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American Trucking Associations Ordered to Pay Rhode Island $200,000 After Losing Bid to Recover Legal Fees in Truck-Only Toll Fight

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Kristina
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PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND — A federal judge ordered the American Trucking Associations to pay the state of Rhode Island $200,000 on Friday, March 27, 2026. The ruling came as the ATA tried to recover attorney’s fees from the state — and lost.

The decision is the latest chapter in a years-long legal battle over Rhode Island’s truck-only toll program. The ATA led a lawsuit against the state alongside trucking companies, arguing the tolls were unconstitutional. In 2022, a judge agreed. The court ordered the tolls stopped within 48 hours.

“Trucks accounted for 3% or less of the total traffic but were paying 100% of the tolls,” said Reginald Goeke, attorney for the ATA at the time. “That is clearly not a reasonable allocation or approximation of their usage of these facilities.”

The win didn’t last. In 2024, another court overturned the ruling. It allowed Rhode Island to resume truck-only tolls and removed the daily caps that had limited how many times a single truck could be tolled in one day. The court found those caps discriminatory toward out-of-state carriers.

The ATA then sought to recover its legal fees from the state. The court rejected that effort entirely and ordered the ATA to pay Rhode Island $200,000 instead.

Despite the 2024 ruling reinstating the tolls, Rhode Island has not yet resumed collecting them. The state says both the equipment and billing systems need upgrades before the program can restart.

📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.

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Dalilah’s Law Act Would Make It a Death Penalty Aggravating Factor for Illegal Immigrants Who Kill With a CDL

By
Kristina
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — A group of Republican senators introduced the Dalilah’s Law Act on March 26, 2026, a sweeping piece of legislation that would create new criminal penalties, mandatory minimums, immigration consequences, and even a death penalty aggravating factor for illegal immigrants who use commercial driver’s licenses to operate trucks on U.S. roads.

U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) introduced the bill in response to President Trump’s State of the Union Address, during which he called on Congress to prevent crashes caused by unqualified CDL drivers.

The bill takes its name from Dalilah Coleman, a child injured in a 2024 crash involving Partap Singh, an Indian national issued a CDL by California. Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC) introduced similar legislation in the House earlier this month.

What the Bill Would Do

The Dalilah’s Law Act would:

• Create a new criminal penalty for illegal immigrants using or presenting a CDL in interstate commerce

• Institute mandatory minimums for accidents caused by illegal immigrants using a CDL, based on severity

• Create a new death penalty aggravating factor when an illegal immigrant using a CDL kills another person in a motor vehicle accident

• Make any illegal immigrant convicted of using a CDL an aggravated felon, triggering mandatory detention, deportability, and ineligibility for asylum

• Require CDL applicants to provide written documentation confirming employment eligibility through E-Verify or a state-equivalent program

• Authorize DOT to request and review state documentation confirming CDL applicant eligibility

• Create a new criminal offense for state officials who direct others not to use E-Verify before issuing a CDL

• Create new civil penalties for any business that helps an illegal immigrant acquire a CDL

• Create individual causes of action for people injured by an illegal immigrant using a CDL

• Require the U.S. Attorney General to report within 180 days on accidents caused by illegal immigrants using CDLs

• Grant states the ability to sue other states that violate the new E-Verify requirement

• Allow the U.S. Attorney General to sue states that do not require E-Verify before issuing CDLs

What Senators Are Saying

“It is reprehensible that innocent Americans like Dalilah Coleman continue to pay the price for Democrats’ open-border policies, which have led to illegal aliens — who cannot speak English or read our road signs — dangerously operating massive commercial vehicles on our roadways,” said Sen. Cornyn. “Our bill would build on President Trump’s State of the Union remarks honoring Dalilah to put an end to this pull factor and hold illegal alien drivers and the sanctuary states that enable them accountable.”

“A five-year-old little girl is now living with significant injuries because an illegal alien recklessly drove an 80,000-pound commercial vehicle after being issued a CDL by the state of California. This cannot happen again,” said Sen. Budd. “I am proud to join Senator Cornyn in introducing the Dalilah’s Law Act to ensure that no state bypasses necessary driver vetting requirements when an illegal alien attempts to obtain a CDL.”

“Commercial drivers carry an enormous responsibility, and there must be clear, consistent standards for those allowed behind the wheel,” said Sen. Capito. “Sen. Cornyn’s effort closes dangerous loopholes and reinforces the principle that the rule of law and public safety must always come first.”

“Every American who shares a road with an 80,000-pound commercial truck deserves to know that driver earned that license legally,” said Sen. Lummis. “Handing CDLs to people who have no legal right to be in this country is a betrayal of the public trust.”

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Iowa State Patrol Using Minor Weigh Station Violations to Hand Truck Drivers Over to ICE — Lawyers Call It Pretextual, Judges Demand Answers 

By
Kristina
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DES MOINES, IOWA — Iowa State Patrol troopers are pulling over commercial truck drivers for weigh station violations and sending them to weigh stations where ICE agents are waiting to arrest them, according to federal court records. The practice has drawn legal challenges and raised civil liberties concerns across the state.

The operation works like this: troopers spot a commercial truck that bypassed a required weigh station stop on an Iowa interstate. Instead of simply issuing a ticket and moving on, the trooper directs the driver to return to the weigh station. ICE agents are already there. The driver gets a ticket — and in some cases, an arrest.

Cases Drawing Legal Scrutiny

Last month, Iowa State Patrol Trooper Aaron Taylor pulled over Pardeep Saini, 22, of Sacramento, California, on Interstate 80 in Jasper County for bypassing a weigh station. Taylor directed Saini to the weigh station, where ICE officials were already waiting. ICE arrested Saini on the grounds that his student visa had been revoked. Officers took him to the Polk County Jail. His attorney filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court seeking his immediate release. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger recently ordered the DOJ to show cause as to why Saini is not being illegally detained.

Last November, Trooper Patrick Oetker pulled over Navdeep Singh, a California truck driver, on I-80 near Mitchellville in Jasper County for the same violation. Singh claimed valid work authorization and a CDL. Troopers handed him over to ICE. He ended up in the Hardin County Jail and was denied bond.

In February 2026, Trooper Nathaniel Rippey pulled over Suraj Vasal on I-80. Vasal came to the U.S. from India in 2022 seeking asylum. ICE took custody of him during the traffic stop, held him in the Neal Smith Federal Building in Des Moines, then transferred him to the Polk County Jail. An assistant U.S. attorney argued in court that the weigh station violation was evidence Vasal posed a danger to the community — justifying detention without bond. Vasal’s attorney called that argument “not believable.”

A Minor Violation Used as an Arrest Trigger

Weigh station violations carry no possible jail sentence under Iowa law. Critics say ICE is using them as a pretext. Attorney Benjamin Granfield Arato argued in court that the arrests are part of a broader pattern. “This arrest is part of a new, nationwide initiative by ICE to arbitrarily arrest individuals,” Arato said. “ICE officers — typically masked and in plain clothes — immediately arrest the person and detain them.”

Iowa State Patrol’s Response

The Iowa State Patrol declined to describe how the weigh station operation works. Sgt. Alex Dinkla, the patrol’s public information officer, said the Iowa Department of Public Safety “has always cooperated and assisted, to the extent permitted by law, with the investigative efforts of the United States Department of Homeland Security.” He added the cooperation is no different from working with the FBI, DEA, or ATF.

A Growing National Practice

The tactic first gained traction in Florida last summer, after the state attorney general announced weigh stations would double as immigration checkpoints. That move followed a crash involving a tractor-trailer driver from India who allegedly made an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike, killing three people.

Last fall, DHS claimed 3,000 arrests under “Operation Midway Blitz.” More than 200 came from Indiana, where state troopers hold immigration enforcement powers through a partnership with DHS. Fifty of those 200 arrests involved commercial truckers stopped at weigh stations.

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) introduced H.R. 5177, the WEIGH Act, which would require all interstate weigh stations to check CDLs and verify English proficiency. States that refuse would risk losing federal highway funding and CDL program authority.

Community Concerns

David Goodner, executive director of Iowa immigrant advocacy group Escucha Mi Voz, says the pressure has trickled down to local law enforcement. “If you have a foreign-sounding name or you don’t have a driver’s license with you, and you get pulled over by the Iowa State Patrol, they’re going to do these immigration inquiries, like, 100% of the time,” Goodner said. “The major question we have is how much pressure the Iowa State Patrol is putting on local sheriffs and local police departments to give them a call for these immigration inquiries when they pull people over.”

📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.

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34th Strike Since 2022: Virginia Box Truck Driver Says He “Didn’t See” Any of 50+ Warning Signs Before Hitting Onondaga Lake Parkway Bridge

By
Kristina
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SALINA, NEW YORK — A Virginia box truck driver struck the Onondaga Lake Parkway railroad bridge Thursday morning and told deputies he simply “didn’t see” any of the more than 50 signs, warnings, and countermeasures lining the road in both directions. It was the 34th time the bridge has been hit since 2022.

The crash happened at approximately 7:45 a.m. on Thursday. Shawn Williams, 53, of Virginia, was driving east on Onondaga Lake Parkway when his box truck struck the railroad bridge. The top of the truck sustained damage. The bridge was unharmed. No injuries were reported. Williams was heading back to Virginia at the time. Deputies could not confirm who he was working for.

Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Thomas Newton said Williams received three tickets for failure to obey a traffic control device.

A Bridge That Won’t Stop Getting Hit

The Onondaga Lake Parkway bridge has a clearance of just 10 feet 9 inches. A typical box truck stands between 10 and 13.5 feet tall. Despite more than 50 signs, warnings, and countermeasures installed in both directions, drivers keep hitting it. The bridge was struck eight times in 2025 alone and 34 times since 2022.

In mid-February, DOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez announced the state had installed new larger, brighter signs to alert drivers. Thursday’s crash came less than two months after that announcement.

New York State also stiffened the penalties for bridge strikes starting in February. Previously, hitting a bridge carried zero license points. Now it carries eight points. Under DMV guidelines, a driver hitting 10 points within 24 months faces a license suspension. An 11-point infraction triggers an automatic suspension.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.

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Yuma Border Patrol Arrested 11 Indian National Truck Drivers in February — All Illegally Present in the U.S. and Holding State-Issued CDLs From Five Different States

By
Kristina
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YUMA, ARIZONA — Yuma Sector Border Patrol arrested 11 Indian national semi-truck drivers in February 2026, all found to be illegally present in the United States. Every driver carried a commercial driver’s license issued by a U.S. state.

The CDLs came from Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and California.

“Border Patrol remains committed to upholding immigration laws and protecting our communities,” the Yuma Sector Border Patrol said.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.

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Tractor-Trailer Carrying Liquid Nitrogen Flips Over in Rockport, Maine — Nitrogen Leaks but Firefighters Confirm No Explosion Risk

By
Kristina
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ROCKPORT, MAINE — A tractor-trailer carrying liquid nitrogen flipped over Wednesday morning on Rockland Street in Rockport, closing the road for six and a half hours while crews worked the scene.

Rockport Maine Fire Department

The driver escaped the truck and was checked out on scene. He was not injured. Rockport firefighters confirmed the liquid nitrogen leaked but stressed the truck was never explosive and posed no environmental impact.

Rockport Maine Fire Department

Rockland Street reopened after crews cleared the scene approximately six and a half hours after the crash.

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Truck Drivers Are Hauling Radioactive Fracking Waste Without HAZMAT Certification — Some Don’t Know What’s in the Tank

By
Kristina
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Across the United States, truck drivers are hauling oil and gas waste containing radioactive materials at levels more than 2,000 times the federal legal cargo limit. Many have no HAZMAT certification. Some don’t even know what’s in the tank.

Fracking generates large volumes of chemical-filled wastewater for every barrel of oil produced. Federal law requires companies to test waste for hazardous materials before loading it onto trucks. Drivers and operators say that requirement goes largely ignored. As a result, truckers hit the road without proper training, certification, or protective equipment.

What’s in the Waste

Fracking waste contains drilling fluids, sludge, sands, and brine. It can carry lead-210, benzene, radium-226, and radium-228 — substances linked to bone cancer, blood disorders, liver damage, kidney disease, and leukemia. Hydrogen sulfide gas has killed workers outright. At lower levels, it causes neurological and respiratory damage. Drivers face exposure through inhalation, skin contact, and residue on their hands and clothes.

Drivers Speak Out

In interviews conducted by Earthjustice, drivers described the daily reality of hauling toxic waste without adequate protection.

Jane, a 12-year veteran hauling fracking wastewater in the Permian Basin, described constant exposure. “Personal protective equipment does not shield you from harm completely because waste goes through clothes and gloves,” she said. “There have been times when my skin has broken out, and when I blow my nose, there’s something black and brown that will come out.”

Tom McKnight, a retired driver who hauled oil and gas waste in the Ohio River Valley for six years, got a cancer diagnosis in 2019. “I would like to see responsible steps taken to be able to still do the same work without a negative impact on people,” he said. “There has to be a way.”

Billy Randel, a retired HAZMAT driver and leader of Truckers Movement for Justice — representing an estimated 15,000 drivers — put it plainly. “Drivers don’t even know what the hell they’re trucking,” Randel said. “You bring it home in work clothes. Your wife might use that car for the weekend. What do you think — that stuff just disappears?”

The Legal Fight

Earthjustice filed a letter to the DOT on behalf of TMJ demanding immediate HAZMAT enforcement for oil and gas waste transport. Although oil and gas waste has carried an EPA exemption since 1988, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration says it still qualifies as a hazardous material under DOT rules. HAZMAT classification would require proper driver training, licensing, insurance, and rerouting away from residential areas and schools.

Earthjustice Senior Attorney Megan Hunter framed it simply. “The oil and gas industry enjoys so many legal loopholes that deprive workers and communities of information about the toxic exposures they face,” Hunter said. “It’s important that the oil and gas industry pay the cost of what it’s doing.”

📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.

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“It’s Getting Harder and Harder”: Missouri Truckers Pay $1,000 to Fill Up as Diesel Tops $5 a Gallon

By
Kristina
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0

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI — Conflict in the Middle East is pushing fuel prices higher across the country. Missouri truckers are feeling it hard — and some are questioning whether they can stay on the road.

According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of unleaded gas sits at $3.98, up 14 cents from last week. Missouri drivers are paying an average of $3.43 per gallon, up eight cents. In Illinois, the average jumped 29 cents to $4.22. Diesel has climbed even further, topping five dollars a gallon in some areas.

“Many drivers have seen sticker shock at the pumps over the last month,” said Nick Chabaria, AAA Missouri spokesman. “Across the state, we’ve seen prices rise anywhere from $0.80 to a dollar on average in the last month alone at local gas stations.”

For truck driver Raymond Garcia, filling up now costs around $1,000 per tank. Speaking to local media, Garcia said the pressure is mounting. “It’s taking money for sure from my family and stuff. It’s more of a hassle, you know? But it’s getting harder and harder,” Garcia said. He came into trucking expecting strong earnings. The fuel costs have flipped that equation. “I came in thinking it’s a lot of money, it’s going to help me out a lot. But yeah, the price of gas is kind of like — it’s not making any sense. This is not what I thought it was going to be.” If prices keep climbing, Garcia says he may have to rethink his future in trucking.

Chabaria pointed to the Iran conflict as the key driver behind the diesel spike. “Diesel, prior to the war with Iran, was already seeing some tight supply, so prices were already elevated,” he said. “And then with the war with Iran and all the oil that comes out of that region that’s now stuck there, that’s causing diesel prices to come up even quicker.”

Driver interviews courtesy of FOX.

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Maine Man Charged After Running Unlicensed CDL School — Charged Students Thousands for Licenses They Never Received

By
Kristina
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YORK COUNTY, MAINE — A Sanford man is out on bail after investigators caught him running an unlicensed commercial driver’s license school in York County. Students paid him thousands of dollars for CDL training. They never got their licenses.

Paul Rumery faces eight charges connected to the scheme. Investigators with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles found Rumery operating an unlicensed driver’s education school for truck drivers. He claimed he worked for Hannaford, training company drivers on commercial vehicles. In reality, he was teaching people from outside companies on the side — without a valid driver education license. He charged students significantly less than what a state-approved driving school would charge. Authorities believe he used low prices to lure students away from legitimate schools.

“Two Years and Nothing”

Leon Jackson paid Rumery $10,000 to get CDL licenses for himself, his son, and two friends. None of them received a license. “I was trying for two years to get a CDL from him, roughly two years,” Jackson said. He later discovered Rumery never submitted his application to the BMV for certification. To finally get his license, Jackson paid a second driving school in Brunswick to start over.

Legitimate Schools Felt the Impact

Ronald Vance, owner of GoDrivingSchool, was among those who reported Rumery to the state. He says Rumery’s artificially low prices pulled students away from his legitimate operation. “I had to compete with a non-competitively licensed school,” Vance said. “It is very depressing, very frustrating and makes you maybe not want to run your business anymore.” He added: “There’s a lot of damage that this has done, and it took a long time for them to finally get to this point.”

The Maine Secretary of State stressed that CDL training must go through properly licensed providers to protect both consumers and public safety. Rumery’s summons is still pending. He faces court on April 30.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.

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New York Truck Driver Strikes State Trooper’s Patrol Car on Thruway and Flees 20 Miles — Charged With Move Over Violation and Operating Overweight Vehicle

By
Kristina
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SULLIVAN, NEW YORK — A Little Falls truck driver struck a state trooper’s patrol vehicle on the New York State Thruway Wednesday afternoon and kept driving for approximately 20 miles. Troopers tracked him down and stopped him.

Photo credit: NYSP

The incident unfolded at approximately 1 p.m. on March 25 near mile marker 273 in the town of Sullivan, Madison County. A trooper from the Syracuse Barracks had pulled his vehicle into the right lane — emergency lights flashing — to remove an obstruction from the roadway. Seth J. Horender, 55, of Little Falls, came up behind the patrol vehicle in a 2022 Peterbilt with a dump trailer. He tried to squeeze past by pulling onto the right shoulder illegally. The trooper saw him coming and jumped to the median to avoid getting hit. Horender’s truck clipped the patrol vehicle and kept rolling eastbound. Troopers caught up with him roughly 20 miles down the road.

Photo credit: NYSP

Longhorn Trucking Company of Fort Plain owned the tractor-trailer. The Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit towed it to the Thruway Verona tandem lot for inspection. Inspectors found damage to the left trailer wheels and rims. A tow truck hauled the patrol vehicle off the scene.

Photo credit: NYSP

Troopers ran field sobriety tests on Horender. He showed no signs of impairment. Even so, troopers hit him with multiple vehicle and traffic violations, including failure to avoid colliding with an emergency vehicle under the Move Over Law. They also cited him for running an overweight vehicle.

Photo credit: NYSP

Horender faces Sullivan Town Court next month.

📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.

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