The Importance of a Pre-Trip Inspection
Planning a safe trip as a professional truck driver requires thoughtful preparation before every journey. These are key practices to keep in mind throughout each stage of your trip.
Rear Impact Guards Now Part of Annual Inspection
Beginning December 9, enforcement officers will begin inspecting rear underguards on trailers as part of a new federal requirement. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) said examples of the type of rear impact guard damage that would result in the vehicle failing to pass the annual inspection would include visible cracks in the welds or missing bolts at the attachment point to the trailer.
While trucks that fail to pass will not be placed out of service (OOS) FMCSA says each violation could result in a maximum fine of $15,876 for carriers and $3,969 for drivers. We strongly advise ICSA members to be aware of and take action to avoid being penalized for damaged or faulty real impact guards.
Welcome to 2026! Here is What to Expect From the Feds
English-language proficiency, non-domiciled truck driver licensing, enforcement of cabotage rules, thorough commercial driver’s license (CDL) training… actions in all of these areas made trucking headlines in the first year of the Trump Administration.
Marijuana Rescheduling: What it Means for Trucking
On December 18, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the federal government to conduct rulemaking to move marijuana from a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III.