Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, July 8, 2025:
Fleet petitions FMCSA to operate under ag HOS regs
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is accepting public feedback on an exemption request from Protein Transport of Indiana, a fleet whose operation involves the transportation of chicken products.
The company has requested an exemption to allow it to operate under the agricultural operations provision in the hours-of-service (HOS) rules, which provides regulatory relief from the requirements for drivers transporting certain agricultural commodities within a 150 air-mile radius from the source of the agricultural commodities.
Protein Transport in its request said its fleet travels to various agricultural facilities to process hens that have reached the end of their productive lives. Once the hens are processed onsite, the company transports that product to processing facilities to be used to make pet food and hog feed. Protein Transport is requesting that the chicken products it transports be considered an agricultural commodity so that it can operate under the agricultural commodity exemption.
The company said it believes the exemption would not compromise safety because it will check and monitor its power units every 10,000 miles, and perform an oil change every 15,000 miles. It added that by prioritizing operations within a 150-mile radius, its drivers will spend less time on the road covering fewer miles, thereby reducing the overall freight mileage by 20,000 to 30,000 miles each quarter of the year. The company further added it will continue to prioritize safety over transportation of the load because its drivers have been instructed to inform management when they need to take a break for any reason.
FMCSA is accepting comments on the request here through July 31.
[Related: Hours of service should be front and center in DOT deregulatory effort: Truckers]
Truck driver busted for human smuggling in New Mexico
A Maryland-based truck driver is facing federal charges after U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered 13 undocumented individuals concealed in the flatbed trailer of a tractor-trailer combination during a late-night stop near Deming, New Mexico.
According to court documents, on June 25, Border Patrol Agents conducting surveillance on I-10 near Deming observed a suspicious tractor-trailer hauling an empty flatbed, which Border Patrol said is a known tactic used by transnational criminal organizations to smuggle contraband and illegal immigrants into the United States.
The agents followed the vehicle as it took an irregular route commonly used to bypass a Border Patrol checkpoint.
Upon stopping the vehicle on New Mexico State Road 26, agents discovered 13 individuals hidden in compartments of the trailer and cab, all lacking legal immigration documents and admitting to illegal entry into the U.S.
The illegal immigrants were found hiding underneath the flatbed trailer.U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Mexico
The driver, Jarol Wilberto Arroyo-Cerin, 40, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and admitted to repeatedly transporting illegal immigrants for financial compensation, instructing them to hide under the flatbed. The smuggled individuals included nationals from Guatemala, Ecuador, and Mexico, including an unaccompanied juvenile.
Arroyo-Cerin has been charged with conspiracy to illegally bring, transport, hide, or encourage unauthorized immigrants to enter or stay in the United States. He will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Arroyo-Cerin faces 10 years in prison.
[Related: Truck driver gets 10-year prison sentence for smuggling immigrants in tanker trailer]
Great Dane recalls Champion dry vans for potential roll-up door injury risk
Great Dane Trailers is recalling approximately 444 model year 2026 Champion dry van trailers.
In the affected units, the roll-up door operator bolts may not have been properly tightened and increase the force required to open or close the door.
Recall documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration note that a roll-up door that sticks and requires greater force to open or close may move too fast, increasing the risk of injury.
Great Dane's investigation found that the defect began occurring when its Terre Haute, Indiana, plant began using ratcheting spring winders. After discovery of the defect, the company said it implemented corrective actions that included new processes and verifications on the assembly line, as well as inspecting and correcting completed trailers prior to leaving our manufacturing facility. Affected trailers were produced between Feb. 7 and June 13.
Dealers will tighten the operator bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 22, 2025. Owners may contact Great Dane customer service at 1-877-369-3493. NHTSA’s recall number is 25V-429.
Small number of nat gas-powered Freightliner Cascadias recalled
Daimler Trucks North America is recalling four model-year 2026 Freightliner Cascadia trucks equipped with a particular natural gas engine fuel line that was routed incorrectly, not using the current production routing.
The incorrect routing of the fuel line can allow it to chafe and damage wiring harnesses and brake lines.
Damaged wiring harnesses and brake lines can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash, and a damaged fuel line increases the risk of a fire, NHTSA’s recall document says.
DTNA inspected and rerouted the compressed natural gas fuel line, as necessary free of charge. All vehicles have been remedied. Owners can contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712 with recall number F1021. NHTSA’s recall number is 25V-440.
