Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Oct. 19, 2026:
- One-day enforcement effort nets nearly 300 citations.
- Cardless fuel payments service expands with new fuel stop chain partnership.
- Need DOT physical or other occupational health services in Texas? Clinic chain expanding.
28 trucks, 13 drivers OOS in one-day California blitz
The California Highway Patrol’s Newhall division just north of Los Angeles partnered with the Southern Division Commercial Unit last week to focus on commercial vehicle safety and compliance.
As a result of the one-day effort on Oct. 13, officers issued a total of 279 citations, including citations for mechanical violations, improper lane use, speeding, and non-emergency stops on the freeway.
A total of 28 vehicles and 13 drivers were placed out of service for various mechanical and driver violations.
Over years of analysis by Overdrive and sister data company RigDig, California's ranked high for number of truck inspections performed per lane-mile of National Highway System in-state, in most years either No. 1 or No. 2. Its violation-intensity profile, however, may be lesser than most states, given a large share of so-called "clean" inspections performed there, with no violation, often surprising readers who know its inspectors' traditional thoroughness.
Violations are particularly dense for mechanical defects -- in the maintenance violations category California ranked No. 8 toughest among states, likewise in the brakes category.
CHP used the recent blitz opportunity to issue reminders to truck drivers to avoid receiving similar citations:
- Never stop on the freeway unless required by an emergency or otherwise permitted by law
- Remain in your designated lane and follow all lane-use requirements
- Obey the posted speed limits and any speed restrictions applicable to your vehicles
- Plan you routes ahead of time and take breaks only in legally permitted locations
- Conduct your pre-trip safety inspection on your vehicles prior to each trip
Piston cardless fuel payments now accepted at large Western U.S. chain
Cardless fuel payment network Piston has announced that fleets can now use Piston at 341 Jacksons Food Stores locations across multiple states in the western U.S. All locations are live, giving fleets on Piston's network more places to purchase fuel and creating a new avenue for Jacksons to grow commercial fuel volume, the companies said.
Piston allows drivers to authorize and pay for fuel purchases through secure mobile authorization, replacing the physical card entirely. Each transaction is tied to a specific driver and vehicle, giving fleet operators real-time visibility into their fuel spending.
Additionally, by connecting directly to the point of sale, Piston has access to more data than a traditional open-loop network does, enabling improved fraud prevention, the company said.
At Jacksons, Piston is now an additional method of payment available to participating fleets, alongside the payment options already offered at those locations.
"Every merchant partner makes our network more valuable to the fleets that rely on it," said Vikram Sekhon, co-founder and CEO of Piston. "Jacksons has a strong presence across the West, and bringing hundreds of new locations onto Piston at once gives fleet operators more flexibility when planning routes. It also connects Jacksons directly with the commercial fuel demand on our network."
Founded in 1975 as a single service station in Caldwell, Idaho, Jacksons has grown into a family-owned convenience store operator with locations across eight western states, including Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, California, Montana, and Utah. Its stores operate under the Jacksons Food Stores and ExtraMile by Jacksons brands.
"Commercial fueling is an important part of our business, and the way fleets pay is changing," said Cory Jackson, President of Jacksons Food Stores. "Working with Piston helps us keep pace with that shift and makes Jacksons a practical stop for fleets using modern payment technology."
Occupational health clinic chain expanding into Texas
An occupational health clinic chain is expanding into Texas with plans for 60 locations over the next decade.
Ervexia Occupational Health is beginning its expansion in seven North Texas counties: Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Denton, Kaufman, Rockwall and Ellis. The first clinic, which will double as the Texas training center, is targeted to open mid-2027.
Ervexia clinics offer a full range of occupational health services, including DOT physicals, drug and alcohol testing, hearing tests and fit-for-duty exams, in the clinic or at the job site. Employers or employees pay at the time of service instead of billing insurance.
[Related: Preventive health maintenance to ensure you cross the trucking finish line]
"These are mandated services. You can't run a job site, a trucking fleet or an airport in Texas without many of these services, and right now most employers piece them together from several different providers," Dallas entrepreneur and Ervexia investor Kelleyton Wilson said. "Texas is the hottest market in the country, and no one else offers all of it under one roof and then brings it to the job site. For us, this is about changing lives while providing exceptional service to an underserved market and creating jobs across Texas. We want to use Ervexia Texas to create opportunities for people who have faced barriers to entry in franchising."
Texas is Ervexia's largest market to date. The company has Area Representative agreements covering 103 planned clinics in Texas, Ohio, Louisiana, Kansas and Arkansas. It has awarded eight franchise licenses in five states, and four clinics are open in Louisiana, Ohio and Arkansas.
"Texas is a 60-location commitment across the entire state, and the opportunity goes well beyond the big four metros," said Dr. Dallas Humble, president of operations for Ervexia Occupational Health. "We proved in northeast Louisiana that smaller markets need these services just as much as big cities. The data centers and manufacturing plants going up across Texas need to line up an occupational health provider before they can break ground, and we want to be the one they call.”
