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.
Unauthorized CDL-holder Causes Massive Pileup
Last Week's I-10 Crash in California Left at Least Two Dead
Allegedly undocumented CDL holders keep giving USDOT more reasons to push to revoke massive numbers of non-domiciled CDLs. The latest crash involved a 21-year-old truck driver who slammed into the back of an SUV and caused a chain-reaction crash involving seven other vehicles, including two other semis, near Ontario, California last week.
The California-based driver, who had been issued his CDL just days before causing the crash, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter. The truck’s dash cam caught actual footage of the tractor-trailer slamming into the back of an SUV.
Almost immediately, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy issued a renewed call condemning California’s (and other states’) failure to follow federal law in issuing non-domiciled CDLs. DOT has already withheld $40 million in federal highway funds from California and promises to withhold more if the State doesn’t clean up its licensing practices.
ICSA urges its members to be sure its drivers holding non-domiciled CDLs are in the country legally. Otherwise, members are at risk for losing undocumented drivers, or worse yet, being responsible for another horrific crash.
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.