Trucking news and briefs for Friday, March 6, 2026:
- The 2026 No. 6 state for ELP violation issuance is getting even tougher on English rules for commercial haulers.
- 50-truck owner-op fleet acquired by Ace Doran.
Wyoming expands ELP enforcement, sets $1K fine for violations
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon this week signed a bill into law that codifies English language proficiency for truck drivers into state law, establishes fines for ELP violations, and allows any police officer in the state to test for and enforce ELP in the state.
House Bill 32 passed overwhelmingly in both chambers of the Wyoming legislature and was signed into law by the governor on March 5.
Wyoming was already among states with a fast-rising incidence of ELP violations issued in the wake of the violation's return to the out-of-service criteria in June 2025.
So far in 2026, with data current just through part of February in Overdrive sister company RigDig's accounting, Wyoming officers/inspectors rank 13th among states for raw numbers of ELP violations issued. FTR Transportation Intelligence Trucking Vice President Avery Vise, speaking in December, earmarked Laramie County in the state as contributing the vast majority of ELP violations to Wyoming's total.
"That one county represents 3.4% of all ELP out-of-service violations in the entire country," Vise said. "If your driver might possibly fail" an ELP assessment, "don’t send them through Laramie County."
In 2025, Wyoming ranked sixth overall among states issuing ELP violations, behind only Tennessee and Arkansas among similarly situated non-Southern border states.
Text of the new state law prohibits commercial drivers from operating in the Cowboy State if they cannot “demonstrate proficiency in the English language.” Any CMV operators found to be in violation would be fined $1,000 and prohibited from operating a CMV in Wyoming until they can demonstrate proficiency in English.
Violating that prohibition would result in a misdemeanor charge and, if found guilty, result in another fine of $1,000 or 90 days in prison, or both.
Additionally, the law gives authority to “the highway patrol division, any other enforcement officers designated by the [Wyoming Department of Transportation] and any peace officer of any county or municipality” -- essentially any police officer in the state -- to enforce provisions of the law and issue citations for violations of it.
[Related: State lawmakers aim to bolster ELP, increase non-domiciled CDL scrutiny with penalties]
Ace Doran acquires Indiana-based owner-op fleet
Bennett Family of Companies subsidiary Ace Doran has acquired Tipton, Indiana-based NHH Services.
Founded in 2012, NHH Services is a 100% owner-operator fleet providing specialized transportation and project management services throughout the U.S. and Canada, with expertise in heavy haul, flatbed, general freight, and complex cargo movements.
NHH Services employees, contractors, drivers and agents join Ace Doran as a new division, adding 50 trucks to the fleet.
The acquisition strengthens Cincinnati, Ohio-based Ace Doran's footprint in the Midwest while expanding its heavy-haul capacity and customized solutions for specialized freight, the company said.
"We are excited to welcome the outstanding team of agents, contractors, and employees from NHH Services into the Ace Doran family," said Jim Collins, President of Ace Doran. "Following the refresh of the RoadMasters division in 2025, which expanded Ace Doran's presence in the Southwest, this acquisition continues our strategy of growing with high-quality teams who share our commitment to safety, service, and reliability for our customers."
NHH Services was founded by third- and fourth-generation truckers with a mission to redefine the owner-operator experience through strong relationships, reinvestment in people, and a customer-first approach. Built on the philosophy of being "Truckers at Heart," NHH Services has developed a reputation for operational expertise, a service-driven culture, and a people-first mindset across its operations.
[Related: How mostly owner-op fleet K&J Trucking became a 'Best fleet to drive for']
