Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025:
- NHTSA's traffic fatalities estimates show highways getting less lethal.
- Freightliner, Western Star owners, take heed: Brakes- and steering-related recalls may impact your unit.
- Rigs longer than 50 feet should stay out of the Narrows in Utah, according to officials.
- Orange EV electric terminal tractors are being recalled -- here's why.
Significant decrease in highway crash fatalities estimated through first half of 2025
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently projecting a substantial 8.2% decline in roadway deaths with the release of its early estimates for motor vehicle traffic fatalities in the first half of 2025.
An estimated 17,140 people lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes from January through June 2025, down from 18,680 fatalities during the same period in 2024.
“These preliminary figures are encouraging and reflect NHTSA’s close collaboration with state and local partners, especially law enforcement, to improve safety on our roads,” NHTSA Chief Counsel Peter Simshauser said. “But even as we see progress, these numbers are far too high, and we remain focused on reducing traffic fatalities even further.”
The decline in fatalities occurred even as vehicle miles traveled increased by 12.1 billion miles during the first half of 2025. As a result, the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled dropped to 1.06, down 8.6% from 1.16 in the same period last year. This represents the lowest mid-year fatality rate since 2014.
Additionally, 38 states, along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, are projected to have experienced decreases in traffic deaths. Only 11 states are projected to see increases, while one state remains unchanged.
NHTSA noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, fatalities and fatality rates per 100 million VMT saw significant increases -- a trend that continued through 2021 and into the first quarter of 2022. Since that time, however, there have been 13 consecutive quarterly declines in fatalities.
NHTSA’s preliminary estimates only show overall fatality and fatality rate numbers and do not break out the data based on the types of vehicles involved.
More than 700 Freightliner, Western Star trucks caught up in two recalls
Daimler Trucks North America is recalling more than 700 trucks over separate issues affecting brakes and steering on affected units.
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents, one recall includes approximately 380 vehicles from Daimler’s subsidiaries because the brake caliper mounting bolts may loosen and detach, which can cause a loss of brake function and damage the tire and/or wheel. Affected makes and models include:
- 2025-’26 Freightliner Cascadia
- 2025-’26 Freightliner Business Class M2
- 2025-’26 Western Star 49X
- 2025-’26 Western Star 47X
- 2025 Western Star 57X
- 2025-’26 Freightliner Custom Chassis (FCCC) MT55, MT45G, XCP and XCM
- 2025 FCCC XCR, XBS, MT45
- 2026 FCCC MT50E
The remedy is currently under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Nov. 10. Owners can contact DTNA customer service at 800-547-0712 with recall number F1023. NHTSA’s recall number is 25V-601.
The other recall affects approximately 343 Daimler units in which the tie rod castle nut and cotter pin may not be installed properly, which can result in a loss of vehicle steering control.
Vehicles affected by this recall include:
- 2024-‘26 Western Star 47X,
- 2024-‘26 Freightliner Business Class M2
- 2024-‘26 FCCC MT55G
- 2025-‘26 Western Star 49X,
- 2025-‘26 Freightliner Cascadia,
- 2025-‘26 FCCC MT45G,
- 2025-‘26 FCCC S2RV106,
- 2026 Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2,
- 2025 Freightliner eCascadia
- 2026 FCCC S2C106
The remedy is currently under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Nov. 10. Owners can contact DTNA customer service at 800-547-0712 with recall number D25R2. NHTSA’s recall number is 25V-603.
[Related: 14K Kenworths part of digital-dash-related recall]
Tractor-trailers barred from northern Utah highway
The Utah Department of Transportation has permanently restricted vehicles longer than 50 feet from traveling in Ogden Canyon, north of Salt Lake City, as of Monday, Sept. 22.
The restriction is one of several safety measures UDOT is implementing along State Route 39 in Ogden Canyon, where five people have died since 2015.
UDOT engineers recently completed a technical analysis of this canyon, with a particular focus on a section known locally as “The Narrows.” The study included modeling the movements of large trucks through the canyon, and engineers discovered that vehicles over a length of 50 feet cannot travel through some sections, including The Narrows, without encroaching on the opposite lane.
As a result, UDOT is prohibiting vehicles longer than 50 feet from driving through the canyon. UDOT will also reduce the speed limit to 35 mph in The Narrows and install radar speed feedback signs.
“This is the right thing to do,” UDOT Region One Senior Communications Manager Mitch Shaw said. “It’s up to us to create the best engineering solutions possible to help keep people safe. But this won’t prevent every crash. We need the public to help out, too.”
Since late 2024, UDOT has implemented other safety measures in Ogden Canyon, including mitigating rockfall at the SR-39/SR-158 intersection, replacing aging barriers, installing centerline rumble strips, placing additional “no passing” and “curve warning” signs in the canyon and holding an open house to gather public feedback on potential safety measures.
Non-compliant hazard warning lights prompt recall of Orange EV terminal tractors
Orange EV is recalling approximately 1,378 model year 2017-‘24 T-Series, 2023-‘25 e-TRIEVER, and 2023-‘25 HUSK-e terminal trucks due to an issue with the hazard warning lights.
In the affected units, the hazard warning lights may turn off when the ignition is in the “Off” position. As such, these trucks fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
According to the recall, “hazard lights that do not remain on cannot warn other drivers of a disabled vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.”
Orange EV field service will install a new hazard light wire harness and update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed by Oct. 31. Owners can contact Orange EV customer service at 866-688-5223 with recall number 2025-SRC-07. NHTSA’s recall number is 25V-612.
