Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, April 2, 2025:
‘No-brainer’ House bill would create $7,500 tax credit for truck drivers
A bipartisan group of lawmakers have reintroduced a bill that would give eligible truck drivers a $7,500 tax credit over the next two years.
Introduced in the U.S. House by Rep. Pat Ryan (D-New York) and co-sponsored by Reps. Zachary Nunn (R-Iowa) and Mark Amodei (R-Nevada), the Strengthening Supply Chains through Truck Driver Incentives Act aims to address truck driver retention issues, Ryan said.
“Truck drivers keep the American economy moving forward. They work long, hard hours with little support to make sure that people across the country have everything that they need for daily life,” Ryan said. “It’s no wonder that job retention rates in the industry are declining. We have to be encouraging more people to sign up to drive and stay there, which is why providing incentives like this is so important. Keeping more skilled drivers on the road will also help combat supply chain issues, which jack up prices for American consumers. Passing this bill is a no-brainer: better conditions for the workers that drive us forward, more high-paying union jobs, and lower costs for families across the country.”
Specifically, the bill would:
- Create a new refundable tax credit of up to $7,500 for truck drivers holding a valid Class A CDL who drive at least 1,900 hours in the year. This tax credit would last for two years (2025 and 2026).
- Create a new refundable tax credit of up to $10,000 for new truck drivers or individuals enrolled in a registered trucking apprenticeship. This tax credit would also last for two years.
- Allow new truck drivers to be eligible for the credit if they did not drive a commercial truck in the previous year or drive for at least 1,420 hours in the current year. They may receive a proportion of the credit if they drove less than 1,420 hours in the year but drove at least an average of 40 hours a week upon starting to drive.
The legislation is endorsed by the American Trucking Associations, the Trucking Association of New York, New York Farm Bureau Federation, International Foodservice Distributors Association, and the Teamsters.
Bulkmatic names new President
Bulkmatic Transport Company (CCJ Top 250, No. 186) announced last week that Ryan Strauss, Chief Information Officer, has been promoted to President.
Ryan StraussBulkmatic
Strauss joined Bulkmatic in 2018 and brings almost three decades of experience in trucking and logistics leadership. Prior to Bulkmatic, he had leadership roles at Hub Group (No. 34) and Reinhart Food Service with responsibility for Trucking Operations and Technology Application Development.
During his tenure at Bulkmatic, he has led initiatives to substantially improve the company’s safety, quality and productivity through technology.
“Ryan has been the driving force behind Bulkmatic’s technology evolution, improving our operations, sales and customer services to better meet our customers’ needs,” said Kravas. “His focus on safety, technology and business growth, combined with his demonstrated strategic vision, will continue to drive the company forward, and I have full confidence in his ability to accelerate our performance in the years ahead.”
Kravas leaves a legacy of progress and stability, having dedicated 37 years to the transportation industry with companies including BNSF Railroad and Hub Group. Under his leadership, Bulkmatic achieved steady year-over-year earnings growth, expanded its core service offerings, and made strategic investments in technology, safety, and equipment.
“Chris has been a tremendous leader, guiding Bulkmatic through an important period of transition and expansion efforts,” said Strauss. “He’s leaving behind an incredibly strong foundation, and I’m honored to build on his legacy as we continue to evolve and grow.”
Illinois extending March IRP registration deadline
The Illinois Secretary of State’s office on Friday, March 28, issued a notice extending the registration period for vehicles registered in Illinois under the International Registration Plan (IRP).
The notice, citing “high volume of in person and mail in renewals,” extends the registration period for vehicles with registrations expiring in March 2025. Vehicles with registrations originally expiring March 31, 2025, will be valid until April 18, 2025.
“Notwithstanding these extensions, registrants are strongly encouraged to submit renewal applications as soon as possible to ensure timely processing,” the notice said. “We ask that law enforcement agencies in all IRP member jurisdictions refrain from acting against vehicles with Illinois apportioned license plates expiring March 2025 until the end of the extension period, April 18, 2025, has passed.”
Volvo, Mack dealer group expands Northwest footprint
Bruckner’s Truck & Equipment, a Volvo Trucks and Mack Trucks dealer network primarily with locations in the southern Midwest and Plains states, is expanding its footprint in the Northwest with the acquisition of Transport Equipment Inc. (TEI).
The acquisition will add three locations to the Bruckner’s network -- Lewiston, Idaho; Missoula, Montana; and Spokane, Washington.
Bruckner's Truck & Equipment has expanded its footprint in the Northwest with its acquisition of Transport Equipment Inc.Bruckner's Truck & Equipment
Steve and Betty Bidlake founded TEI in 1983 after selling their trucking business, which had grown from a single logging truck to nearly 100 units hauling a variety of goods. TEI initially specialized in trailers before expanding into truck sales in 1985. Generations of the Bidlake family have contributed to the company’s growth and success, with customer service as the cornerstone of its operations.
With the acquisition, Bruckner’s now operates 41 locations across 10 states. Each location is a Volvo Certified Uptime Dealer, and the company maintains 33 mobile service trucks to maximize customer uptime.
All TEI locations will continue operating under the same schedule with no changes to contact details.
Driver recruiting platform Tenstreet acquires DriverReach
Driver recruiting platform Tenstreet announced March 31 that it has acquired driver recruitment and compliance management software company DriverReach.
By combining driver and carrier audiences from both companies, Tenstreet will further scale its network to better serve the dynamics of the industry, the company said.
In addition, Tenstreet will leverage several advances in DriverReach’s software to enhance its own platform’s usability and ease-of-adoption for carriers.
Acknowledging the recruiting and retention challenges that are unique to carriers and private fleets in today’s marketplace, both companies will join forces to simplify, accelerate, and scale the capabilities of Tenstreet’s powerful marketplace solution.
For Tim Crawford, Tenstreet CEO, the acquisition will greatly enhance the Tenstreet network upon which thousands of carriers and private fleets and millions of drivers depend to keep trucks on the road.
“We’ve always believed that creating value for carriers and drivers is our main job – and that a key component of how we can do that is with scale,” Crawford said. ”The combination of Tenstreet and DriverReach will give us the ability to create more value for all stakeholders.”
DriverReach CEO Brent Dorfman agreed. “This marks a significant milestone for all of us at DriverReach,” he said. “Our aim has been to significantly impact the productivity and success of our users. Through this acquisition, this will only get better.”
