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Truckers aren’t waiting for the new year to make resolutions for better health. We’re sharing inspiring stories of drivers doing everything from quitting smoking to running marathons.
Plus, do you know what your business looks like if diesel stays at its current level? Coming to your inbox Thursday, we interview a fuel supplier about managing costs and how to decide if locking in fixed prices is right for your fleet.
⬇️ $6.127
AVG. COST OF DIESEL PER GALLON IN U.S. AS OF 11/09, DOWN 0.165¢
ROADSIDE READS
Easy come, easy go? The tricky world of merchant cash advances, which sound great when you need cash fast, but they're expensive money. If you’re considering one, proceed with caution and read the fine print twice. There's no such thing as a free lunch.
Health is wealth. Trucking executive Keith Johnson once weighed over 300 pounds. Today he has completed seven full marathons and 31 half marathons. His story is an inspiring one.
ATA’s MCE. Missed ATA’s 2026 Management Conference and Exhibition in October? This article recaps the highlights and big takeaways.
Military vets in trucking. As Veterans Day nears, DOT’s deputy secretary shared how veterans can find careers in the transportation sector.
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AGENDA
Post-midterms, what happens to trucking policy?
Last week’s votes are (mostly) tallied. So now the question becomes, what do the results mean for the trucking industry? Democrats took control of the House and Senate, and Congress is now back in Washington for its lame-duck session. Highway funding, a veterans' trucking bill and the diesel-replacement program will all need lawmakers’ attention.
Why this matters: Many incoming lawmakers have already shared where they stand on transportation policies. For example, Democrat Troy Jackson, who defeated Republican Susan Collins in Maine, has voiced support for reinstating CDLs 10 years after a substance use suspension. Only time will tell which regulations actually become laws in 2027 and beyond. (Transport Topics)
INDUSTRY VOICES
Trucking websites: why they matter for reputation and cybersecurity
I’m guessing you didn’t get into trucking to be a web designer. Still, your website is often a shipper’s or broker’s first introduction to your company.
An abandoned website is not only a reputational risk but also a cybersecurity one. Joe Ohr, COO of the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, warns that fraudsters can copy a fleet's name and logo and redirect traffic to a fake site with malware. Driver applications and customer portals collect sensitive data, and a breach could expose it all.
Ohr’s advice for your website: “Treat it like the rest of your fleet: Assign an owner, schedule maintenance and inspect it regularly.”
Why this matters: Between dispatch calls and daily fires, your website probably isn't top of mind. Ignoring it, though, can lead to issues that require far more time and costs to fix, versus just doing some regular upkeep (hmm, sounds an awful lot like a truck …) (CCJ Digital)
YOUR TAKE
Some tasks can be offloaded to AI
FAST LANE
DRIVERS WANTED: Werner, J.B. Hunt boost spend on driver recruiting efforts
CARGO THEFT: Number of thefts down but value of stolen freight up
DRIVER’S LICENSE: Ohio scraps non-domiciled CDL program
M&A: PS Logistics acquires Roane Transportation Services, expanding flatbed ops
TEAMING UP: Army picks FedEx to modernize logistics network
NO GO: American trucker arrested trying to cross into Canada with gun, marijuana
SEEN & HEARD
Almost 10 years into the smoking program called Rigs Without Cigs, we have over 225 drivers that have quit smoking. While I wish it was 2,000 or 3,000, I'll take it. If that's 225 people that are going to live a little longer and feel a little better, I'll take it.”
Maintaining good health on the road as a trucker is not easy, and the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund focuses on health and wellness programs designed specifically for the unique needs of truck drivers. Dillon shares how the fund supports drivers and how fleet execs can help drivers struggling with physical or mental health. (That’s Delivered Podcast)
ROAD REPORT
The unexpected side effect of reducing miles
Cutting down deadheading and improving route efficiency are usually good things in trucking, and the benefits are real. But there's a catch. If you cut empty miles without adding loaded ones, the result could be an unexpected pay cut for your drivers, especially the ones paid by the mile.
Why this matters: Productivity boosts are welcome in any business, but they shouldn't come out of drivers' paychecks. One solution is to take the miles saved and fill them with more load movement per truck each week. That increases truck utilization and driver opportunities—a win-win. (Truck News)
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The Inside Lane is curated and written by Shefali Kapadia, and edited by Bianca Prieto.
