Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, June 18, 2026:
GP Transco raises driver pay, increases home time flexibility
GP Transco (CCJ Top 250, No. 146) has increased pay for all company drivers currently on the CPM pay-per-mile model by 5 cents per mile, effective June 15.
The increase gives GP Transco drivers the ability to earn up to 72 CPM base pay, with the opportunity to earn up to an additional 6 CPM through the company's ELITE Driver Program based on performance, the company said. For top-performing drivers, this brings total earning potential to up to 78 CPM, which can amount to nearly $100,000 during a driver's first year with the company.
The company stated that the pay increase reflects improving freight market conditions and GP Transco's continued commitment to investing in its professional drivers.
"As the freight market continues to move in the right direction, we are excited to pass that momentum on to our drivers," said Amos Savickas, executive vice president of Operations at GP Transco. "Our drivers showed patience, professionalism, and commitment throughout a very challenging market, and this increase is a direct reflection of how much we value their work. We want GP Transco to continue being one of the top W2 carriers in the country for drivers who want strong pay, modern equipment, and a company that supports them."
In addition to the pay increase, the company is also expanding home time flexibility. Drivers who are currently out on the road for three weeks or longer will now have the option to move to a two-weeks-out schedule, if they choose. The change is not mandatory, but it gives drivers more control over their time on the road and time at home, the company noted.
GP Transco will also continue working with drivers on home time flexibility in general, while maintaining reliable service for its customers.
Nebraska wildfire HOS waiver extended again
Truck drivers and motor carriers responding to wildfire relief efforts in Nebraska are getting an additional month of hours-of-service relief from federal regulators.
An hours-of-service waiver has been in effect since Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen issued a State of Emergency on March 16. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration extended the relief on March 30 at the request of state officials, then again on April 10 and May 8. The latest extension was set to expire June 14.
On June 12, FMCSA issued yet another extension, granting the HOS relief through July 14. The relief was extended due to ongoing wildfire activity impacting over a million acres of land and severe drought conditions resulting in the urgent need for and hauling of livestock feed, the waiver states.
Under terms of the waiver, motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance to the emergency in Nebraska are granted emergency relief from the maximum driving time regulations in 49 CFR 395.3. The regulatory relief applies regardless of the origin of the trip, as long as the carrier or driver is providing direct assistance to the emergency in Nebraska.
Direct assistance does not include transportation related to long-term rehabilitation of damaged physical infrastructure after the initial threat to life and property has passed, FMCSA noted, 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.
Team drivers charged for allegedly stealing World Cup team’s gear
A pair of truck drivers have been charged in Jackson County, Missouri, in connection with property stolen from England’s World Cup soccer team visiting Kansas City.
Mustafa Salik and Erfan Kamal each face one count of Receiving Stolen Property, a class D felony under Missouri law, which carries between one to seven years in prison upon conviction.
According to charging documents, on June 12 around 5 p.m., the tractor-trailer containing Team England gear and other memorabilia arrived at the Swope Soccer Complex in Kansas City. Members of the organization’s logistics team reportedly noticed items misplaced in the trailer and that there were “items that were loaded in Florida that were not located in the trailer upon arrival to Kansas City.”
Team officials allegedly requested permission to check the cab for the gear, which Kamal initially refused. When told the other option was to call the police, Kamal allegedly handed over a pair of missing shoes. Kamal and Salik then allegedly proceeded to hand over the rest of the missing gear from the cab of the truck.
Upon conducting inventory of the items Kamal and Salik had in the cab, it was found they had:
- 4 pairs of cleats valued at $1,340.60
- 5 pairs of shoes valued at $1,139.50
- 1 red jersey signed by the team valued at $5,000
- 2 white jerseys signed by the team valued at $5,000 each
- 1 World Cup soccer ball valued at $214.50
- 4 navy shorts for the team with no value provided
- 4 navy shirts for the team with no value provided
- 4 light blue long sleeve shirts for the team with no value provided
- 4 light blue short sleeve shirts for the team with no value provided
- 2 lion stuffed animals with no value provided
- Multifunctional power strips valued at $40
- 1 JBL speaker valued at $149.95
- 1 Lego set of a Nike Air shoe valued at $99.99
The stolen property was estimated at about $18,000 in value.
“Jackson County will not tolerate any criminal activity that targets World Cup visitors, including the international teams that have traveled here to compete,” Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said. “We thank the Kansas City Police Department and our on-call attorneys for their quick work investigating this incident and filing charges immediately. Our office is committed to holding these individuals accountable.”
A Jackson County judge set each defendant’s bond at $75,000.
ATRI seeks carrier input on driver-facing cameras
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) is calling on motor carriers to participate in its Safety Impacts of In-Cab Monitoring research, which will assess how driver-facing cameras (DFCs) can positively impact safety and operational metrics.
This new survey is in addition to two other surveys open to motor carriers and truck drivers about adoption levels and user perspectives for onboard safety technologies.
With fleets increasingly adopting in-cab monitoring systems alongside other core safety technologies, ATRI conducted prior research that examined driver perspectives of these systems, with a specific focus on driver-facing cameras.
This new study builds upon that work, collecting before and after safety metrics to identify any statistical relationships between deployment of in-cab monitoring systems and improvements in safety outcomes. The research will also map specific carrier and driver strategies for managing in-cab data that improve safety outcomes.
Motor carriers are invited to participate by Friday, July 24, 2026. All data will remain confidential and published only in an aggregate format.
