Oil spikes to $120 on Iran news before settling near $106. Plus: another influencer shipment gets stolen, Wyoming can now pull your truck, 24 states sue over tariffs, and more.
The Supreme Court just heard arguments in the broker liability case we’ve been tracking. Plus: oil shipping costs explode, trucking insurance is stuck in 1980, regulators brace for a carrier crackdown, and more.
Optimize freight broker operations by fixing payment workflows in Q1. Streamline carrier pay before capacity shifts compress your margins.
Plus: FMCSA’s English crackdown has sidelined 1,500+ drivers, Class 8 truck orders hit multiyear lows amid uncertainty, and truck drivers are now praising Tesla Semis.
Good Monday morning. The latest U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index shows Q2 was anything but even. We break down every region’s wins and losses in today's feature.
Plus,
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🍳 WHAT’S COOKIN’ IN FREIGHT
🛑 FMCSA’s English Proficiency Crackdown. Since June 25, more than 1,500 truck drivers have been placed out of service under FMCSA’s revived English-language enforcement. Inspectors now conduct all roadside checks in English, escalating to a two-part test if communication issues arise. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, “If you can’t read or speak our national language — ENGLISH — we won’t let your truck endanger the driving public.” Critics note fewer than 0.1% of CDL drivers have been affected, and leading crash causes are unrelated to language skills. Regional enforcement varies, with the Western region leading in violations. On social media, ELP mandate debates often spill into broader immigration arguments, as seen when our post featuring a Chinese-born Swift driver drew both praise for legal, compliant immigrant drivers and heated anti-immigrant commentary.
📉 Heavy-Duty Truck Orders Hit Multiyear Lows in Q2. Preliminary Class 8 truck orders plunged to 8,900 units in June, down 36% year-over-year, with only a slight July rebound to 12,700. Cummins CEO Jennifer W. Rumsey said, “We have seen truck orders recently reach multiyear lows and OEMs have initiated reduced work weeks.” Rush Enterprises CEO Marvin Rush warned, “New truck production will be drastically down… because uncertainty is there.” Regulatory clarity on the EPA’s NOx rule and shifting tariffs remain key demand drivers. Daimler reported a July pickup in activity, but executives caution sustained recovery depends on economic trends, emissions policy decisions, and tariff stability.
⚡️ Drivers Praise Tesla Semi. Saia Inc., marking its 100th year, deployed two Tesla Semis in California back in January and new driver reviews are turning heads. Tom Sterbra (37 years on the road) said he’d “like to retire” in the electric truck, citing smooth handling and crystal-clear cameras. Michael Davis (40 years of experience) praised its tight turning radius, even with heavy payloads. Saia says the Semi charges from 5–80% in about 45 minutes and delivers roughly 500 miles of range with a load. The move positions Saia as an early adopter in heavy-duty electrification.
Your Agent Support Team at Trinity is here to help you thrive. We act as your direct link to corporate resources, ensuring smooth billing, carrier vetting, and claims handling, all while keeping your clients happy with people-first customer service. Let us focus on the details so you can focus on growing your business.
The latest U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index shows a modest QoQ increase in shipments and spend for Q2 2025 (the first in three years).
But don’t mistake this for a rebound, year-over-year numbers are still deep in the red.
The Big Picture
About the Index
Based on billions in real truckload and LTL payment data, the U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index is a seasonally adjusted, trusted benchmark of shipment volumes and spend trends. Read the full report here.
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🌎 AROUND THE FREIGHT WEB
🚛 UK Trucker’s POV Goes Viral. A semi-truck driver in the UK shared a day-in-the-life video from behind the wheel, and it’s blowing up on social media.
🚚 Two Wild Trucking Incidents. On Aug. 8, a tractor-trailer plunged off Route 140 in Belmont, NH, into the Winnipesaukee River, killing the driver. Just two days earlier near Dallas, TX, a FedEx day cab and trailer were left dangling off a highway overpass after a collision.
⚖️ Driver Gets 29 Years. A former truck driver was sentenced to 29 years in prison for attempting to murder his boss after being reprimanded for poor driving.“He drove to Phoenix with a shotgun and a mission to kill. That’s not rage, that’s premeditation,” one Attorney involved in the case said.
🤖 PlusAI-Goodyear Partnership. PlusAI and Goodyear announced a collaboration to equip autonomous trucks with intelligent tire technology, enhancing predictive maintenance and fuel efficiency for fleets deploying PlusDrive driver-assist systems.
🚂 Union Pacific Intermodal Push. Union Pacific is expanding West Coast ports-to-Chicago intermodal capacity, aiming to capture more import freight. The plan includes additional train starts and improved terminal efficiency in Los Angeles and Long Beach.
🎣 THE FREIGHT CAVIAR CORNER
FREIGHT HUMOR
Oil spikes to $120 on Iran news before settling near $106. Plus: another influencer shipment gets stolen, Wyoming can now pull your truck, 24 states sue over tariffs, and more.
The Supreme Court just heard arguments in the broker liability case we’ve been tracking. Plus: oil shipping costs explode, trucking insurance is stuck in 1980, regulators brace for a carrier crackdown, and more.
Tucker Carlson’s nicotine brand loses 378,000 tins in a cargo theft. Plus: produce rates reset, diesel climbs, and a bill that could pull hundreds of thousands of drivers off the road.
The Middle East crisis is already hitting carriers. Plus: Florida lost $3B in crops, flatbed rates posted a fifth straight weekly increase, a $5B brokerage was just acquired, and more.
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