Trucking’s split on ELDs—and the future

What’s the future of trucking? Depends who you ask. As regulators, fleet owners, and drivers debate key rules—like ELD mandates and English proficiency—others are focused on how to recruit the next generation and keep them behind the wheel.

In this edition: friction on federal policy, insights on better hiring, and China is living in the future when it comes to truck operations. Can the U.S. keep up?

Duolingo time. Here's an interesting take and discussion on English proficiency requirements for truck drivers.

A bulletproof network. This LinkedIn Live digs into why logistics is a growing target of cyberattacks, and lessons from real-world examples, along with strategies for leaders to protect their business.

The world's largest truck stop. Check out photos of the Iowa 80 Truckstop, complete with a food court, super truck showroom and gift shop.

Loading up? A meme that offers a good laugh, but also a reminder of the importance of truck driver health on the road.

44%

The year-over-year drop in docked container ships at the ports of L.A. and Long Beach this week, as tariffs lead to canceled sailings. The ripple effects of fewer imports and containers will be felt throughout the supply chain, including drayage and long-haul fleets. Source: NBC Los Angeles

The key to hiring: treat candidates like customers

Trucking firms treat their customers as kings. What if the same philosophy were applied to prospective employees? Could it help ease trucking's recruitment and retention woes?

The idea comes from Mike Stanton of Lily Transportation. Instead of long wait times between interviews or lackluster communication, a customer-driven approach would create a more favorable hiring environment. And that's critical in today's world. 

"In this competitive job market, you need to impress the job seeker as much as they need to impress you," Stanton writes.

Why this matters: Driver recruitment and retention issues have plagued the trucking industry for years. A change in mindset and strategy may help fleet executives more quickly bring high-quality talent on board—and retain them after the fact.

Get more details at CCJ Digital.

UNDER REVIEW: Labor Dept examines independent contractor rule

TEMP BOOST: Trucking jobs rise amid tariffs, inventory frontloading

TAX CREDIT: Fleets, shippers call for biodiesel credit extension

FREIGHT'S FUTURE: Chinese logistics firm using driverless trucks

Major trucking groups diverge on ELD mandates

The American Trucking Associations and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association don't see eye-to-eye on electronic logging devices. In comments to the Department of Transportation, ATA said ELDs are an important tool for ensuring compliance with hours-of-service, and deregulation shouldn't focus on the ELD mandate. But OOIDA said there's no evidence ELDs reduce crashes, and small businesses have faced high costs due to the mandate.

Why this matters: The groups' comments are part of DOT's request for info on regulations that could be modified or repealed. Trucking representatives unanimously agree that safety and HOS compliance are essential, but the best way to record and enforce it is a different question. (FreightWaves)

Calif. officially backs down from clean fleets rule

California officials pledged in a court filing this week that they would formally repeal the state's Advanced Clean Fleets rule. A group of 17 states had filed a lawsuit against California for the regulation, which would have required a transition to electric trucks. The governor of Nebraska, the state leading the challenge to California's rule, said, "Our truckers don’t need California bureaucrats forcing electric vehicles into their fleets."

Why this matters: At the beginning of the Trump administration, California withdrew its request for EPA approval, and now the rule is effectively dead. It will be up to individual trucking firms and OEMs to decide if and how they want to transition to electric vehicles. (Nebraska Examiner)

What's stopping Gen Z from entering the trucking workforce

Among the generations in the trucking profession, Gen Z is less prominent. Some of it is simply age—many aren't old enough to drive—but there's also a lack of awareness of opportunities in the industry. Fleets can attract this younger workforce by showing defined career paths, encouraging mental health awareness and embracing technology for the digital native generation. 

Why this matters: With the average driver in their 40s, trucking owners will need younger workers to maintain the talent pipeline. Workforce priorities vary by generation, so understanding what Gen Z wants and can offer is key to attracting this demographic to trucking. (Fleet Owner)  

The importance of change management in trucking tech

Many steps go into a tech overhaul, but one of the most important (and sometimes overlooked) factors is change management. Leaders need to consider the needs of drivers, employees and customers as they implement technology, rather than simply plugging in automation to an existing system. 

Why this matters: Tech adoption isn't just about buying and installing a system. The humans using the technology have to be bought-in and see that it's solving real problems for adoption to truly hold. (The Trucker)

Thanks for reading today's edition! You can reach the newsletter team at editor@theinsidelane.co. We enjoy hearing from you.

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