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: Tennessee under CDL status review, UPS & USPS scaling back, Flexport warning on tariff volatility.
Happy Monday. Who is actually behind the wheel hauling sensitive U.S. freight? Trucksafe's VP Rob Carpenter explores that question through the lens of CDL enforcement and driver vetting.
Plus:
⚖ Tennessee Reviewing CDL Status. Tennessee will require about 8,800 commercial drivers to prove U.S. citizenship or lawful presence by April 6, 2026, or face CDL downgrades, state officials said. The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security said the action targets legacy files created before modern documentation rules. “Federal rules require all CDL records to include proof of citizenship or lawful presence,” the department said. The move follows pressure from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which has warned states they risk losing federal funds for noncompliance.
😔 UPS & USPS Scaling Back; Job Cuts. UPS will close or trim operations at four facilities in North Carolina, Michigan, and Alabama, impacting at least 195 workers as part of its “Network Reconfiguration.” CEO Carol Tomé said the plan aims to cut costs “with very little customer disruption.” Separately, the U.S. Postal Service will insource operations at its Denver hub, triggering 729 layoffs at contractor Alan Ritchey Inc. USPS cited security gaps, with an audit warning of “significant vulnerabilities in mail security and handling.”
🚨 Flexport Warning on Tariff Volatility. Flexport warned importers to expect continued tariff volatility in 2026 but not to confuse aggressive rhetoric with actual duties. “Tariffs will continue, but they’re going to be restrained compared to the rhetoric,” said Marcus Eeman, Flexport’s director of customs. Flexport noted roughly 85% of U.S. imports from Mexico and Canada entered duty-free under USMCA in 2025, though audits are increasing. Jenn Park said importers should prepare for possible refunds tied to a pending ruling by the Supreme Court on tariffs.
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For years, Washington has warned that China embedded itself deep inside America’s logistics system.
Chinese companies operate U.S. port terminals. They manufacture the majority of container cranes used at strategic seaports.
They run logistics platforms capable of tracking military cargo. They’ve even bought farmland next to U.S. air bases.
In a recent FreightWaves editorial, Rob Carpenter put the core question on the table:
Who is actually driving the trucks hauling sensitive U.S. freight?
In early January 2025, the Department of Defense added COSCO Shipping to its list of “Chinese Military Companies” under the NDAA framework, part of a wider push to identify Chinese-linked entities with military ties.
At the same time, lawmakers have raised alarms about Chinese-made port cranes and logistics data visibility systems like LOGINK.
The physical system is under a microscope. The people moving freight through it? Less so.
In December 2025, a fatal crash on I-40 in Tennessee became a flashpoint: a Chinese national rear-ended a tractor-trailer while watching a video on his phone, killing a 31-year-old trucker.
After the crash, the driver failed an English proficiency test, and reporting around the incident fed directly into a broader enforcement wave.
The uncomfortable takeaway:
The U.S. CDL system has gaps and those gaps are now colliding with national security concerns.
Since late 2025, FMCSA enforcement around non-domiciled CDLs has accelerated. California froze processing of non-domiciled CDLs after a federal review, leaving thousands of drivers unable to renew or replace credentials.
Rob Carpenter
Now, groups are pushing back. The Chinese American Truckers Association has sued, arguing the freeze is overly broad and strips otherwise-qualified, legally authorized drivers of due process.
You can believe two things at once:
Jerome Washington
The Department of Defense moves billions in freight through commercial networks: carriers, subcontractors, and owner-operators, several layers removed from direct DOD contracting.
Classified contractors get vetted. Hazmat drivers need endorsements. Ports require TWIC.
But for a lot of non-classified defense freight, vetting often stops at “valid CDL.”
That’s the blind spot Carpenter is pointing at.
If the U.S. is serious about supply chain security, it can’t ignore the most basic layer:
Who’s in the cab?
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📈 Rejections Stay High. Craig Fuller noted truckload rejection rates remain above 10% early in the new year, which shows tightening capacity and a stronger start to 2026 for carriers than shippers or brokers.
⚖️ Whistleblower Ruling. Balkan Express was ordered to reinstate a driver and pay over $100,000 after federal investigators found he was fired for whistleblowing on safety concerns.
👮♂️ Border Arrest. A Mexican national employed by an Arizona-based trucking company was arrested Jan. 6 at an Arizona port of entry, accused of attempting to kidnap women and children in Washington while driving a semi.
📊 2026 Trends Ahead. Automation, AI adoption, nearshoring, cybersecurity risk, and labor enforcement are five key supply chain trends to watch in 2026, according to multiple experts.
📝 Waiver Extended. FMCSA again extended its paper medical certificate waiver after eight states failed to fully implement the electronic CDL medical certification system.
🎣 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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