Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

HDT's Top 19 Trucking News Stories of 2019

After scouring through our website analytics of news items of the past 12 months, HDT came up with the top 19 stories of 2019, giving you a look back on some of the important moments from this past year.

December 27, 2019
HDT's Top 19 Trucking News Stories of 2019

 

5 min to read


After scouring through news items of the past 12 months, HDT came up with the top 19 stories of 2019, giving you a look back on some of the important moments from this past year.

1. California Bill Means 'End for Independent Trucking' in State

The California Trucking Association predicted that Assembly Bill 5 “will put tens of thousands of owner-operator truckers, who service agriculture, retail and other industry sectors, out of business," because its stringent ABC test definition of independent contractor may be impossible for trucking companies to meet.

Ad Loading...

2. 5 Federal Trucking Regulatory Changes in the Works

Attendees at the Trimble in.sight conference in September got an update on regulatory "hot topics" for trucking. Dave Osiecki, president of Scopelitis Transportation Consulting, gave an update on where several regulatory changes stood, including the CDL drug and alcohol clearinghouse and entry-level driver training.

The full ELD mandate kicked in on Dec. 17.

Photo: FMCSA

3. ELD Adoption Fails to Reduce Truck Accidents, Study Says

Alex Scott, assistant professor of supply chain management at the D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University, led a study that evaluated inspection and crash data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and found that widespread adoption of ELDs in the trucking industry has so far had no measurable impact on the number of accidents.

4. ELD Violations Are Down, But Drivers Still Making Simple Mistakes

One of the more heavily attended sessions during Trimble’s in.sight user conference in September was an update and Q&A session on the upcoming electronic logging device mandate featuring Joe DeLorenzo, chief enforcement officer, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Ad Loading...

5. California Governor Signs Law That Threatens Independent Contractor Status

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 18 signed Assembly Bill 5 into law, a measure that trucking interests in the state say will wipe out the ability to use owner-operators.

Navistar's electric truck drew a crowd at NACV.

Photo: David Cullen

6. Navistar Unwraps Electric Truck

Navistar drew a standing-room-only crowd at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show, where attendees first saw the OEM’s prototype for a battery-electric drive version of its International MV medium-duty truck, dubbed the eMV, which the OEM is planning to bring to full production by early 2021.

Readers were eager to learn more about the new Autocar conventional.

Photo: Autocar

7. Autocar Rolls out New Conventional Truck Model

America’s self-proclaimed oldest truck builder has a new conventional model hitting the market. The Autocar DC-64R is a completely new conventional truck purpose-built from the ground-up for severe-duty refuse applications.

8. No 'Soft Enforcement' for Dec. 17 ELD Deadline: CVSA

All motor carriers and truck drivers subject to the electronic logging device rule had to start using electronic logging devices starting on Dec. 17, a deadline that also pertained to grandfathered automatic onboard recording devices.

9. Senate Bill Would Require Truck Speed Limiters Set at 65 MPH on All New Trucks

Who says bi-partisanship is dead? In June, a Republican and a Democratic senator teamed up to introduce a bipartisan bill that would require all new Class 7 and Class 8 trucks to be equipped with speed-limiting devices that must be set to a maximum speed of 65 mph and be used whenever in operation.

Ad Loading...

10. Proposed Hours of Service Changes Designed to Add Flexibility

In August, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration published an eagerly awaited proposal on changes to hours of service rules that would offer more flexibility.

11. Celadon Files Chapter 11; Shut Down of Operations Under Way

Celadon Group, operator of one of the nation’s largest truckload carriers and a pioneer of NAFTA cross-border trucking, voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company announced in early December.

12. Taking a Closer Look at FMCSA's Hours-of-Service Proposal

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposed five key revisions to truck driver hours-of-service rules. The changes were made in a process that started with trucking industry concerns about a lack of flexibility in the rules.

CBD oils can result in positive drug tests.

Photo: Julia Teichmann via Pixabay 

13. CBD Use Cost This Truck Driver His Job

A New York truck driver sued a company that sells cannabidiol (CBD) products for deceptive business practices after he lost his job as an over-the-road hazmat driver when he failed to pass a random drug test.

14. Speed-Limiter Bill Garners Support of Trucking Groups

Support from trucking lobbies grew in favor of a new bipartisan Senate bill that would require all new Class 7 and Class 8 trucks to be equipped with speed-limiting devices that must be set to a maximum speed of 65 mph and be used whenever in operation.

Ad Loading...

15. What Does Trump's New Trade War Mean for Trucking?

In May, President Trump sent shockwaves through the financial markets, as well as the automotive industry, when he announced a new round of tariffs aimed at Mexico. While experts warned that the initial impact on trucking will be minimal, the effects would become more dire with each passing month if the dispute is not resolved quickly.

16. Cummins, Hyundai Team up to Commercialize Electric, Fuel-Cell Powertrains

Hyundai Motor Company and Cummins Inc. signed a memorandum of understanding to evaluate opportunities to develop and commercialize electric and fuel cell powertrains, starting with the North American commercial vehicle market.

17. New England Motor Freight Files for Bankruptcy

LTL carrier New England Motor Freight and its subsidiaries voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in New Jersey, intending to facilitate an orderly wind down of its operations.

18. Supreme Court Rules Truck Owner-Operators Can't Be Forced into Arbitration

Trucking companies that use owner-operator independent contractors may not be able to rely on arbitration clauses to avoid lawsuits from those drivers in the wake of a new U.S. Supreme Court decision.

Freightliner's eCascadia electric Class 8 trucks.

Photo: Jack Roberts

19. Freightliner Delivers First eCascadia Electric Trucks

The first two production-model Freightliner eCascadia battery-electric tractors are in the hands of their new owners and about to begin an evaluation process intended to help pave the way for the integration of electric trucks in large-scale fleet operations.

More Fleet Management

TEN disaster prep.
Fleet ManagementMay 1, 2026

How Fleets Can Avoid Equipment Blind Spots in Disaster Response

When the unexpected happens, how you react to, and deal with operational blind spots is critical. Here’s how to keep you recovery on track, when nothing is normal.

Read More →
Illustration of cybersecurity images with "The Cyber Stop" text
Fleet Managementby Ben WilkensApril 30, 2026

AI Security Risks for Trucking Fleets: What to Know About Deepfakes and Agentic AI

As fleets adopt artificial intelligence for routing, maintenance, and load matching, new security risks are emerging. Learn where the vulnerabilities are and how to put the right controls in place.

Read More →
Mobile tablet showing Motus screen against highway background with Motus logo

FMCSA’s Motus System Is Coming. What Fleets Need to Know Now

The long-awaited registration system promises a single portal — and tighter fraud controls.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
CargoNet 2026 Qi report.
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseApril 24, 2026

Cargo Theft Incidents Fall in Q1, but Organized Crime and Impersonation Drive New Risks

CargoNet reports fewer supply chain crime events to start 2026. But losses hold steady as organized crime shifts tactics toward impersonation schemes and high-value goods.

Read More →
Graphic with light bulbs, HDT Truck Fleet Innovators logo, and the word Nominations
Fleet ManagementApril 24, 2026

Nominations Open for HDT Truck Fleet Innovators 2026

Heavy Duty Trucking is searching for forward-looking leaders at trucking fleets as nominations for HDT’s Truck Fleet Innovators 2026. Deadline is May 15.

Read More →
Illustration with trojan horse and lock with inside of cargo container in background
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseApril 23, 2026

New Trojan Driver Cargo Theft Scam Bypasses Carrier Vetting Systems

Cargo theft rings plant operatives as drivers inside legitimate, fully vetted carriers, then execute coordinated thefts that look like a traditional straight theft from the outside.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
ATA Truck Tonnage Index March 2026.
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseApril 22, 2026

March Truck Tonnage Posts Strongest Annual Gain Since 2022

A modest sequential increase capped the strongest quarterly performance in years, signaling continued freight momentum in early 2026.

Read More →
Toll road.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsApril 22, 2026

Ohio Turnpike Targets $5.2 Million in Unpaid Tolls from Trucking Firms

More than 300 carriers across 26 states have been sent to collections as the Ohio Turnpike cracks down on toll evasion and delinquent payments.

Read More →
Illustration with ATRI logo and square blocks spelling out "research"
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeApril 20, 2026

'Beyond Compliance,' Regulations, Driver Coaching on ATRI’s 2026 Research List

The American Transportation Research Institute will examine driver coaching, regulatory impacts — including the "Beyond Compliance" concept —and weather disruptions that shape trucking operations.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Brian Antonellis, senior vice president, fleet operations, Fleet Advantage.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsApril 17, 2026

Fleet Advantage's Brian Antonellis on the Growing Need to Replace Old Trucks

Fleet Advantage's Brian Antonellis says it's time for fleets to get back to the fundamentals of good maintenance practices. And that includes replacing older, inefficient equipment.

Read More →