The FMCSA has expanded its Crash Preventability Determination Program by adding four new crash types to the list of non-preventable accidents, bringing the total to 21. These additions include crashes caused by side impacts from vehicles traveling in the same direction, vehicles entering from private drives, loss of control by another driver, and crashes documented with video evidence. While industry leaders are excited by this development in driver safety, concerns remain about delays in processing determinations and resource strain.

The U.S, Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a final rule amending 49 CFR Part 40, effective December 5, 2024. The DOT’s original policy regarding oral fluid testing was created in May 2023, and issues were identified in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) delivered on June 21, 2024. The most recent rule addresses: 1) Temporary Qualification Requirements for Oral Fluid Collectors 2) Privacy During Oral Fluid Collections, and 3) Documentation of Sufficient Oral Fluid Volume.

The adoption of oral fluid testing provides possible advantages including: minimizing the risk of specimen tampering compared to urine testing, providing a collection process that is directly observable and ensures authenticity, and testing results that can detect recent drug use making it a tool for post-accident or reasonable suspicion testing.

The trucking industry’s cybersecurity priorities include adopting zero-trust frameworks, strengthening cloud security, regular employee training, and advanced threat detection to counter evolving cyber threats. These strategies, coupled with frequent and thorough data backups, compliance measures, and incident response planning aim to safeguard interconnected systems essential to freight operations. Staying informed and updated is the key to protecting your fleet against cyber risks.