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.
‘Tis the Season: Chain Controls, Winter Driving Warnings in Effect
Could this be your truck? We sure hope not! But early snowstorms, along with heavy rains in parts of the country, are resulting in many rollover crashes in which only one of the factors was bad weather. The key factor: driver error, mainly driving too fast for conditions. Often the drivers behaving badly are not ICSA members but passenger car drivers who forget how to drive in winter weather, creating safety hazards for everyone!
Chain controls are now mandatory in several states for trucks traveling over mountain passes. In addition, some restrictions are in place for some mountain roads. You can find links to weather information sources under the Resources tab. In addition, the Federal Highway Administration link also lists chain control mandates. Under FAQs in the same section, you will find winter driving tips.
Lastly, check out Safety Consultant Mike Hitchcock’s Coaching Corner for his winter driving tips. Be smart, slow down and get where you’re going safely!
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.