USDOT AWARDS $118M FOR TRUCK SAFETY, CDL INTEGRITY AND VETERAN TRAINING
FMCSA announced more than $118 million in grants to boost commercial vehicle enforcement, strengthen CDL program integrity, and expand training for veterans entering trucking.
$400,000 IN LOBSTERS BOUND FOR COSTCO STOLEN IN SOPHISTICATED CARGO HEIST
Thieves posing as a legitimate carrier used spoofed emails and altered truck branding to steal a high-value seafood load picked up from a Lineage Logistics facility in Massachusetts, highlighting escalating organized cargo fraud tactics targeting food shipments.
OCADO ENDS EXCLUSIVITY WITH KROGER, OPENS GROCERY TECH TO MORE RETAILERS
Ocado said mutual exclusivity has ended in most markets, including the U.S., allowing it to market its automated fulfillment and AI solutions beyond Kroger—potentially reshaping grocery e-commerce logistics footprints.
UP–NS MERGER PLAN HINGES ON SHIFTING 2 MILLION TRUCKLOADS TO RAIL ANNUALLY
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern’s STB filing frames a coast-to-coast network designed to capture freight from highways, with the railroads projecting most share gains to come directly from trucking in the Mississippi basin region.
WINTER STORM SNARLS TRAVEL AND FREIGHT FROM MIDWEST TO NORTHEAST AHEAD OF NEW YEAR
A powerful system brought blizzard conditions, highway closures and major flight disruptions across key freight corridors, with lake-effect snow and high winds continuing to hamper operations into the week.
PENNDOT CUTS SPEEDS, TIER 1 RESTRICTIONS ON I-79/80/86/90 AS STORM PERSISTS
PennDOT reduced interstate speeds to 45 mph in northwest Pennsylvania and imposed Tier 1 vehicle restrictions, directing commercial vehicles to the right lane amid hazardous conditions and ongoing snow squalls.
ICE STORM SLAMS NORTHEAST WITH OUTAGES AND SLICK ROADS FROM NEW YORK TO NEW ENGLAND
Freezing rain and heavy icing created treacherous driving and widespread power outages, with lake-effect snow and refreezing expected to prolong difficult conditions for trucking operations into early week.
FMCSA EXTENDS MULTI-STATE HOS WAIVERS FOR HEATING FUELS AMID NORTHEAST SUPPLY STRAINS
A December 23 extension keeps hours-of-service relief in place into mid-January for carriers hauling propane, natural gas and heating oil across 20 states, citing winter storms and refinery disruptions impacting supply chains.
AAA: U.S. DIESEL AVERAGE SLIPS TO $3.55/GALLON AS OF DEC. 29
National diesel prices eased to $3.552/gal on Monday, down from a week and month earlier, offering modest cost relief for fleets as winter storms tighten capacity and disrupt routing.
ACT: FRIGID WEATHER LIFTS U.S. SPOT TL RATES INTO LATE DECEMBER
ACT Research says early-December winter storms tightened capacity and pushed spot truckload rates roughly 10% above year-ago levels by late December, rewarding carriers who stayed on the road over Christmas week.
LAREDO CROSS-BORDER CARRIER TEXAS INTERNATIONAL ENTERPRISES FILES CHAPTER 11
The 600-driver trucking and logistics firm sought bankruptcy protection amid the freight downturn, listing $10–$50 million in assets and liabilities as it looks to continue operations through restructuring.
12,000 BLET TEAMSTERS RATIFY NATIONAL RAIL CONTRACT WITH 18.8% RAISES
The Teamsters’ BLET approved a five-year agreement with major carriers, a development that could influence rail service reliability and intermodal competition with long-haul trucking in 2026.
EIA REPORT: DISTILLATE STOCKS EDGE UP AS YEAR-END FUEL INVENTORIES RISE
Government data showed modest builds in distillates and gasoline, with crude inventories also higher—background that could temper diesel price volatility as carriers navigate severe winter weather.
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