“The ongoing freight recession has brought challenges for all segments of the trucking industry,” said Jane Jazrawy, CEO of CarriersEdge. “However, that hasn’t stopped fleets from finding creative ways to support their drivers, and we’re looking forward to hearing all the great ideas they’ve come up with.”

Nominations are now being accepted through October 31. Drivers, including company employees and independent contractors, can nominate their fleets at www.bf2df.com. The program welcomes all for-hire fleets operating 10 or more tractor-trailers across the U.S. or Canada, regardless of freight segment.

Once nominated, participating fleets complete a detailed questionnaire and interview, outlining driver-focused programs across multiple categories. Selected drivers are also surveyed to provide firsthand insight into their experiences. Responses from both management and drivers are scored, determining the top 20 fleets. These are then split into small and large fleet categories, with the highest-scoring fleet in each recognized as the Best Overall Fleet for their category. Hall of Fame entrants may also be honored as overall winners.

Recognition for Top 20 fleets, overall winners, and Hall of Fame entries will take place during the Best Fleets to Drive For Education and Awards Conference, scheduled for March 2026.

For additional information about the program, including past winners and best practices, visit www.bf2df.com. Stay connected with the program on social media using the hashtag #BestFleets26, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BestFleetsToDriveFor, and on LinkedIn at www.LinkedIn.com/company/BestFleetsToDriveFor.

Image Source: Nigel Tadyanehondo (Unsplash)

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On Thursday, August 28, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) shared the results from its annual hazardous materials and dangerous goods inspection effort. The five-day blitz, conducted from June 9 through June 13, aims to “reduce hazardous materials/dangerous goods incidents and encourage uniformity and consistency in the application of the regulations.”

Inspectors examined 4,629 commercial motor vehicles across the United States and Canada during the event. A total of 1,169 hazardous materials violations were found, with 598 of those resulting in vehicles being placed out of service until the issues were corrected.

CVSA reported that 45 jurisdictions participated in the blitz, including 35 U.S. states and 10 Canadian provinces. Vehicles with out-of-service violations were immediately removed from operation to prevent further risk.

“The transportation of HM/DG demands rigorous training and heightened compliance requirements,” CVSA said in a statement. “For motor carriers and drivers, safely transporting HM/DG is imperative to the safety of the driver, the public, and the environment.”

The most frequent violations identified in U.S. inspections were non-bulk placarding 104, bulk package marking 99, and bulk placarding 88.

Meanwhile, 831 vehicles, nearly 18 percent of those inspected, received CVSA decals. These decals indicate that no critical vehicle or specific cargo tank violations were found and remain valid for up to three months. Vehicles displaying a decal are typically not subject to re-inspection during that period.

For context, last year’s safety blitz involved 3,929 inspections, with over 85 percent of vehicles found to have no critical violations, showing consistent compliance improvements within the industry.

Source: Landline Media

Image Source: Jared Murray (Unsplash)

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“After a scant 0.1% decline in January, which wasn’t bad considering the harsh winter weather and California wildfires, truck tonnage had a robust gain in February,” said Bob Costello, Chief Economist at the ATA. “This outcome fits well with our growing optimism for the truck freight market after a two-year recession. Some of the gain in February was due to accelerated imports early in the year as shippers rushed to bring products into the U.S. before tariffs hit. Even accounting for this, the first two months of the year were positive, all things considered, indicating that the freight recovery has indeed begun.”

Tonnage Data Highlights

The advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index rose to 115.2 in February, up from the January reading of 111.9. Using 2015 as the base year (set at 100), the index also grew 0.6% compared to February 2024. This marks the second consecutive year-over-year increase, a milestone last achieved in early 2023.

However, the unadjusted index, which measures raw tonnage changes without seasonal adjustments, painted a slightly different picture. February saw a decline to 104.8, reflecting a 4.7% drop from January’s value of 110.0.

Building on these insights, the ATA recently updated its seasonally adjusted index, incorporating revisions spanning the last five years during its annual review process.

The Significance of Trucking in the Economy

The trucking industry remains a vital component of the U.S. economy and a reliable indicator of its overall health. Trucks are responsible for moving 72.7% of all domestic freight tonnage, carrying a wide range of goods, from retail products to manufactured materials.

Last year, the industry transported 11.27 billion tons of freight, generating $906 billion in revenue. This impressive figure accounts for 76.9% of earnings across all modes of transport.

The ATA’s tonnage index focuses on contract freight data, rather than the spot market, and is based on surveys conducted among its membership. These figures are preliminary and often revised in subsequent monthly reports, which include detailed analyses of trends and comparisons.

Source: Women in Trucking

Image Source: ATA, Women In Trucking

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