Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025:
Another English proficiency bill would require checks at weigh stations
A second member of Congress from the Sunshine State has introduced legislation that would codify President Donald Trump’s executive order on English language proficiency for truck drivers.
Last week, Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Florida) introduced a bill in the Senate that would require that CDLs are only awarded to U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents, or those who have valid work visas or authorization from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and require states to report to the federal government on their efforts to uphold the English proficiency requirements.
This week, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Florida) introduced a separate bill in the U.S. House that, if passed, would codify and enforce the ELP executive order by requiring that “all weigh stations along interstate highways review the Commercial Driver's Licenses (CDLs) of truckers for irregularities and verify the English language proficiency of truckers,” a press release from Donalds’ office said.
The bill is the latest move in response to the high-profile, triple-fatal crash last month involving Harjinder Singh, whose illegal U-turn along the Florida turnpike resulted in the deaths of three people. Singh’s ability to read and understand English has been a point of contention since the crash.
[Related: Bill introduced to codify English language proficiency for truck drivers]
Donalds’ Weigh station Enforcement to Intercept and Guard Highways (WEIGH) Act would require the Secretary of Transportation to “ensure that each State enforces sections 3 and 4 of Executive Order 14286 … on each commercial motor vehicle that enters a weigh station.”
Section 3 of the EO required the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to rescind guidance that took ELP out of the out-of-service criteria and issue new guidance for inspection procedures to ensure compliance with the ELP rules. Section 4 of the EO required a review of non-domiciled CDLs to “identify any unusual patterns or numbers or other irregularities with respect to non-domiciled CDL issuance” and to improve the effectiveness of protocols for verifying the authenticity and validity of commercial driving credentials.
The new legislation directs DOT to ensure states enforce English language proficiency requirements and review CDLs for irregularities during checks at weigh stations. Donalds noted that states that fail to comply with weigh station enforcement protocols set by the Secretary of Transportation will risk revocation of their CDL program authority and federal highway dollars.
"Under my ‘WEIGH Act,’ all weigh stations along interstate highways will be required to enforce President Trump’s Executive Order to review commercial driver licenses for irregularities and verify the English language proficiency of truckers," Donalds said.
[Related: Florida setting up English proficiency checks at ag inspection sites]
Volvo launches free Load Finder load board for customers
Volvo Trucks North America announced Wednesday it is now offering Load Finder load board to help carriers streamline their operations and turn empty miles into revenue. Volvo subsidiary Mack Trucks unveiled its Load Finder earlier this year.
Unlike other load boards that require subscriptions, Volvo’s Load Finder is available at no cost to Volvo customers and is especially valuable for new carriers entering the freight market or established fleets looking to help maximize paid miles and support more efficient freight movement, the company said.
One goal of the service, Volvo noted, is to help carriers cut down on “deadhead miles,” or those spent hauling with an empty trailer to get to the next load.
“Deadheading represents lost time, lost money, and unnecessary environmental impact for our customers and for the industry,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president, Volvo Trucks North America. “With Load Finder, we are offering a simple, free service that helps fleets improve utilization, lower costs, and reduce emissions. It is another example of how Volvo Trucks is helping our customers improve total cost of ownership through innovative solutions.”
Volvo said Load Finder aggregates data from more than 40 load boards into a single platform, reducing the time and administrative effort spent searching for the next load.
The OEM collaborated with freight startup Class8, a Canadian company that has been developing trucking-business tech solutions since 2015.
For Volvo customers, Load Finder offers enhanced integration through Volvo Connect, the company’s fleet management platform. Live truck data feeds into the analytics to deliver faster, smarter load recommendations. Carriers can sign up for Load Finder on the Volvo website.
Load Finder doesn’t require any additional hardware or software and is accessible on both desktop and mobile devices. Fleets can also connect their existing electronic logging device and transportation management system (TMS) for more precise load matching, Volvo added.
[Related: Mack’s new Load Finder digital freight solution, Penske Truck Leasing updates Catalyst AI & more]
Two more sentenced in Massachusetts CDL testing fraud scheme
Two men involved in the Massachusetts commercial driver’s license testing fraud scheme have been sentenced this month for their roles in the conspiracy to falsify records by giving passing scores to four CDL applicants who did not take the CDL skills test as required by federal law.
Scott Camara, 44, pleaded guilty In April to one count of conspiracy to falsify records and one count of perjury. He was sentenced to a month in prison and a year of supervised release.
Eric Mathison, 48, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
In January 2024, Camara and Mathison were charged in a 74-count indictment along with five others in the conspiracy and related schemes.
According to court documents, members of the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) CDL Unit were responsible for administering CDL skills tests. In October 2021, Camara conspired with then-MSP Sergeant Gary Cederquist to give passing scores to four MSP troopers who had applied for Class A CDLs, but who did not actually take the required CDL skills test.
The test takers were given preferential treatment by Cederquist, who falsely reported that each trooper took and passed a Class A skills test. In reality, Camara drove around the testing site with each of the four troopers in a truck cab that did not qualify as a Class A vehicle because it did not have an attached trailer, and neither Cederquist nor any other member of the CDL Unit administered a skills test to the troopers.
Camara filled out portions of each trooper’s Road Test Application with false information, including the make, model and registration for an absent trailer, as well as the “Sponsor Information” section, in which Camara falsely claimed to be the sponsor for each of the troopers.
Camara was also sentenced for making false statements to a federal grand jury in May 2023. Testifying under oath before the grand jury, Camara falsely claimed that he had neither filled out the vehicle and sponsor information sections of three of the troopers’ CDL Road Test Applications, nor signed the forms.
Mathison worked for a water company that employed drivers who needed CDLs to drive their delivery vehicles. Cederquist gave passing scores to multiple applicants from the water company who actually failed the CDL skills test, as well as others who took only a partial test, in exchange for bribes of free inventory from the water company, such as cases of bottled Fiji, VOSS and Essentia water, cases of bottled Arizona Iced Tea, coffee and tea products, energy drinks, and Twizzlers and Swedish Fish candy, all of which Mathison delivered to an office trailer at the CDL test site in Stoughton, Massachusetts.
Mathison admitted to his communications with Cederquist about particular CDL applicants and their performance on the skills test, as well as inventory from the water company that Cederquist requested and that Mathison delivered.
In August, former MSP Troopers Calvin Butner and Perry Mendes were sentenced for their roles in the case. Cederquist -- who was convicted in May of two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion, one count of extortion, six counts of honest services mail fraud, three counts of conspiracy to falsify records, 19 counts of falsification of records and 17 counts of false statements -- is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 29.
[Related: Former state trooper sentenced in CDL testing fraud scheme]
