The Highway Veritas Brief #1
An unfiltered look at America's trucking industry, the absurd data, and conversations that matter (or should matter).
Date: August 29, 2025
This is the first-ever “weekly-ish” newsletter. And by 'weekly-ish,' I mean there will be some inconsistency. While the goal is to deliver weekly, I must prioritize my sanity. And quality is more important than quantity. You won’t get this in your inbox just because I need to stick to a rigid schedule.
Also, I don’t like rules.
Freight Developments
You may or may not have heard about the English Language Proficiency (ELP) this week. I won’t rehash everything. Google will catch you up. I want to discuss the part of the story that was not featured on mainstream social media.
Secretary Duffy called out three states for significant failures in ELP enforcement. Fair. But whatever data was handed to him wasn’t the whole picture.
It isn’t just three states falling short. There are many more that have yet to issue any meaningful out-of-service violations. Today marks day 65 since June 25, 2025, the official start of ELP enforcement. During that span, Florida has issued only four violations, and California has issued just ONE, which is absolutely absurd.
Here’s what the average number of ELP out-of-service violations per day looks like by state:
Texas: 4.92/day
Wyoming: 4.28/day
Tennessee: 3.52/day
California: 0.02/day
Florida: 0.06/day
This chart shows English Language Proficiency (ELP) out-of-service (OOS) violations in two ways:
Blue line: Violations issued by the state.
Red line: Where the carriers involved are actually domiciled (home state).
Carriers are being put OOS in states that enforce, while their home states twiddle their thumbs. Florida. California. Ohio. Illinois.
This isn’t just a few bad states failing to enforce the law. It’s a broken system where geography and opinions determine accountability… Or lack thereof.
Florida v California
The back-and-forth on the CDL issuance has been nothing short of ridiculous. Political theatre, truly. DeSantis claims that the state does NOT issue ‘non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) to illegal immigrants, and he’s correct.
However, the language employed is crafted to obfuscate the substantive issues and mislead the reasonable reader through gratuitous complexity. While Florida asserts it does not issue “non-domiciled” licenses, it does issue “Limited-Term” licenses. Functionally indistinguishable from California’s practice.
Non-domiciled CDL = Limited-term CDL. There’s no “versus” here.
They are the same thing.
And yet, the conversation keeps getting dragged into political drama. This isn’t about Governor Newsom. It isn’t about Governor DeSantis. It isn’t about red states vs. blue states vs. yellow states.
This is a nationwide crisis of unqualified drivers, citizens and non-citizens alike. It’s bigger than the English language. It’s bigger than partisan theater. At the core, it’s about safety. And until we face that, the roads stay dangerous.
Appearances & Recordings
Freight Gong Friday: U-Turning Semi's On Highways
Freight Gong Friday is the closest thing to freight friends in real life (IRL). And this episode was pure joy. Easily the most fun I’ve had on a show, ever!
Steve Bannon’s WarRoom
“Steve Bannon wants you on the show tomorrow … insert cell phone number”
Me: WHAT.
“Yes. Text him.”
The last two weeks have passed so quickly, it feels like a whirlwind. One huge highlight was the privilege of joining Steve Bannon’s War Room. I'm incredibly grateful for the chance to share my perspective and be part of the conversation! What a time to be alive.
Tyler TV. EXPOSED: Corrupted Trucking Industry SECRETS REVEALED That You Should Know
After the tragic Florida crash that killed three, TylerTV, the host of Jar Openers, came across my posts on X (thank you, Elon and the algorithm). Together, we delved into the White Hawk/Harjinder Singh crash and pulled back the lens a bit. This isn’t about one driver or one carrier. It’s about systemic CDL loopholes, state-to-state enforcement failures, and the persistent myth of a “driver shortage.”
Latest USDOT Data Trends
What’s in a name?
Many new trucking companies are choosing names that have nothing to do with over-the-road freight, yet that’s precisely what they’re hauling. A bit of subtle misdirection at its finest.
All State Trailer and Truck Repair — 2 prior USDOT authorities.
RACECAR TRUCK AND TRAILER REPAIR — 1 prior USDOT authority.
Disclaimer: Company names have been altered for clarity. The examples reflect real patterns, not fictional scenarios.
Or in a no-name?
July 2025 showed no slowdown in NONAMEGIVEN / FNU LNU. I’ve said it before, and I’ll continue saying it. This is intentional. It is nothing more than an attempt to evade data matching when one USDOT is shut down and the operation wants to keep operating.
That’s all for now. I’ll be back next week, maybe.
—Danielle