Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
October 15, 2025
Supply Chain Storm Clouds: CDL Crackdown Threatens Trucking Capacity
TLDR
- Shippers can gain advantage by vetting carrier financial health and optimizing supply chains to avoid accessorial fees during this regulatory-driven capacity crunch.
- The FMCSA emergency ruling restricts non-domiciled CDLs while ports enforce accessorial fees due to declining import volumes, creating a compound market disruption.
- Stricter CDL regulations improve road safety standards while pushing the logistics industry toward more sustainable and compliant operational practices for long-term stability.
- A nationwide CDL audit revealed non-domiciled drivers account for significant lower-cost capacity, now being removed from the market through regulatory enforcement.
Impact - Why it Matters
This regulatory shift and capacity reduction directly impacts consumer goods availability and pricing. As trucking capacity shrinks due to CDL enforcement and carrier bankruptcies, shipping costs will inevitably rise, potentially leading to higher prices for everyday goods. The timing is particularly concerning as we approach the holiday season, when supply chains are typically under maximum strain. Businesses that rely on timely freight movement may face delays and increased costs, which could ripple through the economy affecting everything from retail inventory levels to manufacturing production schedules. The removal of lower-cost capacity threatens to disrupt the delicate balance of the drayage market, potentially creating bottlenecks at ports and rail terminals that could cascade through the entire supply chain.
Summary
ITS Logistics has released its October forecast in the ITS Logistics US Port/Rail Ramp Freight Index, revealing significant challenges facing the North American supply chain. The index confirms a continued downward trend in import volumes, with U.S. September import volume projected at just 2.12 million TEUs, representing a 6.8% year-over-year decrease. This decline is driving ocean carriers to strictly enforce accessorial fees to maintain profitability during what should be peak season. While port and rail ramp operations are currently running smoothly, the combination of declining volumes and evolving regulatory pressures creates what company executives describe as "storm clouds on the horizon" that could significantly disrupt supply chain operations.
The regulatory environment represents the most immediate threat, following the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's emergency interim ruling restricting eligibility for non-domiciled CDLs. This nationwide audit of CDL licenses has prompted several states to implement enforcement efforts to verify CDL compliance and English language proficiency at weigh stations and ports of entry. Industry experts warn that non-domiciled CDL holders account for a significant portion of the lower-cost capacity market, and the regulatory crackdowns will likely result in a surge in bankruptcies across small and mid-size carriers. The drayage market has already seen multiple major providers close their doors throughout 2025, and stricter enforcement is expected to exacerbate financial challenges while pushing out critical capacity.
Paul Brashier, Vice President of Global Supply Chain for ITS Logistics, emphasizes that these new regulations will remove capacity from the ecosystem and cause market disruption in the near term. In the long term, he warns it could drive many carriers out of business as they struggle to withstand both evolving regulatory pressures and the ongoing freight recession that has pushed rates down to or below operating levels. The National Retail Federation anticipates that monthly import volumes will continue to drop for the remainder of the year, citing tariffs and frontloading activity in the first half of 2025. Visit here for a full, comprehensive copy of the index with expected forecasts for the US port and rail ramps, as shippers are advised to carefully vet service provider health during upcoming RFP activities.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by citybiz. Read the original source here, Supply Chain Storm Clouds: CDL Crackdown Threatens Trucking Capacity
