Hours of Service
HOS pilots are not a new hours clock — what changes before 2027
Two FMCSA hours-of-service pilots wrapped small pre-tests this summer; the full 2027 launch is a study, not a new clock on a Midwest dry-van.
PRIDEUSA
What FMCSA changed — and what it does to Monday’s pickup
Hours of service, revoked ELDs, CDL and English-language OOS, medical cards, Clearinghouse. We read the notice, then say whether it idles a truck out of Lake Bluff or leaves the quote alone.
HOS & ELDsWhat you can still run this week
CDL & roadsideELP, Clearinghouse, medical cards
Midwest firstIL, WI, IN, MI — plus 48 states
MC# 875229Lake Bluff, IL · since 2012
Compliance
CDL data-sharing fight: what a 21-state lawsuit means if you actually hire drivers
USDOT and a 21-state coalition are in court over who can see CDL records; for an Illinois carrier, the job is still verifying the person we hire.
Agency
FMCSA has a new Chief Safety Officer. The scale questions stay the same
Steve Dowling joined FMCSA as Chief Safety Officer on August 10, 2026, with 35-plus years cited; the scale questions do not change overnight.
Driver Qualification
English proficiency is moving from guidance to a rule. Here is the desk translation
FMCSA is converting English-language proficiency from guidance into a rule so a future memo cannot quietly unwind roadside practice at the scale.
ELD
Five ELDs just got pulled. You have until October 6 — Motive fleets, still check the list
FMCSA revoked five ELDs on August 6, 2026; carriers have until October 6 to swap, and after that a revoked unit is treated as no ELD at all.
Safety
DOT’s new roadway safety strategy will show up at the scale, not in the quote form
USDOT rolled out a National Roadway Safety Strategy on August 5, 2026 — an interagency plan, not a fuel surcharge or a dry-van tariff for shippers.
Enforcement
Highway Shield hit IL / IN / OH. What Midwest shippers should expect at the dock
The second Highway Shield wave targeted corridors in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio — more roadside time, not a reason to panic a legal truck.
Recruiting
Freedom Haulers: a veteran hiring campaign is a funnel, not a skipped road test
The White House kickoff for Freedom Haulers aims to put more veterans in commercial trucks; we will interview, and we will not skip the file.
CDL
75 CDL schools under investigation. A clean training record is not optional on our desk
USDOT and HSI are investigating about 75 entry-level CDL schools for fake certifications; nearly 10,000 providers are already off the registry.
ELD
Ten ELDs, September 8 2026 drop-dead. If you were still shopping clones in July, that was the bill
July 9, 2026 pulled ten ELDs with a September 8 drop-dead — late-summer 2026 was not a quiet logger year if you were still shopping clones then.
ELD
FMCSA tightened how ELDs get on the registered list. Shop the list, not the Facebook ad
FMCSA tightened ELD registration so revoked devices cannot sneak back onto the list; shop that list, keep the identifier, skip the Facebook ad.
ELD
79 ELDs off the list since January 2025 is a year statistic — your identifier is the only one that can OOS you
FMCSA said 79 devices had left the registered list since January 2025; that year statistic cannot put you out of service — only your identifier can.
ELD
Twelve more ELDs, July 20 2026 drop-dead, 79 devices gone since January 2025. Motive is still not a clone
FMCSA pulled twelve ELDs for Appendix A failures, with a July 20, 2026 drop-dead; 79 devices had already left the registered list since January 2025.
Agency
One-year scorecard: $300M parking, speed-limiter dead, ELP back, state CDL audits. Still not your FSC
USDOT’s May 1, 2026 scorecard recapped $300 million-plus in parking grants, ELP out-of-service, and state CDL audits — a table of contents, not a surcharge.
Compliance
Clearinghouse now wants ID proof from MROs, SAPs, TPAs, and employers. Drivers were already state-verified
On April 27, 2026, FMCSA added IDEMIA identity checks for MROs, SAPs, TPAs, and employers in the Clearinghouse; CDL holders were already state-verified.
CDL
New York lost $73.5 million over non-domiciled CDLs. 107 of 200 sampled licenses failed
FMCSA withheld $73,502,543 from New York after an audit found 107 of 200 sampled non-domiciled licenses in violation — a DMV file, not a pickup ban.
Compliance
DataQs now has clocks: 21, 21, and 45 days. A wrong inspection still sits on the CSA score until the state answers
As of April 15, 2026, MCSAP states have DataQs clocks of 21, 21, and 45 days; a wrong inspection still sits on the CSA score until the state grants review.
Medical
Medical cards went digital. The paper wallet copy is no longer the system of record
NRII’s last phase posts medical exam results from certified examiners to the National Registry and state DMVs, so a crumpled MCSA-5876 is no longer the record.
Medical
Paper medical cards still count through October 11, 2026. After that, do not bet the truck on a photocopy
A paper medical card still counts through October 11, 2026, for up to 60 days after it is issued; after that, do not bet the truck on a photocopy.
ELD
HERO ELD got pulled with a June 2, 2026 deadline. One name, same OOS math
FMCSA revoked HERO ELD on April 2, 2026 for failing Appendix A; after the June 2 deadline that identifier was legally nothing and a 395.8(a)(1) sit.
Brokers
FMCSA’s complaint database now takes broker and training-provider complaints. Use it; do not tweet the MC
Phase one of NCCDB modernization adds property-broker complaint categories at nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov; it is a federal inbox, not a Google review.
CDL
Before the $73 million: FMCSA said more than half of sampled NY non-domiciled CDLs were illegal
Before the $73 million withhold, FMCSA said more than half of sampled New York non-domiciled CDLs were illegal, citing an eight-year default.
ELD
Fourteen ELDs were pulled with a May 4, 2026 drop-dead date. Same playbook as the August five
Fourteen ELDs left the registered list with a May 4, 2026 drop-dead date; after that, a revoked unit was treated as no ELD and out of service.
ELD
Nine more ELDs died on April 14, 2026. If you bought a clone in Q1, that was the first bill
Nine ELDs, including Global and ELD365 among the names, left the registered list with an April 14, 2026 deadline — 2026’s first purge invoice.
CDL
Non-domiciled CDL final rule: EADs are out, SAVE is in. That is a DMV file, not a load-board hack
The final non-domiciled CDL rule drops EADs, requires SAVE checks and a verified history — a DMV issuance file, not a load-board workaround.
CDL
If a broker says “California lost $200 million,” make them split $160M CDL vs $40M ELP. We already wrote both chapters
If a broker says California lost $200 million, split about $160 million in CDL highway funds from about $40 million in ELP MCSAP — two files.
CDL
California’s $160 million withhold is the non-domiciled CDL file — not the $40 million ELP MCSAP
California’s January 2026 withhold of about $160 million is the non-domiciled CDL file — not the October 2025 MCSAP action of about $40 million.
Enforcement
SafeDRIVE wave one: 8,215 inspections, 704 drivers OOS (about 500 ELP), 1,231 trucks OOS, 56 arrests — Illinois was on the list
SafeDRIVE wave one logged 8,215 inspections, 704 driver OOS, 1,231 trucks OOS, and 56 arrests across 26 states and D.C., including Illinois.
Enforcement
SafeDRIVE put Illinois on a 26-state ELP-heavy blitz. Highway Shield was the later Midwest freight-corridor wave — do not merge them
SafeDRIVE wave one put Illinois on a 26-state list for January 13–15; Highway Shield was a later Midwest corridor wave — do not merge the two.
CDL
Colorado: 22% sampled illegal, including a 2016 policy to license Mexican nationals. $24 million and decertify talk
Colorado’s sample failed at about 22 percent, with a 2016 policy on Mexican nationals named; $24 million and decertify talk are the hammers.
CDL
North Carolina: 54% of sampled non-domiciled CDLs failed. Nearly $50 million is the leverage, not a DAT print
FMCSA said 54 percent of sampled North Carolina non-domiciled CDLs were issued illegally; nearly $50 million is the leverage, not a DAT print.
CDL
Minnesota: one-third of sampled non-domiciled CDLs failed. $30.4 million and a 30-day clock
Minnesota’s sampled non-domiciled CDLs failed at about one-third; FMCSA named 30 days and up to $30.4 million if the program does not come clean.
CDL
Pennsylvania was told $75 million sits on non-domiciled CDLs. Same audit, different DMV
FMCSA told Pennsylvania that nearly $75 million sits on illegal non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs if PennDOT does not revoke and repair the shop this cycle.
ELD
Five ELDs in November 2025, January 20 2026 drop-dead — before the August five everyone remembers
November 20, 2025 pulled five ELDs with a January 20, 2026 grace end — a different calendar from the August 2026 five that everyone remembers.
CDL
Before the $160 million: California admitted 17,000 illegal non-domiciled CDLs and started 60-day expirations
Before the $160 million withhold, California noticed 17,000 non-domiciled CDL holders that their cards would expire in 60 days and fail federal rules.
Compliance
California lost $40 million in MCSAP over ELP. The restore condition is actual roadside enforcement
FMCSA withheld more than $40 million in California MCSAP after October 15, 2025, until the state adopts and actually enforces a compatible ELP standard.
CDL
The September 2025 emergency CDL restriction is not the February 2026 final rule — and a court stay sat in the middle
September 2025’s emergency restriction, a November 13 court stay, and the February 2026 final rule are three dates — mash them and a DMV story becomes a rumor.
Hours of Service
The HOS pilots were announced in 2025. The 2026 note is the pre-test, not a second rule
September 15, 2025 named two HOS pilots — a paused 14-hour window and extra sleeper splits — as a study, not a new legal clock on a Chicago pickup.
Compliance
California, Washington, New Mexico got MCSAP threats over ELP. Illinois is not those three
USDOT gave California, Washington, and New Mexico 30 days to enforce ELP or face up to 100% MCSAP withholding — a state-funding fight, not an Illinois script.
CDL
FMCSA pulled nearly 3,000 CDL trainers off the TPR and put 4,500 more on notice. A dropped school is not a road-test waiver
FMCSA removed nearly 3,000 CDL trainers from the TPR and put about 4,500 more on notice; a dropped school is still not a road-test waiver today.
CDL
Read the June 2025 audit first, then PA, CA, NY, NC, MN, CO. Six state headlines are not six federal CDL clocks
Read the June 27, 2025 nationwide audit first, then the state chapters; six headlines from Pennsylvania to Colorado are not six federal CDL clocks.
Parking
Truck parking money is not a rate. It is a 14-hour problem with a grant attached
USDOT’s June 2025 parking grants — more than $275 million, including 917 spaces on Florida’s I-4 — do not add a legal lot on Midwest I-80 tonight.
Equipment
USDOT pulled the heavy-truck speed-limiter mandate. Our trucks still have a company limit
USDOT withdrew the proposed heavy-truck speed-limiter rule on June 27, 2025; our company limit is still 73 mph, and insurance still reads the governor.
CDL
The nationwide non-domiciled CDL audit started in June 2025. That is the parent of every state money story
USDOT opened a nationwide review of every state’s non-domiciled CDL shop on June 27, 2025 — the parent file behind later state money stories.
Driver Qualification
June 25, 2025: ELP went back into the out-of-service book. That date still matters
English Language Proficiency went back into CVSA out-of-service criteria on June 25, 2025; the 2026 codify story is the sequel, not a second start date.
Enforcement
Operation Protect Your Move is a household-goods sting. We do not haul your sofa — we still share the complaint URL
Operation Protect Your Move targets hostage household-goods loads and unregistered shops; we haul freight in a 53-foot box, not sofas or apartments.
Driver Qualification
The 2016 “don’t OOS for English” memo is the thing USDOT tore up. Everything since is downstream
In April 2025 USDOT directed FMCSA to rescind the 2016 memo that told inspectors not to place drivers out of service for English proficiency.
Agency
FY25 FMCSA grants are for states and nonprofits — not a check to MC# 875229 for a drop yard
FY25 High Priority ITD and CMV Safety grants — potentially $90M-plus, due June 20, 2025 — are for states and nonprofits, not a Lake Bluff drop yard.
ELD
January 8, 2025: BLUE STAR, ROAD STAR, United, Speed, two TrackEnsure — March 9 was the first 2025 ELD bill
January 8, 2025 revoked BLUE STAR, ROAD STAR, United, Speed, and two TrackEnsure units; March 9 was the first ELD invoice of that purge year.
Brokers
FMCSA’s broker vs bona fide agent guidance is why we ask for your MC — not your cousin’s Gmail
FMCSA’s final guidance on broker versus bona fide agent is why we ask for your MC and the bond — not a cousin’s Gmail and a Joliet load on a handshake.
Parking
An $80 million parking-and-safety grant round is not a new rest area on I-294 tonight
FMCSA’s more-than-$80-million High Priority round raised parking-project funding 65 percent; it still did not add an empty stall on I-294 tonight.
Safety
AWT Ohio nurse tanks 2007–2011: FMCSA/PHMSA want voluntary thickness and pressure tests. We do not haul anhydrous as a product line
FMCSA and PHMSA asked for voluntary tests on AWT Fremont nurse tanks built 2007–2011; we still do not haul anhydrous ammonia as a product line.
Compliance
SMS “BASIC” overhaul was a 2023 proposal with a preview site — not a new CSA score on your packet this morning
February 2023’s SMS proposal and CSA Prioritization Preview were a what-if — not a new BASIC score sitting on this morning’s broker packet yet.
Agency
High Priority CMV grants: $80.7 million for inspections, parking awareness, crash corridors — still not your FSC
FMCSA awarded $80,714,223 in High Priority CMV grants for inspections, parking awareness, and crash corridors — still not your fuel surcharge.
Brokers
USDOT and MC numbers are not for sale. FMCSA will kill the number if you rent it
A USDOT number identifies a legal person forever and is not for rent; FMCSA will inactivate the number and revoke related registrations if you sell it.
CDL
February 7, 2022: SDLAs started checking the Training Provider Registry before the skills test. That is still the gate
On February 7, 2022, state licensing agencies began checking the Training Provider Registry before the skills test; that gate is still live.
Hours of Service
The 2020 HOS final rule is still today’s clock: 30-minute on-duty break, 7/3 and 8/2 sleeper, +2 adverse, 16-hour short-haul
The 2020 HOS rewrite still governs a Midwest dry van: on-duty break, 8/2 or 7/3 sleeper, plus-two adverse driving, and a longer short-haul window.
CDL
ELDT slipped from February 7, 2020 to February 7, 2022 because the Training Provider Registry was not built. That delay is closed
ELDT slipped from February 7, 2020 to February 7, 2022 because the Training Provider Registry was not built; that two-year delay is now closed.
Compliance
Clearinghouse registration opened before the January 6, 2020 queries. Drivers still register to say yes to a full query
Clearinghouse registration opened before the January 6, 2020 queries; drivers still need a free account to consent to a full employer search.
Safety
Crash preventability: FMCSA reviewed 5,600+ crashes in the demo, ~94% not preventable. That is not a delete button on every accident
FMCSA’s crash-preventability demo reviewed 5,600-plus crashes and found about 94 percent not preventable — that is still not a delete button.
Hours of Service
After ELDs hit ~99% compliance, FMCSA asked how to change HOS — especially ag. That comment round is the ancestor of 2020, not a 2026 pilot
After ELDs hit nearly 99 percent compliance, FMCSA asked how to revise HOS, especially agriculture; that round is the ancestor of 2020, not a 2026 pilot.
ELD
April 1, 2018 ELD full enforcement: 10 hours OOS without a required ELD. Ag got another 90-day waiver and personal-conveyance guidance in the same breath
April 1, 2018 brought full ELD enforcement and a 10-hour OOS for a missing required logger; agriculture got another 90-day waiver in the same breath.
ELD
A 90-day AOBRD/ELD software-integration waiver is not a license to run a $199 no-name logger
A 90-day PeopleNet AOBRD integration waiver for Old Dominion and similarly situated fleets is not a license to run a $199 no-name logger today.
ELD
November 20, 2017: FMCSA promised ag waiver, 150 air-mile clarity, and personal-conveyance guidance before December 18. The mandate still started on time
Two weeks before December 18, 2017, FMCSA promised ag-waiver and personal-conveyance guidance; the mandate still started on time for dry van.
CDL
ELDT final rule: no minimum hours, proficiency required, Training Provider Registry — a certificate mill is not a CDL
The 2016 ELDT final rule required proficiency, not a minimum hour count, and a Training Provider Registry — a certificate mill is not a CDL.
Compliance
Clearinghouse went live January 2020: pre-employment and annual queries, not a Facebook “he’s clean” screenshot
The Clearinghouse went live in January 2020 for pre-employment and annual queries; a Facebook screenshot is not a substitute for the database.
CDL
2016 ELDT NPRM: 25 stakeholders plus FMCSA reached consensus. That committee is why the TPR exists
Twenty-five stakeholders plus FMCSA reached ELDTAC consensus in 2015; the March 2016 NPRM is why a Training Provider Registry later existed.
ELD
The ELD final rule gave paper-log fleets two years, banned harassment-by-ELD, and put phones on the list if they meet the spec
The ELD final rule gave paper-log fleets two years, banned harassment-by-device, and allowed phones only if they meet the spec and sit on the list.
Compliance
Coercion is a federal complaint, not a “the dock said hurry” text. Shippers and brokers are in the rule
FMCSA’s 2015 coercion rule lets drivers report carriers, shippers, receivers, and brokers who push a break of hours, CDL, or testing rules on a load.
Compliance
Before the Clearinghouse, there was no single federal well of failed drug tests. The NPRM is the hole the 2020 database filled
Before the Clearinghouse, no single federal well held failed CDL drug tests; the 2014 NPRM named the hole the 2020 database later filled in.
Brokers
HHG brokers: $25,000 bond, estimate, carrier list, rights booklet — we still do not move your sofa
Household-goods brokers faced a $25,000 bond and pre-contract disclosures starting in 2011–2012; PRIDEUSA still will not move your household sofa.
Compliance
PSP is five years of crashes and three years of inspections. We still run it. It is not the Clearinghouse
PSP shows five years of crashes and three years of inspections from MCMIS nationwide; we still run it, and it is not the Clearinghouse file.
Compliance
New Entrant: fail any of 16 essential rules in 18 months and the audit fails. A new MC is not a cheaper PRIDEUSA
During 18 months of New Entrant monitoring, any one of 16 essential violations fails the audit; a flash MC is still not a cheaper PRIDEUSA quote.
Safety
The Large Truck Crash Causation Study: driver action or inaction was the critical reason in 88% of sampled crashes. Weather is not the usual villain
The Large Truck Crash Causation Study found driver action or inaction as the critical reason in 88 percent of sampled crashes; weather was rarely the villain.
Compliance
391.23 is three years of prior employers: crashes, drug/alcohol, job dates. They have 30 days to answer. We still send the form
Prior employers have 30 days to answer a three-year safety-performance history; Clearinghouse did not repeal 391.23, and we still send the form.
Brokers
HHG 2004: binding estimate 100% before delivery, non-binding 110% at delivery, five documents, arbitration. Still not our 53-foot box
The 2004 household-goods rule locked binding estimates at 100 percent before delivery and non-binding at 110 percent at the curb; still not our 53-foot box.
CDL
2003 ELDT proposal: 10.5 hours on DQ, HOS, wellness, whistleblower — the ancestor, not the 2022 TPR
The 2003 ELDT proposal asked about 10.5 hours on qualifications, hours, wellness, and whistleblower rights — the ancestor, not the 2022 TPR.
Compliance
January 1, 2003: new U.S. and Canadian entrants get an on-site audit within 18 months. Knowing the rules is the price of a USDOT number
Starting January 1, 2003, new U.S. and Canadian entrants faced an on-site audit within 18 months; knowing the rules is the price of a USDOT number.
Compliance
USDOT number on the power unit is not optional. July 2000 marking rule is why the door says 2486192 before the truck moves
The July 2000 marking rule put the USDOT number on the power unit before it rolls; our door says 2486192 because that is the identification rule.
Compliance
Unpaid FMCSA fines: day 91 the interstate lights go out. Brokers and forwarders lose registration too
Skip an FMCSA civil penalty and on day 91 interstate commerce can stop; brokers and freight forwarders can lose their operating registration too.