The Department of Transportation is escalating its battle against "CDL mills" accused of certifying unqualified drivers, promising to eliminate unsafe operators and investigate fleets that hire them. This heightened regulatory enforcement is already leading to a significant capacity shakeout in the truckload market, which could potentially overshadow Schneider’s tough Q3 earnings report.

DOT Secretary Sean Duffy is expanding driver enforcement to shippers who load up rigs, warning that companies must ensure truck drivers meet federal English language proficiency rules or face substantial penalties. This focus on language compliance follows the sidelining of more than 7,000 truckers reportedly for English proficiency violations due to a revived out-of-service criterion this year.

Meanwhile, UPS announced that 2,000 drivers left UPS after taking buyouts in the third quarter, part of a major streamlining campaign that has eliminated 48,000 jobs over the past 18 months. Across the industry, TFI International reported mixed signs of a turnaround at TFI’s U.S. LTL operations, showing flat year-over-year operating ratios and decreased operating income across all major segments.

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