Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, April 30, 2026:
ATA joins coalition calling on DOJ to crack down on cargo theft
A group of organizations and businesses across numerous industries -- including the American Trucking Associations representing trucking -- sent a letter April 28 to the Department of Justice urging immediate action to address cargo theft and other supply chain fraud.
The letter calls on DOJ to implement congressionally mandated measures to counter a sharp rise in cargo theft and organized retail crime.
In response to skyrocketing cargo theft in recent years, Congress passed an appropriations bill in January with a provision that directed DOJ to begin the process of establishing a unified, federal response to cargo theft. The Department, however, has already missed the first deadline set by the new law.
The FY2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Act directed Congress to establish dedicated special prosecutors focused on combating supply chain fraud, cargo theft, organized retail crime (ORC), and related financial fraud schemes, including gift card fraud.
According to the letter, investing the allocated funding will allow DOJ to:
- Develop specialized expertise in complex cargo theft, ORC cases, and related financial fraud cases
- Strengthen coordination with federal partners such as Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), as well as state and local law enforcement and prosecutors
- Establish a prosecutorial model that can be replicated nationwide
- Deter increasingly sophisticated criminal enterprises that are exploiting our supply chain and the retail ecosystem
“We strongly urge the Department to move swiftly to implement the FY2026 funding and to establish this critical enforcement capacity without delay,” the letter concludes. “The continued rise in cargo theft, ORC, and gift card fraud presents a growing threat to workers, consumers, the movement of essential goods, and the broader American economy.”
FMCSA grants carrier’s request to use alternative, brake-activated light
Following a request last Spring from Yarde Metals -- a Southington, Connecticut-based motor carrier with approximately 119 trucks -- to allow the installation of an amber brake-activated pulsating lamp on its trucks, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has decided to grant the exemption.
An exemption to install such a light is required due to current regulations in 49 CFR 393.25(e) that require that all exterior lamps (both required lamps and any additional lamps) be steady burning, except for turn signal lamps, hazard warning signal lamps, school bus warning lamps, amber warning lamps or flashing warning lamps on tow trucks and CMVs transporting oversized loads.
In granting the waiver, which is effective for five years through April 28, 2031, FMCSA determined that allowing the company to operate vehicles with
granting a temporary exemption to allow Yarde Metals to operate trucks equipped with an amber brake-activated pulsating lamp -- positioned on the rear center outside frame rail of each CMV -- in addition to the steady-burning brake lamps required by the FMCSRs, would likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than the level of safety achieved without the exemption.
TCA awards record $182K in scholarships
The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) on April 21 announced the recipients of its 2026-2027 TCA Scholarship Fund. This year marks a historic milestone, with a record-breaking $182,000 awarded to 64 deserving students nationwide.
Since its founding in 1973, the TCA Scholarship Fund has supported the educational goals of students connected to the trucking industry. Eligible recipients are students in good standing who are enrolled in two- or four-year colleges or universities and are affiliated with TCA member companies.
“This is an incredibly exciting moment for all of us,” said TCA Scholarship Fund Chairman Mark Walker of TransLand. “We are honored to raise the bar once again in supporting students and investing in their future. The volume and caliber of applications this year were outstanding and it’s truly inspiring to see so many talented, driven individuals pursuing their goals. We are proud to play a part in their journeys and look forward to seeing the impact they will have on our industry and beyond.”
The TCA Scholarship Fund remains deeply committed to empowering students, strengthening the trucking community, and fueling the future of the truckload industry through education, the organization said.
The full list of recipients can be found here.
