CALIFORNIA SUES U.S. DOT OVER $33M IN TRUCK SAFETY GRANT CUTS
California filed suit late Saturday, alleging the federal government unlawfully terminated Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan funds tied to English proficiency rules for CDL holders. The case could affect enforcement resources, inspections and carrier audits in the nation’s largest trucking state.
NORTHEAST WINTER STORM SNARLS TRAVEL; STATES ISSUE ADVISORIES
Heavy snow and dangerous wind chills hit the Northeast and parts of the Midwest Sunday, prompting speed reductions and travel advisories that could slow linehaul and final-mile operations during peak season weekend moves.
FLOODING SHUTS WASHINGTON’S SR 167 BETWEEN KENT AND AUBURN
WSDOT closed a six-mile stretch of SR 167 Sunday due to standing water, forcing detours off a key freight artery linking distribution hubs in Kent and Auburn and impacting access to the Ports of Seattle/Tacoma dray lanes.
WASHINGTON FLOODING KEEPS US 2, US 12, SR 20 CLOSED; NO REOPEN ETA
Major east–west routes across Washington remain shut from flooding and slides, complicating long-haul routing across the Cascades and adding hours to transit times for truckloads moving through the state.
PENNDOT LIFTS TIER 1 VEHICLE RESTRICTIONS AROUND PITTSBURGH
With conditions improving, Pennsylvania removed winter storm restrictions on several interstates in the Pittsburgh region Sunday, normalizing CMV flows after a weekend of weather-imposed limits and speed reductions.
DHS DESIGNATES LAREDO SECTOR ‘HIGH ILLEGAL ENTRY,’ FAST-TRACKS BORDER BARRIERS
Homeland Security issued an environmental waiver to accelerate barrier construction along 115 miles near Laredo, a move that could affect commercial traffic patterns and staging during the holiday surge at Texas bridges.
USPS WARNS HOLIDAY SHIPPING DEADLINES AS BUSIEST WEEK BEGINS
The Postal Service reiterated send-by dates Sunday as Dec. 8–14 marks its peak mailing week, signaling heightened parcel volumes and tight linehaul capacity for carriers supporting postal induction lanes and last-mile tendering.
GEORGIA’S APPALACHIAN REGIONAL PORT RAIL SHUTTLE SETS RECORD HAUL
State officials reported record traffic on the inland rail link from the Port of Savannah to northwest Georgia, boosting intermodal flows and altering regional truck drayage patterns headed into year-end.
MULTI-VEHICLE CRASH WITH TWO SEMIS SHUTS I-70 WEST IN OHIO
An early-Sunday crash involving two commercial trucks, a tow truck and a car closed I‑70 westbound near Springfield, Ohio, underscoring winter weekend safety risks and causing delays on a key east–west freight corridor.
FATAL CRASH CLOSES LANES ON CALIFORNIA’S HIGHWAY 17, DELAYS SANTA CRUZ TRAVEL
A deadly collision shut northbound lanes and part of southbound Highway 17 near Vine Hill Road, a critical link between the Bay Area and Monterey Bay, delaying regional freight and weekend traffic before partial reopening midday.
CONNECTICUT SNOW TRIGGERS SUNDAY CLOSURES AND DELAYED OPENINGS
Several closures and late openings were announced as 2–5 inches fell across Connecticut, with the National Weather Service warning of hazardous driving that may slow intrastate LTL and parcel operations today.
REPORT: U.S. FREIGHT RAIL NOX EMISSIONS NOW EXCEED COAL POWER PLANTS
A Reuters investigation finds aging locomotive fleets driving outsized NOx pollution, intensifying regulatory pressure that could reshape intermodal strategies and the modal mix with trucking heading into 2026.
AUBURN, WA ORDERS EVACUATIONS AS FLOODWATERS RISE NEAR FREIGHT CORRIDORS
Level 3 “Go Now” evacuations were issued for parts of Auburn amid historic flooding, with rising waters near SR‑167 and industrial zones posing risks to warehouse access and drayage routes in the Puget Sound region.
PHOTOS: WASHINGTON FLOODING SHOWS EXTENT OF ROAD, COMMUNITY DAMAGE
New images highlight submerged vehicles, damaged neighborhoods and widespread roadway impacts across western Washington—visual evidence of why multiple highways remain closed and freight carriers are rerouting today.
This daily digest was prepared exclusively for TruckStopInsider.com. Republishing is permitted only with proper credit and a link back to the original source.
