Trucking news and briefs for Friday, March 28, 2025:
Motion picture haulers seek renewal of waiver from Clearinghouse regs
A group representing companies whose drivers provide transportation services to or from theatrical, commercial, television or motion picture production sites has petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for a renewal of a waiver that exempts the group’s members from provisions of FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse regulations.
First granted in 2020, the waiver allows members of DISA Entertainment Compliance Solutions (DECS), formerly known as Motion Picture Compliance Solutions, to conduct limited queries of the Clearinghouse before hiring a driver for a project rather than a full query.
Federal regulations do not allow employers to hire a driver without first conducting a pre-employment full query of the Clearinghouse. A full query allows the employer to see any information that exists about a driver in the Clearinghouse. An employer must obtain the driver’s specific consent, provided electronically through the Clearinghouse, prior to the release of detailed information in response to the full query.
A limited query, however, allows an employer to determine whether the Clearinghouse contains any information about the driver but does not release any specific information about the driver. Limited queries require only a driver’s general consent, which is obtained and retained outside the Clearinghouse and may be in written or electronic form. Limited queries can be conducted to satisfy the annual query requirement.
Under the waiver granted to DECS, when conducted a limited query on drivers, if the query indicates that information about the driver exists in the Clearinghouse, the driver would not be permitted to perform safety-sensitive functions unless and until a full query subsequently shows that the driver is not prohibited from operating a CMV.
DECS is requesting a five-year renewal of the waiver. FMCSA is accepting public comments on the request here through April 25.
Wreaths Across America honors 17 fleets
Wreaths Across America (WAA) is recognizing 17 transportation partners reaching 10 or more years of service as an “Honor Fleet” member.
WAA’s Honor Fleet is responsible for transporting and delivering millions of veterans’ wreaths across the United States. In 2024, 739 loads of veterans’ wreaths were hauled by 397 trucking companies to over 4,900 participating locations, including Arlington National Cemetery.
Trucking partners are the backbone of the nonprofit’s annual wreath laying event, WAA said, which is why the following partners are being honored for their tireless efforts, generosity, and commitment to honoring veterans and their families.
This year’s honorees are:
- Abilene Motor Express
- Jetco Delivery
- Hirschbach Motor Lines (CCJ Top 250, No. 46)
- Boyd Grain Inc.
- Big G Express (No. 169)
- Knight Transportation (No. 4)
- Classic Carriers
- Leonard’s Express (No. 109)
- Hoekstra Transportation, LLC
- Convoy Systems LLC
- Paul MH Sagehorn LLC
- Hampton Roads Moving & Storage
- Total Transportation of Mississippi
- Heartland Express (No. 25)
- Waste Masters Solutions
- J.B. Hunt (No. 3)
- Matrix Expedited Service
“Many of our partners donating their time each year are veterans themselves, including the professional drivers hauling the loads,” said Courtney George, Director of Transportation and Industry Relations for Wreaths Across America. “Professional drivers and carriers that join WAA’s Honor Fleet have the desire to do something meaningful to honor veterans and their loved ones and many say that Wreaths Across America provides a way for them to do that.”
To learn more about how to help move the mission or join the 2025 “Honor Fleet,” visit WAA’s transportation page or email the WAA Transportation Team at [email protected].
