Green Lights & Red Flags – June 2026
Green lights to Ohio, which is in the midst of a rest area improvement project that includes expanding truck parking capacity. Rest areas along Interstate 70 in Madison County were recently reopened with a combined 82 new truck parking spaces. “We are providing cleaner, more accessible facilities with expanded truck parking, updated amenities, and features that highlight local attractions to inspire travelers to support local communities,” Ohio DOT Director Pam Boratyn said. Additionally, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine previously announced plans to add at least 1,400 truck parking spaces across the Buckeye State. The rest area plan will include upgrades at over 70 rest areas.
A scary situation ended with a tractor-trailer catching fire after it was reportedly shot at by a trailing vehicle. According to the Fergus County, Mont. Sheriff’s Department, a truck driver traveling on 191 South called 911 in early April to report that a person in the vehicle behind him was shooting at them. “A short time later, deputies located a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle that was allegedly firing shots at the semi,” the Fergus County Sheriff’s Department wrote in a social media post. “The driver was ordered out at gunpoint by deputies and detained with no issues. As of publication, agencies were still investigating the incident. Needless to say, shooting at trucks gets a red flag and deserves far worse.
During the largest wildfires in Nebraska history, we hand out green lights to truck drivers who organized and gave back to those in need. Several convoys delivering hay, agricultural supplies and cash were organized via social media posts. “One thing I know for certain in Nebraska is when neighbors are in trouble or hurting, we step up and take care of one another,” Justin Smith, a farmer from Craig, Neb., and a convoy organizer, said on a Facebook post. The convoys traveled more than 400 miles in some instances and were comprised of farmers, ranchers and truck drivers from Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa. “No trucker wanted to be paid,” Brad Sneesby, vice president of a South Dakota cattlemen’s association, told a local media outlet. “I can’t even describe the generosity.” According to the latest reports, nearly 800,000 acres were burned by wildfires in Nebraska.
Another red flag here. Aurora Operations, which is currently operating under a limited waiver, is requesting a five-year exemption from a federal regulation requiring truck drivers to place warning devices around the truck when stopped on a highway shoulder. Aurora told the FMCSA that it wants to nearly double its fleet by the end of 2026 and projects it could expand to thousands of driverless trucks over the next five years. In 2023, OOIDA warned FMCSA that the warning beacons wouldn’t work if the vehicles were stopped within 500 feet of a curve. “We continue to see too many instances where autonomous vehicle technology does not perform the way it is designed, which further jeopardizes safety performance,” OOIDA wrote in 2023.
Green lights to a Canadian province’s investment to support, in part, the trucking industry. British Columbia is spending a total of $100 million, including $55 million in the next three years, as part of its safety rest area improvement project. “For commercial drivers, safe and accessible rest areas are essential infrastructure, not a luxury,” said Binoy Mascarenhas, director of policy for the BC Trucking Association. “When drivers have reliable places to pull over, perform safety checks, take needed breaks and meet regulatory rest requirements, it supports both road safety and the efficient movement of goods across B.C.” The rest area upgrades include expanded truck parking as well as improved bathroom facilities, lighting and access. LL