Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025:
Bill reintroduced to expand HOS exemption for ag haulers
Legislation that would expand hours-of-service flexibility for agriculture and livestock haulers has been reintroduced in Congress.
The Haulers of Agriculture and Livestock Safety (HAULS) Act has been introduced previously but has not moved to a vote. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska) reintroduced the bill Dec. 17.
“Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers feed and fuel our world, but burdensome regulations make it harder for their goods to be transported,” Fischer said. “That’s why I’ve introduced the HAULS Act to ensure that Nebraska’s ag products reach consumers in a safe and timely manner.”
If passed, the legislation would eliminate the requirement that ag and livestock HOS exemptions only apply during state-designated planting and harvesting seasons. It would waive HOS regulations for drivers transporting agricultural commodities within a 150 air-mile radius from the source of the product or their destination year-round, not just in the state-designated periods.
The bill would also amend and clarify the definition of “agricultural commodities” to include:
- Any non-processed product planted or harvested for food, feed, fuel, or fiber
- Any non-human living animal, including fish, insects and livestock
- The non-processed products of any non-human living animal, including milk, eggs and honey
- Non-processed forestry, aquacultural, horticultural, and floricultural commodities
- Fresh or minimally processed fruits and vegetables, including fruits and vegetables that are rinsed, cooled, cut, ripened, or otherwise minimally processed a
- Animal feed, including the ingredients of animal feed
The HAULS Act, introduced with no cosponsors, was referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Previously-recalled Mack Granites recalled again for brakes issue
Mack Trucks is recalling approximately 628 model year 2009-‘15 Granite trucks that were previously recalled in 2015, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents.
According to the recall, trucks remedied under NHTSA recall No. 15V-804 (Mack recall number SC0398) may have had incorrect brake chambers installed.
During subsequent repairs after the recall was completed, inaccurate dealer service information may have been entered, causing these incorrect parts to be installed. Incorrect brake chambers may result in a brake imbalance between the steer and drive axle brakes.
If an imbalance exists, the brakes may overheat, which increases the risk of a tire blowout or wheel-end fire, the recall added.
Dealers will inspect and replace the brake chambers as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Feb. 2. Owners can contact Mack’s customer service at 1- 800-866-1177 with recall number SC0491. NHTSA’s recall number is 25V-867.
Averitt names new VP promotion
Averitt (CCJ Top 250, No. 25) announced Tuesday it has promoted Chris Thacker to vice president of pricing and traffic, following the retirement of Mark Davis.
Chris ThackerDavis spent 47 years with Averitt, including more than three decades as vice president of pricing and traffic. He began his career as a part-time dock and billing associate in Knoxville, Tennessee, while attending college. He later held roles in sales before joining pricing and traffic during industry deregulation in the early 1980s. Over the years, he advanced from analyst to director and played a key role in building the pricing and traffic team.
Thacker joined Averitt after graduating from Tennessee Tech University, beginning his career as a pricing and traffic analyst. He was promoted into leadership in 2002 and was later named a director in 2013. This coming June, he will celebrate 30 years with the company, having spent his entire tenure within the pricing and traffic department.
“Chris has spent his entire career developing a deep understanding of how pricing and operations work together,” said Barry Blakely, president and chief operating officer at Averitt. “He brings continuity, experience, and a strong grasp of our business, and we’re confident he will lead this team effectively as we move forward.”
Throughout his career, Thacker has worked closely with sales and operations teams to support pricing strategy, revenue management, and operational efficiency. In his new role, he will continue guiding the pricing and traffic team while supporting solutions that align customer needs with network performance.
