Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026:
- Diesel still trending down.
- Traveling through Portland, Oregon, this weekend? Interstate closures planned.
- Truck driver stopped twice in same day; violated OOS order.
- FMCSA grants exemption renewal for certain Virginia truckers.
Diesel down 41 cents since November’s 2025 peak
Diesel prices’ downward trend is continuing into 2026 with a 1.8-cent decline during the most recent week ending Jan. 12, marking the eighth consecutive week fuel prices have dropped.
The Energy Information Administration reported that diesel’s national average was $3.46 in its latest update. That's the lowest point for pricing since June 2, 2025.
[Related: Indicators underscore owner-ops' 2026 freight outlook]
Fuel prices fell in all regions across the U.S. during the most recent week, with the largest drop occurring in the Rocky Mountain region, where prices fell 3.7 cents.
California continues to hold the nation’s most expensive fuel at $4.61 a gallon, while the cheapest diesel can be found along the Gulf Coast at $3.16/gallon.
Prices in other regions, according to EIA:
- New England -- $4.01
- Central Atlantic -- $3.86
- Lower Atlantic -- $3.48
- Midwest -- $3.37
- Rocky Mountain -- $3.19
- West Coast less California -- $3.67
ProMiles’ diesel averages during the same week fell by 2.4 cents to $3.46/gallon nationwide. According to the ProMiles Fuel Surcharge Index, the most expensive diesel can be found in California at $4.81/gallon, the cheapest in the Rocky Mountain region at $3.10/gallon.
[Related: Could U.S. action in Venezuela bring diesel prices down?]
Oregon interstate bridge closure planned this weekend
The Abernethy Bridge on Interstate 205 near Portland, Oregon, will close overnight Friday, Jan. 16, and Saturday, Jan. 17, for sign installation.
There are two scheduled nighttime closures of I-205 across the Abernethy Bridge (between Oregon Highway 99E and OR 43) Jan. 16 and 17. The overnight closures will allow crews to install the second of two sign structures on the bridge and remove the old one. The first sign structure was installed in December.
During the closures, the on-ramp from OR 99E to SB I-205 and the OR 43 to NB I-205 also will close.
I-205 travelers will use detours on OR 224, OR 99E and I-5. The Oregon Department of Transportation urges drivers to follow the signs and plan extra time into trips.Oregon DOT
Vermont police catch truck driver violating OOS order on same day issued
An owner-operator in Vermont allegedly ignored an out-of-service order and had the tractor-trailer towed following two traffic stops, according to a recent post by the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles’ Enforcement and Safety Division.
The agency said that on Jan. 10, a Vermont DMV inspector responded to a Be-On-The-Lookout (BOLO) for a tractor-trailer reported to be driving erratically and not maintaining its lane. The inspector observed the driver using a cell phone while driving.
After initiating a traffic stop and performing an inspection, the truck was placed out-of-service for multiple safety violations, the agency said, including defective air hoses, multiple tires with less than 1/32 inch of tread depth, more than 20% of the combination’s brakes out of adjustment, inoperable turn signals on the trailer, air leaks not at proper connections, and loose air reservoir tanks.
In addition to the OOS order, the driver was also cited for using a cell phone while driving the truck.
Shortly after the stop, the truck was observed leaving the area, leading to a second traffic stop in which it was determined none of the previously identified OOS violations had been corrected.
Vermont DMV Enforcement said the owner-operator of the rig was issued a fine for violating the OOS order, and the tractor-trailer was towed.
[Related: 10 toughest states for brakes violations, as inspection blitz kicks off]
FMCSA grants full renewal of Virginia SPE Certification waiver
After granting a provisional renewal last summer, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a notice of final disposition fully renewing an exemption for truck and bus drivers who are licensed in Virginia and need a Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate to operate a commercial vehicle.
Commercial drivers who are otherwise qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle but are not physically qualified to drive under 49 CFR 391.49(b)(1) or (2) because of a loss or impairment of limbs can drive a CMV if FMCSA has granted an SPE certificate to that person.
A 2014 exemption granted to the Virginia DMV allows Virginia-licensed drivers subject to the federal SPE certificate requirements to fulfill the federal requirements with a state-issued SPE certificate. The exemption has been renewed several times since it was initially granted, and the most recent extension expired on July 7.
FMCSA said in its renewal that Virginia's SPE program is essentially identical to the current FMCSA SPE program and is subject to oversight by FMCSA to ensure that Virginia's processes are equivalent to FMCSA's SPE processes. Additionally, Virginia's personnel who conduct the SPEs complete the same training as FMCSA personnel conducting SPEs and follow the same procedures and testing criteria used by FMCSA.
With the renewal, the exemption is now effective through July 8, 2027.
[Related: FMCSA provisionally renews exemption for Virginia]
