Roses & Razzberries – November 2025
ROSES to city and county leaders from across the nation who have expressed their concerns about making trucks bigger and heavier. More than 2,200 local government leaders issued a joint letter in September, asking congressional lawmakers to oppose any increases in truck size or weight, including heavier single-trailer trucks. The letter was signed by city and county officials from all 50 states. “Much of our transportation infrastructure that connects people to jobs, schools and leisure is in disrepair, in part because local and rural roads and bridges are older and not built to the same standards as interstates,” the letter states. A study released by the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks in March indicated that an increase would place between 65,157 and 82,457 local bridges at risk. “Increasing size and weight is all cost and no benefit for truckers,” OOIDA wrote in a letter to transportation leaders in the House and Senate in late August.
RAZZBERRIES for the alleged attack on a truck driver at a North Carolina landfill. A lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina by Joseph Joines, a truck driver from Maryland, and Angelica Hendon, a trucker from Florida, claims Fourth Amendment violations, civil conspiracy, assault, battery, false imprisonment and emotional distress. It all began with a misunderstanding of the staging process followed by allegations of a stolen cellphone, which was never found. Ultimately, Andrew Ferguson, an employee at the landfill and defendant in the lawsuit, brandished a handgun and allegedly pointed it at Joines. A jury trial has been demanded.
ROSES to industry stakeholders who continue to spotlight the need for more truck parking. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, Transportation Intermediaries Association, American Trucking Associations, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, PrePass Safety Alliance and Shippers Coalition all submitted comments about the lack of truck parking when the U.S. Department of Transportation asked for recommendations on what should be included in the next highway bill. “Somehow, after nearly a decade of unified advocacy, the trucking industry still finds itself pleading for help and feeling anxious that Congress may again fail to act,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer wrote. “Frankly, truckers are sick and tired of some lawmakers ignoring their pressing safety needs while funding other pet projects, and rest assured, they will be watching closely to see if Washington finally delivers.”
RAZZBERRIES for a study commissioned by Truck Parking Club suggesting there are millions of parking spaces for truck drivers. The pay-to-park company also launched a public relations blitz that included posts on social media claiming there is no truck parking shortage. Although the study did not come to that conclusion, Truck Parking Club said it did – claiming America has more than 23 million parking spaces suitable for trucks. OOIDA responded that undermining the parking shortage and overstating the private sector’s role in solving it is damaging. According to OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh, there is no indication all the parking spots identified in the study are “suitable” for trucks – but even if they are, claiming there is “10 times more capacity than we need” flies in the face of reality. LL