100,000 carriers are gone. Here’s why.

Thousands of motor carriers are leaving the industry, and trucking owners are seeing capacity shrink with their own eyes. We’re taking a closer look at the many reasons behind this exodus.

Then coming up Thursday, how to know if that old truck is costing you more money than buying a new one.

And here’s an infuriating one. A trucker crashed into a Burger King (photos + videos here), injuring two people. The driver was drunk, didn’t have a CDL AND failed to show proof of insurance.

Dyed diesel. What exactly is red-dyed diesel, and what does Trump’s new executive order say about it? FAQs about the fuel.

Tight purse strings. Cooking meals, parking in loading docks, not paying for washes — this article looks at how truckers are pinching every penny.

“Every truck should have them.” One business owner who provides truck accessories is a big proponent of side guards — and not just because he sells them. After researching the equipment and seeing them on a trip to Italy, he realized the safety benefits.

Autonomous trains. TBH might make more sense than autonomous trucks. This startup is developing a battery-operated train to move freight 500 miles. No operator, no emissions, no traffic.

Coming up 📆 A list of the top trucking conferences and events to attend next year.

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Truckers are calling it quits because of diesel

Angel Diaz, co-owner of JD & LA Trucking, has noticed the truck yards at the Port of Los Angeles look much thinner than usual these days.

“People are deciding to call it quits just because things are getting so expensive,” Diaz said, pointing especially to diesel prices.

He worries about how a significant exodus of truckers might impact the supply chain and economy overall. But as for Diaz, he plans to keep on trucking because parking the trucks would still be worse financially.

Why this matters: Trucking owners are witnessing the shedding of capacity with their own eyes. The ripple effects through the supply chain lag what fleet execs see today, so the worst could be yet to come for consumers. For fleet execs, the decision comes down to crunching the numbers — does it make more financial sense to park trucks, or keep the wheels turning and pay current prices at the pump? (CNN Business)

There’s no one factor forcing carriers out of the industry. Regulatory enforcement, non-domiciled restrictions, CDL mill crackdowns, high diesel prices and much more are contributing — and also leading to growing market share for intermodal. (Talking Transports)

2027 TRUCKING: New forecast predicts rates, carrier pricing power for next year

HOURS OF SERVICE: FMCSA solicits feedback for pilot programs adding HOS flexibility

DRUG TESTING: FDA rule clears way for oral fluid testing of truck drivers

CHARGE UP: Pilot, Tesla launch megacharger site for heavy-duty electric trucks

DRIVERLESS RULE: FMCSA grants Aurora exemption to use flashing amber instead of warning triangles

FRAUD SCHEME: Truck owner submitted fake invoices to Amazon totaling $3.5M

B2B payments in the supply chain take too long
Here’s a familiar scene: your company hauled a load, and three months later, you’re just getting paid. Somewhere along the way, 60-, 90- and even 120-day payment terms became acceptable for B2B transactions. For small businesses with tight margins, every day they wait for cash — especially when expenses are high like they are today — is another day they can’t invest back into their businesses.

Why this matters: The bigger call is for supply chains to modernize how shippers pay their carriers. But for trucking owners living the day-to-day, the lesson may be to negotiate payment terms whenever possible, and always have at least a little cash buffer on hand. (Forbes)

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The Inside Lane is curated and written by Shefali Kapadia, and edited by Bianca Prieto.