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In this week’s edition: 10 Roads Express ceases USPS contract-haul operations, states warn CDL restrictions will drive up costs, DHS launches I-9 audits on California trucking fleets, DOT removes 3,000 driver trainers from registry, plus a look at the legal battle affecting CDLs and how the new DOT ELD overhaul will change the industry.

As always, thanks for reading.

– Thomas Wasson

This week’s stories from the wide world of Trucking

BANKRUPTCIES

10 Roads Express to shut down operations, end USPS contracts

Closure comes as the longtime postal contractor notifies USPS of its intent to end all routes by January

CDL ISSUES

States: CDL restrictions to cripple supply lines, raise costs

FMCSA’s "unlawful" non-domiciled CDL rule will disrupt the economy, state officials tell agency

CDL ISSUES

DHS launches sweeping I-9 audits on California truck fleets

The audits come amid wider federal pressure on California’s trucking sector

CDL ISSUES

DOT kicks 3,000 truck driver trainers off registry

Another 4,000 were placed on notice for potential noncompliance.

TRUCKING REGULATION

Inside the Legal Battle That Could Reshape Commercial Licensing

A federal appeals court found FMCSA "likely violated multiple legal requirements" when it stripped 200,000 drivers of commercial privileges overnight.

TRUCKING REGULATION

Inside DOT’s New ELD Approval Overhaul, What Changed and Why It Matters

New approval process addresses systematic fraud in the war against driver fatigue

SONAR spotlight: Outbound tender rejection rates dip following Thanksgiving

(Source: SONAR)

Summary: Like taking a nap after eating excessive Thanksgiving turkey, nationwide outbound tender rejection rates took a snooze as drivers returned to work and truckload capacity increased. Outbound tender rejection rates followed a trend similar to last year’s, with an upward movement followed by what appears to be a similar downward movement.

In the past week, OTRI fell 37 basis points from 6.79% on Nov. 24 to 6.42%. Despite the decline, OTRI is performing slightly better than last year, up 15 basis points compared to 6.27% in 2024. Looking ahead, according to SONAR’s Seasonally Adjusted Moving Average (SAMA) feature, OTRI is forecasted to continue its decline to 6.01% by Dec. 9 before a holiday surge to 8.95% by Dec. 22.

Looking ahead to the Christmas holiday, the extent of peak season hinges on freight volumes. Truckload volumes should become clearer by the end of the week as shippers resume operations and outbound tender volumes resume. The period leading up to Thanksgiving saw a seasonal surge in the newly released SONAR Truckload Volume Index (STVI) followed by a rapid dip for the holiday. Where STVI settles in the days ahead will give a good indication of whether truckload carriers can capitalize on demand surges or if excess capacity will continue to weigh on their pricing power. At the moment, spot market conditions are in a much better position than the contract space.