We still have a long way to go before commercial vehicles become fully autonomous and remove the human driver entirely from the equation, but that is not stopping California from getting ahead of the curve by…trying to limit it? Yes, the state normally known for technological innovation is now trying to legislate autonomous trucks away […]
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is never done with its task of putting on more and more stringent regulations in pursuit of higher air quality. You might remember the diesel ban of 2042, but that is still almost two decades away from the time of this article. There is a new regulation that is […]
California is a very large state, so although we are headquartered here in Roseville, the most water we have gotten in the past month is a quarter inch at the absolute most. Compare this with the southern half of the state, which is having a bit of a crisis due to Hurricane Hilary. As such, […]
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), one of the leading regulators of the trucking industry, said that California’s and Washington’s rules regarding breaks did not apply to truckers. They are instead under the jurisdiction of federal regulations. This declaration happened in 2018 during the Trump Administration, and as such the current establishment is heavily […]
Sacramento is a stone’s throw away from our headquarters in Roseville, California, so we are excited to hear and to report that the Sacramento International Airport (SMF) is getting an infrastructure investment that will help bring electric trucks one step closer to becoming the mainstream form of trucking fuel.DetailsWattEV, a company from Long Beach, is […]
California is a very beautiful state geographically, but when it comes to governmental regulation, its intense burdens can leave something to be desired for the average fleet traveling within state borders. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has announced that it is planning to form what it calls the Truck Regulation Advisory Committee (TRAC), which […]
You may remember how we have been reporting that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is placing some of the strictest truck emission regulations in the entire world. Now, CARB has reached an agreement with other truck manufacturers under the banner of the Clean Truck Partnership.DetailsMembers of the new Clean Truck Partnership include:CarbFordNavistarPACCARVolvo Group North […]
As of the time of writing, Julie Su is going through the nomination process to become the Secretary of the Department of Labor, where she will lead numerous faucets of government such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Her nomination has been a tumultuous one, with many trucking industry organizations voicing dissent against making her […]
We have written about the I-95 collapse a bit this week, but that was inconvenient to truckers traveling on the east coast. It is time for west coast drivers to feel the pain of road repair, as Caltrans has planned to start repairing sections of Interstate 80.DetailsDrivers that travel on I-80 between Hercules and Crockett […]
If you have been following trucking news as of late, you may be familiar with the strict emission regulations that California is planning to implement on the trucking industry. For those who are out of the loop, the short version is that all trucks sold in 2036 must be zero emission, and by 2042 it […]
California may be strict with its upcoming emission regulations, but that does not mean that fleets traveling in the Golden State are being left in a river without a paddle. As such, California is offering to pick up the tab on the purchase of new electric or hydrogen vehicles.DetailsRegardless of whether your business operates garbage […]
On Wednesday June 5th, the California State Assembly passed legislation in a vote that, should it become law, prohibit vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds from lacking a human driver in the front seat. Now, it goes to the California Senate.DetailsThe reason for the two bans is twofold.The first is that the state does not […]
AB-5, a law regarding the classification of workers depending on a variety of standards, may be the law of the land in the most populous state, California, but that is not stopping the trucking industry from challenging it from applying to the industry. Now, the California Trucking Association (CTA) and Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) […]
The race for green energy trucking is a worldwide phenomenon, and South Korean manufacturing company Hyundai is one of the global contenders that is now hoping to get its foot in the door within the United States market with its new fuel cell trucks.DetailsOn Tuesday, May 2nd, Hyundai Motor Company announced that it would be […]
Go big or go home, right?We have written before about how the California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced plans to require half of new trucks to be fully electric when 2035 comes around, but recent changes make that ambitious benchmark appear tame in comparison.DetailsNow, CARB has voted unanimously in favor of stricter regulations.By 2036, all […]
The most populated state in the nation, California always seems to be in the news when it comes to the trucking industry. Usually it involves regulations that make trucking harder, but depending on how you look at this one, it could easily be seen as something beneficial to drivers.DetailsCalifornia’s legislative system works similarly to the […]
The trucking industry is no stranger to being a scapegoat for pollution, what with the stereotype of the big diesel truck shooting out plumes of smoke with every tire rotation, so the Biden-Harris administration is both taking drastic steps itself to curb emissions, while also authorizing states such as California to go even further beyond. […]
California, for better or worse, is always on the cutting edge of green technology in the trucking industry, but is it possible that it has gone too far this time with a new mandate that will require at least half of all new trucks sold in the state by 2035 to be fully electric?DetailsThe Biden […]
In many ways, TopMark Funding’s home state of California is ahead of the curve, such as with stringent engine bans. However, there is one area of interest that California is lagging behind upon when compared to other states such as Arizona and Texas, and that is that it currently forbids the testing of larger vehicles.DetailsThe […]
TopMark Funding is located in Roseville, California. We are a few miles northeast of Sacramento, and most consider Roseville to be part of the “Greater Sacramento Area”, despite being in Placer County. The winter storms that had been declared in thirteen counties earlier have expanded into twenty-one more, and as such Governor Gavin Newsom is […]
In January, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency regarding widespread winter storms. Anyone living in the most populous state in the nation right now would agree that the downpour, after a short break, has continued. As such, another State of Emergency has been declared in the Golden State. Details You can read […]
Autonomous trucks are still numerous decades away from fully replacing the human driver, but that has not stopped labor unions representing truckers in California from petitioning the state Legislature to put in regulations that protect California’s truckers from becoming displaced by the technology.Autonomous AutomobileCalifornia already has set rules in place regarding self-driving vehicles that weigh […]
Loyal readers may remember what we had written about in the past, how California was experiencing intense drought and how the federal government may want to install a pipeline that can distribute water from where it is flooding to where it is dry. That will not be needed anymore. California is experiencing intense downpour to […]
Happy New Year everyone! New Year’s day typically entails lots of partying, friends, and the start of new laws because it is convenient.The California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced an update to a rule regarding the ban of older engines, due to their disproportionate emissions. As of January 1st, it is now illegal to drive […]
You might remember the entire debacle regarding California’s AB-5 bill, intended to prevent the misclassification of workers, and how it applies to independent owner-operators driving under the Authority of another carrier. While the case is mostly settled for trucking companies within California’s borders, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is fighting to have it not apply […]
It has finally happened. A day we almost thought would never come due to delay on top of delay, but it is finally here.At the GigaFactory party in Nevada, Elon Musk did the honors of handing the first Tesla Semi vehicle key card to the CEO of PepsiCo North America. Is this the start of […]
California is known for having some of the strictest trucking regulations in the country. While usually the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is satisfied with banning older year models of commercial vehicles as time marches on, they are proposing perhaps the greatest shift they have ever done: all fleets headquartered in California must be fully […]
What’s New? The Department of Transportation is giving $513.2 million to 30 states as part of their Emergency Relief Program. The goal of the program is to provide relief to communities after extreme weather and wildfires. “From recent hurricanes that struck the Gulf Coast, to wildfires in California and floods and mudslides in numerous states, […]
The day has finally come.The federal district court that initially placed the injunction against California Assembly Bill 5 for trucking, at the behest of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, has removed that injunction as of August 29th. The California Trucking Association is not giving up!Timeline of EventsCalifornia’s Assembly Bill 5 became law at the […]
The United States is suffering from a water distribution problem this summer: while the west coast cannot get enough water, the east coast is experiencing torrential downpour. As of the start of September seven states are undergoing States of Emergencies regarding water, be it a dearth or an abundance.AlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the […]
When you think of Tesla Motors, there are two features that you think about: the long range by electric vehicle standards, and the autonomous driving features. The California Department of Motor Vehicles is putting an ax to the latter.DetailsCalifornia’s DMV is suing Tesla Motors, filing with the Office of Administrative Hearings to say that Tesla […]
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is a scaled-back version of President Biden’s Build Back Better climate change proposal. The Inflation Reduction Act aims to combat severe weather events for infrastructure projects and promote greener sources of energy for transportation networks. The total bill comes to a grand $740 billion and while the bill details […]
It would not be a summer season in California without rampaging wildfires, would it? Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a State of Emergency.DetailsIn the middle of a historical drought, California is prime land for wildfires in the season with the highest temperature.While the fires have not burned to the same extent as the Dixie fire […]
In today’s world, the news moves quickly. We reported recently about how the AB-5 protests in the port of Oakland, Long Beach, and Los Angeles were subject to blockage due to protests against California’s Assembly Bill 5, which would outlaw the owner-operator model except under specific circumstances. At this point in time, however, things have […]
On July 18, protesters blocked the Port of Oakland, as a response to Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), resulting in a 95% decline in operations. Owner-operated truck drivers make up 90% of the Bay Area port operations, but that quickly came to a halt when protesters blocked trucks from getting into the port. The original protest […]
Following the Supreme Court of the United States declining to hear the case regarding AB-5 and how it applies to the truckers of California, truckers in California have taken to the streets to voice their concerns via protesting.DetailsStarting July 13th and still going at the time of the writing of this article, approximately 100 truckers […]
With the United States Supreme Court declining to hear CTA v. Becerra, the AB-5 law is expected to apply to truckers within California imminently. Aside from passing all three sections of the ABC test, there is another, lesser known exemption to the AB-5 rule that may allow California truckers to continue operating under the Authority […]
After reaching an average record high of $5.1816 per gallon, diesel gas prices decline slightly according to AAA. This price drop comes after President Joe Biden announces a plan for a federal gas tax holiday. As of July 6, the United States average price for diesel gas was $5.716, which is a decline of $0.6 […]
The Supreme Court has announced in an end-of-term orders list that it will not be reviewing CTA v. Becerra, making the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals verdict the official law of California.DetailsJudge Roger Benitez issued an injunction against the AB-5 law roughly two years ago, saying that the AB-5 law, when placed on the trucking […]
The Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) is suing the California Air Resources Board (CARB) regarding a regulation that is due to go into effect in January 2024.DetailsOn December 22nd, 2021, CARB established the Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Omnibus Regulation, which places higher emission status on heavy-duty trucks sold in California. It was set to […]
It has been over a year since the Ninth Circuit has ruled in favor of California’s AB-5 law. The California Trucking Association had appealed to the United Supreme Court, and the injunction has stayed in place ever since. Could the Supreme Court hold a hearing regarding the case before its current Term ends?DetailsThere are four […]
We have written at great length about how a better method to resolve air pollution would be to enact regulations that peter out older engines rather than forcing new engines to continuously provide breakthroughs in efficiency, and it seems that California may be doing just that. Details The California Air Resources Board (CARB) enacted a […]
The Canadian Freedom Convoy and Blockade may be de facto over, but the movement has spread to other countries. One of these countries is right here, the United States. There were talks about when such an event would start, and it appears to now have a set date of February 25th.DetailsThe plan, as told by […]
NoticeThis article was initially written before the Superbowl. Talks are now of the convoy starting March 4th.With all of the buzz surrounding the Freedom Convoy and Blockade in Canada, there is word going around of American truck drivers following in their tracks. Could a Freedom Convoy from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. help lift restrictions […]
The blockage at the twin California ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles is slowly clearing up, but it could be done a lot faster. One such cog jammer is the Clean Air Action Plan, a joint effort by both ports to reduce emissions. A noble goal, considering the smog density in the Los Angeles […]
First it was the federal government, then it was the state of California, now, private industries are joining in on the efforts to reduce the backlog at the twin ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Retailers Shift to Night Shift With the recent changes to 24/7 operations at the twin ports to help fight […]
Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation, has spoken with Chris Wallace on Halloween, in what is most likely his first public appearance since he had taken paternity leave. He spoke with Chris about climate change, inflation, electric vehicles, and tax credits, but what everyone is interested in hearing about is the greatest logistics disaster since the […]
It is hard to get a solid number on the number of ships that are currently in standby at the twin California ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, but it is clear the problem has not yet been resolved since Joseph Biden announced plans to ease congestion. The ports have decided to implement a […]
Joe Biden may have announced an increase in port operations, but ships are arriving faster than they are leaving, at a slow but ever evident rate. With California being the state with the highest gross domestic product in the nation, its governor Gavin Newsom wants to further accelerate the emptying of ships, and to that […]
On October 13th, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. announced that the Port of Los Angeles will commence 24/7 operations for the foreseeable future.DetailsThe news comes after the Port of Long Beach announced that they would be incurring 24/7 operations to help clear the backlog of ships and containers. The two ports, brothers to one another, handle […]
Neeley Keeny stops his tanker truck in Clovis, California. He fills up 2,500 gallons of water for about a fifth of a cent a gallon. He drives it northwest about one hundred miles and sells the payload for about $350. Minus the five dollars he spends to fill the tanker, a round trip nets Neeley […]
In the latest update of the AB-5 saga, the California Trucking Association, disgruntled with the 9th Circuit Court’s ruling on Justice Roger Benitez’s injunction on California Assembly Bill 5, hopes to take the fight to the Supreme Court.
This article was published on Smokey Bear’s 67th birthday. Happy birthday to Smokey Bear! There is always something going on in the approximately 3.5 million square miles that comprise our nation. If it is not hurricane season, it is tornado season; if not tornado season, it is wildfire season. These are the states that are […]
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that biodiesel and renewable diesel created emissions at a rate 1/3rd of electricity. This is incorrect. The correct metric is that biodiesel and renewable diesel are responsible for 3x more metric ton credits from greenhouse gas reduction than electricity is, based on the Low Carbon Fuel Standard […]
Nine months ago we wrote about how the case of CTA v. Becerra had an injunction on it, allowing owner-operators to continue leasing under another trucking company’s authority. Now, over a year since the injunction was first placed, it appears the end may be in sight. The ninth circuit has ruled that AB-5 is not […]
Savvy readers of our articles may recall from late June that we wrote about Hyliion and their plans for the Hypertruck. Hyliion hoped to have their Hypertruck be negative emissions through the use of renewable natural gas (RNG). While the Hypertruck is not released yet, there is tangible proof now that their goal is attainable.Driving […]
On November 19th, the California Court of Appeals reversed the court decision in People v. Cal Cartage Transportation Express, LLC. In short, the appeals court ruled that the “ABC” test that comprises the heart of AB-5 is not in contradiction with federal law and as such is not overridden by it. The California Court In […]
We at TopMark Funding have written about the AB-5 bill before. In the last article covering the bill, we talked about how U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez issued a preliminary junction against it, meaning that until the lawsuit between the State of California and the California Trucking Association (CTA) is resolved, the default position is […]
We have written about AB-5 and its federal counterpart before. The law, intended to curb workplace abuse by making it harder to classify a worker as an independent contractor, has legal issues for owner-operators hoping to work under a larger carrier such as Landstar. If this is you and you were worried about losing your […]
The fine folks over at TruckSite have created this helpful graphic about what it means to for a heavy-duty big rig to be California Clean, as well as tips to minimize the onset of rust on, in, and around your vehicle. Provided by: TruckSite.com Is the graphic not loading? In summary, it says that a […]
