Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026:
Two states lag FMCSA med cert mandate
And then there were two.
Alaska and Louisiana are the only two states that have yet to comply with a federal mandate that requires commercial driver’s license medical exam results to be submitted electronically with just six weeks before another deadline is missed.
Under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rule, certified medical examiners must electronically transmit a driver’s physical exam results to the agency by midnight of the following calendar day. FMCSA then forwards those records directly to state driver's licensing agencies.
The regulation took effect June 23, 2025, but implementation delays prompted a series of temporary waivers allowing truck and bus drivers to continue using paper certificates. The initial waiver covered Oct. 13, 2025, through Jan. 10, 2026, and was later extended through April 10.
A third extension granted in April applies through Oct. 11. Five states were noncompliant when that waiver took effect. FMCSA officials have said they do not expect to issue further nationwide waivers once the current exemption expires.
The transition to the National Registry II system is designed to curb fraud and ensure that only qualified examinations link to a driver’s permanent record. However, the mandate has required extensive technical overhauls for state licensing agencies.
Behnke Dedicated & Logistics acquiring AG Freight
Behnke Dedicated & Logistics has acquired South Carolina-based transportation and brokerage company AG Freight, expanding the Michigan carrier's presence into the Southeast. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Headquartered in Piedmont, South Carolina, AG Freight provides full truckload, expedited, less-than-truckload, drayage, and brokerage services. Owner Garrett Boulware decided to exit the business to pursue other opportunities following recent growth in the company's customer base.
"AG Freight gives us a real foothold in the Southeast," said CEO Behnke Logistics Ben Behnke. "We've been a Midwest operation for four generations, and the Greenville market—with its manufacturing base and the inland port—is a natural extension of what we already do well. Garrett built a solid business with good customers and good drivers, and our job now is to give it more resources and let it grow."
Mississippi planning major construction project on I-20, I-55
The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is launching one of its most significant infrastructure investments in recent years with the I-20/I-55 Freight Corridors Improvement Project, better known as “The Big Fix.”
The project aims to “modernize some of the state’s most heavily-traveled corridors, enhancing safety, improving mobility and extending the life of many interstate bridges throughout the Jackson-metro,” said Mississippi Transportation Commission Chairman Willie Simmons.
The project includes:
- I-20 from Wiggins Road to just east of the Pearson Road/SR 468 interchange
- I-55 from McDowell Road to north of the High St. interchange (including cross streets and ramps)
- I-220 from I-20 to the Lynch Street bridge
- U.S. 51 from I-55 to the end of state maintenance north of U.S. 80
During the project, MDOT plans to rehab and modernize 36 bridges, resurface or repair 32 miles of interstate (16 miles in each direction), and install Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technology that will further provide motorists with real-time travel information and traffic updates.
Repairs to the 36 bridges include decks, beams, girder and epoxy joints. Structural work ranges from bridge deck overlays, rail replacement, shoulder widening, vertical clearance corrections, pile encasement and bearing replacement. Other bridge work items include structural steel painting, fiber-reinforced polymer wrap application, along with cap cleaning and undersealing, among other work.
Roadway work includes pavement rehabilitation, concrete punchout repairs, mill and overlay, drainage work, slide repairs, shoulder widening, concrete removal and replacement, guardrail replacement, slope repairs, geometry corrections, barrier replacement and other work items.
ITS and other miscellaneous work includes the installation of truss and pedestal-mounted Digital Message Signs (DMS), camera installation, fiber extensions, sign truss replacements, safety fencing, tree removal, Smart Work Zone technology and interchange landscaping, upgrading entrances into the city of Jackson at High Street and State Street.
The project is on track to begin this fall and will last for approximately two and a half years. MDOT has prioritized minimizing traffic inconvenience as much as possible. For the remainder of this year, the traffic impact will be minimal as most work will be performed via lane closures at night and on weekends when possible.
Plans do, however, call for two 45-day full interstate shutdowns on I-20, one in each direction. The first is scheduled to take place on I-20 westbound in summer 2027. The second is scheduled on I-20 eastbound during summer 2028.
During the full shutdown periods, critical work will take place, such as shoulder widening, end wall replacement and repair, barrier work and full depth pavement removal and replacement, among other work items. Performing this portion under lane closures would be extremely costly and significantly extend the project schedule due to the traffic control measures required.
The public can stay up-to-date on The Big Fix progress, lane closures and travel impacts here.
Texas enforcement effort finds 5.5 violations per inspection
A recent commercial vehicle enforcement effort in West Texas resulted in nearly half of vehicles inspected being placed out of service.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s West Texas Division, DPS officers conducted 351 inspections during a recent effort in Mentone. During the blitz, officers identified an average of 5.5 violations per inspection for a total of 1,935 violations.
During the inspections, 167 vehicles (47.5% of the total inspected) were placed out of service, along with 34 drivers.
Among violations identified during the operation, DPS officers found 138 weight violations, 97 registration violations, 57 FMCSR driver violations, 17 hazmat violations, and six oversize violations.
“These inspections help identify unsafe equipment, driver violations, and other conditions that can contribute to crashes and endanger everyone traveling on Texas roadways,” Texas DPS said.
FMCSA touts inspection efforts in Massachusetts, Virginia
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration this week announced the results of two roadside inspection efforts along the East Coast.
In Virginia, the agency’s Virginia and West Virginia Divisions recently partnered with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Enforcement Division and the Virginia State Police to conduct joint roadside inspections at the Troutville, Virginia, scale facility.
During the operation, investigators identified critical safety violations that resulted in commercial motor vehicles and drivers being placed out of service.
Driver violations included hours-of-service compliance, medical certification and English language proficiency. Vehicle violations that resulted in OOS orders included load securement and tire-related violations.
Additionally, in Massachusetts, FMCSA’s Massachusetts Division partnered with the Massachusetts State Police for a high-visibility operation at the Rowley Weigh Station on I-95 North. During the effort, officers conducted 16 inspections and identified 28 violations.
