Two bills just dropped in the Senate that could reshape trucking faster than anything since deregulation. Plus: Russian hackers targeted your load board, flatbed rejection rates just hit 40%, and a robot is taking the Houston-Dallas overnight run.
This week: The Dalilah Law, a trucking bankruptcy that wiped out thousands overnight, a FreightGuard civil war on Reddit, and the payroll data that's predicting Q4 capacity.
Indiana pulled the trigger on carriers employing illegal CDL holders. Plus: tariff ruling could flood LA with imports, DC finally moves on double brokers, spot rates are outrunning contract, and more.
Plus, a tragic trucking accident, stakeholders raise alarms on Chinese ships fees, and a new dispatcher AI for carriers.
Happy Hump Day. Today's feature takes a look at what's up with the FMCSA. Adrienne Camire's record-short tenure is out, a new pick is in, and 6,900+ comments on broker transparency are heating things up. We break down what’s next for MC numbers, freight fraud, and the future of FMCSA regulation.
Plus:
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🐔 WHAT’S COOKIN’ IN FREIGHT
😔 The Perils of Trucking: A Horrific Tragedy and New Legal Battles in Trucking. The dangers of truck driving remain prevalent. A horrific crash on March 24 is yet another example of this. Forty-five-year-old trucker Jeffrey Oneal lost control on I-94 in Berrien County, Michigan, veering across lanes before colliding with another semi and being ejected. Witnesses suspect a medical emergency, though a pending autopsy will determine this. Thankfully, our good friend Pawel Dobrowolski—the other truck driver involved—was unharmed, though he is now without his truck. Despite this, life is extremely precious, and he is thankful to have it, having come mere inches from losing it. This horrific accident is another in a string of deadly incidents that have happened this month, like the one in Austin, Texas, on March 13, where a pileup on I-35 killed five, including two children. The truck driver, Solomun Araya, allegedly impaired, failed to brake, which led to the collision. Now, there are two lawsuits involving the case, seeking over $150 million in settlements combined. These tragedies show the constant dangers of truck driving and the impact it has on all parties involved.
⚓ U.S. Port Fees on Chinese Ships Spark Economic Concerns. A broad coalition of U.S. businesses, farmers, and trade groups opposes the proposed fees on Chinese-built ships, citing higher costs, supply chain disruptions, and job losses. The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) plan, aimed at reducing reliance on Chinese shipbuilding, could add $600–$800 per container and cost the shipping industry $20 billion annually. A study conducted by the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) warns the policy would hurt agriculture, manufacturing, and retail while worsening the trade deficit. Critics argue it could push cargo to Canada and Mexico, harming U.S. ports and exporters. IANA also concludes in its report that the plan "would result in net losses for the U.S. economy, U.S. trade, and most of the U.S. shipbuilding supply chain. The proposed remedies [by the USTR], individually and in aggregate, would reduce U.S. GDP and likely worsen the overall U.S. trade deficit.”
🤖 Bubba AI: The First Autonomous Dispatcher for Trucking. Hey Bubba Inc. has launched Bubba AI, the first Voice AI Dispatcher designed for independent truckers and small fleets. Created by Founder and CEO Tapan Chaudhari, Bubba AI autonomously finds loads, negotiates rates, books appointments, and manages paperwork, allowing truckers to focus on driving. Its voice-first, multilingual capabilities ensure seamless communication with brokers and shippers. Future updates include autopilot dispatching, relationship management, and predictive maintenance. CEO Tapan Chaudhari says it’s moving from transactional calls to relationship-driven ones, remembering past conversations with brokers (which may be AI themselves). Bubba AI will be showcased at the 2025 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville.
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The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has had a wild March.
Just weeks after being appointed, acting Administrator Adrienne Camire abruptly stepped down. The Trump administration didn’t waste time, nominating Florida’s Derek Barrs, a former state highway patrol leader and current member of ATA’s Law Enforcement Advisory Board, to take the helm.
Barrs is deeply tied to industry leadership circles, and supporters say he gets both safety and trucking ops. “His proven leadership and understanding of both public safety and transportation operations make him an ideal candidate,” said Florida Trucking Association CEO Alix Miller.
While FMCSA sorts out its leadership, one of its most controversial proposals just closed for public comment. On March 20, the comment window closed for FMCSA’s proposed transparency rule. In it, the agency wants brokers to:
Seems reasonable? Depends who you ask.
Owner-operators and small fleets say transparency is long overdue. As OOIDA wrote:
“An asymmetry of information not only creates an inequitable playing field between carriers and brokers, but jeopardizes carriers’ ability to know if they are hauling fair-value loads.”
And an owner-operator, who didn’t hold back:
“The trucking economy created by the FMCSA is one big ‘Ponzi scheme,’ combined with a ‘Dutch auction.’ Brokers operate like carriers, control everything, harass drivers, and avoid enforcement. The FMCSA bond system is a joke.”
Others noted that brokers use contracts to silence carriers from even filing bond claims or leaving bad reviews.
But not everyone’s cheering for change.
The Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) fired back, calling the rule “un-American,” and said it would “undermine capitalism.”
MODE Transportation argued that requiring post-transaction record sharing won’t impact rates and adds unnecessary red tape.
One broker wrote:
“Demanding that brokers publicize their margins compromises fair negotiations and hands leverage to competitors. Focus on fraud—not profit margins.”
Speaking of a focus on fraud, it's a complex issue, but progress is in action with a recent sentencing.
Just last week, a New York trucking company owner was sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for lying to the FMCSA and using shell companies to hide a poor safety rating. Prosecutors called it a multi-year deception that endangered the public and dodged oversight.
Meanwhile, cargo theft is on the rise, and brokers are under pressure to strengthen vetting, digital records, and communication to stay ahead of scammers.
The FMCSA also has another big change coming: MC numbers are being phased out by October 2025. Moving forward, all entities will operate under a single USDOT number, a change meant to combat fraud, eliminate duplicate records, and streamline enforcement.
Bottom line:
A new FMCSA leader, a transparency battle, and an overhaul of authority numbers, 2025 is shaping up to be a regulatory turning point for brokers.
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🌎 AROUND THE FREIGHT WEB
⚖️ Ruling Slashed. A Missouri court reduced the punitive damages against Wabash National to around $108 million, down from the “grossly excessive” $450 million. Wabash had tried to get a new trial regarding their crash that left two dead, but it was denied.
💰 FedEx’s Investment. FedEx is set to onboard nearly $400 million for its healthcare vertical over the next 90 days, with the aim of concluding the fiscal year with approximately $9 billion in healthcare revenue, according to EVP and Chief Customer Officer Brie Carere.
🦎 Another Chameleon? A Reddit user warns about a potential fraudulent trucking operation, as a video shows the driver clearly placing a new DOT number on their truck and swapping the company logo for another.
🤖 Robotics Funding. Contoro Robotics secured $12 million in Series A funding to scale its AI-powered trailer unloading robots. The company says the automated robots double unloading speeds with a 99% success rate, bringing an end to “repetitive tasks” for warehouse teams.
🤝 Acquisition News. Descartes Systems Group acquired 3GTMS for $115 million, enhancing its cloud-based transportation management capabilities. This is the latest in Descartes’ growth through multiple acquisitions.
📬 DeJoy is Leaving. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced his sudden departure, effective immediately, from the U.S. Postal Service. Some say it was a move to prevent himself from an eventual ousting by President Donald Trump as efforts continue to dismantle the USPS.
🎣 THE FREIGHT CAVIAR CORNER
FREIGHT HUMOR
Two bills just dropped in the Senate that could reshape trucking faster than anything since deregulation. Plus: Russian hackers targeted your load board, flatbed rejection rates just hit 40%, and a robot is taking the Houston-Dallas overnight run.
This week: The Dalilah Law, a trucking bankruptcy that wiped out thousands overnight, a FreightGuard civil war on Reddit, and the payroll data that's predicting Q4 capacity.
Indiana pulled the trigger on carriers employing illegal CDL holders. Plus: tariff ruling could flood LA with imports, DC finally moves on double brokers, spot rates are outrunning contract, and more.
The Supreme Court ruled Trump's tariffs illegal. Plus: an Illinois official took $300K and handed out illegal CDLs, cartel violence may affect your Mexico freight, 550 CDL schools just got shut down, and more.
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