Trucking news and briefs for Monday, July 14, 2025:
NHTSA: Crash fatalities continue downward trend
According to new estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 6.3% fewer fatalities on U.S. roadways in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same quarter last year.
NHTSA estimates that 8,055 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in Q1 2025, compared to the 8,595 fatalities projected to have occurred in the first quarter of 2024.
Traffic fatalities fell in nine out of 10 regions, with the largest decrease (18%) being seen in the New York-New Jersey-Pennsylvania tri-state area.NHTSA
If those estimates hold true, Q1 2025 will be the 12th consecutive quarterly decline in fatalities, which began with the second quarter of 2022.
The early-year decline in roadway fatalities coincided with an increase in vehicle miles traveled (VMT). According to Federal Highway Administration data, VMT actually increased by about 4.3 billion miles, or a 0.6% increase from Q1 2024.
For the NHTSA regional differences, nine of the 10 NHTSA Regions are projected to have decreases in fatalities and fatality rate per 100 million VMT in the first quarter of 2025 as compared to the first quarter of 2024. The only region projected to see an increase in fatalities is Region 7 -- Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas and Arkansas -- where fatalities are estimated to have increased by 3% during the quarter.
Additionally, 33 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are projected to have decreases in fatalities.
NHTSA’s quarterly estimates do not include vehicle-specific data, such as how many fatalities occurred in truck-involved crashes.
[Related: NHTSA: Truck-involved fatalities, injuries falling]
Cross-border papaya haul turns sour with $23M meth bust
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations officers at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility in Texas recently intercepted more than $23 million in alleged methamphetamine concealed within a tractor-trailer hauling papayas.
“This massive methamphetamine seizure reflects the dangerous reality of the drug threat our officers face every day and the effective utilization of experience and technology to zero-in and take down these loads,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry.
384 packages of alleged methamphetamine with a combined weight of 2,571.69 pounds were found recently in a load of papayas.U.S. Customs and Border Protection
On July 6, CBP officers encountered a commercial tractor-trailer making entry from Mexico hauling a shipment of papaya. A CBP officer referred the truck for further inspection, which included utilizing nonintrusive inspection equipment and a canine team.
Physical inspection led to the discovery of 384 packages of alleged methamphetamine with a combined weight of 2,571.69 pounds (1,166.5 kg) concealed within the vehicle. The methamphetamine has an estimated street value of $23,647,288.
CBP OFO seized the narcotics and commercial tractor trailer. Homeland Security Investigations special agents initiated a criminal investigation.
More than 1,000 CDLs canceled since 2008 by Laredo Border Patrol
The Laredo Sector Border Patrol has canceled more than 1,000 commercial driver’s licenses since the inception of a human- and drug-smuggling initiative began in 2008.
Dubbed the Texas Hold’em imitative, Laredo Sector Border Patrol has canceled 1,053 CDLs as part of the effort. Of the cancelations, 848 have been cancelled due to human smuggling cases and 205 due to narcotic smuggling cases.
During the 2025 fiscal year alone, a total of 141 cancellations were submitted and canceled in cooperation with the Department of Public Safety.
The Texas Hold'em Initiative uses existing state laws to permanently revoke the CDL of any person who is convicted of felony smuggling transportation charges while operating a commercial motor vehicle. An increase in communication and shared information between law enforcement agencies and transportation stakeholders has proven to be a great success for the program, the Border Patrol noted.
Border Patrol agents assigned to the program conduct educational outreach to the transportation industry, freight forwarding agencies, custom brokers, and commercial drivers on a weekly basis. The educational outreach presentations consist of awareness and education, which outlines the dangers of human and narcotic smuggling.
The Texas Hold'em Initiative launched in June 2008 as a joint multiagency enforcement effort between the Texas Department of Public Safety and the United States Border Patrol to improve border security by implementing consequences on commercial drivers convicted of human and/or narcotic smuggling.
