FMCSA partially grants fleet's driver qualification, clearinghouse exemption request

Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, May 14, 2026:

Waste Management gets partial driver qualification, clearinghouse exemptions

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has partially granted an exemption request from Waste Management (WM) for waivers from certain driver qualification requirements and drug and alcohol clearinghouse regulations when its drivers are transferred among two or more WM carriers with different USDOT numbers.

One exemption granted to the company gives limited relief from certain driver qualification requirements to allow WM to use the exception for a “single-employer driver” when it transfers drivers among affiliates.

FMCSA also granted a limited exemption from the requirement for the driver to undergo controlled substances testing when being transferred among affiliates if the driver has participated in a WM random controlled substances testing pool for any WM-affiliated employer for the previous 12 months.

Finally, FMCSA will allow WM to conduct a limited, rather than full, Clearinghouse query when transferring drivers among affiliates. If the limited query indicates that information about the driver exists in the Clearinghouse, the driver is not permitted to perform safety-sensitive functions unless and until a full query subsequently shows that the driver is not prohibited from operating a CMV.

The agency, however, denied a request from WM for broad exemptions from the pre-employment controlled substance testing and Clearinghouse requirements.

Waste Management requested the waivers in August 2024. The company in requesting the exemptions said that as part of its residential and commercial trash and recycling collection and waste disposal services, WM employs tens of thousands of commercial motor vehicle drivers among its affiliates, which operate under 83 USDOT numbers. It has centralized USDOT compliance efforts across all its related carriers under its Employment Screening Program (ESP), and critical compliance processes and documents are managed through centralized information technology systems, the company added.

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The waivers are effective for two years through May 13, 2028.

[Related: Waste Management seeks waiver from certain clearinghouse requirements]

Averitt expanding Louisville operations with new regional campus

Averitt (CCJ Top 250, No. 25) has announced it will build a new regional campus in Louisville.

The expansion will allow the Tennessee-based company to add an additional 64 associates over the next four years and retain 182 associates who work at their existing Louisville location. The development will serve as home to Averitt’s entire regional operation – a single, integrated campus that brings together all five of the company’s service units: less-than-truckload (LTL), truckload, dedicated, distribution and fulfillment and integrated services.

“This Louisville expansion is a significant and unique facility investment for Averitt,” said Barry Blakely, president and chief operating officer at Averitt. “The new campus will allow us to provide faster, more adaptable, and more efficient service, while enhancing our capacity to meet increasing freight demand in the Greater Louisville area and all across the South.”

The campus will include:

• A two-story, 10,000-square-foot regional office with training and collaboration space
• A 50,000-square-foot, 100-door cross-dock, expandable to 160 doors
• A warehouse totaling more than 286,000 square feet of distribution and fulfillment space
• Parking for more than 300 trailers, plus fleet maintenance, fueling, and driver support facilities to elevate the day-to-day experience of its drivers

Construction on the campus is expected to begin immediately and be completed in 2028. The new campus will replace the 40,000-square-foot service center Averitt currently operates at 4020 McCollum Court.

Averitt is celebrating its 44th year of operation in Bullitt County, having opened its first local office in 1982.

[Related: Averitt plans new regional campus in North Carolina]

Saia expands leadership team with new VP of Data and AI

Saia (CCJ Top 250, No. 18) has named Gautam Bhat as its Vice President of Data and AI, a new leadership role focused on advancing the company’s enterprise data strategy and responsible use of AI across the business.

Gautam BhatBhat joins Saia with more than 20 years of experience leading large-scale analytics, pricing and AI initiatives for global organizations including GE, ABB and Graphic Packaging International.

As supply chain and logistics companies increasingly invest in AI and predictive analytics, Bhat will help guide Saia’s efforts to modernize data platforms and build scalable AI capabilities that support long-term growth.

His leadership approach emphasizes practical innovation, strong governance and delivering measurable business value for both employees and customers.