Owner's Blog

$70,000 and 4 years of life.

Not because of the market.
Because of mistakes at the start.

A trucking company owner came to me.
4 years in business — not a rookie.

Facts:

• $70,000 losses on 2 accidents
• 2 MC changes
• Insurance problems
• Business is not growing

He thought the market was to blame.
But the reason was different — wrong foundation from the very beginning.

In 1.5 hours we analyzed the company and found key mistakes.

These mistakes cost not only money, but 4 years, during which there could have been dozens of trucks.

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If the business is not growing and problems repeat — it's a matter of strategy.

I conduct individual consultations.

While everyone is popping champagne 🍾, FMCSA is crossing ELDs off the system.

❌ Minus 4 devices immediately — officially banned for non-compliance.

kicked off the list:

• P3TS
• Field Warrior (BYOD) — 2 versions
• DYNAMIC ELD

⚠️ What does this mean in practice?

Carriers have 60 days to:

• Stop using the banned ELD
• Temporarily switch to paper logs
• Install a compliant ELD by March 1, 2026

⏳ Until then, inspectors might turn a blind eye and accept paper logs.
🚨 After March 1 — it's illegal.

Yes, theoretically the manufacturer can fix everything and return to the list. But banking on that is a bad strategy.

📌 Conclusion:

If your ELD is on the list — don't wait for a miracle. Change it now. New year — new, but rules are stricter.

Check what you drive with.

Mississippi has intensified checks on truck drivers for knowledge of the English language.

Results of recent raids:

311 drivers placed Out of Service.

The reason is simple: people could not explain the route, understand the officer's questions, read signs, or fill out documents.

Commissioner Sean Tindell stated directly: if the driver cannot communicate in English — the truck goes no further. No compromises.

Moreover:

145 people were handed over to ICE for immigration status checks.

And this is not only in Mississippi. Nevada and Wyoming have launched the same practice. Another 38 drivers were suspended there.

Important note: many of those suspended worked for small companies that turned a blind eye to language.

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And what do you think — is this about safety or market cleansing?

From June 23, 2025, medical certificates became digital. Now the doctor sends the results to FMCSA, and the system transmits them to the DMV.

The driver no longer needs to personally carry the medical card in — certification appears directly in the MVR.

The medical exam itself hasn't changed: vision, hearing, blood pressure — everything is as before.

But there is a nuance.

There is currently a transition period: a paper medical card is allowed to be used for up to 60 days because systems still glitch.

Main advice:

• Even if everything was sent electronically — take a paper certificate and keep it.
• If possible, take a copy to the DMV.
• Check your MVR. If the record does not appear, after 60 days your CDL can be automatically downgraded.

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This is not a formality — this is the protection of your job and CDL. And exactly such a "trifle" was the reason for the ICE detention of our partner in November.

For a long time, they only cleaned up carriers and drivers. Now it's the brokers' turn.

As is known, a $75,000 bond is required for brokerage activities, for which one had to pay a small annual fee. Violations were plentiful.

FMCSA is launching a strict check of broker financial responsibility.

From January 16, 2026:

They will begin checking all BMC-85 trust providers.

If the trust does not meet requirements — all brokers working with it will receive a notification.

Then it's simple:

• 30 days to replace.
• If a new BMC-85/bond is not submitted in time — license suspended automatically.
• Only electronic submission is allowed, simplifying control.

In parallel, FMCSA has strengthened the complaint database — now carriers and shippers can officially complain about brokers for fraud and violations.

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Do you think the market will become fairer or is this just empty fuss?

FMCSA conducted an audit and revealed an unpleasant truth: in some states, non-domiciled CDLs were issued in violation of federal rules.

Example — New York

Of the licenses checked, more than 50% were recognized as illegally issued.

What's wrong?

CDLs were issued for longer than the legal status term or work permit, which should not happen under federal rules.

Now FMCSA demands:

• Revoke incorrectly issued CDLs
• Stop violations
• Bring the system into order

If the state does not comply — loss of federal highway funding.

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And this is an important signal for the entire industry: control is tightening.

The simple question is:
Is this a real fight for safety or just another political lever of pressure?

If you look at the numbers — November looks worse than October in terms of freight volume, down by as much as 21%.

Truck capacity is also down by 8% across all trailer types.

But rates have hardly moved, rising slightly for reefers and vans, and dipping insignificantly for open decks.

• Fuel has become slightly cheaper — that's a plus.
• The highest rates for all trailer types are in the Midwest.

Compared to October, November is better.

But this is not a market turnaround. This is a transition phase. The market is preparing, but hasn't gone up yet.

The question now is one:
Will December show growth — or will we just close the year with a seasonal spike?

Congresswoman Mary Miller from Illinois raised an alarm: according to state police data, almost one in five drivers with English proficiency violations received their CDL in Illinois.

She claims this threatens safety and is pushing a bill that could cut half of the state's federal highway funding.

Miller says she personally heard at truck stops that many drivers do not speak English. And she proposes punishing not only the state but also companies hiring such drivers.

The Secretary of State's office responds firmly:

• Interpreters are banned
• Exam takes at least 45 minutes
• Constant dialogue with the examiner
• If a person does not understand — the exam is stopped

So formally, all rules are followed.

Important: CDL in IL can only be obtained by citizens and green card holders; there are no illegal flows.

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In fact, this is a political game on the topic of migration, not a real safety analysis.

The problem is not the accent, but the quality of training, experience, and safety culture in general.

This is the largest update in recent years, and it will affect everyone working in trucking.

What is Motus?

A unified system designed to simplify registration, reduce errors, protect against fraud, and improve safety.

But the launch is phased.

🔹 Phase 1 — Coming Next Week

Access will open only to "supporting companies":

• Registration services
• BOC-3
• Insurance and financial institutions

They will be able to create profiles — but all submissions continue through old systems for now. Motus is currently in a preparatory stage.

🔹 Phase 2 — 2026

The system will open for everyone:

• New and existing companies
• Carriers
• Brokers
• Owners
• All FMCSA users

There will be new tools, a detailed interface (finally), and more automation.

🔹 Phase 3

FMCSA will gradually add features and improvements.

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Motus is a step toward digital logistics, but the transition will take time. 2026 will be a year of big changes.

Do you think Motus will simplify life for carriers or create even more confusion?

If you are working with one of these, your 60-day countdown for replacement has officially started.

Banned devices:

• Pioneer Safety Solutions — PSS ELD
• Black Bear ELD
• RollingTrans — RT ELD Plus

The reason is simple: the devices do not meet federal requirements. FMCSA states clearly — if an ELD does not perform the minimum, it is excluded from the system. Period.

What you need to do now:

1. Stop using the banned ELD
2. Switch temporarily to paper logs
3. Install a new compliant ELD by February 7, 2026

Until this date, officers will not yet issue a fine for "no ELD", but after that, the driver will be considered operating without a device and can be placed Out Of Service.

FMCSA may return devices to the list if the manufacturer fixes everything, but it is not worth counting on it. Better to replace it in advance and avoid problems.

Today, FMCSA announced a complete overhaul of ELD verification rules. Now, no device will enter the registry until it passes a rigorous multi-level inspection.

Previously, "raw" logbooks slipped into the market — they were revoked, drivers had to switch to paper logs, and companies lost money. Now, this loophole is closed.

What changed?

1. Deep Entry Check
   They check everything — contacts, specs, photos. Slightest mistake — rejection.
2. Anti-fraud Filter
   The device is cross-referenced with all databases: active, revoked, renamed. Grey schemes will no longer pass.
3. 4 Levels of Assessment
   Approved, Info Needed, Further Review, Denied. No more "registered — then removed".

FMCSA says directly: "Only reliable ELDs. Only safe ones."

What does this mean for us?

• Fewer device replacements
• Fewer fines
• Less stress on the road
• More stability with logbooks

A clean ELD market means fewer problems for everyone: both drivers and companies.