We at TopMark Funding love to hear about news regarding more truck parking spots, and that is just what has happened over in the Hoosier state.DetailsThe Kankakee Welcome Center, located about 50 miles south of Gary, reopened on October 24th after construction. The entire revamp cost $40 million in federal grant money, and with it […]
If your fleet hires drivers from the Hawkeye state, you can take solace in knowing that there are going to be more truckers to hire in the years to come as the cost of CDL training tuition decreases, or at the very least does not increase, due to state grants provided by the Iowa state […]
It seems the California Air Resources Board (CARB) simply cannot stop regulating the trucking industry. Stemming from a state bill from 2019, CARB is now collecting data on non-gasoline trucks, buses, and other heavy-duty vehicles.DetailsThis mandate applies to all trucks that perform business in California, regardless of whether or not the truck and its fleet’s […]
After receiving $4.3 million from a federal grant, Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) has opened a 20-acre truck driving center that is estimated to be able to process up to 20,000 students annually, once all the required staff has been hired.DetailsTexas is one of the most populous states in the nation, and as such […]
It is almost hard to believe that it has been a little under a year since we wrote about the 2023 event dates from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), and now 2023 is just about over (or over, if you are reading this in 2024). With no time for complacency, the CVSA has announced […]
Trucking news has been alight with worry ever since California announced its eventual diesel truck ban, including with the California Truckers Association’s plan to sue the California Air Resources Board. But while some people oppose the new regulations, others are welcoming them with open arms, such as the state of Pennsylvania.DetailsThe move to ban diesel […]
Clearly, the best part of being a trucker is no doubt spending time in traffic. Nothing is more enjoyable than watching vehicles heading the other direction on the highway zooming by as you fight painstakingly for every inch!The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) decided to estimate the cost of traffic to the economy in 2021, […]
Not too long ago, we informed you that the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) was conducting survey research about the biggest issues plaguing the trucking industry. Now, the results have been released and to quote James Carville, “It’s the economy, stupid.”MethodologyThe way by which they accumulated their data is the same as last year’s survey: […]
You might remember the defense that the California Trucking Association (CTA) and other industry stakeholders used when first fighting against California AB-5, that being, it butts against the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (F4A) of 1994, dealing in interstate commerce. While the AB-5 case did not make it to a Supreme Court hearing, that is […]
In an unexpected turn of events, J.D. Valuation Services reports that model years at the auction decreased in value if they were newer and increased if they were older. It is quite the interesting phenomenon.August 2023 Used Auction NumbersModel year 2021: $63,375. This is a decrease of $599 (0.9%) from July.2020: $59,543, a drop of […]
It appears that the numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) have been going every-which-way in the past few months. Here are the preliminary numbers for those two months, circa October 2023.Employment NumbersWe last reported that July 2023 employment was 1,604,300. This has since been updated so that the final number is 1,600,900.August 2023’s […]
When there is a lot going on in the trucking industry, it makes sense for us to do freight rate updates less often than once a month. For now, here are freight rates for August and September.August 2023 RatesDry van hauling jumped two cents per mile to $2.08.August saw a short drop for flatbeds, three […]
Texas Governor Greg Abbott strikes again, as “Operation Lone Star” picks up and results in another round of increased scrutiny for trucks entering the nation via El Paso.DetailsThis is the third time in recent history that the state of Texas has ramped up border security. The main reason is the same as the last two […]
When it comes to diesel prices, we have been on a bit of a roller coaster these past few years. However, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) has some news: the nationwide average price for diesel fuel has dropped below $4.50 per gallon.DetailsThe EIA surveys fuel prices across ten regions every week. Compared to the same […]
We write about State of Emergency Declarations all the time here at TopMark Funding, but it seems the number of them and to what extent they cover are about to decrease, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).DetailsOn October 10th, the FMCSA released a Final Rule that is set to reduce the number […]
It seems strikes are common in the current news cycle. First there was news about a potential UPS strike as well as a strike upon Yellow, and now Mack Trucks has joined the fray.DetailsContrary to the previous two companies, which were logistical companies working with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), this is a truck […]
Global politics is weird.One of the key reasons why diesel prices at home are so high is because of geopolitical tensions. Russia is invading Ukraine, and as such trade between Russia and western countries such as the United States has been stymied. It looks like that may be coming to an end, as Russia announced […]
Last month we wrote about both July and August 2023’s truck sales and wrote that it was highly unlikely that September 2023 would see a year-over-year increase considering just how high the ninth month of 2022 was. This happens to be the case, however, the numbers for 2023 are still the highest for the year, […]
If the port backlogs of Long Beach and Los Angeles a little under two years ago taught us anything, it is that the nation’s demand for national goods is constantly on the rise. To that end, to be ahead of the curve, The Georgia Port Authority (GPA) has submitted a permitting application to build a […]
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) seems intent on introducing speed limiter regulation despite negative reception for drivers. Perhaps as an olive branch, the FMCSA is taking a small step back on the subject for the time being. Details The idea of requiring speed limiters was first put on the table in late 2016, […]
When it comes to Jay Leno, you probably know him for one of two things. Either you know him as the former late night show host, or you know him as a connoisseur of all things motor vehicles. Tesla was interested in his opinion as the latter, and as such let him drive a Tesla […]
Three years ago Nikola Motors started breaking ground on a factory for hydrogen fuel cell electric commercial vehicles (we wrote about it briefly when it was first announced). Now that the factory is complete, they are ready to get to work.DetailsThe news was brought to light on September 28th 2023, at the finished manufacturing facility, […]
