Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026:
- Fuel haulers get more regs relief on the Plains.
- Big meth bust at border.
- Park these terminal tractors outside until recall issue addressed.
- Medium-duty diesel engines prompt recall.
Nebraska waives HOS, expands weight limit for fuel haulers
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Monday, Oct. 19, issued a new executive order to help the state meet fuel supply demands.
Pillen noted that shortages have been reported by customers and retailers across the state for a variety of fuel types, and haulers have found themselves having to travel further distances to secure supplies and make those deliveries.
“A combination of factors, including global supply disruptions and the incredibly short and busy harvest season, has boosted demand across the board,” said Gov. Pillen. “This order will help ensure that Nebraska farmers, businesses and families have access to the fuel they need.”
Pillen’s order builds on a federal waiver issued Sept. 16 by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to relax hours-of-service requirements for interstate fuel haulers. Nebraska’s waiver applies to truck drivers hauling gasoline, ethanol blends of gasoline, and diesel fuel.
The governor’s order takes similar action but also allows vehicles to exceed weight limits by up to 10%, as long as no single axle exceeds the maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds.
The proclamation applies to loads transported on all highways within Nebraska, excluding the interstate system. Nebraska’s waiver is effective through Nov. 18.
Drivers operating under the order are required to carry a copy of the proclamation with them as evidence of their direct support to the state during the emergency period.
[Related: FMCSA waives HOS regs for gas, diesel haulers]
Load of salt hid $30M of meth at border
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Laredo Port of Entry last week seized methamphetamine from a tractor-trailer valued at more than $30 million.
The seizure occurred on Oct. 12 at the World Trade Bridge when a CBP officer referred a 2020 International LT625 tractor-trailer with a load manifested as salt for an enforcement inspection.
Following a secondary inspection and nonintrusive inspection system examination, CBP officers discovered a total of 76 bags containing 3,395.91 pounds of alleged methamphetamine within the commodity.
CBP said the street value of the narcotics is $30,355,444.U.S. Customs and Border Protection
“The steadfast dedication of our workforce remains the cornerstone of our border security strategy,” said Alberto Flores, port director. “This successful enforcement action underscores our resolve to protect our communities from dangerous contraband.”
CBP seized the narcotics. The driver, tractor and trailer were released. Homeland Security Investigations special agents are investigating the seizure.
[Related: Liquid meth found in tractor's fuel tanks, requiring hazmat-team response]
Kalmar Ottawa terminal tractors recalled over fire risk
Kalmar Solutions LLC is recalling more than 16,000 terminal tractors and is advising owners to park them outside and away from structures until the vehicles are repaired.
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents, the recall includes 16,127 model year 2014-’26 Kalmar Ottawa T2 4x2 and 2016-’26 T2 6x4 DOT/EPA terminal tractors.
In the affected units, the printed circuit board (PCB) insulation may become damaged, resulting in a short circuit. A short circuit increases the risk of a fire even when the vehicle is parked and the ignition is in the Off position, the recall states.
“While the root cause of the electrical insulation breakdown or initial short has not been determined, the lack of controlled electrical failure protection against PCB shorts can result in a fire when the vehicle is off, parked and unoccupied,” recall documents added.
The issue “generally occurs without warning, though some reports have identified erratic horn and lighting behavior of vehicles parked and off prior to failure events.”
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until their vehicle is repaired. Kalmar will rewire the cabin power and add a 5A fuse to the PCB circuit, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed by Dec. 4.
Owners can contact Kalmar customer service at 1- 888-229-6300, select option 4, then option 2. NHTSA’s recall number is 26V-648.
Medium-duty Freightliner trucks, custom chassis recalled
Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is recalling certain vehicles and custom chassis equipped with Cummins L9 diesel engines for an issue in which the remote fuel filter hoses may separate from the fitting, causing a fuel leak and an engine stall.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire, and an engine stall increases the risk of a crash, recall documents state.
The recall affects approximately 2,592 of the following vehicles:
- 2022-‘25 Freightliner Business Class M2
- 2023 Freightliner 108SD
- 2022-‘27 Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC) XCM
- 2022-’27 FCCC XCR
- 2024-‘27 FCCC XCS
- 2024-‘27 FCCC XBS
Cummins will replace the fuel hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Nov. 20. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712 with recall number F1042 or Cummins customer service at 1-800-286-6467 with recall number C7311. NHTSA’s recall number is 26V-660.
DTNA’s recall stems from a recall from Cummins that covers certain Cummins L9 engines equipped with a remote Stage 2 fuel filter. The subject engines were sold to various OEMs for installation in transit buses, trucks, recreational vehicles, and fire trucks. Cummins’ recall includes approximately 39,052 engines.
