Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, May 29, 2025:
Shippers’ market conditions saw slight improvement in March
Market conditions for shippers in March remained basically neutral, according to FTR’s latest Shippers’ Conditions Index report.
The March SCI showed a slight improvement to 0.1 from -0.3 in February. Falling diesel prices and slightly less challenging utilization offset stronger volumes and less favorable rates to create basically neutral market conditions in March.
“Uncertainty over tariffs is a risk for the economy, but an expected sluggishness in the freight market in the near term should bring some benefits to shippers in terms of fluidity and pricing,” said Avery Vise, FTR’s vice president of trucking. “The longer-term consequences are less clear, however. For example, one consequence of a sharp drop in freight volume might be loss of trucking capacity, which could lead to a tighter market in 2026.”
Vise noted that another issue FTR is watching is “whether stricter enforcement of truck drivers’ English language skills results in a meaningful hit to the supply of drivers.”
[Related: FMCSA will use 2-step evaluation for enforcement of English-speaking CDL requirement]
Texas Trucking Association awards $115K in scholarships
The Texas Trucking Association (TXTA) Foundation has awarded 31 academic scholarships for the 2025-‘26 school year totaling $115,000 to students across the country – all affiliated with TXTA member companies.
The Foundation also funded scholarships for six trade and technical applicants pursuing a career in the trucking industry totaling $15,000. Since 1991, TXTA Foundation has given more than $2.6 million in scholarship funds, helping students achieve their education and vocational dreams.
“Each year, it’s an honor to support the bright minds shaping the future through our scholarship program,” said TXTA Foundation Chairman John Craddock. “I am particularly excited that the Foundation has partnered with CDL and diesel tech training programs across the state to offer even more opportunities for our trade and technical scholarship recipients.”
As part of this new partnership, the Foundation has added Amarillo College, Angelina College, ATDS Truck Driving School, Del Mar College, Houston Community College, Laredo College, SAGE Truck Driving School – San Antonio, Texas State Technical College and Vernon College to its network of schools for trade and technical scholarships. Trade and technical college scholarships are open year-round.
The full list of scholarship recipients can be viewed here.
I-75 rest areas slated to close for upgrades
As part of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) statewide rest area upgrade project, the I-75 north and southbound rest areas in Butler County will close Monday, July 7, for a full replacement.
Located just south of the State Route 63 exit at Monroe, the rest areas will be completely renovated with new, lodge-style buildings, including larger rest rooms, a lobby area with vending and regional tourism information, and attached and covered outdoor picnic areas.
The project is part of the statewide initiative announced in the spring of 2023 by Gov. Mike DeWine to update 36 rest areas with all new buildings. Additional parking is also being added where possible. Ohio has 85 rest areas located along major highways, not including those maintained by the Ohio Turnpike Commission.
Construction, which includes demolition of the buildings and the full rebuild, is scheduled to be completed in one year, so the rest areas are anticipated to be reopened in the summer of 2026.
Once the rest areas are closed, the nearest facilities for southbound motorists are located near Florence, Kentucky, off I-71. In Ohio, the closest facilities for northbound motorists will be those located in Hancock County, south of Findlay, as the rest areas in Auglaize County, north of Wapakoneta, are also scheduled to be closed in July for replacement.
Currently, the facilities in Miami County, south of Piqua, remain closed, but these are scheduled to be reopened in the fall of this year.
