Trucking News Round-Up
Staying up-to-date in the trucking industry can feel like a full-time job, especially when you’re on the road or managing a fleet. That’s why we’ve rounded up the most important trucking news from August, so you can get the highlights without the hassle. From much-needed progress in truck parking to new cyber threats targeting trucking companies and updates on safety standards, we’ve got the key stories you need to know. Whether you’re a driver, dispatcher, or fleet manager, these quick insights will help keep you informed and prepared for what’s ahead.
Truck Parking
Batchawana Bay rest area to get $6 million in trucker-friendly upgrades – Officials announced plans to spend more than $6 million to upgrade the Batchawana Bay rest area on Highway 17 north of Sault Ste. Marie. The rest area “will provide truck drivers with a comfortable stop in the middle of a 220-kilometre stretch of Highway 17 that currently has no designated facilities for truckers,” government officials stated.
Pilot opens newest location in Georgia; has 72 truck parking spaces – A new Pilot travel center has opened about 27 miles west of Savanah, Georgia. The new Pilot in Ellabell, Georgia is located at 130 Interstate Exchange Way.
Sheetz to open four stores with free overnight parking and other trucker-friendly amenities – Sheetz is opening four new travel center locations this month in Virginia, North Carolina, and Michigan. The company says that each store will offer high flow diesel fuel and Diesel Exhaust Fluid for commercial trucks, a truck scale and free overnight truck parking spaces.
Texas Opens Two I-10 Rest Areas With Parking for 116 Trucks – The Texas Department of Transportation has replaced a pair of rest areas near Van Horn on Interstate 10 that now boast two of its largest commercial vehicle parking areas to accommodate a total of 116 trucks.
Petro with 100 truck parking spaces opens in Nevada – The Petro Henderson store is located off Exit 15A on I-11 at 1700 Railroad Pass Casino Road in Henderson, Nevada.
Love’s opens one of the company’s ‘largest locations’ in California – The new Love’s truck stop is located at Highway 99 and Taft Highway in Bakersfield. The company calls the Bakersfield store “one of Love’s largest locations.”
Cyber Threats in Trucking
Text Message Scammers Seek Fake Toll Fees in Multiple States – The FBI and tolling operators across the nation are issuing warnings about “smishing” text message scams being sent randomly to cellphones asking people to pay fake toll charges on fraudulent websites.
New Phishing Scam Targets Motor Carriers – If you get an email that says it’s from The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requesting that carriers complete forms attached to the email, the agency warns that it may be a phishing scam.
Trucking Regulations & Safety
Manitoba to implement report recommendations to boost driver safety, training – The Manitoba government says it will strengthen driver safety, training and retention in the trucking industry by taking immediate steps to implement recommendations of an independent report.
Colorado’s commercial vehicle chain law expanded to roads beyond I-70, starting September 1 – One of the most prominent features of the new law is that it will expand the number of roadways where truckers are required to carry chains during the fall, winter, and early spring.
TxDOT building I-10 over notoriously low Houston bridge – The Houston Avenue bridge over I-10 is 14 feet 3 inches tall and has been hit by commercial vehicles 46 times already in 2024. Instead of raising the bridge, TxDOT plans on building a portion of I-10 over the bridge, which will help with both flooding and bridge strikes.
CDOT lowering speed limits on stretch of I-70 near several infamous crashes – Traffic engineers have decided to lower the speed limit from 60 to 55 mph after reviewing the work zone in the area. CDOT says it will install new lighted signs warning of the slower speed limit and lane shifts in the coming week.
Danger hour: Be extra careful if you’re on the road between 5 and 5:59 p.m. – The study by personal injury lawyers Scott Vicknair reviewed the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to see which times of the day saw the most fatal crashes in each state between 2017 and 2022.
CTA Urges Suspension of Carbon Tax on Diesel, Excise Tax Relief in Pre-Budget Submission – The Canadian Trucking Alliance outlined a path to a greener trucking industry and a fairer tax and policy system in its pre-budget submission for 2025.
