based on
the purchase price. When I bought my rst truck in the
early ’90s that was fully loaded and decked out, it was
$81,000. Now, it’s pushing over $200,000 per truck.
Trailers are the same way.
“We pay FET tax on every tire we buy – and by the
way, there are 18 tires on an 18-wheeler, and we use a
lot of them. We pay fuel tax based on fuel mileage in
every state across this country no matter whether you
buy fuel in that state, and the tax rate is based on the tax
rate for that state. We also pay the federal Highway Use
Tax, which has gone up over years. We used to pay it
based on how many trucks you had over the past year.
Now you pay it up front on how many trucks you have
today in one lump sum. There is no refund if you wreck
or sell the truck … That’s what we have to pay to stay
on the road.” LL
Are truckers paying their
fair share for roads and bridges?
Truck drivers are already well aware
that they pay an exorbitant amount in
Now, the OOIDA Foundation has
released data that puts the truckers’
drivers pay nearly 20 times more per
mile in federal taxes than the average car
“It appears our members are easily
covering any kind of damage and
more in what they are contributing
Charles Sperry, research analyst
The average passenger vehicle
Truckers have
paid enough
Determining whether truckers pay
their fair share for roads and bridges
is especially important as Congress
works toward creating the next highway
bill.
At least one member of Congress is well
aware of how much truckers contribute
to the Highway Trust Fund, which is the
main funding source for highway
and bridge projects.
Rep. Mike Collins, who owns
a trucking company, said during
a House subcommittee hearing
in April that truckers already
pay their fair share. Essentially,
TAXES
$40K
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 69
In June, a panel of trucking experts came together to discuss
where the industry will nd its next crop of truck drivers.
OOIDA Executive Vice President L ewie Pugh said the
rst step should be focused on preventing current truckers
from wanting to leave the profession.
“Where’s the Next G eneration? Addressing the Talent
Pipeline Crisis in Trucking” was presented by The Inside
L ane, an industry newsletter, on June 18.
Pugh served as a panelist for the online discussion along
with Next G eneration in Trucking Association President
L indsey Trent and Robert Pierson, the vice president of
driver recruiting for Mesilla Valley Transportation.
L arge carriers often have a driver turnover rate of 90%
or higher. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers
Association contends that trucking companies are able to
nd a new crop of
drivers every year
but have difculties
keeping them in the
industry because of
low wages and difcult
working conditions.
L ong-haul truckers
are typically paid by
the mile and are away
from home for weeks
at a time. To make
matters worse, truckers
must cope with a
nationwide shortage of truck parking and are often denied
restroom access at shipper and receiver facilities.
“As an industry, we have to admit our problems to truly
make the job attractive,” Pugh said. “Who wants to come
out here and give away 20 hours of free labor every week,
try to nd a safe place to park every night, not get paid
overtime despite working 70 hours a week and missing your
family? L ots of people come into the industry every year.
The problem is that they don’t stay … Our industry needs to
do a lot of self-reection and self-repair.”
First, the trucking industry must end the narrative that
there’s a driver shortage.
“There’s no driver shortage,” Pugh said. “There’s never
been a driver shortage. That’s a myth. When you have a
90% turnover rate, you don’t have a shortage.”
The studies back up Pugh’s words. The most recent report
refuting the driver shortage claims can be found in the 2024
National Academies of Science’s driver pay study.
Assertions of a driver shortage conict with the basic
economic principles of supply and demand, the study said.
In 2023, economics professor Stephen V. Burks and
colleagues published a study showing that there is not
a driver shortage. A few years before that, the U.S.
Department of L abor also published a study that found there
wasn’t a shortage. Instead, the department said that any
issues in the labor supply could be corrected by increasing
wages.
Pierson agreed that motor carriers with a turnover rate of
90% or higher need to make some serious changes.
“Almost every other industry would look at that as just
god-awful,” Pierson said. “If you had an ofce turnover rate
of 90%, you’d panic. You’d say, ‘ What’s going on here?’”
Improving driver retention starts with good pay and
working conditions, the panelists said.
OOIDA has played a role in the introduction of several
bills aimed at achieving those goals.
●
●
●
Trent said that in addition to allowing truckers to use their
restroom, shippers can make the truck driving profession
more attractive by decreasing the amount of wait time for
drivers. Of course, most truckers aren’t paid for this time.
Pugh noted that one path to change may come from
G eneration Z.
“My generation was willing to put up with a lot … We
never said, ‘ Enough is enough,’” he said. “I don’t think
younger people are going to put up with that. They want
better work-life balance.” LL
Trucking’s next generation?
“There’s no driver
shortage. There’s
never been a driver
shortage. That’s a
myth. When you have
a 90% turnover rate,
you don’t have a
shortage.”
70 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
Undergoing a drug test after accepting a new job isn’t
unusual – but what isn’t so common is being subject to
such tests while self-employed.
For owner-operator truck drivers, however, being their
own boss does not exclude them from the drug- and
alcohol-testing standards established for the trucking
industry. What it does do is require a different way to go
about that testing.
“If you’re an owner-operator, you have to join
a consortium to be tested,” Joe Boswell, a CMCI
representative in OOIDA’s Business Services
Department, explained during a presentation at last
year’s Truck To Success.
This annual three-day course offered by the Owner-
Operator Independent Drivers Association instructs
truck drivers on what they need to know before going
into business for themselves. This year’s event will
take place Oct. 21-23 in Blue Springs, Mo., with virtual
attendance via Zoom also an option. Registration for
both in-person and online attendance is now open on the
Truck To Success webpage.
CMCI, or Consortium Management Company Inc.,
is OOIDA’s drug- and alcohol-testing program that
enables small-business truckers to comply with federal
regulations. In his presentation, Boswell detailed those
regulations pertaining to the trucking industry, covering
points such as who needs to be tested, how the testing
process works for owner-operators and what substances
a test detects.
These substances include marijuana
(THC), cocaine, certain amphetamines,
certain opioids and phencyclidine (PCP).
And while some testing occurs at expected
times – such as pre-employment – other
testing is random or is done following
unforeseen circumstances like an accident.
“There’s no chance to study for the
test,” Boswell said. “If you’re not already
studying, it’s too late.”
He went on to explain the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug and
Alcohol Clearinghouse, where all motor
carriers, owner-operators and drivers
seeking employment must be registered. A
binder of information provided to all Truck
To Success attendees included samples
of clearinghouse queries and explained
the process that follows a driver being
prohibited from operating a commercial
motor vehicle due to a drug- or alcohol-
related violation.
The section of that binder supplementing this
presentation was especially substantial – even including
a lengthy sample contract detailing a company’s policy
for adhering to FMCSA’s drug and alcohol regulations.
But despite the vast amount of information provided,
complying with these regulations can come with
unexpected challenges – as some drivers have learned
after unknowingly ingesting THC through CBD products
claiming not to contain any.
“There’s no ghting it, either,” Boswell said regarding
a positive test result for THC. “If you test positive,
you’re done.”
This warning emphasized how careful truck drivers
must be about what products they consume – and served
as an echo of advice Boswell gave at the start of his
presentation.
“I could make it real simple,” he said. “When you’re
driving a big truck, don’t drink or do drugs.” LL
Sobering truths about
drug and alcohol testing
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 71
OK . You love being a trucker, but you’re tired of working
for a motor carrier. So, you’re considering getting your
authority and starting a trucking business of your own.
It sounds great, but are you aware of all the potential
roadblocks along the way? Do you know what you’re
going to haul and for whom? Are you prepared for all of
the tax implications of being an owner-operator rather
than an employee driver?
Have you created a business plan and sought advice
from experts in the industry to place yourself on a path to
success?
If the answer to any of these questions is “No,” you
need to give the business venture a “test drive” before
you take it home.
And there is no better way to do that than to take the
OOIDA Foundation’s Truck To Success training course.
Truck To Success is a three-day seminar that offers
step-by-step guidance about what’s needed to run a
pro table trucking business. The 2025 edition of Truck
To Success will take place Oct. 21-23 at the Courtyard
by Marriott in Blue Springs, Mo. In addition to in-person
sessions, the courses will be available online.
“If you are serious about your desire to become an
owner-operator, then allow OOIDA’s expert staff, as well
as their partners, to guide you from a company driver to
a leased-on owner-operator and/or to an owner-operator
under their own authority,” OOIDA wrote on its website.
The Truck To Success training curriculum covers:
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
“There’s so much required of an owner-operator,” said
Andrew K ing, director of the OOIDA Foundation. “This
course will help you navigate all the regulations without
being overwhelmed. Drivers can expect to hear from
industry experts who deal with this sort of thing on a
daily basis.”
The in-person version of the course costs $600 per
person and includes breakfast, lunch and snacks. Those
who register before Sept. 1 will receive $50 off and
a free one-year membership to the Owner-Operator
Independent Drivers Association. Participants can bring
one guest for an additional $150. Although lodging is not
included, attendees can book a room at the Courtyard by
Marriott and receive OOIDA’s corporate rate. To receive
the group rate, reserve the room by Oct. 1. That date also
is the deadline to register for the in-person version of
Truck To Success.
The online Zoom seminar cost is $275 per login
connection. Attendees may bring a guest for an additional
$150 if that guest requires a separate login, meaning he
or she will log in to the seminar from a location separate
from your own. This is due to limited capacity. Zoom
participants have until Oct. 20 to register.
Although the online courses may be the best option for
some, OOIDA encourages those who can to participate in
person.
“If you are thinking about becoming an owner-operator
or struggling as an owner-operator, you need to join us
at this year’s Truck To Success,” OOIDA Executive Vice
President L ewie Pugh said. “Truck To Success in person
is always the best due to the amount of networking you
get to be involved in.”
To register for either the in-person or online course,
visit the OOIDA website. LL
So, you want to be an
owner-operator?
72 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
Unfortunately, the freight recession is not expected to end
anytime soon.
Persistent low demand paired with excess capacity does
not provide a positive outlook for the freight market in
the second half of 2025.
In a recent freight market update, the OOIDA
Foundation noted that demand was dropping. Capacity
was easing, rates were decreasing and operating costs
remained steady.
“Signs point to a continued freight recession, with
troubling data emerging across manufacturing, housing
and key trucking sectors, where rates remain under
pressure due to low demand and loose capacity,” the
OOIDA Foundation wrote.
After brie y turning positive in April the rst time
in 32 months – the Total Spot Market Cycle Indicator
was set to turn negative again. At the time, the OOIDA
Foundation said the positive month was caused by
“seasonal uctuations” rather than a sign that the
recession was over.
Demand was strongest in the Southeast and South Central
regions. Four of six regions reported a decrease.
Rates increased in most regions but were 11 cents per
mile below the three-year moving average.
“We’re beginning to see the anticipated slowdown
in the improvement of sales and inventory ratios,” the
OOIDA Foundation said. “The data released over the
next few months will be crucial in revealing the effects of
ongoing uncertainty.”
Household appliances wholesalers had performed well
since late 2023. However, this could change due to tariff
uncertainty.
A seasonal decrease in demand was reported. All regions
also experienced a decline in rates minus any fuel
surcharges.
May’s atbed composite index fell, mainly due to a
drop in architectural and structural metals, as well as in
mining and oil and gas eld machinery.
The 10-year U.S. Treasury Yield increased in May, as
did the median price for existing single-family homes
year-over-year in April.
Demand ratios were best in the Southeast and Northeast.
Rates increased for the second consecutive month but
were lower than a year prior.
“Despite the recent growth, volumes are substantially
lower than where we were in 2019, which is a bad
indicator for freight demand,” the Foundation said.
Tariffs could further impact capacity by raising prices
for farmers.
The Cass Shipment Index said trade negotiations in the
coming months would be crucial.
“The trade war is likely to extend the for-hire
freight recession further as higher prices reduce goods
affordability and consumers’ real incomes,” Cass said.
“With demand outlook choppy, the rate upturn remains
elusive.”
For-hire carrier entries were expected to rise, but they
had turned negative as of April.
Utilization fell in the rst half of May before increasing
in the second half of the month, according to the
L ogistics Managers’ Index.
Diesel prices were down month-over-month and year-
over-year. There was some fear Brent crude oil prices
could increase over $100 per barrel due to ongoing
con icts in the Middle East. However, analysts believed
prices will drop below $60 per barrel in the fourth quarter
of 2025.
Used truck prices moved closer to ipping positive in
May.
Wages and salaries grew year-over-year in April. The
Consumer Price Index also rose in May.
A full recovery from the manufacturing recession
was deemed unlikely for the time being. Ongoing tariff
uncertainty was to blame.
The employment index increased but remained
contracted.
Rare earth restrictions being imposed was a high
concern in the near term.
C.H. Robinson reported that rail carriers were letting
the gap grow between over-the-road truckload rates and
intermodal spot rates while truckload rates uctuated. LL
‘Troubling data’
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 73
It’s that time of year again. The deadline for the Heavy
Highway Vehicle Use Tax, Form 2290, is rapidly
approaching.
The federal highway use tax is paid annually to the
Internal Revenue Service on vehicles with a gross
weight of 55,000 pounds
or more operating on
public highways.
The tax period runs
July 1 to June 30
each year. For trucks
and other taxable
vehicles in use during
July, Form 2290 and
payments are usually
due Aug. 31 with no
penalty. This year, Aug. 31 lands on the Sunday of
L abor Day weekend, so the deadline shifts to Sept. 2,
the Tuesday after L abor Day.
Even with a couple extra days, truck drivers are
encouraged not to wait until the last minute. State
governments require proof of payment of the highway
use tax as
a condition
of vehicle
registration.
“Please keep
in mind that
if you mail
the payment
in, it may take the IRS four to six weeks to return
your stamped receipt to you,” the Owner-Operator
Independent Drivers Association wrote on its website.
“Your stamped receipt is needed to obtain new plates
or renew your base plates for your truck. You can no
longer walk into an IRS of ce to le the 220. You
must call ahead to make an appointment.”
For a list of IRS of ces near you, visit IRS.gov.
Those who register a heavy highway motor vehicle
in their name with a taxable gross weight of 55,000
pounds or more must le Form 220 and pay the tax.
For trucks operating with a combined gross vehicle
weight of 75,000 pounds or more, the fee is $550.
For newly purchased trucks, the fee is due on the
last day of the month following the rst month of use.
The following documentation is required when you
le your Form 220, which can be done by mail or
online:
●
●
●
●
●
You must obtain an Employer Identi cation
Number (EIN) to use for your 220 ling. If you
don’t remember your EIN or if you are not sure if
the number is still good, you can call the Form 2290
helpline at 866-699-4096, and an IRS representative
will look it up for you.
If you are new to the business and you don’t have an
EIN, you can apply for one online at www.IRS.gov.
Go to “ le” and then click on “Employer Identi cation
Numbers” for more information.
OOIDA can assist
The OOIDA Permits and L icensing Department can
assist members with ling Form 220 for a service
fee. Call 816-229-5791. Forms must be received by
Aug. 19 to ensure that the deadline is met.
In 2021, the OOIDA Foundation created a video
explaining how to le Form 220. To watch the video,
go to the OOIDA Business Education channel on
YouTube.
OOIDA also has partnered with 2290s.com to
help make online ling easy and convenient. You
can access Members.2290s.com/OOIDA from any
computer to le your Form 220. You will receive
your Schedule 1 in minutes and can e- le VIN
corrections for free.
The cost is 21. per e- le for up to 24 trucks for
OOIDA members. That is an $8 discount. For 25
trucks or more, the cost is 51. per e- le. Again,
there is an $8 discount for OOIDA members.
For more information, contact 2290s.com at 909-
833-2290 or Info@ 2290s.com. LL
Form 2290 deadline extended
until Sept. 2 in 2025
You must obtain an
Employer Identification
Number (EIN) to use for
your 2290 filing.
Members.2290s.com/OOIDA
74 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
BusinessBriefs
Cross-border freight
takes biggest hit since
pandemic
Cross-border trucking faced its
biggest drop since the pandemic in
April, as global tariffs began and the
trade war with China peaked.
The Bureau of Transportation
Statistics recently reported a 9% drop
in truck freight across borders in
April. This was the rst year-to-year
decrease since last June and the
largest decline since June 2020. Back
then, North American truck freight
fell by 14% due to the COVID-19
pandemic.
Typically, cross-border freight
declines in April. This year, the
decline of 12% was the steepest since
April 2020, which saw a record drop
of 38.5% due to the pandemic.
Excluding 2020, April’s loss was the
largest since December 2018, when
freight dropped by 12%.
A sharp decline in freight between
Mexico and Canada coincided with
President Donald Trump’s global
tariffs and the escalating trade war
with China. Cross-border truck
freight surged in January as
businesses stocked up in anticipation
of the tariffs. North American freight
also saw a boost in March after
Trump delayed tariffs on Canadian
and Mexican goods for 30 days.
In April, Trump announced 10%
tariffs on all countries and higher
reciprocal tariffs for some. Reciprocal
tariffs were paused for 90 days soon
after. A 25% tax on automobiles took
effect on April 3. By April 10, a trade
war led to 145% tariffs on China.
Freight Transportation Research
Associates’ (FTR) April Trucking
Conditions Index fell back into
negative territory. This came after a
brief stint in positive territory in
March. L ooking at volumes, rates,
eet capacity, fuel prices and
nancing, a negative score indicates
pessimistic conditions.
Paccar recalls 56,000-
plus trucks over lighting
defects
Tens of thousands of Paccar trucks
are being recalled after the
manufacturer discovered issues with
lighting, including headlights and
brake lights.
According to National Highway
Traf c Safety Administration
documents, more than 56,500 Paccar
trucks of various makes and models
are included in
the recall.
However, only
0.3% of the
recall population
is expected to
have the defect.
In affected trucks, the tail brake
light, upper and lower beam
headlights, reverse light and turn
signal may not illuminate suf ciently.
Additionally, when the signal
warning lights are on, the lift axles
may revert to a raised position when
lowered or oscillate up and down.
There is an increased risk of a crash
if delayed and unsteady headlights do
not illuminate the road suf ciently,
thereby reducing the driver’s
visibility. An unexpected shift in the
position of the lift axles can also
increase the risk of injury.
The following K enworth trucks are
affected by the recall:
The following Peterbilt trucks are
affected by the recall:
Questions about this recall can be
directed to K enworth’s customer
service at 425-828-5888 or Peterbilt’s
customer service at 940-591-4220
with recall number 25PACF.
NHTSA’s number for this recall is
25V436.
Multiple truck fires prompt
Western Star recall
Tens of thousands of Western Star
trucks are being recalled after the
manufacturer discovered an issue
with the battery.
According to National Highway
Traf c Safety Administration recall
documents, more than 21,500
Western Star 49X model year
2020-26 and 47X model year
2021-26 trucks are being recalled.
A stud
connecting the
battery to the
starter at the
frame rail may
have been
incorrectly
installed, potentially causing a short
circuit. A short circuit increases the
risk of a re.
More than 9,500 49X and nearly
12,000 47X trucks are being recalled
over the battery issue.
Although tens of thousands of
trucks are part of the recall
populations, Western Star estimates
that only about 1% have the defect.
In trucks that have an incorrectly
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 75
Don’t let your
business go to pieces.
● Guaranteed issue!
●
24-hour coverage
●
Two plan options available
●
$25,000 accidental death benefit
●
Travel assistanceidentity management
services
short-term disability
&
life
health
benefits
Available
during open
enrollment in
Jan. - Feb.
for existing
members
installed battery, the driver may
notice a slow or no crank when
starting the truck. There may also be
visual corrosion around the stud or
cable lug.
Western Star received ve reports
of battery corrosion between March
2023 and March 2024. A related re
was reported in December 2023, with
a report of melted cables received in
February 2024. Two additional
related reports were received in
March 2024.
In August 2024, the manufacturer
found “that a eld action was not
warranted at that time due to a low
rate of frequency in conjunction with
suf cient detectability of the
condition, including during a pre- or
post-trip inspection.” Earlier this
year, several more reports of res and
melted studs were received,
prompting Daimler Truck North
America to revive its investigation
into the matter.
For questions about the recall,
contact Daimler Truck North
America’s customer service at
800-547-0712 with recall number
F1020. NHTSA’s number for this
recall is 25V326.
Kenworth continues
expansion of Paccar TX-12
Pro automated transmission
K enworth announced in late June that
it is expanding availability of its
Paccar TX -12 Pro automated
transmission.
Now, the transmission will be
available for several models within
K enworth’s medium-duty line.
Ranging from Class 7 to light Class
8, the vocational transmission is
available on the K enworth T380 and
T480, when matched with the Paccar
PX -9 engine.
The Paccar PX -9, with one of the
highest power-to-weight ratios in the
industry, can be spec’d with peak
horsepower ranging between 260 and
380 for on-highway and vocational
use and up to 450 hp with 1,250 lb-ft
of torque for re service vehicles.
“Versatility and durability are what
the K enworth T380 and T480 are all
about,” said K evin Haygood,
K enworth’s assistant general manager
for sales and marketing. “For
customers who prefer an automated
manual transmission over an
automatic option, the TX -12 Pro is the
solution. It gives customers great
performance and toughness when they
use the T380 or T480 in demanding
vocational applications.” LL
76 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
Unfortunately, the cargo theft trend isn’t expected to end
anytime soon.
Cargo theft numbers actually are expected to increase
throughout 2025.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau – an
Oak Brook, Ill.-based not-for-prot dedicated to combating
and preventing insurance crime – cargo theft losses in 2025
are expected to increase 22% over the previous year.
The reason for that bleak forecast, according to NICB,
is the continued digitalization of the supply chain. While
advanced technologies have increased speed and efciency
within the supply chain, the group said these have also
“created gaps in security” that criminals are exploiting
for their gain resulting in “fraudulent pickups, ctitious
pickups, ctitious carriers and cyber-enabled logistics
manipulation.”
According to the group, some of the technologies being
employed by thieves include:
●
●
●
●
“From the comfort of their own home or overseas, a
criminal can use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP),
G PS and a synthetic ID to reroute electronics, medicine,
clothing, food and beverages meant for your local store to
their doorstep in another country,” Robert Bornstein, the
group’s cargo theft program director, said in a statement.
“The cost of these stolen goods is then passed along to the
consumer.”
That potential increase would make for another year of
record-breaking cargo theft numbers.
L ast year, data from CargoNet showed a 27% increase in
theft activity compared to 2023 – a year marked by record-
setting levels of cargo theft. In fact, CargoNet said that each
quarter of 2024 surpassed the previous records set in 2023.
In addition to the total number of theft incidents
increasing, the estimated average value per theft also rose
to $202,364 in 2024, up from $187,895 the previous year.
CargoNet estimated a total loss of nearly $455 million in
2024 due to cargo theft.
The rise in cargo crime has gained the attention of
lawmakers at both the state and federal levels.
In March, Arkansas took measures to increase the penalty
for those convicted of “organized theft of cargo” by adding
up to 10 years to the sentence. Individuals convicted of
theft under the new legislation are not eligible to receive
earned release credits for the enhanced portion of the
sentence.
“These laws demonstrate that Arkansas lawmakers
understand the economic threat organized retail crime
and cargo theft pose to our industry and all consumers,”
Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas Trucking
Association, said in a statement.
At the federal level, the Combating Organized Retail
Crime Act aims to reduce cargo crime by:
●
●
●
●
As of press time, the bill had 113 co-sponsors from 35
states. LL
‘Gaps in security’
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 77
It’s almost time for another Brake Safety Week.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance announced
that the 2025 Brake Safety Week will be Aug. 24-30.
During this week, CVSA-certi ed inspectors in
the United States, Canada and Mexico will conduct
commercial motor vehicle inspections and educate
drivers and motor carriers about the importance of brake
safety.
Inspections will examine brake systems and
components. Additionally, this year’s emphasis will be
on drums and rotors. Each year, thousands of inspections
are conducted during Brake Safety Week.
“Brake drum and rotor issues may affect a vehicle’s
brake ef ciency,” CVSA said in a news release. “Broken
pieces of drums and rotors become dislodged from the
vehicle and damage other vehicles or result in injuries or
fatalities to the motoring public.”
Commercial motor vehicles found to have brake-
related out-of-service violations or any other out-of-
service violations will be removed from roadways until
the violations are corrected.
CVSA said the goal of Brake Safety Week is to
eliminate roadway crashes by conducting inspections
and educating drivers, mechanics, motor carriers and
others on the importance of proper brake inspection,
maintenance and operation.
During last year’s Brake Safety Week, about 87% of
the commercial motor vehicles passed inspection with
no brake-related critical violations.
A total of 16,725 commercial motor vehicle
inspections were conducted across North America
as part of 2024’s Brake Safety Week. From those
inspections, a total of 2,149 (12.8%) commercial
vehicles were placed out of service due to brake-related
violations.
According to CVSA, 63.1% of the commercial
motor vehicles placed out of service during last year’s
weeklong campaign had stand-alone out-of-service
brake violations, with just over 10% having steering axle
brake out-of-service violations.
Of the 2,375 commercial motor vehicles that were
placed out of service, 1,216 (56.6%) failed the 20%
defective brakes criterion.
Brake Safety Day
In addition to Brake Safety Week held in late August,
CVSA conducted a Brake Safety Day in April.
More than 90% of commercial vehicles inspected
during the recent unannounced brake safety inspection
blitz were found to have no critical violations.
On June 17, CVSA released data from the its Brake
Safety Day. According to the group, the annual event
is “an unannounced brake-safety inspection and
regulatory compliance enforcement initiative when
certi ed commercial motor vehicle inspectors conduct
their routine roadside inspections with a focus on brake
systems and components and provide brake-related
inspection and violation data to CVSA.”
This year’s event was held on April 22 in 45
jurisdictions throughout Canada, Mexico and the United
States. During the one-day safety blitz, a total of 4,569
commercial vehicles were inspected – with 398 (8.7%)
of those being placed out of service due to brake-related
violations.
For the 2025 event, inspectors placed an emphasis
on the vehicle’s drums and rotors. From the thousands
of inspections, just 32 drum or rotor violations were
uncovered, with 14 of those violations resulting in the
vehicle being placed out of service.
“Brake drum and rotor issues may affect a commercial
motor vehicle’s brake ef ciency and result in violations
or out-of-service conditions that may affect a motor
carrier’s safety rating,” CVSA said. “Furthermore,
broken pieces of drums or rotors may become dislodged
en route and damage other vehicles or result in injuries
or fatalities.” LL
Brake Safety Week
scheduled for Aug. 24-30
Brake Safety Week
Brake Drum/Rotor Violations
Brake-Related Out-of-Service Violations
78 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
LL
Photos courtesy of 4 State Trucks
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 79
¡
¢£
¤
¡¥
¡¦
¢£
¦
80 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
Trucking&Taxes
Trucking
Trucking
The biggest mistakes
business owners make
As an owner-operator, you are a
business owner. That means you
wear a lot of hats.
Of course, taxes are not No. 1 on
your list of things to do, and neither
is bookkeeping. However, these are
important tasks. Even small mistakes
can add up and lead to missed
deductions, cash ow problems,
tax overpayments and even IRS
penalties.
Some mistakes are simple
and have simple solutions, like
bookkeeping errors. But some are
caused by not understanding tax
laws or requirements and attempting
shortcuts that result in an audit.
As a business owner, you must
understand what to do and what not
to do, as both are important to make
it in business.
Here are a few of the most common
tax mistakes that business owners
make and the problems they can
cause.
Not reading the IRS letter
establishing your EIN
This letter establishing your
Employer Identi cation Number
tells you how you are going to be
ling taxes, the form to le and
the deadline for you. If you are an
L L C single member, it will tell you
1040 or L L C multi-member 1065.
However, if you le as a corporation,
it will say 1120. So make sure
you read the letter, as it may even
include such ling payroll forms as
941 and 940. Also make note of the
deadline to le, as missed deadlines
often result in penalties. Most forms
require you to le even if there is no
income or nothing to report.
Not separating business
and personal finances
Co-mingling nances is one of the
biggest mistakes a business owner
makes. When using one bank
account for everything, mixing
business and personal expenses
makes it dif cult to track actual
business. This can also lead to
missed deductions and cause tax
compliance issues.
When you do not keep nancials
separate, it is hard to know where the
business stands. Are you pro table
L osing money? Spending too much?
Without proper records, you are
making decisions without the full
picture.
Poor record-keeping and
documentation
It is one thing to claim an expense. It
is another thing to prove an expense.
Many owner-operators do not keep
proper records or receipts, which
can become an issue if you ever get
audited. The IRS does not just take
your word for it. It wants proof.
If you cannot produce receipts or
documentation, those deductions can
be disallowed.
This is especially important for
expenses like:
●
●
● ¦
●
Without records, you could end up
paying more in taxes than necessary.
Not tracking all accounts
As an owner-operator, you may
focus mostly on your main checking
account. But do not forget about your
business and personal credit cards,
line of credit and escrow accounts.
Credit card payments are not
deductible, but the expenses charged
on the card can be. L oan and line of
credit payments are tax deductible
only for interest, not principal. But
the expense that was paid by the loan
may be deductible or depreciated.
We often nd that business
owners forget to track certain bank
or credit card accounts and then
miss transactions that should have
been deducted. If money is moving
between different bank or credit card
accounts and you are not keeping up
with it, expenses can start slipping
through the cracks.
Paying yourself the
wrong way
Some business owners do not pay
themselves the right way or enough,
which can lead to tax compliance
issues.
A few common mistakes:
KEEP RECEIPTS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 81
✓
✓
✓
As a business owner, you must
understand what to do and what
not to do, as both are important to
make it in business.
● §
●
¦
●
The way you take money out of
your business affects taxes, and it is
important to get it right.
Not using tax deferral
options
Not using these options means
missing an opportunity to reduce
your taxable income because you
are not thinking about strategies to
reduce taxes.
You could miss these big
opportunities:
Many owner-operators put off or
avoid setting these up. However,
they can be some of the best tools
for saving money on taxes.
Spending money just to
save on taxes
Many tax preparers suggest you
spend money to save money on
taxes, and many business owners
think that by spending more
money, they will pay less in taxes.
Technically, these things are true.
But is it really smart business?
We hear this a lot at the end of
the year about business owners
who had their tax preparer suggest
buying expensive equipment or
vehicles just to lower their taxable
income. The problem is that you
are still spending the money.
For example, let’s say you buy
a $100,000 tractor to get a tax
deduction of 10,000 to 30,000,
depending on tax bracket, self-
employment taxes, etc. Sure, you
saved on taxes … but you still
spent $100,000. If you didn’t
actually need the tractor, that is not
a great nancial move.
The goal is not to pay the least
amount possible in taxes. Instead,
the goal is to manage cash wisely
and maximize pro ts while still
minimizing taxes.
DEFERRAL OPTIONS
82 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025EMBER 2025
82
LAND LINE
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
EMBER 2025
TAKE US
WITH YOU.
The news you need,
when you need it.
¡¡
Incorrectly calculating
depreciation
Depreciation can be complicated,
and many business owners either:
Depreciation should be handled
correctly, or you risk losing
deductions or facing an IRS audit.
Failing to work
with a tax pro
One of the biggest tax mistakes
owner-operator business owners
make is not working with a
proactive tax professional
who knows trucking. At
TruckerTaxTools.com, we work with
truckers who want clear nancial
statements, a better tax strategy and
a team that truly understands the
trucking industry.
Taxes should not be ignored
or be something you think about
only in April. By working with
TruckerTaxTools.com, which
actively helps you plan throughout
the year, you can avoid costly
mistakes, nd every deduction
and take advantage of tax-saving
strategies – thereby keeping more of
your money. LL
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 83
Protecting your drive.
Advocating for your journey.
¢ooidatruckinsurance.com£(816) 229-5791
Experience, knowledge and outstanding customer service
● ¡
●
●
The value of insuring with OOIDA is our experience and knowledge.
OOIDA provides owner-operators valuable insurance advice on protecting their
trucking operation and a comprehensive range of coverage at competitive rates.
We also offer:
•
Direct underwriting, so the quote you receive is the actual amount
you will pay. No surprises! It also means fast turn-around on binding.
•
Convenient monthly installments without large up-front payments and
no additional finance costs. And no hidden renewal terms.
•
Outstanding customer service from industry specialists.
And remember – OOIDA is your Association. All revenues generated through
its insurance programs go toward helping OOIDA defend your rights and lobby
on behalf of your interests.
Find out how much OOIDA has to
offer you and your business.
Call us at 8--
for a truck insurance quote.
ooidatruckinsurance.com.
Protecting your Drive.
Advocating for your Journey.
CA-OFO8481
CA-OBO297
OOIDA TRUCK INSURANCE
Advocating Journey Ad 5_2024 6/13/24 11:43 AM Page 1
OOIDA TRUCK INSURANCE
84 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
RoadLaw
Road
Law
Road L aw has assisted drivers for the past 30 years.
During that time, we’ve assembled and continually
updated a huge database of courts, court personnel and
various court procedures all across the United States.
We want to remind you that all of our court data is
available to you at no cost or obligation. If you nd
yourself with a traf c ticket or you’re in an accident,
you’re always welcome to call Road L aw for any
information we may have regarding the particular court
where your ticket is going to be heard.
Having knowledge about a particular court will allow
you to make an informed decision as to what your best
options are in ghting a ticket. Here are some examples
of recent questions and Road L aw’s answers. As
always, we hope this information is helpful to you.
Maybe, but from our experience, many courts in
Wyoming can be very procedurally dif cult and
may require all drivers to physically appear in court,
maybe even numerous times, to ght a traf c ticket.
Road Law can usually give you very speci c court
information for your particular case that will help you
decide whether you still want to ght the ticket. Factors
to consider in this case are how dif cult the procedures
are at your particular court and the fact that your charge
of “speeding 5 mph” is not a serious violation.
No. You don’t pay tickets if you want to ght
them. But this particular court does require that
you post the necost amount listed on your ticket as
a cash bond in order to plead not guilty and have your
matter set for a hearing. A lot of courts do require
this before you can ght your ticket. To make matters
worse, this particular court is serious when it says it
requires you to post a cash bond and will accept only
cash. So that means no money orders, no personal
checks, no cashier’s
checks and no debit
or credit cards. To
ght your ticket in
this court, yes, you’ll
need to personally
deliver actual cash
to the court clerk’s
of ce and post your
bond just to get your
matter set for a court
date. Then, you’ll
have to come back
to court again, on your actual court date and time. Also,
your particular citation for the charge of “improper
lane change” is considered to be a serious violation
under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
You really do need to ght this ticket, no matter how
dif cult the court procedures may be. This is not an
easy process, to say the least! LL
Knowledge is power
Having knowledge
about a particular
court will allow
you to make an
informed decision
as to what your
best options are in
fighting a ticket.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 85
L ess than $1 an hour. That’s what at least one truck driver
claims to have received for a week’s worth of work while
driving for Channahon, Ill.-based Forsage L ogistics Inc.
The claims from that driver and others recently led to a
settlement. However, the settlement may not put a dent in
what the truck drivers believe they are owed.
If approved, the settlement ends a relatively short
dispute alleging the trucking company paid drivers well
under the state and federal minimum wage by unlawfully
deducting wages and forcing them to bear certain
expenses.
The lawsuit is a classic misclassication dispute,
alleging that Forsage had extraordinary control over the
truck drivers it signed on as independent contractors.
Truckers would work 70 hours a week only to receive a
paltry paycheck.
According to the lawsuit, interstate truck drivers were
required to sign an independent contractor agreement to
drive for Forsage. Despite their employment status, drivers
had little control over their operations. The company’s
control over its independent contractor drivers included:
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Essentially, independent contractor truck drivers were at
the mercy of Forsage’s dispatchers, policies, procedures
and directives.
Independent contractors were paid a percentage of each
load hauled. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit claimed unlawful
deductions were taken from their paychecks, including
insurance, escrow, truck cleaning and maintenance/repairs.
Those deductions would come to thousands of dollars
per week and were never authorized by the truck drivers.
One Forsage truck driver claimed he received a $69
paycheck after working 70 hours in one week.
“Although Forsage classied plaintiffs and other
delivery drivers as independent contractors, the behavior
and nancial control manifested over the drivers by
Forsage demonstrates that they were employees of
Forsage,” the lawsuit states.
Former and current independent contractors for
Forsage led the
lawsuit in February
2024. In March,
the lawsuit was
granted class-action
status. A settlement
was reached a
few months later.
However, the truck
drivers are not
getting much back.
According to the settlement agreement, Forsage will
fork over $45,000 to end the case.
After attorney fees, independent contractors who drove
for the company will have to split $30,000.
The settlement agreement states that this amount will
come to “$34.24 for each week of employment for
any alleged minimum wage violations.” Put another
way, that’s reimbursement for 2.28 hours of unpaid
compensation per week based on Illinois’ $15 per hour
minimum wage.
Attorneys for the independent contractors indicated that
taking the case further would risk getting nothing at all.
The agreement points to Forsage’s “precarious nancial
condition” when explaining that “continued litigation
presents a very real risk that (Forsage) would le for
bankruptcy and/or that Forsage would cease operations,
resulting in a signicantly reduced recovery, or no
recovery at all.”
Neither Forsage nor attorneys for the plaintiffs could be
reached for comment. As of press time, court approval of
the settlement was pending. LL
$69 for 70 hours of work?
After attorney
fees, independent
contractors who
drove for the
company will have
to split $30,000.
¡
86 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
Staged crashes with tractor-trailers have become big
business for criminals.
However, law enforcement is beginning to make some
progress toward combating the crime.
Authorities in L ouisiana recently made arrests related to
what investigators are calling a multimillion-dollar staged
crash scheme.
According to a news release from L ouisiana State
Police, an investigation led to the arrests of Justin L edet,
45; Steven Thomas, 38; and Alfred Onezine, 37.
The investigation began in March after L ouisiana State
Police received a criminal complaint from the L ouisiana
Department of Insurance following a report from a
trucking company. The motor carrier said it suspected
fraudulent activity related to a crash that occurred on Jan.
19 in L afayette Parish.
Investigators allege that L edet, Thomas and Onezine
conspired to stage a crash at the intersection of Willow
Street and Teurlings Drive in L afayette. According
to L ouisiana State Police, L edet was operating the
company’s truck and “intentionally” struck the rear of a
Chevrolet Silverado driven by Thomas. Onezine and three
juveniles were passengers.
Following the crash, all ve occupants of the Silverado
led insurance claims against the trucking company,
seeking a potential total of $10 million in damages,
according to L ouisiana State Police.
Troopers arrested L edet and Thomas on May 2 for
automobile insurance fraud. Onezine was arrested on May
29 for three counts of cruelty to juveniles, four counts of
automobile insurance fraud and resisting arrest.
“When individuals try to take advantage of a system
that our residents rely on, it can put lives at risk and
burden others with the cost,” L ouisiana State Police
Superintendent Col. Robert Hodges said in a news release.
“I’m proud of the work our Troopers did alongside the
L ouisiana Department of Insurance. We will continue
working together to make sure those who commit these
crimes are held accountable.”
Staged Accident Fraud
Prevention Act
The problem of staged crashes is becoming more
common. Staged crashes targeting motor carriers entered
the spotlight when Operation Sideswipe in New Orleans
hit the news in recent years.
In April, Rep. Mike Collins, R-G a., introduced a bill
that would make staged crashes with a commercial motor
vehicle a federal crime.
The Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act, or HR2662,
aims to address schemes involving vehicles intentionally
getting into wrecks with tractor-trailers in an attempt to
collect damages.
“Criminal elements are launching an assault against
America’s truckers, in the courtroom and on our roads,”
Collins said in a news release. “Staged accidents take
advantage of truckers’ high insurance coverage and make
them prime targets for criminals looking for a quick
payday, saddling truckers with millions of dollars in
in ated damages, increasing insurance premiums for all
Americans and driving up the costs for every transported
good. The Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act will hold
these fraudsters and their co-conspirators accountable and
stop the ‘ nuclear verdicts’ that are bankrupting truckers
across the country.”
In May, Collins and several other Republican lawmakers
asked the U.S. Department of Justice to establish a task
force that would combat fraudulent crashes.
The effort is supported by the Owner-Operator
Independent Drivers Association, the American Trucking
Associations, the Truckload Carriers Association, the
G eorgia Motor Trucking Association and the Texas
Trucking Association.
“Staged accidents are not victimless crimes,” OOIDA
Executive Vice President L ewie Pugh said. “These are
calculated, premeditated assaults that endanger lives,
destroy livelihoods and compromise highway safety.
To add insult to injury, criminals abuse the legal system
for pro t through false accusations and lawsuits, which
contribute to skyrocketing insurance premiums for small
trucking businesses. OOIDA and our 150,000 members
support Rep. Collins and his commonsense legislation to
protect law-abiding truckers from sophisticated criminal
fraud schemes that exploit the hardworking men and
women behind the wheel.” LL
Staged crash in Louisiana
leads to multiple arrests
Light name/stock.adobe.com
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 87
LL
PixelPlace/stock.adobe.com; Photo courtesy of Wikipedia; Photo courtesy of J.B. Hunt
Keep
these
pieces healthy.
Value PlanPremier Plan
¡
&
life
health
benefits
Ask about the NEW
Lifetime Deductible!
88 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
By Ryan Witkowski Staff Writer
It has been said that if you want something you’ve
never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve
never done. This typically means that in order to reach a
higher goal, you need to step out of your comfort zone.
Overall, it is sound advice. Usually.
We start this Slight Detour with an individual who
may have taken this advice a bit too literally.
Deputies from the Jasper County, Texas, Sheriff’s
Of ce recently arrested a man after he attempted to
steal a 2025 Ford Mustang 5.0 G T during a test drive in
Silsbee, Texas.
According to police, Justin Colley visited the Silsbee
Ford dealership and requested a test drive of the muscle
car. After leaving the lot with a salesperson, Colley
allegedly pulled a gun, forced the employee out of the
vehicle and proceeded to make his getaway.
Roughly 90 minutes later, a deputy spotted the
stolen vehicle, effectively ending Colley’s brief tenure
as a Mustang “owner.” For his short-lived joyride,
Colley was charged with aggravated robbery, unlawful
possession of a rearm by a felon and unauthorized use
of a motor vehicle.
Now for the part where we realize criminals aren’t the
sharpest tools in the shed: Investigators said they were
able to quickly identify Colley because he had left his
driver’s license at the dealership while lling out the
paperwork for the test drive. The devil is in the details,
and that’s a pretty big one to overlook.
Despite his outside-the-box thinking, I’m pretty sure
he didn’t have “get arrested” on his vision board when
he dreamed of owning a bit of American muscle. L et this
be a lesson that there are no shortcuts in life.
High stakes at low speed
For our next story, we go from good old-fashioned speed
to a vehicle that moves at a decidedly slower pace.
Police in South Carolina were recently led on a low-
speed chase by a man driving an excavator.
The chase started around 3 a.m. while of cers with the
North Charleston Police Department were responding
to another call. While en route, the of cers noticed an
excavator crossing over Highway 78, heading toward a
grocery store.
When police arrived, they noted the front of the store
was “freshly damaged and destroyed,” presumably from
the excavator. When they attempted to pull the driver
over, he proceeded to take off down the highway in the
excavator at a blazing 3 mph.
Now, I realize that it is likely not easy to stop a
massive piece of construction equipment, even at such a
slow speed, but this chase lasted for over an hour! The
slow-moving joyride came to a halt when the driver got
stuck in the mud at a local fairground.
It was at that point the driver took off on foot. G iven
that the average jogging speed of an adult is about 5
mph, it’s possible the footrace was a high-speed pursuit
compared to the chase that preceded it. That said, it
wasn’t faster than a dog can run, and the K -9 unit made
quick work of catching the suspect.
I’m not entirely sure what this guy was thinking as
he was creeping along with cops on his tail, but it does
make me realize I have no desire to watch excavator
races anytime soon.
Time to pony up
¢£¤£¥¤¤£
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 89
Not the dog!
For the life of me, I don’t understand people who hurt
dogs – or any other animal, for that matter. It takes a
special kind of jerk to take out your anger on man’s best
friend. And one of those jerks recently made his way
through the Washington Dulles International Airport.
According to a report from U.S. Customs and Border
Protection, an Egyptian man recently pleaded guilty to
federal
charges after
kicking an
agriculture
detector dog
who was just
doing his
job.
The
5-year-old
beagle
named
Freddie was inspecting baggage from a plane arriving
from Cairo when he alerted his handler to one suitcase.
When the handler started questioning the owner of the
suitcase, 70-year-old Hamed Ramadan Bayoumy Aly
Marie, the man “violently kicked Freddie with suf cient
force to lift the 25-pound beagle off the ground.”
According to the agency, Customs and Border Patrol
agents “immediately descended upon Marie” – hopefully
with suf cient force to lift him off the ground.
A search of the man’s suitcase uncovered 55 pounds of
beef, 44 pounds of rice, 15 pounds of eggplant, cucumbers
and bell peppers, 2 pounds of corn seeds and a pound of
herbs.
“Being caught deliberately smuggling well over 100
pounds of undeclared and prohibited agriculture products
does not give one permission to violently assault a
defenseless Customs and Border Protection beagle,”
Christine Waugh, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area
Port of Washington, D.C., said in a statement. “Any
malicious attack on one of us is an attack on all of us,
and CBP will continue to work with our investigating and
prosecuting partners to deal swift and severe justice to
perpetrators.”
Amen to that. You mess with one of us, you mess with
all of us.
Fortunately, Freddie was OK , but he did sustain
contusions to his ribs. As for Marie, he pleaded guilty
to harming an animal used in law enforcement and was
ordered to pay the veterinarian’s fees. On top of that, he
was ordered to report to CBP for immediate removal from
the country.
I bet that made for an interesting conversation when
Marie was asked by friends why he was home so soon
from the U.S. – that is, assuming someone who would
kick a dog actually has friends.
Take it easy
We end this Slight Detour with a stop in Winslow, Ariz.
The small town of roughly 9,000 people is best known for
being mentioned by the Eagles. In fact, aside from being
located along
Route 66,
that’s pretty
much all it’s
known for.
Until now.
Recently,
L ove’s opened
a new travel
stop in the
sleepy Arizona
town. The new location has 81 truck parking spaces,
laundry, showers and all the other amenities you’d expect
from L ove’s.
While I’m sure it is just a run-of-the-mill truck stop, it
did make me smile thinking of truckers sending us photos
of themselves “standing on the corner” while stopping for
fuel or snacks.
So if you’re in the neighborhood, pick a corner and
snap a sel e then submit it to MarkSchremmer
L andL ineMag.com. He covers a lot for us and has plenty
on his plate, so a ood of photos would probably help
break up the monotony.
We will also accept photos of you “suckin’ on a chili
dog outside the Tastee Freez.” LL
¤£¤
For the life of me, I don’t understand people who hurt
90 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
Not your average pandemic book
No post-apocalyptic story
would be complete without a
classic villain, and none can
quite match up to the man
known as “The Prophet.”
habiha/stock.adobe.com
By Sawyer Jacobs
I know what you’re thinking: “Sawyer, the last thing
we want to listen to is an audiobook about a worldwide
pandemic. Been there, done that.” To which I would
agree. Even though we’re ve years out from the worst
of COVID, I feel I could go my whole life without
hearing another pandemic story ever again, and I
would be just ne.
“Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel is not
your average pandemic book,
however. Sure, it tells us
what happened in the wake
of the G eorgia Flu that has
infected 99% of the population,
but much of the story takes
place up to 20 years in the future, after society has
collapsed and has begun to rebuild. “Station Eleven”
is a post-apocalyptic survival story that asks the heavy
questions like “What comes next?” and “What does it
mean to survive?”
K irsten Potter is our narrator this time around. Potter
speaks life to this book in a different way than some
of our past narrators have, because “Station Eleven”
is written in third person. We don’t hear a character’s
recounting of events but, rather, have an outside view
looking in on what is unfolding. It hinders our narrator
slightly to be held to this speci c perspective, but the
story gains a certain charm for the very same reason.
Potter’s reading starts to feel like a recounting of
history in some spots and helps listeners visualize a
budding civilization after its initial collapse.
We hear about the experiences of multiple
characters and about many different points in time,
not necessarily in order. It could be easy to become
confused at any point if you happen to zone out. But
if you can keep track, you might nd the story well
worth your time.
If I were to assign a main protagonist to the book,
it would be K irsten Raymonde, a child actor at the
onset of the pandemic. She spends the beginning of it
ghting for survival until she nds a new home with
the members of the Traveling Symphony, travelers
who perform Shakespeare for budding settlements to
give them a distraction from their daily lives as they
try to rebuild something vaguely similar to the world
that has been long forgotten.
Meanwhile, we also hear the
stories of famed actor Arthur
L eander in the lead-up to the
pandemic and of paramedic
Jeevan Chaudhary as he navigates
the early days of the outbreak.
The path of our three characters
intersects on the night the G eorgia
Flu makes its way into America.
What follows is a well-rounded
story of an Earth-shattering event and how people ght
to survive in the aftermath.
No post-apocalyptic story would be complete
without a classic villain, and none can quite match up
to the man known as “The Prophet.” While “Station
Eleven” rst seems something akin to a ghost story,
we end up seeing a dark underbelly that has grown in
the shadows of the settlements that have risen since the
world’s collapse. And while he isn’t the main focus,
The Prophet gives a wonderful contrast to the idealistic
members of the Traveling Symphony in this era of ruin
and shows that people can react to crisis in all sorts of
ways.
All in all, “Station Eleven” is not about a person or
even a group of people navigating a crisis; it’s about
humanity’s survival and what it means to truly live.
Under the surface of the world that is presented to us is
a meaningful story that explores the human spirit and
the importance of art to humanity.
The very essence of this book is captured by the
motto the Traveling Symphony uses to justify its
cause “Survival is insuf cient.” And it is a motto
I have found myself thinking of in the days after
nishing this audiobook. LL
No post-apocalyptic story
would be complete without a
classic villain, and none can
quite match up to the man
known as “The Prophet.”
your average pandemic book,
however. Sure, it tells us
what happened in the wake
of the G eorgia Flu that has
infected 99% of the population,
but much of the story takes
No post-apocalyptic story
would be complete without a
classic villain, and none can
quite match up to the man
known as “The Prophet.”
but much of the story takes
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 91
¥
¦
¦
§LL
¨
¢
The Spirit
Connecting face-to-face
with drivers like you.
THE SPIRIT
MATTERS MEET
MARTY ELLIS
FIND
THE SPIRIT
Hope to see y so !
IRS tax problems can impact your life
negatively. We’ll get you back on track!
■
■
■
■
■
■
888-561-6600
tdkcpa.com
CPA
LL
classifi eds
LL
• No Reserves Held
• Free Direct Deposit
• Free Fuel Cards
• Free Transfl o
www.xfactors.net
XFACTORS FINANCIAL
• Free Credit Checks
• Free Same-Day ACH
• No Term Contracts
• No Minimums
Call our dedicated OOIDA
members line toll free at
1-866-925-1170 or visit
backtaxeshelp.com for a
free quote and tax analysis.
We’ve Helped
1,000’s of Truckers
Get Tax Relief
HELP WITH:
Tax Debt
Back Taxes
Garnishments
Tax Penalties
Tax Liens
& More
SOLUTIONS/SERVICES:
Tax Preparation
Payment Plans
Settlements
O er In Compromise
Penalty Abatement
Tax Audit Defense
Tax Hardship Status
Tax Appeals
& More
25% OFF
92 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
JULY 2025 93
*
MBA
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Call Today for Free Tax Organizer!
Over 16 Years Trucking Tax Experience
& more!
We’ve got your
target audience.
Call today
816-229-5791
to speak
to an
advertising
representative.
●
●
●
●
●
TRUCK & TRAILER FINANCING
LL
classifi eds
ALL TICKETS
ACCIDENTS
SUSPENSIONS
roadlaw.net
1-888-276-8000
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 93
Your Success is Our Business
Debrick
®
Join our team.
Since
1958
SEEKING
OWNER
OPERATORS
GOT IRS
PROBLEMS
GET TAX
RESOLUTION
“There is
a Solution
to Every
Trucker’s
Tax Problem”
Barry G. Fowler EA
Founder & CEO
■Creating solutions for business and
personal tax problems since 2000
■We only take cases that we know
we can help solve
■FREE Consultation if IRS debt over
$10,000
TaxationSolutions.net
1-888-997-2215
Trucker IRS Tax Relief
info@taxationsolutions.net
Direct-mailed to
over 185,000*
industry professionals.
LL
classifi eds
94 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 95
§
§
§
¥
§
©
¥
§
¢
§¢¢¢
¥
§
§
§§
¦§
§
¥
¢
¢
¢
¢
¢¢¢
¥
§
©©
Life Members
Senior Members
§¢£
96 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
96 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
OOIDA
RIGHTS
CDL
OOIDA
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 97
Helping truck drivers and
their f amilies in times of crisis.
Reuniting truck drivers with
their family in the event of
loss of life, debilitating injury,
serious illness, a crisis at
home, or the need to make
mobility improvements at a
driver’s home.
t ruckersfinalmile.org
R espect and Dignity for the North American Truck Driver
finalmile.
finalmile.
org
ª«ª«
For more information or to donate,
call 8 8 8 - 8 5 7 - 7 8 7 1 or visit online.
Back Taxes Help ...................................92
BH Tubes ....................................................92
CA Air Resources Board .................67
CAT Scale ...................................................25
CMCI ..............................................................39
Debrick Truck Line .............................94
Eagle Capital...........................................92
Eckert & Associates, P.A. ..............93
Gira eG4 Systems LLC ....................94
Great American Chrome.................67
Howes Lubricator ................................19
Insurlease, LLC ......................................93
Max Milles LLC.......................................93
MBA Tax & Bookkeeping ...............93
National Express LLC ........................27
OOFI Scholarship ................................64
OOFI Truck To Success ........................7
OOIDA Fuel Card ................................... 31
OOIDA Membership .....................11, 65
OOIDA Tire Program .............................9
OOSI Business Services ..................17
OOSI Dental...............................................87
OOSI Life Insurance ........................... 41
OOSI MEC ...................................................99
OOSI Occupational Accident......49
OOSI Over the Road Gear .............96
OOSI Passenger Accident ............35
OOSI Short Term Disability ...........75
OOSI Spirit Truck Tour .......................91
OOSI Truck Insurance ......................83
OOSI Vision................................................47
Penske Used Trucks ............................5
Rapid Link Repairs ............................ 23
Road Law ..................................................93
Shell Lubricants .................................100
St. Christopher .......................................97
Taxation Solutions Inc. .............81, 94
TaxHelpMD ................................................93
The Internet Truckstop .............. 2-3
Todd D. Knapp CPA, PC ................... 92
Towaway Express, Inc. ....................94
Truckers Final Mile ..............................97
Vibratech TVD ......................................... 21
XFactors, Inc. ..........................................92
Zamzow Manufacturing Co. .......59
The index of advertisers is an editorial service of Land Line Magazine.
The publisher assumes no responsibility for errors and/or omissions.
PAGE PAGE
ADINDEX
CONTACT
US
7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CT Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
1 NW OOIDA Drive
Grain Valley, MO 64029
OOIDA.com
Closed for Labor Day Sept. 1, 2025
98 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
to a road foreman
who rescued an Iowa driver
from a burning truck. Dale Iles
told K CCI-TV in Des Moines,
Iowa, he saw the truck crash
on a rural bridge, overturn and
burst into ames, trapping the
driver inside the cab. “When your
adrenaline kicks in, you don’t
even think about it; you just start
acting,” Iles told the television
outlet. He was able to help the
driver – who was treated and
released from a local hospital –
get out of the truck safely. Iles
said he would do it again.
¡¡ to a
Florida trucking company
owner sentenced to 23 years in
prison for scheming investors out
of nearly $160 million. A jury
found 45-year-old Sanjay Singh
of Coral Springs, Fla., guilty of a
Ponzi scheme using investor funds
to purchase and operate trucks,
guaranteeing returns of more
than 200%. Singh used millions
of investor dollars for mortgage
payments, home renovations,
brokerage accounts and collateral
for stock trades. The scheme dated
back to January 2020 and spanned
until June 2023, when Singh was
arrested and indicted on eight
counts of wire fraud.
to all involved in
some recent fundraising
efforts. A touch-a-truck event was
held at Stithton Baptist Church in
Radcliff, K y., in honor of Carson
Wilson, a 5-year-old battling
leukemia. All kinds of trucks
showed up, and Carson also
received a ride in a limousine. A
separate event in Canada resulted
in 4,200 food kits for children
facing hunger this summer. This
was part of Food Banks Canada’s
After the Bell program. “Network
members usually experience
Trucks for Change from the
perspective of moving freight, and
this hands-on experience helps
them connect with the cause on a
personal level,” Betsy Sharples,
Trucks for Change Network
executive director, said in a news
release.
¡¡ for a
scam speci cally targeting
truck drivers outside the L ove’s
Travel Stop off Interstate 40
in Dandridge, Tenn. L ocal
authorities said victims were
approached by a suspect and
escorted to a group of co-
conspirators. The victims were
asked to play a betting game
where they were conned out of
money and jewelry. Additionally,
the Jackson County Sheriff’s
Of ce alerted the public of
fraudulent texts claiming to be
from the “Tennessee Department
of Vehicles.” As with scams in
most other states, these scam
texts are seeking payment for
unpaid tolls – or more recently,
for unpaid traf c violations and
threaten legal action if the nes
or tolls are not urgently paid. The
sheriff’s of ce said that anyone
who receives the text should not
click the link and should delete
the message.
¡¡ for the fact
that truck drivers pay nearly
20 times more per mile than
the average car owner into the
federal Highway Trust Fund. In
all, the average OOIDA member
contributes $42,132 per year into
the Highway Trust Fund, while
the average passenger vehicle
driver contributes anywhere from
$137 to $296 per year. “You
might even say that there’s a good
case to be made that in some
ways, truckers are subsidizing
the use of passenger vehicles on
the road,” said Charles Sperry,
research analyst for the OOIDA
Foundation. It’s also worth
mentioning that these gures
don’t include the state fuel taxes
that truckers pay, as many of those
funds are used for state projects
not related to transportation. LL
By SJ Munoz
Sta Writer
Got a ROSE or a RAZZBERRY?
Roses@LandLineMag.com. You also can check out Facebook.com/RosesAndRazzberries.
Razz
berries
R es
&
R es
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 LAND LINE 99
&
life
health
benefits
Helping you
stay
healthy.
Minimum Essential
Coverage (MEC) Plan
● Year-round enrollment
● Affordable Care Act compliant
● Provides a wide range of
wellness and preventative
services for:
ª«
¢
Pharmacy benefits ª«
¥
¬
¢¬
Virtual medical and
behavioral solutions
Minimum Essential
Includes
virtual medical
and
behavioral
health
solutions
100 LAND LINE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
100
LAND LINE
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025
