Article Summary
Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, July 14, 2026:
- The truck next to you in this state could have an extra set of eyes watching your driving.
- Livestock load board acquired by BulkLoads.
- Don’t speed in the Southeast this week.
- More wildfire HOS relief out West.
Wisconsin putting a ‘Trooper in a Truck’ this week
Wisconsin State Patrol troopers will be riding alongside truckers this week in the annual Trooper in a Truck enforcement and education campaign.
In partnership with the Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association (WMCA), troopers are using the higher vantage point in the cab of a truck or the back of a bus to spot risky driving, especially near commercial motor vehicles. Trooper in a Truck is taking place on highways across the state July 13-17.
The effort's part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Operation Safe Driver Week, a nationwide awareness and enforcement initiative aimed at improving driving behaviors of passenger vehicle and commercial drivers.
“This is the sixth year of our Trooper in a Truck campaign, and it wouldn’t be possible without our longstanding partnership with the WMCA,” Wisconsin State Patrol Superintendent Tim Carnahan said. “This initiative is about leveraging partnerships and combining efforts to achieve a shared goal --preventing dangerous driving behaviors on Wisconsin roads.”
Wisconsin troopers will be looking for risky driving, including distracted driving, speeding, following too closely and seatbelt violations. When an officer identifies a violation from the truck or bus, they will radio to patrol cars in the area for appropriate enforcement action.
“Trooper in a Truck details have been very successful in past years, and we have drivers who look forward to the initiative every year,” WMCA President Dan Johnson said. “We’re incredibly grateful for the partners who donate equipment and drivers to support the effort. We all have to work together to make our roads safer.”
After a Monday spent in a rig in and around Eau Claire, troopers are joining truckers for the rest of the week in the following areas:
- Tuesday, July 14: Waukesha
- Wednesday, July 15: Madison
- Thursday, July 16: Green Bay
- Friday, July 17: Wausau
Wisconsin enforcement officers in 2026 so far have been above the national average when it comes to issuing moving violations. According to accounting from Overdrive sister company RigDig, moving violations have accounted for nearly 9% of all violations issued in the state this year, compared to the national average of 6.7%.
[Related: Get prepped for traffic stops, inspections during CVSA 'Safe Driver' week]
BulkLoads board expands into livestock with acquisition
The BulkLoads board, specializing in bulk freight, is moving into the livestock segment with acquisition of Livestock Network, a livestock-focused load board and online community.
The acquisition gives livestock haulers direct access to the network, tools, and services that have made BulkLoads the hub of the bulk freight industry, BulkLoads said in announcing the deal.
The move builds on an existing partnership between the two platforms and brings Livestock Network fully into the BulkLoads family, including its load board, truck board, company rating system, active industry forum, classifieds, trucking tools and directories.
For livestock haulers, the day-to-day experience stays in place, with more on the way, BulkLoads said. In the months ahead, members can expect improvements as the two platforms come together, including easy access to the broader suite of services BulkLoads offers its members: Smart Freight Funding for no-contract, ag-specialized factoring; Bulk Insurance Group for coverage built specifically for ag haulers; BulkTMS, a transportation management system designed for the agriculture industry; and Bulk Freight Insights for market data and analysis.
"Livestock hauling is one of the most specialized, relationship-driven parts of the trucking industry, and Livestock Network has been at the center of it for more than 25 years," said Larry Hurt, CEO of BulkLoads. "We didn't acquire it to change what works. We acquired it to give livestock haulers more, the same way we've helped bulk carriers find loads, get paid faster, and run stronger businesses. Bringing these two communities together was the natural next step."
Livestock Network members do not need to take any action. The platform remains fully operational, and the BulkLoads team will share more about new features and integrations in the coming months.
[Related: Small Fleet Champ Wes Oberman harnesses AI coding, builds custom TMS]
Five Southern states watching for speeders this week
In addition to the ongoing Operation Safe Driver Week enforcement effort, police in five Southern states will be keeping an extra close look out for speeding as part of Operation Southern Slow Down, now in its ninth year.
The effort is a speed enforcement and awareness campaign that runs from July 13-19 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. The goal of the effort, according to the Tennessee Highway Safety Office, is to prevent crashes and save lives by reminding drivers of the dangers of speeding and reckless driving during the middle of the busy summer travel season.
State and local law enforcement officers in the five states are spending the week targeting speeding, aggressive driving and all traffic law violations on interstates and major highways.
More than 490 law enforcement agencies in the five Southeastern states wrote more than 52,000 citations and warnings for speeding during the 2025 week-long ‘Operation Southern Slow Down’ campaign. The effort also led to more than 1,440 DUI arrests, 2,234 reckless driving citations and warnings and more than 3,000 citations and warnings were issued for violating distracted driving laws.
[Related: Here's the toughest states for commercial truck moving violations]
Oregon wildfires prompt HOS waiver extension
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration again extended emergency hours-of-service relief for truck drivers and motor carriers responding to wildfires in Oregon.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek on June 15 declared a state of emergency due to the “imminent threat of wildfire,” prompting the Oregon Department of Transportation to waive HOS for certain motor carriers and truck drivers. That waiver was extended through July 13 in late June.
On July 9, Oregon requested that FMCSA extend the emergency regulatory relief, and because emergency conditions have not abated, the agency agreed.
Now, through Aug. 12, motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance to the emergency in Oregon related to wildfire suppression are granted emergency relief from 49 CFR § 395.3, maximum driving time. The waiver applies regardless of the origin of the trip, as long as the carrier or driver is providing direct assistance to the emergency in Oregon.
