Maas Logistics Dispatch

Trucking News Roundup: Uber Freight Flags Q4 Capacity Risk, CA CDL Court Fight, Motus Case-by-Case Fixes, Fuel Spike Outlook, CPI (Sept 12, 2026)

September 12, 2026 · By Maas Logistics Dispatch · 8 min read

Uber Freight warned Q4 capacity is still not rebuilding, California and FMCSA took the non-domiciled CDL fight to court, Motus authority fixes are grinding on one carrier at a time, a top strategist flagged $5 gas risk, and August CPI kept the squeeze on groceries — five stories from the dispatch desk in Melissa, Texas.

Uber Freight: tight capacity could fuel another Q4 rate surge

Uber Freight’s Q3 Market Update (released Thursday) says truckload capacity is still struggling to rebuild heading into Q4. National dry van contract linehaul hit $2.39/mile in July — up 18% vs July 2025, with the biggest June-to-July jump on record. Spot van linehaul averaged $2.21 in the week of Aug. 26 but stayed ~36% above last year. Primary tender acceptance improved only to 78% in August (vs 90–94% in recent years). Uber Freight cites 48,000+ noncompliant drivers exiting in the past year, ~9 months of Class 8 backlog, diesel volatility, and trade-policy churn. Mexico/cross-border stays tight. Advice: use Sept–Oct to fix routing guides and lock backup carriers before late-October peak.

What it means: Don’t wait for the holiday surge to scramble. Lock real asset capacity out of DFW/Melissa now — request a quote. Maas is asset-based (never re-brokered), dry van + reefer, 48 states.

Source: FreightWaves — Uber Freight warns tight capacity could fuel Q4 freight rate surge

California vs FMCSA: non-domiciled CDL pause argued in court

Friday in the D.C. Circuit, California DMV and FMCSA argued over the federal “pause” on new/renewal non-domiciled CDLs in California and related highway-fund pressure. Core fight: whether CDL expiration must match lawful-presence documents. FMCSA’s side said roughly 20,000 of ~65,000 CA non-domiciled CDLs were improperly issued with license dates past lawful presence. California says FMCSA lacks authority for an open-ended pre-enforcement pause. Related Lujan v. FMCSA arguments are set for next week; North Carolina was cleared to resume non-domiciled issuance after fixes, under tighter federal rules.

What it means: Credential integrity stays a live federal fight. Prefer carriers that hire on clean documented CDL-A paper and registered ELDs. Hiring: company drivers and owner-operators pages.

Source: FreightWaves — California, FMCSA argue non-domiciled CDL halt in court

Motus mess: FMCSA restoring authorities one carrier at a time

Overdrive (updated Sept 10): FMCSA is fixing Motus-related involuntary suspensions case-by-case. One OO (A&J Transport Recovery) regained active authority after a month of suspension despite active insurance — learned via an attorney lookup, not FMCSA outreach. CAB data: ~165 authorities reactivated after involuntary suspension in about six days; more than 1,200 carriers were still flagged involuntary-suspended for insurance despite policies on file in a prior pull. Other OOs remain stuck in Highway/RMIS even with “GRANTED” notes. OOIDA is helping members case-by-case.

What it means: If Motus shows you inactive with insurance on file, document tickets, escalate through state FMCSA division / OOIDA, and check vetting platforms daily. Maas stays on registered Samsara ELD gear with active authority.

Source: Overdrive — FMCSA cleaning up Motus mess one carrier at a time

Strategist: “extremely high” risk of $5 gas; diesel could hit $7–$9

Transport Topics / Bloomberg: commodities strategist Jeff Currie said Sept. 11 the chance U.S. retail gasoline hits $5/gal before the Nov. 3 midterms is “extremely high.” He flagged refined-product scarcity, ended SPR releases, and structural oil-complex tightness. Diesel already cleared $6 nationally; Currie said diesel could reach $7–$9/gal if shortages deepen. National regular gas was about $4.29 as of Sept. 10.

What it means: Price every load all-in. Fuel surcharge math matters more than linehaul alone. Ask Maas for an all-in quote when diesel is this hot.

Source: Transport Topics — High risk of $5 gas by November

August CPI jumps as fuel feeds food-cost warnings

BLS (Sept. 11): CPI rose 0.4% month-over-month in August; annual CPI held at 3.4%. Core was 2.4% y/y but rose 0.3% m/m (largest since April). Same day, food makers (Conagra, Campbell’s, McCormick) signaled further price increases; diesel above $6 feeds grocery logistics costs. Oil eased some (Brent ~$104) but stayed elevated.

What it means: Inflation + fuel = higher landed cost. Lock capacity early; Maas dry van/reefer FTL from DFW/Melissa — quote page.

Running with Maas

Hiring CDL-A company drivers: company driver openings. Owner-operators: lease on with Maas. Need a truck: get a freight quote.

Maas Logistics LLC | 1817 Miller Rd #5, Melissa, TX 75454 | (916) 770-7323 | dispatch@maaslogistic.com

Dallas–Fort Worth | USDOT 3179194 | MC 124881

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