Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026:
Emergency declarations for heating fuel haulers extended
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has extended two regional emergency declarations covering truck drivers hauling certain commodities in a total of 21 states.
One declaration was originally issued Dec. 12 as a result of winter storms cold weather and a power outage at the Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, refinery. It gave relief from the maximum driving time regulations in 49 CFR 395.3 for drivers transporting heating fuel including propane, natural gas, and heating oil.
The declaration was extended on Dec. 23, then again on Jan. 15. FMCSA is now extending it once again for drivers in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and West Virginia. It is effective through Feb. 28.
Another regional emergency declaration was issued on Dec. 23 due to winter storms, colder than normal weather, a pipeline break and operations issues associated with the Mid-American Pipeline System, and an unexpected shutdown of the Robinson Refinery. It included drivers hauling heating fuel including propane, natural gas, and heating oil in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
This declaration was also extended on Jan. 15. Because emergency conditions have not abated, the new extension is effective through Feb. 28.
The relief granted by both declarations applies regardless of the origin of the trip, so long as the carrier or driver is providing direct assistance to the emergency in the affected states.
27K Western Stars recalled for potential battery issue
Daimler Truck North America is recalling nearly 27,000 Western Star trucks for an issue related to the trucks’ batteries that could potentially result in a fire, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents.
The recall affects approximately 26,958 model year 2020-’27 Western Star 49X and 2021-’27 47X units. In those trucks, a stud connecting the battery to the starter at the frame rail may have been incorrectly installed or may corrode, which can cause a short circuit. A short circuit increases the risk of a fire.
DTNA issued a similar recall last year for more than 21,000 49X and 47X trucks.
“In early January 2026, DTNA received a report of a thermal event on a vehicle registered in New York that had the recall remedy performed,” recall documents state. “The report described corrosion was present, which resulted in an arced cable that melted the vehicle’s frame rail. Later that same month, DTNA received several additional reports which noted the presence of corrosion at the junction point stud on vehicles that had the recall remedy performed, one of which involved a thermal event and two which indicated the presence of smoke.”
The recall added that DTNA also reviewed “warranty claims which identified additional vehicles where the junction point stud failed after the remedy was performed, involving the presence of corrosion and without any thermal events.”
Based on information available, “DTNA’s analysis indicated that the junction point stud remained susceptible to accelerated corrosion,” leading to this second recall.
The remedy is currently under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 11. Owners can contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712 with recall number F1029. NHTSA’s recall number is 26V-079. This recall replaces and expands the previous recall. Vehicles already repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy completed when it’s available.
[Related: Battery issue prompts recall of 21K Western Star trucks]
800 Volvo VNLs recalled for parking brake issue
Volvo Trucks North America is recalling approximately 800 model year 2024-‘27 VNL trucks that do not include auxiliary parking brakes.
In the affected trucks, if the vehicle is in weight bias mode, there may not be enough weight on the parking brake axle, which could result in inadequate parking brake force. Inadequate parking brake force can result in a rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the brake chambers in the affected trucks, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 10. Owners can contact Volvo Trucks' customer service at 800-528-6586 with recall number RVXX2601. NHTSA’s recall number is 26V-076.
Legislation takes aim at ‘chameleon carriers’
A new bill in Congress looks to get at the root of the problem of “chameleon carriers” and prevent entities from being able to re-register to avoid safety- and insurance-related issues.
Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyoming) introduced the Safety and Accountability in Freight Enforcement (SAFE) Act on Feb. 12.
The text of the bill is not yet available, but the legislation’s docket notes it would direct the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to conduct a study on chameleon carriers, and also “plan, develop, and test an advanced automation tool to help enforcement personnel detect chameleon carrier applications” under the Department of Transportation’s registration process.”
In trucking, “chameleon” or “reincarnated” carriers and/or brokers obtain authority over and over to outrun safety-record and/or insurance/bonding issues. FMCSA recently launched an investigation into a chameleon carrier network following a fatal crash involving an “illegal alien.”
Hageman’s bill was referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It currently has no co-sponsors.
The American Trucking Associations has voiced support for the legislation.
"Chameleon carriers are a plague on our nation's highways, putting all motorists at risk and undercutting the vast majority of trucking companies that are responsible and follow the rules,” said ATA SVP of Legislative Affairs Alex Rosen. “Safety is a priority for our members, which is why we are grateful for Rep. Hageman’s leadership to strengthen federal safety requirements and oversight. Alongside USDOT, we have closed loopholes and removed bad actors from our roads, and we look forward to building on this progress by working with Rep. Hageman and her colleagues to attach this commonsense policy to the next Highway Bill.”
[Related: Trucking association leaders offer recommendations on getting bad actors out of industry]
