Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Oct. 9, 2026:
NASTC presses Congress for diesel export pause
In a letter to U.S. House of Representatives leaders, the National Association of Small Trucking Companies (NASTC) shared its concerns and the concerns of a NASTC member over real potential for a crisis with a shortage of diesel fuel.
NASTC and its member urged consideration of an export ban for diesel/distillate fuels, also recommended by some state governors in recent weeks.
NASTC also asked for Congressional oversight related to the current federal waiver of hours regulation for fuel haulers, suggesting it was a disaster waiting to happen.
EPA’s temporary effort to mitigate a potential shortage in Texas, too, drew a warning to truck owners from Cummins against using too-high-sulfur fuel.
The NASTC member’s diesel concerns, included in the association’s letter to Congress, highlighted the Sept. 9 Short-Term Energy Outlook published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration that forecast U.S. distillate inventories to “fall below 100 million barrels in September and remain below the five-year low through much of 2027.”
With diesel prices spiking that month, the NASTC member noted “small carriers and owner-operators have the least room to absorb a sudden fuel-cost spike” and urged “a temporary six-month pause on U.S. diesel/distillate exports, with narrowly tailored exemptions for national security, binding treaty obligations and genuine humanitarian needs, plus weekly public reporting and formal 90-day and 180-day reviews.”
The member’s message wasn’t meant as “a permanent protectionist proposal” but instead “an emergency measure to preserve adequate domestic fuel supplies while multiple Middle Eastern routes are under simultaneous pressure.”
NASTC, operator of the large Quality Plus Network for fuel discounts for association members, called the member’s ideas “thoughtful, and the suggestions he makes should be considered.”
Of note, in EIA’s more recent Oct. 6 Short-Term Energy Outlook, the agency pointed to continued decline in inventories for diesel and distillates. “East Coast distillate fuel inventories fell 32% below their five-year seasonal average in September,” EIA said, expecting that inventories would “remain around 20% below the 2021-2025 average through the upcoming winter in our forecast.”
Since NASTC’s letter was sent to Congress Sept. 24, numerous states have acted on efforts to help truckers deal with rising fuel costs by suspending the fuel taxes in their states or, in a growing number of cases, allowing red-dyed, off-road diesel to be used in on-highway applications.
President Trump this week also issued an executive order related to dyed diesel, deferring federal tax payments through the end of this year. Truck drivers will still be on the hook for state taxes where relief has not been issued, likewise federal taxes ultimately unless the deferral turns into a full stay. There’s currently a patchwork of state exemptions related to red diesel, many with different rules around who can use it and where.
More information from the U.S. Treasury and the IRS is expected in the coming days about when the federal excise tax on dyed diesel will be due. It’s unclear whether legislation will emerge to fully eliminate the obligation to pay the taxes during the exemption period for red diesel.
Even still, EIA expects inventories to recover in the long run. “We expect East Coast distillate inventories will gradually increase as the tightness in global fuel markets eases, bringing inventories in the region close to their five-year average during the second half of next year,” the agency said.
NASTC also urged Congressional oversight with respect to the suspension of hours-of-service regulations for fuel haulers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration granted the relief in September, effective through Dec. 16.
“Allowing a driver to drive 16 consecutive hours a day is not consistent with the philosophy behind the HOS rules,” NASTC President David Owen said in his letter to Congress. “To allow drivers of tankers hauling hazardous material in the form of diesel fuel to drive 16 hours straight in a day creates a tremendous highway safety risk.”
Owen added that “speeding up fuel delivery does not address the fuel supply itself, and there is no way it doesn’t compromise highway safety.”
Amazon contractor gets 2 years in prison for $3.5M invoice scam
Ameer Nasir, 25, of Trumbull, Connecticut, was sentenced this week to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for defrauding Amazon out of more than $3.5 million. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $3,547,090.93.
As previously reported, Nasir was a trucking company owner who registered a total of 23 trucking businesses with Amazon Logistics to transport both empty and loaded trailers between cities and Amazon warehouses and fulfillment centers.
One of the accounts was created in the name of Nasir’s business, Pak Express Transport, LLC, and others were created under false names or by fraudulently using the names and identifying information of other trucking or transportation companies without the knowledge of the operators of those companies.
Between approximately December 2019 and February 2021, Nasir used these accounts to sign up for more than 1,000 loads with Amazon Logistics, manipulated information in Amazon Logistics’ transportation management system to misrepresent that he had completed trailer movements when he had not, and submitted fraudulent invoices to Amazon Logistics that were subsequently paid.
Nasir was arrested on May 8, 2025, and he pleaded guilty to wire fraud on March 6, 2026.
ATS names new VP of Enterprise Sales
Anderson Trucking Service (ATS) has named Mike Omann as its Vice President of Enterprise Sales, effective Sept. 29. The appointment marks Omann’s return to ATS (CCJ Top 250, No. 51) after previously spending more than 14 years with the company.
In the role, Omann will represent ATS across multiple business areas rather than a single division. His initial focus will be on expanding enterprise relationships across logistics, intermodal, managed transportation, LTL, and warehousing, while helping customers access the broader capabilities of ATS.
“What excites me most about Mike’s return is his deep knowledge of ATS combined with his broad industry perspective,” said Jeff Potthoff, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Sales at ATS. “He understands how to bring different parts of the organization together around customer needs, and I’m confident he will make an immediate impact.”
Omann’s transportation career includes more than 14 years with ATS, where he held leadership roles across customer service, account management, and business development. Most recently, he served as Senior Sales Director at Uber Freight, where he worked with several of its largest enterprise customers. That experience gave Omann additional perspective on the transportation marketplace, technology, capacity, and complex enterprise solutions, which he now brings back to ATS.
“I came back to ATS because I believe in the people, the culture, and the pride this organization takes in serving customers and drivers,” Omann said. “Our teams have built tremendous trust with customers. I’m excited to build on that trust and connect customers with more of what ATS can bring to the table, from capacity and technology to the expertise across our organization. It’s about understanding each customer’s business and bringing the right solutions together to help solve their toughest transportation and supply chain challenges.”
