Blog
Trucking news and regulatory updates for owner-operators and small carriers, with links to the primary sources.
October 23, 2026
Diesel at $6.28: what it does to your cost per mile, and which loads still pay
EIA's weekly U.S. on-highway diesel average was $6.276 a gallon on October 19, 2026. At 6.5 MPG that's about 97 cents a mile in fuel alone. Here's the math at a few MPGs and three example loads worked out.
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October 2, 2026
FMCSA denied the FOPT paper-log ELD exemption. Paper RODS are not an opt-out.
On September 30, 2026, FMCSA denied the Federation of Professional Truckers' request to let drivers keep paper logs instead of an ELD. MAP-21 still requires ELDs. The 8-days-in-30 paper exception is unchanged.
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September 25, 2026
Gasoline and diesel HOS waiver runs through December 16, 2026. It is not a blanket HOS shutoff.
This is not a blanket HOS shutoff. FMCSA's waiver only lifts the 49 CFR 395.3 limits for interstate gasoline, diesel, ethanol, and denatured ethanol hauls, plus some heating oil split tank loads, September 16 through December 16, 2026. A 16-hour drive cap, rest breaks, and every other rule still apply.
September 17, 2026
Truck first used in September? Form 2290 is due Monday, November 2.
If a 55,000-pound highway truck first rolled on a public road in September 2026, the IRS Form 2290 return and Heavy Vehicle Use Tax are due Monday, November 2, 2026. Here's the month code, the tax, how to file, and the stamped Schedule 1 your plate clerk will ask for.
September 16, 2026
IFTA Q3 closed September 30. Many states list returns due November 2.
IFTA third quarter covers July 1 through September 30, 2026. October 31 is a Saturday, so many base states list the return due Monday, November 2, 2026. Confirm your own jurisdiction.
September 13, 2026
The D.C. Circuit heard the non-domiciled CDL case on September 15. The March 16 rule is already in effect.
Lujan v. FMCSA was argued September 15, 2026, and there's still no opinion. The non-domiciled CDL rule has been in effect since March 16, the stay was denied in May, and waiting on the court won't keep a mismatched credential valid.
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September 12, 2026
Check your ELD. The October 6, 2026 deadline passed for five revoked devices. Switch now.
If your ELD is Moonlight, HGRS, Highest, Truckford, or Sparkle, the October 6, 2026 replacement deadline has passed. You're running without a compliant ELD. Switch to paper logs now and move to a registered device.
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September 11, 2026
The paper medical card waiver ended. CDLIS is the record now, except in Alaska.
As of October 12, 2026, a paper medical card is no longer proof for CDL and CLP holders anywhere but Alaska. Medical status on the CDLIS driving record is what states and roadside inspectors check.
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September 10, 2026
The Motus pause is still on. Your biennial update requirement isn't gone.
FMCSA updated its Motus notice on September 10. Biennial-update enforcement stays paused for filings due on or after June 1, but the requirement is not repealed.
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September 10, 2026
UCR 2027 fees are final. The portal opening date was October 1, 2026.
FMCSA finalized 2027 Unified Carrier Registration fees on September 1. UCR set October 1, 2026 as the opening date. Here's what small carriers need to know.