President Trump
President Trump & Trucking: Industry News and Policy Updates
The trucking industry plays a vital role in America’s economy—and presidential policies can have a major impact on how it operates. In this section, we cover the latest developments related to former President Donald Trump and how his actions, statements, or proposed policies affect truckers, fleet owners, and the broader logistics sector. Stay informed with news, analysis, and insights tailored for professionals in the commercial trucking world.
FMCSA Plans Sleeper Berth Pilot Program
The life of a truck driver requires a lot of flexibility, something that regulations can, while intentions are good, get in the way of and make things more difficult for all. To that end, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced through the “Pro Trucker Package” two new pilot programs where they will test the effects of new regulations on a small subset of truckers, and, if the data looks good, implement it on the general populace to make trucker life easier to manage.
Supreme Court to Hear Trump Tariff Case
By this point, if you have followed the news at any point in 2025, you are exhausted about hearing the word “tariff.” Hopefully the case will be settled once and for all, as the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case for Trump’s imported goods taxes that have been battled in the lower courts for almost half a year.
Trump Administration Vs. Trucking Regulations
If you thought the first Trump Administration from 2017 was intense in cutting regulations, the second Trump Administration kicks it into hyperdrive. Like Argentina Prime Minister Javier Millei raising a chainsaw in defiance towards the red tape, Trump’s second Administration is ordered to slash 10 regulations for every new one added, a quintuple increase from his first term. Here are the current standings of some of the most contentious topics in the trucking industry, and where they stand as of late 2025.
EPA to Block CARB Roadside Emission Checks
The war between federal and state governments continues, as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) have a bit of a scuffle regarding emission checking devices.
USA to Halt Work Visas for Truckers
In the latest round of regulations, the United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that effective immediately, foreign work visas for commercial truckers is to be put on hold for the foreseeable future.
EPA to Roll Back Diesel Exhaust Fluid Regulations
Diesel Exhaust Fluid, henceforth referred to as DEF, is a fluid that combines with standard diesel exhaust to reduce the total amount of NOx added to the atmosphere as the diesel engine runs.
Four Truck Manufacturers Go on Offensive Against CARB
It is another day in California, and that means somebody is suing somebody else. This time, however, it relates directly to the trucking industry, as four truck manufactures are shifting gears and standing against the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
Mid-Year Fuel Tax Changes
The second most popular day of the year for laws and regulations to go into effect is July 1st, the most popular being the start of a new year. Thirteen states have updated their fuel taxes for the midpoint of 2025. Here is what that entails.
Big Beautiful Bill Reinstates 100% Bonus Depreciation
Taxes for 2025 in the trucking industry just became a lot more interesting due to a provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
California Highway Patrol Lagging on English Enforcement
It seems like the battle between state and federal government will never end, it is just a question as to which state is battling the United States government.
EPA Wants to Remove Greenhouse Gas Regulations Altogether
Under the watch of Lee Zeldin, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants to rescind Obama-Era endangerment findings and regulations. Doing this would remove the EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases.
Speed Limiter Regulation Officially Iced for Four Years Minimum
The battle of regulations regarding speed regulators is a long-fought war, but those in opposition of it have received some reprieve, as the Department of Transportation (DOT) under the 47th President of the United States Donald Trump has announced that it will not be pursuing speed limiters for the foreseeable future.
Sean Duffy Speaks Before House on Transportation Budget
When it comes to government spending, there are few things that receive as much bipartisan support as infrastructure investment: things that everyone uses in the United States with little more than a second thought.
California Doubles Down on Clean Vehicles
“Out of the frying pan and into the fire” is a common phrase, but it is an accurate telling of the battle for low-emission vehicles in California. When one battle ends, another begins.
Trump Rolls Back Obama-Era Emissions Waiver
One June 12th, 2025, 47th President of the United States Donald Trump signed an order that rules back a regulation from the Obama-era that gave states such as California more leeway in determining its own emission standards for vehicles, ranging from standard 4-wheel passenger vehicles used to commute to work to commercial vehicles that are work.
US and China to Meet in London Over Trade
We get cheap imports from China; that is a fact. The 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump, sees that with a negative connotation in cheap. No longer, he believes, is it a good value, but rather that components and materials used in trucks such as steel are frail and of lower quality.
CVSA to Join FMCSA in English Enforcement
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is a private organization that works to improve safety on America’s roads, as opposed to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which enforces it under regulation and the weight of the United States Federal Government.
Sean Duffy to Reduce Trucking Regulations
“My department is slashing duplicative and outdated regulations that are unnecessarily burdensome, waste taxpayer dollars, and fail to ensure safety,” Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said in an announcement on May 29th. “These are common-sense changes that will help us build a more efficient government that better reflects the needs of the American people. Big government has been a big failure.”
FMCSA to Implement Two-Step Test in English Proficiency
As we established in a previous article, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order explicitly requiring the enforcement of a prior regulation saying that CDL-holders must understand English. To fulfill that Executive Order, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is planning to implement a test to make sure those who are questioned about their English fluency are able to talk the talk, so to speak.
Sean Duffy Finalizes 76 Projects
We have written at great length about Biden-era infrastructure investments, and how things have changed (or in some cases, stayed the same) with the transition to the second Trump Administration. One such case is the lawsuit of sixteen states trying to get money from established funds. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy is working to get those infrastructure projects underway.
16 State Coalition Sues FHWA
Yesterday we published an article about a coalition of sixteen different states suing California regarding the Advanced Clean Fleet regulation. This is not a case of deja vu; the exact same number of states happen to be running their own lawsuit against the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Trump Provides Exemption for Tariffs to Motor Vehicles
The only thing that is predictable about the second Trump Administration is that it is unpredictable.
Trump Executive Order Makes English the Rule of the Road
The 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump has already signed numerous executive orders in the first year of his second term in office.
Government to Investigate Truck Manufacturing Capabilities
Unless you have been completely disconnected from the news (in which case, how are you reading this?), there is a word that you have heard to the point of nausea: tariffs, and the mass hysteria going around their implications.
Trump Administration to Repeal “Woke” Emissions Regulations
When it comes to the trucking industry, it seems that the Trump Administration is taking an approach where actions speak louder than words. Rather than spending time focusing on the nitty-gritty finer details of the inner workings of the trucking industry, the administration of the 47th president is focused on getting goods from Point A to Point B.
DOT Ideas Wanted
Under the Trump Administration, the Department of Transportation (DOT) wants to slash regulations so that commercial businesses that utilize America’s infrastructure can thrive, but it is a bit lost as to where to start. With President Trump upping the ante of regulations cut versus added from 2:1 to 10:1, the DOT needs to get busy. […]
American Trucking Associations Calls on Congress to Oppose CARB
With the change in presidential administrations from Biden to Trump, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has found itself against growing opposition to the policies that it hopes to implement, namely, the Advanced Clean Trucks Rule and Omnibus NOx waivers.
Truck Makers Hesitant on Regulatory Rollbacks
The headline for this article might seem a little weird at first glance. “Why would trucking companies feel uneasy about the Trump Administration deciding to rollback emissions regulations for the Environmental Protection Agency?” But the reason why makes sense given the implications of America’s government.
Derek Barrs Considered for FMCSA Administrator Position
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) saga continues, with the previous update to this being Adrienne Camire leaving the FMCSA without a trace.The 47th president has wasted no time finding the next FMCSA Acting Administrator, however, and has tapped a man by the name of Derek Barrs for the position.DetailsThe role of FMCSA Administrator […]
Adrienne Camire Leaves FMCSA
We at TopMark Funding hate to report this, but the news is the news and we have no direct influence over how people act in Washington D.C. We wrote on March 11th about Adrienne Camire taking up the position of Acting Administrator of the FMCSA. Two weeks later, she has silently stepped down. Details The […]
Chris Spear Speaks at Tech Conference
If you have been following news regarding the trucking industry for a while, there is a pretty good chance you are familiar with the name “Chris Spear.” The president of the American Trucking Association (ATA), which has a membership of 50 state trucking associations, is a relatively big player within the space.
Adrienne Camire to Lead FMCSA
On March 7th President Trump appointed Adrienne Camire to be the Deputy Administrator and the Acting Administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).Details“I am pleased to welcome Adrienne Camire as Acting Administrator of FMCSA,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy in a statement regarding Camire’s appointment. “Ms. Camire is a dedicated leader […]
Federal Government Fights New York on Congestion Pricing
Anyone who has spent an hour in Manhattan knows that it is crowded, which is part of the reason why the state of New York introduced congestion pricing to the lower part of the island. The Trump Administration is fighting back, rescinding previous approval from the prior administration and promising to see the other party in court.
EPA Admin Submits Regulatory Rollbacks
Lee Zeldin, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has submitted waivers to pull back California’s approval for the Advanced Clean Truck and Omnibus NOx regulations that were established under the Biden Administration. How does submitting waivers to Congress actually stop those regulations rather than hurt it? Well, it is complicated.DetailsWe have covered both of […]
Sean Duffy to Replace Fuel Economy Rule
When Joe Biden was in office, there was a set rule for fuel economy standards within the United States: the average of all 2031 models for cars must be or exceed 50.4 miles per gallon. Now that there is a new administration, Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has decided to axe that. Details The […]
Sean Duffy Has Confirmation Hearing
By the time this article is published for the world to see, Donald Trump will have taken office as the 47th president of the United States. On January 15th, however, former Wisconsin representative Sean Duffy had a three-hour confirmation hearing with the Senate Commerce Committee to see if he is a quality candidate to become the Secretary of Transportation.
California Abandons Advanced Clean Fleets Rule
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past two years, you have heard about the California Air Resource Board (CARB) and their strong plans to make the trucking industry greener. No new diesel trucks by 2036. Illegal to operate a diesel truck by 2042. Well, drivers in or traveling through the Golden State can now rest easier, as CARB has decided to abandon these plans.
Canada Plans Tariffs Towards US
During Donald Trump’s first term as president, there were tariffs going both ways between the United States and Canada. Donald Trump’s second term is expected to have tariffs be an order of magnitude higher than that, so Canada is hoping to up the ante as well as it refuses to be pushed around by us, the U.S.
DOT Releases Recap of Past Four Years
With the Biden Administration in its final days and the second Trump presidency on the horizon, Biden’s Department of Transportation (DOT) released a list of its accomplishments to the American people so as not to be forgotten with whatever comes next.DetailsExecutive Order 14123 says that a White House Council on Supply Chain Resiliency must release […]
FMCSA Denies Exemption for Driverless Trucks
One problem with the development of autonomous commercial vehicles that is often overlooked is things other than driving that a trucker may do as a part of his or her job. One such example was noticed by Waymo and Aurora, and as such they petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to allow the […]
TopMark Funding’s Yearly Roundup 2024
Another year comes to a close; a relatively hectic and interesting one for the trucking industry. Here are the biggest articles of each month, in case you need a refresher.
The Cost of Congestion
One of the most fun and interesting studies to come out of the trucking industry every year is from the fine folks over at the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), where they use the power of math and statistics to determine how much more efficiently the United States economy could go if there were less […]
Trucking Industry Sees Massive Holiday Season
Merry Christmas from all of us at TopMark Funding! It seems as though Santa has left a present under the tree for the industry as a whole, as the National Retail Federation reports expectations of a record-shattering holiday season of deliveries. Details According to the National Retail Federation, sales by dollar are expected to be […]
Connecticut Announces New Truck Parking
In the latest update in the war on truck parking, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) announced that it is using state funding to build new parking spots across the Constitution State.DetailsCurrently in Connecticut, there are 420 public use commercial truck parking spots, a fraction of what is needed to sustain truckers traveling to and […]
What Trump’s Tariffs Mean for the Trucking Industry
If you have been following even the slightest bit of political news, you have probably heard that Donald Trump is going to be placing tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico. What does this mean? Quick Rundown on Tariffs A tariff is a tax imposed on imported goods to serve two purposes: additional revenue for the […]
Biden Administration Races Against the Clock for Infrastructure Spending
As with Biden replacing Trump’s policies before him, Trump will be doing the same in kind to President Biden once his term ends, reverting as much as he can before implementing his own changes to how the country is run. Because it is much harder to stop a moving train when it starts, the Biden […]
FMCSA Revokes Three ELD Registrations
When it comes to ELD regulations, we have aired our grievances before. It seems someone at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is a huge fan of our writing, as they are taking steps to inform truckers of Electronic Logging Devices being removed from their registry. Either that, or it is a happy coincidence. […]
Prebuying to Avoid Regulations
The government is like a massive ship. It has a lot of inertia, and it is a lot harder to turn it, let alone 180 degrees when it is in motion. Despite there being an inevitable transfer of power once Trump takes the Oval Office, he might find it difficult to stop previously established EPA […]
CARB Updates its LCFS
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted 12 to 2 on November 8th in favor of revamping its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). What does this mean for truckers in the Golden State? Details The vote comes on the heels of the 2024 presidential election, after news that Donald Trump would be returning to office, […]
Lee Zeldin to Lead EPA
With Trump slated to return to the Oval Office in 2025, he is picking out people to lead in the executive branch of the United States federal government. You may have heard of a few of them by now, but one that will have a profound impact on the trucking industry is whoever leads the […]
Regulatory Changes Under President Trump
Regulations are much harder to get off the books than they are to prevent from getting onto them in the first place. With Donald Trump a few months out from his second presidential term, here are some potential changes to upcoming regulations plaguing the trucking industry.
Trucking in the Second Era of Trump
Anyone who has been paying attention to our reporting of the news, especially in regard to regulations, likely noticed that we ended a good number of articles with “it will be interesting to see how the 2024 election plays out and if there is a change of party in the White House, how that will […]
FMCSA Considers Changing Safety Rating System
Jack Van Steenburg, the Assistant Administrator and Chief Safety Officer of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) during the Trump Administration, pointed out a very interesting statistic when speaking at the Heavy Duty Trucking Exchange: despite there being 750,000 motor carriers within the United States, only about 19,000 (or 3%) have gone through the […]
Oil Demand to Increase Until 2030, Researchers Claim
(Play the video to listen to the article) Some of the biggest news in the trucking industry right now is the adoption of greener technologies such as electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, but the adoption rate of greener vehicles amongst the general populace has slowed down in recent years, despite consistently high gas and diesel prices. […]
Another Lawsuit Filed Against California’s Diesel Ban
The American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce (AmFree Chamber) is joining in on the fun of suing the state of California for its regulations that will make it unlawful to drive a diesel-powered vehicle in the state by 2042.DetailsThe lawsuit was filed on April 1st, but it is certainly no joke.The legal arm of AmFree […]
Could a Trucker Strike Work?
Perhaps you have heard in the news in the past few weeks that there were murmurs about a potential trucker strike against New York City in retribution for a ruling […]
Congress Reviews Department of Labor Rule
You might remember how we wrote about the impending lawsuit coming from Louisiana regarding independent contractor classification and how it will have negative effects on the trucking industry, but the judicial branch is not the only check and balance impeding the Department of Labor. Now, Congress wants in on the action.DetailsRepresentative Kevin Kiley, a Republican […]
Diesel Approaches $4 Per Gallon Line
We do not report on diesel prices as much as we have in the past, and that is because we prefer to report when the news is something special, as is the case here. According to the Energy Information Administration, the average for diesel fuel across the nation is $4.022 per gallon, which is within […]
Vivek Ramaswamy Speaks at World’s Largest Truckstop
The 2024 Republican presidential candidate who is also a billionaire spoke at the World’s Largest Truckstop in Iowa to talk about what he would do regarding regulations within the trucking industry.Was our description of the candidate not apt enough to properly discern? To be more specific: it was Vivek Ramaswamy.DetailsThe Republican hopeful on his campaign […]
Texas Judge Reinstates Trump-Era Independent Contractor Status
The California AB-5 saga has not come to a close yet, as what the Supreme Court will do with it remains a mystery, but other challenges to the independent contractor/employee dynamic are still in motion. One such case is the Department of Labor redefining the term “independent contractor” shortly after the Biden Administration came into […]
Supreme Court to Hear Vaccine Mandate Case
We wrote about how the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals stated the vaccine mandate was constitutional, and how it was now up to whether or not the Supreme Court would be willing to hear the case. We have our answer: the Supreme Court has agreed to a special hearing on January 7th. Details Were the […]
Biden Reverses Trump’s Executive Order 13801
On February 17th, Biden continued his streak of changing gears from his predecessor by rescinding Executive Order 13801. As you can imagine from reading about it here, this impacts the trucking industry. Here is what Executive Order 13801 entailed and what Biden is doing to replace it.Executive Order 13801Hoping to bolster the use of such […]
DOT Secretary Elaine Chao Announces Resignation
Secretary of the Department of Transportation Elaine Chao has announced that she will be resigning from her position, effective January 11th. This marks the end of the second-longest cabinet holding behind Mike Pence himself: Elaine Chao started January 31st, 2016. Details Elaine Chao cites the storming of the U.S. Capitol as her reason for not […]
House Democrats Introduce INVEST in America Act
How much is added flexibility to your driving workday worth to you? House Democrats on Capitol Hill unveiled the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST in America) Act on Wednesday, May 3rd. The bill is 864 pages long, but the two biggest pieces that should interest truck […]
FMCSA Declares National Emergency in Response to COVID-19
Suspensions of Hours of Service (HOS) regulations are nothing new to the trucking industry, just recently there were two declared in Alabama and Tennessee. What is new is that the FMCSA has announced a nationwide suspension on HOS regulations in regards to commercial vehicle drivers hauling emergency relief across the entire country. The National Emergency […]
The USMCA and How it Affects Truckers
Though USMCA may sound like the acronym for an offshoot of the Marine Corps, in this context it stands for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The shipping of goods between the United States, Canada, and Mexico is bound to affect the trucking industry. History of the USMCA Before we understand USMCA, we must first know the […]
Section 179 Deduction 2020
What Every Business Owner Needs to Know Section 179 is a very simple part of the tax code. Even if you do not know its name, if you have ever done taxes for a business you own, you most likely have already claimed a Section 179 Deduction. In this article, we will go over Section […]
How Infrastructure Improvements Can Help Save Fuel for Truckers
Truckers Need to Save More Fuel Gas. It’s the thing that we all think about when we drive for a long time (or even a short amount of time). What gas mileage do you get? How much is it going to cost in gas? How often will we have to stop? And what can be […]
New Or Used Equipment? A Business Guide.
The Big Question: Do I Buy New Or Used Equipment? When it comes to decisions for your business, you always want to make the most financially sound decision possible. Purchasing large equipment such as semi trucks can be an overwhelming decision unless you do your research. When you know exactly what to buy and have […]