Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025:
TFI seeking to re-domicile to the U.S.
The largest trucking fleet in Canada, TFI International, is looking to cement itself as one of the largest fleets in the U.S.
The No. 5 for-hire carrier on CCJ's Top 250 list said Wednesday it intends to pursue re-domiciliation from Canada to the United States. TFI has operated in the U.S. since 2011 and has traded on the New York Stock Exchange since February 2020.
Currently based in Quebec, TFI's footprint in the U.S. has ballooned in recent years, having acquired flatbed giant Daseke in 2023 and UPS Freight in 2021. Approximately 70% of TFI’s operations are based in the U.S., and many of its shareholders are U.S.-based.
The company did not disclose what city it intends to make its new headquarters. Daseke was headquartered in Addison, Texas, and UPS Freight, now T Force Freight, is headquartered in Virginia.
WattEV adding 40 Tesla Semis to fleet
California-based Trucking-as-a-Service (TaaS) company WattEV on Wednesday announced an agreement with Tesla to take delivery of 40 Semi heavy-duty electric trucks in 2026.
As part of the agreement, WattEV has taken delivery of two Semis to expand its freight-hauling service range in 2025. This represents the first use of Tesla Semis at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, the nation’s largest port complex, WattEV said.
“We’re glad to see Tesla Semis deployed at Port of Long Beach,” said Mario Cordero, CEO of the Port of Long Beach. “This is another step forward towards increased adoption and our commitment to elimination of heavy-duty freight emissions at the port.”
WattEV has been leading the freight electrification market with a growing network of charging depots in California.
The company said it’s focused on a high-mileage duty cycle, achieving as much as 550 miles a day on certain routes in California and plans to include Tesla Gen-IV chargers at its depots while growing its fleet with Semis in 2026 and beyond.
“We’ve been future-proofing all our charging depots to allow for the transition from CCS charging to megawatt charging with MCS,” said Salim Youssefzadeh, CEO of WattEV. “Our collaboration with Tesla is another major milestone as we expand our network to electrify freight on more routes throughout California and beyond.”
Former NHTSA chief counsel tapped to lead agency
Jonathan Morrison, who served as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Chief Counsel during the first Trump administration, has been nominated to lead NHTSA as the agency’s administrator.
According to Morrison’s LinkedIn profile, he has worked for Apple since March 2021. Prior to that, he was NHTSA’s Chief Counsel from November 2017 to January 2021.
He has also previously worked as the Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs at the California New Car Dealers Association, and the president of Auto Advisory Services.
Morrison's was among a slew of nominations sent to the Senate by President Trump on Feb. 12 -- they didn't include a nominee named for either the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration or Federal Highway Administration.
NHTSA is the regulatory agency within the Department of Transportation tasked with writing and enforcing vehicle safety standards.
In recent times, NHTSA has worked with FMCSA to develop a rulemaking that would mandate automatic emergency braking systems on heavy-duty trucks. That rulemaking is currently on hold with the transition to a new administration. It was previously expected to be published in January. NHTSA has also been exploring a potential requirement for side underride guards on trailers.
[Related: Trailer safety: How to prevent underride crashes and save lives]
Colorado lawmakers consider allowing chain-assistance companies at roadside
Following an expansion of the state’s mandatory chain laws for truck drivers in 2024, Colorado lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow private companies to install or remove tire chains at designated roadside locations.
Senate Bill 69 would create a permit that could be issued by the state DOT allowing the permit holder to, for a fee, install or remove tire chains or alternate traction devices at a location designated in the permit.
A provision of the bill instructs the Colorado DOT to avoid monopoly-type situations at specific locations, not allowing a sole person, to the extent possible, to be the only permit holder for a specific location.
The bill says it’s intended to improve compliance with the new chain laws signed into law last year in the state.
That law, which took effect Aug. 7, 2024, requires, from Sept. 1 to May 31, all commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) over 16,000 pounds to carry four snow chains or adequate alternate traction devices on their trucks if they are using any of the following roads:
- I-70 west of milepost 259 (Morrison)
- Colorado Hwy 9 milepost 63 to milepost 97 (Frisco to Fairplay)
- Route 40 west of milepost 256 (Empire)
- US Route 50 west of milepost 225 (Salida)
- US Route 160 west of MP 250 (Morrison)
- US Route 550 from milepost 0 to 130 (State line south of Durango to Montrose)
The law also bars CMVs from using the left lane in the following areas:
- Glenwood Canyon
- Dowd Junction (The curvy section of I-70 between Avon and Vail)
- The west side of Vail Pass
- The tunnel grade on both sides of the Eisenhower-Johnson tunnels
- Georgetown Hill
- Floyd Hill
More carriers needed to hai Vietnam memorial replica
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) has issued a call for carriers to transport “The Wall that Heals,” a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, for the 2025 season.
VVMF has partnered with the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) to bring The Wall That Heals to communities across America.
The three quarter-scale replica of the The Wall and a mobile Education Center spread The Wall’s healing legacy across the nation. VVMF is looking for drivers and/or trucking companies to volunteer to haul The Wall That Heals to a single event or to multiple locations.
Trucking companies can sign up to volunteer here.
The 2025 schedule for The Wall That Heals begins March 6 in Sebring, Florida, and runs cross-country through the summer and into fall before concluding in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, in November.
