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In this edition of brief news: truckers could receive overtime pay, fuel producers sue over California emissions rules, and axle weight limits may be modified.
GOT Truckers Act: Truckers Could Receive Overtime Pay
A bill introduced in the Senate in March by Senator Josh Hawley aims to eliminate taxes on overtime wages. However, this measure would not benefit salaried truck drivers.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) supports the idea of eliminating taxes on overtime pay but warns that the current legislation excludes truckers. For this reason, the organization backs the GOT Truckers Act (HR1962), reintroduced on March 6 by Representatives Jeff Van Drew and Mark Takano. This law would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to ensure salaried truck drivers receive overtime pay.
Todd Spencer, president of OOIDA, noted that although truckers are essential to the economy, they remain one of the few professions without guaranteed overtime pay. The bill also has support from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Truck Safety Coalition, and the Institute for Safer Trucking.
If both Hawley’s bill and the GOT Truckers Act are approved, truckers could receive overtime pay and benefit from the tax exemption promoted by Hawley and supported by Donald Trump as part of his campaign promise to prioritize American workers.
Fuel Producers Group Sues Over California Vehicle Emissions Rules
The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed a group of fuel producers to move forward with a lawsuit against California’s vehicle emissions rules, known as Advanced Clean Cars I. The decision, passed by a 7-2 vote, overturns a previous ruling that dismissed the case due to lack of legal standing, according to Land Line.
The lawsuit challenges the EPA’s 2012 waiver that allowed California to enforce stricter vehicle emissions regulations and promote the sale of zero-emission vehicles through 2025. Seventeen other states and the District of Columbia also adopted these rules. Fuel producers argue that the regulation aims to fight global climate change rather than improve local air quality, and thus exceeds the scope of the Clean Air Act.
The Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of the case but indicated that fuel producers could be economically impacted by the regulation, giving them the right to sue.
California argued that manufacturers would continue producing electric vehicles due to market demand, even without regulation. But the Court responded that if the rule changes nothing, there’s no reason for the state to insist on defending it.
This decision reignites the debate over California’s authority to set its own environmental standards, especially amid political shifts. The Advanced Clean Cars I mandate expires in 2025, but the legal battle could affect future regulations like Advanced Clean Cars III or Advanced Clean Trucks. Meanwhile, Congress and a restrictive judiciary present additional obstacles to the state’s environmental policies.
VARIANCE Act: Axle Weight Variation for Trucks
A new Senate bill seeks to allow a 10% axle weight variance for trucks hauling dry bulk goods, without exceeding the federal weight limit of 80,000 pounds per vehicle.
Introduced on June 18 by Senator Pete Ricketts and co-sponsored by Senator Adam Schiff, the VARIANCE Act (Vehicle Axle Redistribution Increases Allow New Capacities for Efficiency, S.2108) would increase the tandem axle weight limit from 34,000 to 37,400 pounds for trucks carrying products such as flour, plastic pellets, aggregates, and other dry materials that tend to shift during transport.
According to Ricketts, this “common-sense” measure would improve efficiency and safety, especially in the agricultural industry. The proposed variance does not increase the total allowed weight, but seeks flexibility to accommodate the natural movement of such loads.
The bill has support from transportation and agricultural organizations such as the American Trucking Associations, the National Grain and Feed Association, and the Fertilizer Institute. They argue this modification would allow safer and more cost-effective operations without damaging infrastructure or exceeding federal weight limits.
Trucks or War Machines? The Mystery of Spiked Wheels on American Highways
They look like something straight out of an action movie, yet they can be spotted on highways across the United States. The striking chrome spikes protruding from some truck wheels spark curiosity, controversy, and one important question: Are they actually dangerous, or just another expression of trucker culture?
Nevada’s Extraterrestrial Highway and Other Desert Mysteries
From a highway near Area 51 to the desert where a vehicle broke the sound barrier, Nevada is home to some of America’s most fascinating road stories.
California: Scammers Impersonate FMCSA’s Motus System, Putting Trucking Companies’ Data at Risk
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is warning trucking companies about four fraudulent websites impersonating its new federal registration system. Scammers are using emails that demand urgent updates to redirect carriers to fake portals. The warning also applies to California motor carriers.
Do You Know How Much Money Your Truck Has Lost Sitting Idle in 2026?
Hours spent waiting at warehouses and distribution centers continue to cost American truck drivers time and money. Federal research has estimated more than $1 billion in annual lost driver income, while the FMCSA explores new ways to address detention time and its impact on road safety.
The Incredible Story of a Grave in the Middle of an Indiana Road
On a rural road in Indiana, drivers must navigate around a grave that has remained in the same location since 1831. The story of Nancy Kerlin Barnett, her family, and an unusual engineering decision has turned this stretch of pavement into one of the state’s most famous roadside curiosities.
Autonomous Trucks: Who Places the Warning Triangles When There’s No Driver?
A federal exemption allows warning triangles to be replaced with cab-mounted beacons on certain autonomous trucks. The decision addresses how to warn approaching traffic when no one can step out of the cab.
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