Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025:
- Hiccups for FMCSA's rollout of its electronic medical certification system are ongoing, and the agency is expanding relief it granted a month ago.
- Though ELP returned to the CVSA's OOS Criteria in June, inspectors won't hear much about it in Minneapolis as they gather for international competition.
- Market uncertainties with operating in Mexico have one of the nation's largest owner-operator fleets eyeing an exit of its business in the country.
- Truck driver Dee Leatherwood's quick action stopped a fire in a pickup truck west of Atlanta. Seeing a car seat as he approached the vehicle, "I wasn’t worried about anything else other than if there was a little one inside that pickup truck."
FMCSA gives drivers, carriers more relief on electronic med cert shift
Just more than a month after granting some relief to truck drivers in the wake of its new electronic medical certification system, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is now giving CDL holders even more time to operate with a paper medical card.
The relief follows the agency’s implementation of its National Registry II rule (NRII) that makes the medical certificate process electronic -- with medical examiners transmitting exam results to FMCSA via the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners and FMCSA transmitting the results to state driver’s licensing agencies to post to the driver’s motor vehicle record (MVR).
[Related: How to stay compliant amid confusion around FMCSA's electronic med cert rule]
On July 14, FMCSA issued a waiver that allowed commercial drivers to continue to rely on a paper copy of the medical examiner’s certificate (MEC) as proof of the driver’s medical certification for up to 15 days after the certificate was issued.
On Thursday, Aug. 21, FMCSA announced it has modified that waiver to now allow CDL holders, CLP holders, and motor carriers to rely on the paper copy of the MEC as proof of the driver’s medical certification for up to 60 days after the date the medical examiner’s certificate was issued. While FMCSA did expand the waiver, it did not extend it and it’s still set to expire on Oct. 12.
“This action supports drivers and carriers as State Driver’s Licensing Agencies and certified medical examiners continue to transition to the secure electronic transmission of medical certification data required under the National Registry II (NRII) final rule,” FMCSA said.
The agency cited “potential processing delays” outside the control of drivers and motor carriers for the modification of the waiver. Medical examiners are encouraged by FMCSA to issue paper MECs in addition to submitting the exam results electronically until further notice.
[Related: FMCSA gives drivers, carriers leeway on new electronic med cert rule]
North American Inspector Championship kicks off -- no ELP training necessary
Two days ahead of the Aug. 24 beginning of its Brake Safety Week inspection event, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance -- tasked with standardizing inspections protocols across the U.S., Mexico and Canada -- kicks off its annual North American Inspectors Challenge on Friday.
The championship, which CVSA calls the "only event that tests, recognizes and awards commercial motor vehicle inspector excellence," will continue into Saturday, and follows two days of instruction for inspectors.
The event is taking place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to coincide with the American Trucking Associations’ National Truck Driving Championships and National Step Van Driving Championships.
Each jurisdiction in the three countries can send inspectors to compete and "receive training on the latest commercial motor vehicle safety trends, technologies, standards and inspection procedures while sharing insights, ideas, techniques and experiences with other inspectors."
This photo includes all of this year’s competing inspectors at CVSA's North American Inspector Championship.CVSA
However, not all of the latest trends are covered.
Though English language proficiency returned to the CVSA's Out-Of-Service Criteria after an executive order from President Donald Trump, inspectors won't hear much about it in Minneapolis.
"CVSA’s North American Inspectors Challenge tests inspectors from Canada, Mexico and the U.S.," a CVSA spokesperson said. "Therefore, the competition elements must apply to all three countries. Because the ELP requirement is specific to the U.S., not all three countries, there isn’t an ELP segment of the competition."
Even within the U.S., not all states actually enforce ELP as an OOS violation, as CVSA previously explained to Overdrive.
[Related: Unannounced brake inspection blitz sidelines 400 trucks]
Landstar eyeing potential Mexico exit
Landstar is seeking a buyer for its Mexican subsidiary, according to paperwork the Jacksonville, Florida-based carrier has filed with the Securities Exchange and Commission.
Landstar said it has entered into an arrangement with a financial advisor to actively market Landstar Metro "and consider strategic alternatives for this business, which may involve a sale or other disposition in whole or in part of Landstar Metro" this fiscal year.
Landstar established Landstar Metro in 2017 with its acquisition of Fletes Avella. It provides freight and logistics services within Mexico and works in conjunction with Landstar’s U.S./Mexico cross-border services. The company added that the pending disposition of its Mexican business is not expected to impact Landstar's existing cross-border services.
Landstar noted "risks and uncertainties associated with doing business in Mexico," and Landstar Metro's inability to meet strategic or operational goals and expectations as reasons to potentially exit the business.
On its second quarter earnings call in late July, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jim Todd noted the carrier's U.S./Mexico and U.S./Canada cross-border businesses both underperformed domestic revenue during for the quarter.
"Until we see something that shows a level of stability politically and through trade, I do think we're gonna continue to see that on the year over year probably trend to the negative side," added President and Chief Executive Officer Frank Lonegro. --Jason Cannon, CCJ
Truck driver honored for quick action to help extinguish car fire
The Truckload Carriers Association has named Melton Truck Lines driver Dee Leatherwood, from Burnet, Texas, a Highway Angel for stopping to help extinguish a pickup truck fire.
Dee Leatherwood
“All of a sudden it started smoking; he slammed on his brakes and got on the shoulder,” said Leatherwood. “As I’m easing by, I could see fire dripping down plastic that had caught fire.”
As he got closer, he noticed a car seat in the back of the vehicle, heightening his sense of urgency. Without hesitation, he pulled over to help. Leatherwood grabbed his fire extinguisher and began spraying the underside of the vehicle to prevent the fire from spreading.
“I looked at that car seat and luckily there wasn’t a baby in it,” said the retired rancher and grandfather who has been driving a truck for two years. “I kept the fire as low as I could until the fire department arrived.”
Fortunately, there were no injuries to the driver, and a nearby police officer soon arrived to provide further assistance. Thanks to Leatherwood’s quick thinking and calm response, a potentially dangerous situation was brought under control without harm.
“I wasn’t worried about anything else other than if there was a little one inside that pickup truck,” he said. “I would hope that anyone would do that in that situation, whether they had a fire extinguisher or not.”
