The event brought together 32 women from 14 states representing motor carriers, suppliers, and other transportation businesses for three days of meetings with members of Congress, congressional staff, and federal officials.

According to ATA, the discussions centered on policies affecting professional truck drivers, freight transportation, and the industry’s long-term workforce.

Truck Parking Remained a Key Topic

One of the primary issues raised during meetings on Capitol Hill was the continued shortage of safe truck parking.

Women In Motion members also encouraged lawmakers to support a long-term surface transportation reauthorization bill, protect independent contractor opportunities, improve restroom access for truck drivers, and address staged vehicle crashes that contribute to rising insurance costs throughout the trucking industry.

The group also discussed the importance of continued investment in transportation infrastructure and regulatory policies that support freight movement across the country.

Meetings Included Federal Agencies and Members of Congress

The council’s schedule included a regulatory briefing from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator Derek Barrs and a meeting with Acting Department of Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling.

Members also met individually with lawmakers, including Senators Joni Ernst of Iowa, Todd Young of Indiana, and John Boozman of Arkansas, along with Representatives Adelita Grijalva of Arizona, Steve Womack of Arkansas, and Mike Collins of Georgia.

Cait Hone, director of Women In Motion, said bringing industry professionals directly into discussions with policymakers gives lawmakers a better understanding of the challenges facing trucking.

“Our members brought real-world perspectives to Capitol Hill and highlighted practical solutions that would boost safety, strengthen the workforce, and support an industry that Americans depend on every day,” Hone said.

Annual Advocacy Event Continues to Grow

This year marked the third Call on Washington organized by Women In Motion.

ATA said the annual event gives women from across the trucking industry an opportunity to speak directly with elected officials about issues affecting carriers, professional drivers, and businesses that support the freight industry.

Women In Motion was established by ATA to encourage leadership and professional development for women working throughout trucking. Its membership includes truck drivers, technicians, human resources professionals, executives, suppliers, and other industry professionals.

The TDUSA editorial team creates practical, driver-focused content covering trucking news, industry updates, safety, regulations, and career information for professional truck drivers across the United States. Each article is built to reflect real-world experience, industry developments, and information drivers can use on and off the road.

Last Updated: July 24, 2026

Source: The Trucker

Image Source: ATA

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New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella announced that the state’s Department of Justice is partnering with the National Traffic Law Center, the New Hampshire Department of Safety, and other traffic safety partners on the initiative, which is intended to improve highway safety.

Program Focuses on CDL Conviction Reporting

The state is participating in a $7.9 million pilot project funded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

According to the attorney general’s office, the program is intended to increase awareness of federal and state prohibitions against masking commercial driver convictions, improve the accuracy of commercial driver conviction reporting, and help ensure disqualified commercial drivers are removed from the nation’s roadways.

Statewide Working Group to Lead the Initiative

As part of the program, the New Hampshire Department of Justice will lead a statewide working group made up of representatives from agencies involved in investigating, prosecuting, adjudicating, licensing, and tracking commercial driver offenses.

The group will focus on:

• Providing education and training for prosecutors, law enforcement officers, judges, clerks, and traffic safety professionals on federal and state CDL requirements, including anti-masking laws.
• Improving statewide compliance with federal reporting requirements.
• Developing a state implementation plan to ensure the accurate and timely transfer of information from roadside enforcement through the conviction reporting process.

Attorney General Highlights Highway Safety

Formella said the partnership is intended to strengthen coordination among prosecutors, law enforcement, the courts, and state and federal partners responsible for enforcing commercial driver’s license laws.

“Traffic safety is public safety,” Formella said. “This partnership will strengthen coordination among prosecutors, law enforcement, the courts, and our state and federal partners to ensure that commercial driver’s license laws are enforced consistently and accurately.”

The TDUSA editorial team creates practical, driver-focused content covering trucking news, industry updates, safety, regulations, and career information for professional truck drivers across the United States. Each article is built to reflect real-world experience, industry developments, and information drivers can use on and off the road.

Last Updated: July 17, 2026

Source: Truckers News

The post New Hampshire Selected for FMCSA Pilot Program to Strengthen CDL Enforcement appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

According to FMCSA, the devices failed to comply with the standards established in 49 CFR Part 395, Appendix A to Subpart B. They have now been added to the agency’s Revoked Devices List.

The revoked ELDs are:

Motor carriers using one of these devices have 60 days to replace it with a compliant ELD. During the transition period, drivers must use paper records of duty status or compliant logging software to record their hours of service until a replacement device is installed.

The replacement deadline for the revoked devices is Sept. 8, 2026.

Drivers who continue using one of the revoked ELDs after that date may be cited for failing to maintain a required record of duty status under 49 CFR 395.8(a)(1). FMCSA also noted that those violations may result in drivers being placed out of service under the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Out-of-Service Criteria.

While a revoked device can return to FMCSA’s Registered Devices List if its provider corrects the identified deficiencies and demonstrates compliance with federal requirements, the agency is encouraging carriers to replace affected devices rather than wait for a possible reinstatement.

Motor carriers can verify whether an ELD remains compliant by reviewing FMCSA’s current Registered Devices List and Revoked Devices List before purchasing or installing a replacement device.

The TDUSA editorial team creates practical, driver focused content covering trucking news, industry updates, safety, regulations, and career information for professional truck drivers across the United States. Each article is built to reflect real world experience, industry developments, and information drivers can use on and off the road.

Last Updated: July 14, 2026

Source: Truckers News

The post FMCSA Revokes 10 More Electronic Logging Devices appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

Understanding why requires looking beyond gross vehicle weight and focusing on how weight is distributed across the truck.

Gross Weight Doesn’t Guarantee Compliance

Federal law generally limits commercial vehicles operating on the Interstate System to a gross vehicle weight of 80,000 pounds. Drivers often use that figure as a benchmark, but enforcement officers don’t stop weighing once they know the truck’s total weight.

Each axle group is weighed separately because every axle transfers force to the pavement and bridge structures beneath it. Under federal limits, a single axle is generally limited to 20,000 pounds, while a tandem axle is limited to 34,000 pounds. States may impose different limits on certain roadways or under permit programs, but the principle remains the same: total weight and axle weight are measured independently.

A truck weighing 80,000 pounds, with excessive weight concentrated on one axle group, can still be placed out of service or cited until the load is corrected.

Why Bridge Laws Matter

Most drivers refer to it simply as “bridge law,” but the regulation behind it is the Federal Bridge Formula.

The formula wasn’t created to reduce how much freight trucks could haul. Its purpose is to limit the stress placed on bridges by preventing excessive weight from being concentrated over short distances. Two trucks with identical gross weights can affect a bridge very differently depending on axle spacing.

That’s why the number of axles matters, but so does the distance between them.

Longer wheelbases and properly spaced axle groups distribute weight over a greater portion of a bridge, reducing concentrated loading and helping protect aging infrastructure across the Interstate Highway System.

Why Sliding Tandems Matter

Sliding trailer tandems aren’t there simply to make backing easier or improve ride quality.

Their primary purpose is to shift weight between the tractor and trailer axle groups.

Moving the tandems changes how cargo weight is distributed without changing the truck’s total weight. A driver who is overweight on the trailer tandems but light on the drives can often correct the problem by repositioning the tandem assembly. The truck still weighs the same, but individual axle groups fall within legal limits.

The same principle applies when adjusting the fifth wheel on many tractor-trailer combinations.

More Axles Don’t Automatically Mean More Payload

Adding another axle creates another point to distribute weight, but it also increases the empty weight of the truck.

Axles, wheels, suspension components, brakes, and tires all add weight before a single pound of freight is loaded. For that reason, fleets don’t simply add axles to increase payload. Every additional axle must provide enough legal weight distribution or operational benefit to offset the reduction in available cargo capacity.

That’s why five axles remain the standard configuration for most over-the-road tractor-trailers, while vocational trucks and specialized heavy-haul equipment often use additional axle groups designed for specific applications.

Scale Tickets Tell a Bigger Story Than Gross Weight

Drivers reviewing a scale ticket usually see several different numbers instead of one overall weight.

The ticket identifies the weight carried by the steer axle, drive axles, trailer tandems, and the truck’s total gross weight. Looking only at the bottom line can be misleading because enforcement decisions are often based on the individual axle readings above it.

Understanding those numbers allows drivers to recognize whether shifting cargo, adjusting trailer tandems, or repositioning the fifth wheel may correct an imbalance before continuing down the road.

Why These Rules Still Matter

Today’s trucks benefit from stronger frames, better suspensions, improved tires, and advanced braking systems, but the laws governing weight distribution remain focused on infrastructure as much as vehicle capability.

Bridge engineers design structures to handle heavy traffic over decades of use. Concentrating too much weight over a short span increases structural stress, even when the truck’s total weight remains within the legal limit. The Federal Bridge Formula and axle weight limits were developed to spread that load more evenly, helping balance freight movement with long-term highway preservation.

For drivers, that means legal operation isn’t determined by gross vehicle weight alone. Every axle group contributes to whether a truck is compliant when it rolls across the scale.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can a truck weigh 80,000 pounds and still be overweight?

Yes. A truck may comply with the federal gross vehicle weight limit while exceeding the legal limit on an individual axle or tandem axle group.

Q: What is the Federal Bridge Formula?

The Federal Bridge Formula calculates the maximum allowable weight based on the number of axles and the distance between them. It is intended to reduce stress on bridges by encouraging weight to be distributed over a greater length.

Q: Why do trailer tandems slide?

Sliding tandems allow drivers to shift weight between the tractor and trailer axle groups to help meet legal axle weight requirements without changing the truck’s total gross weight.

Q: Does adding another axle always increase legal weight?

No. Additional axles help distribute weight, but they also increase the empty weight of the vehicle. Whether another axle increases legal carrying capacity depends on the vehicle configuration and applicable weight regulations.

Q: Why are axle weights enforced separately from gross weight?

Because roads and bridges respond to concentrated loads differently than evenly distributed loads. Separate axle limits help protect infrastructure while allowing trucks to operate efficiently.

The TDUSA editorial team creates practical, driver-focused content covering trucking news, industry updates, safety, regulations, and career information for professional truck drivers across the United States. Each article is built to reflect real-world experience, industry developments, and information drivers can use on and off the road.

Last Updated: July 13, 2026

The post Why an 80,000-Pound Truck Can Still Get an Overweight Ticket appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

The Southern Illinois Hazardous Materials Detail was conducted June 30 through July 1 along Interstate 55, Interstate 70, and surrounding roadways by the Illinois State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau.

During the two-day operation, troopers completed 488 commercial vehicle inspections, including 195 involving hazardous materials carriers. Inspectors identified 584 violations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and another 85 violations of the Illinois Vehicle Code.

Drivers and vehicles found to have violations meeting the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria were removed from service until the issues were corrected.

Hazardous materials enforcement details place additional emphasis on compliance with regulations governing the transportation of regulated cargo, as well as on standard commercial vehicle inspections covering driver qualifications, vehicle condition, and required documentation.

The Illinois State Police regularly conduct commercial vehicle enforcement details throughout the state to identify safety violations and improve compliance with state and federal regulations.

The TDUSA editorial team creates practical, driver-focused content covering trucking news, industry updates, safety, regulations, and career information for professional truck drivers across the United States. Each article is built to reflect real-world experience, industry developments, and information drivers can use on and off the road.

Last Updated: July 13, 2026

Source: Truckers News

The post Illinois Hazmat Enforcement Detail Places 38 Drivers, 61 Commercial Vehicles Out of Service appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

Understanding what follows a failed inspection helps drivers respond appropriately and gives them a clearer picture of how the inspection may affect the trip, the carrier, and future safety records.

Not Every Failed Inspection Results in an Out-of-Service Order

Roadside inspections often uncover violations that are documented without preventing the vehicle from operating. Examples may include incomplete paperwork, certain lighting defects, or other violations that do not meet out-of-service criteria.

An out-of-service order is issued only when the violation presents a safety risk defined by CVSA standards. Brake defects, steering problems, tire issues, cargo securement violations, or certain driver qualification issues can all result in a vehicle or driver being placed out of service until the condition is corrected.

The inspection report identifies which violations require immediate corrective action and which allow the trip to continue.

Driver Violations and Vehicle Violations Follow Different Paths

Mechanical defects are handled differently than driver-related violations.

If the truck is placed out of service because of an equipment defect, repairs must be completed before the vehicle returns to service. Depending on the situation, repairs may be made at the inspection location, a service provider may be dispatched, or another tractor may be assigned to move the trailer.

Driver-related violations follow a different process. Hours-of-service violations, suspended driving privileges, or an expired medical examiner’s certificate affect the driver’s ability to operate rather than the condition of the vehicle. In those cases, another qualified driver may be required to complete the trip.

Inspection Results Become Part of the Carrier’s Compliance Process

For most company drivers, the inspection report is reviewed by the carrier’s safety department after the inspection is completed.

Safety personnel typically verify that required repairs have been completed, document any corrective actions, and determine whether additional driver coaching or maintenance procedures are necessary. Carriers are also responsible for certifying that vehicle defects identified during roadside inspections have been repaired within the timeframes required by federal regulations.

This internal review is a routine part of compliance management and is separate from any citation issued by the inspecting officer.

Inspection Data May Affect Federal Safety Records

Inspection results may also become part of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s safety data.

Violations can affect a carrier’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) performance, while roadside inspection information may also appear on a driver’s Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) record. Motor carriers reviewing employment applications often consider PSP reports alongside a driver’s motor vehicle record and employment history.

The impact varies depending on the type and severity of the violation rather than simply whether an inspection was passed or failed.

Inspection Data Can Be Reviewed if Errors Are Found

Drivers and motor carriers who believe inspection data contains factual errors are not limited to accepting the results as written.

FMCSA’s DataQs system allows users to request a review of inspection information when documentation supports that a correction should be made. The process does not overturn traffic citations, but it does provide a mechanism for addressing inaccurate inspection data that could affect federal safety records.

The TDUSA editorial team creates practical, driver-focused content covering trucking news, industry updates, safety, regulations, and career information for professional truck drivers across the United States. Each article is built to reflect real-world experience, industry developments, and information drivers can use on and off the road.

Last Updated: July 10, 2026

The post What Happens After a Failed Roadside Inspection? appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

The temporary policy follows the nationwide launch of Motus in May, which replaced FMCSA’s legacy registration platform. Since the transition, many carriers have reported problems accessing accounts, claiming USDOT numbers, and completing required registration updates.

According to FMCSA, carriers should not be concerned about having their USDOT numbers inactivated because of Motus-related access or system issues while the temporary suspension remains in effect. The agency has not announced when normal biennial update enforcement will resume.

Motus Launch Brought Early Challenges

FMCSA officially launched Motus on May 19 after retiring its previous registration system. Before the rollout, the agency mailed approximately 2.2 million notifications to registered entities outlining the steps needed to prepare for the transition.

Despite those preparations, carriers began reporting technical problems shortly after the system became available.

Among the issues reported were difficulties claiming existing USDOT numbers, preventing some carriers from completing routine tasks such as MCS-150 updates, address changes, reinstatements, and other registration modifications.

While FMCSA has continued working to resolve those issues, reports of ongoing system challenges prompted the agency to temporarily pause enforcement tied to biennial updates temporarily.

Why FMCSA Introduced Motus

FMCSA says the modernization effort is designed to improve both the registration experience and the agency’s ability to identify fraudulent activity.

The new platform includes enhanced identity verification tools intended to confirm that registered carriers are legitimate businesses while making it more difficult for fraudulent operators to exploit the registration process.

Motus also consolidates multiple registration services into a single online platform, allowing carriers to complete a wider range of registration activities from one location.

According to FMCSA, additional improvements include higher-quality registration data, improved system reliability, stronger enforcement tools, and a technology platform designed to support future updates.

What Carriers Should Do

Although enforcement has been temporarily suspended, carriers should continue monitoring their registration status and complete required biennial updates once they can access the system successfully.

FMCSA is encouraging users experiencing technical problems to report them through the agency’s Motus support page so issues can be identified and resolved as the transition continues.

The agency has not provided a timeline for when the temporary suspension will end or when standard biennial update enforcement will resume.

The TDUSA editorial team creates practical, driver-focused content covering trucking news, industry updates, safety, regulations, and career information for professional truck drivers across the United States. Each article is built to reflect real-world experience, industry developments, and information drivers can use on and off the road.

Last Updated: July 9, 2026

Source: Land Line Media

The post FMCSA Temporarily Suspends Biennial Update Enforcement During Motus Transition appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

The emphasis doesn’t change how roadside inspections are conducted. Inspectors will still evaluate the complete brake system using the North American Standard Inspection Program. This year’s campaign simply places additional focus on identifying drums and rotors that show excessive wear, cracking, or other conditions that could affect braking performance.

For drivers, it’s less about preparing for one week of inspections and more about understanding where enforcement attention will be concentrated.

Why CVSA Chose Brake Drums and Rotors

Brake drums and rotors operate under extreme conditions. Every stop generates heat, and over hundreds of thousands of miles, that constant expansion and contraction can create stress fractures, excessive wear, or other structural damage.

Unlike an air leak or an ABS warning light, these problems don’t always announce themselves while you’re driving. Many are discovered during scheduled maintenance or roadside inspections.

CVSA selected brake drums and rotors because defects in these components can reduce braking performance without producing obvious warning signs until the damage becomes more severe.

What Inspectors Will Be Looking For

Although the campaign highlights drums and rotors, inspectors will examine the entire brake system during a roadside inspection.

That includes checking for:

Finding one brake defect often leads to a more detailed inspection of the remaining brake components.

Brake Problems Continue to Rank Among the Top Out-of-Service Violations

Brake-related violations remain one of the most common reasons commercial vehicles are placed out of service during roadside inspections.

According to CVSA inspection data, defective service brakes, adjustment violations, damaged brake components, and air system defects consistently account for a significant share of out-of-service orders each year.

For fleets, those violations mean unexpected repair costs and delayed deliveries.

For drivers, they often mean waiting for repairs before the trip can continue.

What Drivers Can Actually Identify Before an Inspection

Not every brake defect is visible during a pre-trip inspection.

Drivers can often identify warning signs such as audible air leaks, illuminated ABS warning lights, damaged air hoses, or changes in braking performance. They may also notice visible cracks on brake drums where wheel design allows adequate visibility.

Internal rotor wear, certain drum defects, and other structural problems generally require inspection by qualified maintenance personnel.

Knowing that distinction matters. Drivers aren’t expected to diagnose every brake issue, but they are expected to report changes in vehicle performance before those issues become safety violations.

Why This Year’s Inspection Focus Matters

Brake Safety Week doesn’t introduce new regulations. It highlights an area where inspectors expect to find preventable defects.

For fleets already following preventive maintenance schedules, the annual campaign serves as another reminder to verify that brake inspections are current before vehicles head back onto the road.

For drivers, it’s an opportunity to discuss any unusual brake performance with maintenance before an inspector finds the problem first.

The Bottom Line

Brake Safety Week has become a predictable part of the industry’s inspection calendar, but each year’s inspection emphasis offers insight into where regulators are seeing recurring safety concerns.

With brake drums and rotors receiving additional attention in 2026, drivers should expect inspectors to spend more time evaluating those components alongside the rest of the braking system. Understanding that focus now may help avoid unnecessary delays once enforcement begins in late August.

The TDUSA editorial team creates practical, driver-focused content covering trucking news, industry updates, safety, regulations, and career information for professional truck drivers across the United States. Each article is built to reflect real-world experience, industry developments, and information drivers can use on and off the road.

Last Updated: July 7, 2026

The post Preparing for CVSA Brake Safety Week 2026 appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

The agency said the device was removed on June 23 because the company failed to meet the minimum requirements in 49 CFR Appendix A to Subpart B of Part 395.

The affected device is TRUCKSTAFF ELD, model number TRKSF, ELD identifier TRS227, from provider Truckstaff ELD.

Carriers and drivers using TRUCKSTAFF ELD must stop using the revoked device and go back to paper logs or logging software to record required hours-of-service data while they replace it.

Deadline To Replace the Device

FMCSA said carriers have until August 23, 2026, to replace TRUCKSTAFF ELD with a compliant device from the agency’s registered devices list.

Before that date, FMCSA said safety officials are being encouraged not to cite drivers using the revoked device for failing to use a registered ELD or for not having a record of duty status, as long as they can provide paper logs, logging software records, or use the ELD display as a backup to review hours-of-service data.

What Happens After August 23

Beginning August 23, carriers that continue using TRUCKSTAFF ELD will be treated as operating without a compliant ELD.

FMCSA said drivers found using the revoked device on or after that date should be cited and placed out of service under CVSA out-of-service criteria.

The device may be returned to the registered list if the provider corrects the issues identified by FMCSA. Until then, carriers using TRUCKSTAFF ELD need to complete the replacement before the August deadline.

The Truck Drivers USA editorial team creates practical, driver-focused content covering industry topics, job trends, and real-world decisions that impact drivers at every stage of their careers. Each article is written to provide clear, accurate information that drivers can use.

Last Updated: June 29, 2026

Source: The Trucker

The post FMCSA Removes TRUCKSTAFF ELD From Registered Devices List appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

Federal Highway Administrator Sean McMaster, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator Derek Barrs, and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue joined the June 18 groundbreaking for the projects. The work is being funded through a $180 million federal grant.

The new parking will be built along the I-4 corridor, which the U.S. Department of Transportation says carries 95% of Florida’s consumer goods.

Where The Projects Are Moving First

Construction on the first three sites in Seminole and Volusia counties is expected to begin this summer, with those projects scheduled for completion in mid-2027. Two additional sites in Osceola and Orange counties are set to begin construction in 2027.

What Officials Said About the Expansion

Barrs said truck drivers should not have to choose between following the law and finding a safe place to park. He said the added spaces will give drivers more room to get needed rest, help reduce dangerous roadside parking, and improve safety along one of Florida’s busiest freight corridors.

The Truck Drivers USA editorial team creates practical, driver-focused content covering industry topics, job trends, and real-world decisions that impact drivers at every stage of their careers. Each article is written to provide clear, accurate information that drivers can use.

Last Updated: June 26, 2026

Source: Truckers News

Image Source: Florida DOT

The post Florida Starts I-4 Truck Parking Expansion With 917 New Spaces Planned appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.