Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025:
House bill would codify non-domiciled CDL changes, end Canada/Mexico CDL reciprocity
New legislation introduced in the U.S. House looks to codify the Department of Transportation’s new rules changes and stricter requirements for obtaining or maintaining a CDL for foreign nationals, and also end existing reciprocity agreements recognizing CDLs from Mexico and Canada.
Introduced by Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas), the Protecting America’s Roads Act “mandates that states will come into compliance with stricter licensing and monitoring standards or they will suffer severe penalties,” a press release from Van Duyne says.
Specifically, the bill requires:
- CDL applicants to prove lawful status and domicile
- Mandates DHS SAVE verification for all non-citizen applicants
- Limits non-citizen CDLs to the shorter of Form I-94 expiration or one year.
- Requires in-person renewals and transfers
- Directs states to revoke licenses when eligibility lapses
- Establishes penalties for states that don’t comply.
- Ends recognition of foreign CDLs unless authorized by statute
- Authorizes 287(g) agencies to report unlawful CDL operators
Should the bill advance through the House and Senate and be signed into law, it would take effect six months after the date of enactment. For now, though, the bill has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the House Committee on the Judiciary for considerations of provisions of the bill that fall within their respective jurisdictions.
[Related: DOT hopes to force 194,000 non-domiciled CDL holders out of trucking]
Pennsylvania plans notable truck parking capacity expansion
Pennsylvania officials on Oct. 6 announced that the Commonwealth is adding more than 1,200 truck parking spaces in 133 locations by the end of 2026.
Additionally, the Pennsylvania Turnpike is evaluating opportunities to add more than 600 spaces across its system, as well.
Officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), Pennsylvania Turnpike (PA Turnpike) and Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association said this is the first statewide expansion of designated parking spaces other than through facility construction projects.
“Truck parking is a nationwide issue, and with the high volume of freight traffic coming through Pennsylvania, the Shapiro Administration knew that we needed to tackle this problem,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said. “As a commercial driver’s license-holder myself, I know how important this commonsense approach is to our economy and workforce. By adding these spots -- and looking at ways to add even more -- we’re giving truckers many more options to safely park and meet their rest requirements.”
PennDOT’s designated truck parking spots will be established on interstate on-ramps with no sight distance or safety concerns, weigh stations used for PSP motor carrier safety enforcement, and various other locations within highway right of way. A map and list of locations can be seen here. PennDOT and PSP staff collaborated closely to identify sites that can be designated quickly and cost-effectively. Spots will be marked with truck-parking signage installed by PennDOT.
PA Turnpike officials said they are evaluating the feasibility of additional spaces at various locations throughout its system, including emergency pull-offs, interchange on-ramps and service plaza on-ramps. Over the last two decades, the PA Turnpike has added parking where it can, investing more than $30 million to expand truck parking at numerous service plazas, including Sideling Hill, Lawn, Highspire, North Somerset and Stanton service plazas.
To complement the added spaces and to share available locations, PennDOT also unveiled a new “Public Truck Parking” option on www.511PA.com and the 511PA smartphone app. The map displays existing truck parking options, and newly designated locations will be added as the parking becomes available.
[Related: Ohio governor announces plan to address state’s truck parking shortage]
Premier Transportation names new VP of Safety
Premier Transportation (CCJ Top 250, No. 104) has announced the appointment of Matt DiVito as its Vice President of Safety. DiVito brings extensive military and transportation industry experience to the company
Matt DiVito
"Safety is a company-wide value that we live daily while providing world-class service to our customers," said DiVito. "Our commitment to our drivers is to support them in staying compliant with the applicable regulations and making safety-focused decisions while they deliver that service."
Prior to joining Premier Transportation, DiVito spent 12 years with Crete Carrier Corporation (No. 22), where he held positions in both operations and safety departments. His career began with military service, including deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Haiti.
In his new role, DiVito has outlined three key priorities for his first year: continuing to build the company's safety culture, reducing the accident rate, and conducting terminal visits to connect directly with drivers and operations teams. He emphasized the importance of evaluating existing safety programs to identify opportunities for improvement in both safety results and culture.
"Matt's combination of military leadership experience and deep transportation safety expertise makes him an ideal fit for Premier Transportation," said CEO Mike Medici. "His hands-on approach and commitment to driver engagement align perfectly with our values."
