Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025:
- Watchers credited several factors -- from inflation in equipment and medical costs to nuclear verdicts and pressure to settle suits -- for an unprecedented rise in trucking insurance premiums.
- The FTC has concluded an investigation into truck OEMs’ Clean Truck Partnership with CARB; Nebraska's AG dropped a suit challenging the partnership.
- Truck and trailer parts distributor TruckPro recently donated $115,000 to four charity organizations that it supports.
Insurance premiums continue on upswing
Numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show insurance premiums for the commercial vehicle sector are at all-time highs -- likely no surprise to owner-operators and small fleets.
Overdrive’s sister dealer publication Truck, Parts, Service recently offered an update on how soaring insurance costs are affecting truckers' equipment purchases. In reporting from TPS’s Beth Colvin, analyst Avery Vise of FTR Transportation Intelligence credited several factors, including inflation, for rising trucking insurance costs.
“If you think about even liability insurance, hospitalization costs have gone up, the cost of vehicles have gone up,” Vise said. “If you’re in an accident and you damage a car or total a car, the cost of that goes up. The lost income goes up. You have the nuclear verdict issue, which is kind of its own issue, but you also have the fact that the actual cost to replace things to compensate has gone up.”
[Related: Owner-ops see trucking insurance savings with tech, shopping around]
Insurance underwriters are also anticipating further inflation as a result of any future tariffs on trucks and truck parts, particularly from Mexico and Canada, which has led to some insurance increases since January, Colvin reported.
“They are expecting the spare parts to go up a lot because of the embedded tariffs,” even if those tariffs aren’t active yet, and even if not every replacement part is exposed, said Thom Albrecht, CFO and chief revenue officer for Reliance Partners.
Beyond nuclear verdicts, litigation in general is also spiking insurance costs, as verdicts and case settlements below “nuclear” levels are still higher than they have been in the past.
“Maybe five to seven years ago, a broken leg and lost wages might have represented $80,000 to $100,000,” Albrecht said. “We see the same claim settle [today] for $300,000 to $400,000.”
As a result, owner-operators and fleets are holding onto equipment longer than they maybe traditionally would have.
As reported earlier this year, there are ways for owners to ensure they are making the best case for themselves when it comes time for their insurance renewal.
See more from TPS’s recent report here, and read more about how to best present your business to underwriters as an owner-operator from Overdrive’s early-year reporting here.
[Related: How to navigate the trucking insurance market to save at renewal]
Antitrust lawsuits against OEMs dropped
A pair of antitrust suits filed last year against manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks and engines, one by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and one by the state of Nebraska, have been dropped.
Ending pursuit of litigation is the result of Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), Paccar, International Motors and Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) filing suit against the California Air Resources Board Monday, declaring that California’s heavy-duty electric truck mandate is void and the Clean Truck Partnership (CTP) with CARB is not binding.
FTC investigated whether several truck and engine manufacturers and their trade association violated antitrust laws by entering the CTP with CARB. The Commission determined that written commitments made by the manufacturers to FTC, backed by reporting and disclosure obligations, have accomplished the objectives of its investigation.
Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers filed a lawsuit against the truck manufacturers in November over the CTP. The settlement amounts to a significant victory in Nebraska’s three-front battle against shortsighted and damaging electric-truck mandates, Hilgers said.
First, in response to a Nebraska-led lawsuit, California agreed to repeal its electric-truck mandates that reached well beyond California’s borders. Second, the Trump Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency recently agreed to outright repeal the Biden-Harris Administration’s Phase 3 greenhouse gas regs, which Nebraska led 24 states in challenging. And now, without admitting liability, truck manufacturers are suing CARB over the CTP to get clarity on their legal obligations and to stop California from trying to enforce regulations that are now federally preempted.
[Related: Top truck makers sue CARB/California over enforcement of Clean Truck Partnership]
TruckPro donates $115K to charity
Independent truck and trailer parts distributor TruckPro announced Tuesday significant donations to charitable organizations through its TruckPro Gives Back program.
The company recently donated $115,000 to support its long-standing charitable partners: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Wounded Warrior Project, The War Amps (Canada), and the Salvation Army.
This contribution reflects TruckPro's continued commitment to support organizations that are making a positive impact with children, veterans, and communities across North America, the company said.
"We are proud of our TruckPro Gives Back program and our on-going partnerships with the worthy organizations we support and the important work they do," said Chuck Broadus, Chief Executive Officer of TruckPro. "Through this program, we are able to support efforts that make a difference, and we appreciate the continued support and donations from our team at TruckPro."
