Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Sept. 11, 2026:
Oregon wildfire HOS relief extended
Motor carriers and truck drivers providing emergency relief to the ongoing wildfire emergency in Oregon are getting an extra month of hours-of-service relief.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued an extension of the waiver that has been in effect since mid-June. Previous extensions were issued on June 26, July 13, and Aug. 11.
Due to ongoing active wildfires, Oregon requested another extension on Sept. 2. FMCSA agreed, noting that emergency conditions have not abated. The extension is valid through Oct. 11 or until the end of the emergency, whichever is sooner.
Under the emergency declaration, motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance to the emergency in the State of Oregon related to wildfire suppression are granted emergency relief from 49 CFR § 395.3, maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles.
The HOS relief applies regardless of the origin of the trip, so long as the carrier or driver is providing direct assistance to the emergency in Oregon.
Direct assistance does not include hauls related to long-term rehabilitation of damaged physical infrastructure after the initial threat to life and property has passed, nor does it include routine commercial deliveries, including mixed loads with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of the waiver.
FMCSA works with NY inspectors to park 20 trucks, 23 drivers
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration inspectors recently joined forces with the New York State Department of Transportation and New York State Police for a targeted commercial vehicle enforcement effort along I-81.
During the effort, officials conducted inspections on 363 commercial vehicles, resulting in 23 drivers and 20 trucks being placed out-of-service.
“Every unsafe driver or vehicle identified and removed from service is one less risk to the commercial motor vehicle industry and everyone traveling on American roads,” FMCSA said in a Facebook post announcing the results.
Volvo rolls out ‘lock and leave’ OTA software update nationwide
This week, Volvo Trucks North America is making unattended over-the-air software updates available in trucks across the U.S. and Canada, completing the rollout of the new remote programming capabilities announced in June.
Drivers can now start a software update, lock the truck, and walk away, whether for a 30-minute break or an overnight stop. The new capability enables trucks to stay current with the latest software without interrupting operations or requiring a visit to the dealership, Volvo said.
Through OTA software updates, remote diagnostics and predictive service capabilities, Volvo estimates that it has helped customers avoid more than 100,000 days of unplanned downtime, representing approximately $60 million in avoided costs.
The updated Volvo VNL and VNR are the most connected trucks Volvo Trucks has built, with a 24-volt electrical architecture that expands the amount and quality of vehicle data available to support remote diagnostics, predictive maintenance and future product development.
The trucks can be continuously updated by receiving software improvements OTA after they leave the dealership. Over-the-air updates can optimize systems including engine performance, transmission and battery management without requiring a service appointment. Volvo trucks running the latest software experience 24% fewer unplanned stops, helping fleets maximize uptime and keep trucks on the road.
“Technology makes our customers operations more productive," said Peter Voorhoeve, president, Volvo Trucks North America. “As software plays a greater role in improving uptime, updating the software should be as easy and convenient as possible. Now a driver can lock and leave their truck while the update runs during a break and return to a truck that is up to date and ready to go to work.”
[Related: Volvo intros new over-the-air update process]
