Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026:
FMCSA unveils new name for complaint database
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently announced that its National Consumer Complaint Database (NCCDB) is now operating with a new name: the FMCSA Complaint Center.
The name change follows updates to the database website just over a year ago that streamlined the user interface in an effort to make it easier to use.
In announcing the name change, the agency said the Complaint Center is intended to be “a resource for the general public, CMV drivers, and transportation industry professionals to report concerns within the commercial motor vehicle industry.”
The name of the compliant filing system has long been questioned by some in and around trucking, including in an early 2025 Senate subcommittee hearing in which Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh told lawmakers that the NCCDB at the time “seems to be where complaints go to die,” noting a common lack of response from FMCSA when OOIDA members file complaints there.
Pugh added that it could be helpful to rename the system, as the previous name didn’t appear to have anything to do with trucking.
[Related: Beware of double brokers: Getting involved with one can be a huge knock on credibility]
The Complaint Center website says it “helps identify motor carriers (bus, truck, and moving companies), brokers, medical review officers, electronic logging device providers, and other entities in the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) industry who may be violating federal motor carrier safety regulations. FMCSA uses complaints, along with other sources, to make decisions about which companies to investigate.”
The Government Accountability Office in 2023 called out FMCSA’s NCCDB for not meeting the needs of motor carriers in several key areas.
[Related: FMCSA makes it easier to call out bad brokers with National Consumer Complaint Database update]
California carrier adding 75 Kodiak autonomous trucks to fleet
Autonomous truck developer Kodiak AI on Wednesday announced an agreement with Fresno, California-headquartered DTL Transport to deploy the Kodiak Driver, Kodiak’s autonomous driving system, in 75 trucks owned and operated by DTL.
The agreement marks the first-ever publicly announced definitive agreement by an interstate trucking company to operate “driverless” trucks within their own fleet as part of the Driver-as-a-Service business (DAAS) model, Kodiak said. DTL will pay a per-mile fee for using the Kodiak Driver.
DTL specializes in cross-country team runs and hauls produce for several of the nation’s largest grocers.
Said Don Burnette, Founder and CEO, Kodiak, “This binding agreement reinforces what I have said from the beginning: The Driver-As-A-Service business model is tailor-made for commercial trucking. Kodiak is executing on that vision, and we are thrilled to continue growing our relationship with DTL.”
[Related: Driverless trucking in ‘first innings,’ but fears rise of a blowout game]
Drivers and owner-operators ranked “autonomous trucks” among top 10 issues of concern for all of trucking, according the most recent American Transportation Research Institute’s survey results. The same issue didn’t register as a concern at all in the fleet survey respondents’ top 10.
In September, DTL became Kodiak’s first autonomous customer in California after the state cleared the way legislatively for autonomous trucks to begin testing there. As part of a pilot program, the Kodiak Driver autonomously hauled perishable goods for DTL 225 miles along the I-5 and CA-99 freight corridors between Fresno and Los Angeles.
“Working with Kodiak underscores our commitment to affirming our leadership position in the industry,” said Lucky Dosanjh, President and CEO, DTL. “By integrating this technology into our fleet, complementing our experienced, professional workforce, we can expand capacity, enhance safety and drive innovation forward.”
With the new agreement, DTL will deploy its Kodiak Driver-equipped driverless trucks on two routes on which Kodiak has already conducted testing, operating on Interstate 10 between Dallas and El Paso, Texas, and along Interstate 20 between Dallas and Atlanta. Those two routes provide DTL with the opportunity to operate beyond current hours-of-service limitations, Kodiak noted. Additional lanes will be added over time.
Kodiak plans to launch driverless highway service by the end of this year, carrying goods on behalf of IKEA on Interstate 45 between Dallas and Houston.
[Related: Fleet, developer aim for driverless trucking this year]
Bunk restraint securement prompts Kenworth, Peterbilt recall
Paccar is recalling approximately 310 Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks due to potentially defective bunk restraints, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents.
In the affected units, the belt restraint webbing for the sleeper bunk was not secured properly during manufacturing, which can fail to adequately restrain vehicle occupants during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Affected trucks include:
- 2027 Peterbilt 567
- 2027 Peterbilt 579
- 2027 Peterbilt 589
- 2027 Kenworth T680
- 2027 Kenworth T880
- 2027 Kenworth W900
- 2027 Kenworth W990
Dealers will inspect and replace the bunk restraints, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Dec. 13. Owners can contact Kenworth’s customer service at 425-828-5888 and Peterbilt’s customer service at 940-591-4220 with recall number 26PACH. NHTSA’s recall number is 26V-674.
Small Volvo VNL recall prompted by loose, missing bolts
Volvo Trucks North America is recalling approximately five model year 2025-‘26 VNL trucks in which the truck cabs may have loose or missing structural bolts.
A cab with loose or missing structural bolts may not properly protect an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury, the recall states.
Dealers will inspect for missing structural bolts and install and/or tighten the bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Dec. 14. Owners can contact Volvo Trucks’ customer service at 800-528-6586 with recall number RVXX2612. NHTSA’s recall number is 26V-677.
PAM Transport seeks pre-CDL exemption
PAM Transport is requesting an exemption from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regs that would allow a commercial license permit holder who has passed the CDL skills test to operate without another CDL holder in the front seat prior to being issued CDL credentials.
Similar exemptions have been granted to a number of fleets, including C.R. England, Covenant and others.
In its request, PAM said a CDL holder would remain in the truck while the CLP holder is driving, but not necessarily in the passenger seat.
The company said the exemption, if granted, “would allow the CLP holder to begin employment in a timelier manner, strengthen their newly acquired driving skills, and participate in a revenue-generating trip back to their state of domicile to obtain their CDL documents.”
PAM estimated that approximately 500-700 CLP holders would operate each year under the terms of the exemption.
In granting previous exemptions like this one, FMCSA has contended that “CLP holders who have passed the CDL skills test are eligible to obtain a CDL without further training,” and as such, the only remaining step is to return to their home state to get the credential.
“If these CLP holders had obtained their training and CLPs in their state of domicile, they could immediately obtain their CDL at the in-State SDLA and immediately begin driving a CMV without any on-board supervision,” FMCSA said in granting Covenant’s exemption in September.
FMCSA is accepting public comments on PAM’s request through Nov. 27.
