Maas Logistics Dispatch

Trucking News Roundup: Diesel Export Ask, Spot Mixed, 16 Bankruptcies, REVOKE Act

September 27, 2026 · By Maas Logistics Dispatch · 5 min read

The Energy Department asks refiners to voluntarily keep diesel at home while the national pump average hits $6.529 a gallon, FTR counts a post-Labor Day spot rebound that still leaves van and reefer rates slipping, sixteen trucking companies hit bankruptcy court in under a month with two North Texas names on the list, the House REVOKE Act takes aim at chameleon carriers, and DAT says capacity — not demand — still defines the market. Here's what it means from a dispatch desk in Melissa, Texas.

White House asks refiners to cut diesel exports as pump hits $6.529

TWOSU News / Energy Dept coverage (Sept. 26): Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the administration is asking U.S. refiners to voluntarily reduce diesel exports and keep more fuel in the domestic market. No federal export ban has been ordered. EIA reported a national on-highway diesel average of $6.529 per gallon for the week ending Sept. 21 — up 24.4 cents from $6.285 the prior week and about $2.78 higher than a year earlier. Midwest diesel averaged $6.680; California has run well above $8.

President Trump publicly floated restricting diesel exports; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said options were under review; Wright stressed voluntary reductions first ("You gotta put Americans first") and cautioned against a blanket ban. Industry groups (API, U.S. Chamber) warn a hard ban could backfire by forcing refining cuts that also tighten gasoline and jet.

What it means: Fuel is eating spot margins before a single mile is paid. Owner-operators and company drivers who need a stable home base near DFW — company drivers / owner-operators. Shippers who want an asset truck that shows — get a freight quote.

Source: TWOSU News: Trump administration asks refiners to cut diesel exports as fuel costs hammer trucking

Spot market mixed: flatbed climbs, van and reefer slip after Labor Day

TruckDriverNews citing FTR / Truckstop.com Spot Market Insights (week ending Sept. 18, published Sept. 24): Total spot load activity jumped 26.7% after the holiday-shortened week to an index of 161.0 — highest in nine weeks and about 10% above the same week in 2025. Truck postings rose 13.3%. Total broker-posted spot rate rose 2 cents to $3.23/mile (~41% YoY), but fuel-adjusted strength is thinner.

Dry van rate fell just under 3 cents to $2.74/mile even as van loads jumped 27.8%. Reefer fell 6.4 cents to $3.56/mile (first weekly decline in five weeks) while reefer loads rose 14%. Flatbed rose more than 5 cents to $3.31/mile — FTR called it the largest comparable-week flatbed gain in data back to at least 2008 — with loads up 29.9%. EIA diesel for the following week (Sept. 21) already at $6.529 means all-in rates still hide a bigger fuel bite.

What it means: Volume can rebound while net pay after fuel still pinches. Flatbed strength is real; van/reefer rate softness after a holiday bounce is a reminder to price the whole trip. CDL-A seats Melissa/DFW — company drivers / owner-operators. Texas shippers locking lanes — get a freight quote.

Source: TruckDriverNews: Spot market results as fuel costs hit new highs

FreightWaves: 16 trucking companies hit bankruptcy court in under a month

FreightWaves (Sept. 22): At least 16 trucking, delivery and transportation companies entered Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 between late August and Sept. 21. Chapter 11 names include Globemaster (Bolingbrook, Ill., 51 power units), Xoco Transport (Hidalgo/Mission, Texas, 40+ tractors / ~70 trailers), Jett Transport & Materials (Somerset, Texas), CLJ Transporting (Florida Amazon DSP), Mill Creek Logistics-Illinois, RP Hay Hauling (Arizona ag), Truckload LLC / Expedite Express (facing MC authority suspension Sept. 30), and Pacer Transport (Louisiana).

Smaller Chapter 7 filings include Texas carriers Blue Star Transports (Garland) and Jackdollars Transport (McKinney) plus California and Illinois one-to-six truck fleets. Filings span general freight, last-mile, ag and specialized — a snapshot of diesel and cost pressure, not a claim that every filer has shut down.

What it means: North Texas is not insulated — McKinney and Garland names are in the same roundup as border and Gulf fleets. Compliant asset carriers still matter when empty trucks leave the board. Hiring serious CDL-A — company drivers / owner-operators. Need a truck that shows — get a freight quote.

Source: FreightWaves: 16 trucking companies hit bankruptcy court in less than a month

House REVOKE Act targets chameleon carriers

Transport Topics (Sept. 8): Reps. David Taylor (R-Ohio) and Shomari Figures (D-Ala.) introduced the Registration Enforcement for Vehicle Operations of Known Evaders (REVOKE) Act on Sept. 4. The bill would require an active USDOT number for covered CMV operations, let the Secretary immediately inactivate a USDOT number when registration is invalid or required updates are missed, and block issuing numbers until registration requirements are met.

ATA supports the bill as a tool against carriers that cycle inactive numbers. It sits alongside the SAFE Act (Kim/Young) directing FMCSA to study chameleon detection, Duffy-era FMCSA identity modernization, and a broader multi-agency fraud push that includes driving schools.

What it means: Bad actors who reopen under a new DOT number undercut fleets that stay legal. Shippers who want vetted authority — and drivers who refuse to race chameleon capacity — should stick with carriers that run their own trucks. Apply — company drivers / owner-operators. Freight quote — get one here.

Source: Transport Topics: Bill targets chameleon carriers

DAT: capacity, not a demand surge, still defines the market

Logistics Management / Jeff Berman interview with DAT's Dean Croke (Sept. 25): Croke described a bifurcated market — federal enforcement has removed capacity at an unusual pace, volumes are a "floor" not a surge (ATA August tonnage −0.5% after July weakness; Cass flashed positive shipments after a long drought), and September so far looks like August with peak not fully in until late November. He expects more diesel-driven carrier exits.

ACT Research's Tim Denoyer said August was the first month TL, LTL and intermodal all flashed positive in this cycle, with modest demand and lean inventories — but driver-availability decline remains the main rate driver. AI data-center buildout supports some lanes but is not a blanket freight boom.

What it means: Soft tonnage with firmer feel is still a capacity story. Asset-based fleets that stayed compliant still have a seat at the table. Melissa/DFW CDL-A hiring — company drivers / owner-operators. Shippers who need capacity that holds — get a freight quote.

Source: Logistics Management: Trucking market remains at a crossroads as tight capacity intersects with uneven demand

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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