Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Feb. 21, 2025:
Top Canadian fleet TFI plans move to U.S.
Canada’s largest trucking company is planning to move its headquarters to the United States, the company announced in its quarterly earnings report this week.
TFI International has operated in the U.S. since 2011 and has traded on the New York Stock Exchange since February 2020.
Currently based in Quebec, TFI's footprint in the U.S. has ballooned in recent years, having acquired flatbed giant Daseke in 2023 and UPS Freight in 2021. Approximately 70% of TFI’s operations are based in the U.S., and many of its shareholders are U.S.-based.
The company has not said where it intends to make its new headquarters. Daseke was headquartered in Addison, Texas, and UPS Freight, now TForce Freight, is headquartered in Virginia.
Overdrive sister publication CCJ reported a big reason for the move is that many of the company’s shareholders are now U.S.-based. "Five years ago," said TFI President and Chief Executive Officer Alain Bédard, "we had no U.S. shareholders. Today, just under 50% -- 49.9% -- of shareholders as of the summer of 2024, were U.S., and 45% were Canadian." If and when it crosses 50% U.S.-based ownership, it will trigger more challenging financial reporting for publicly-traded, foreign-owned companies.
Once the move is complete, TFI International will become a U.S. corporation, which eases working with U.S. government contracts, specifically Department of Defense contracts within TFI's Daseke division.
"The U.S. is the best place in the world to be in terms of business," BĂ©dard noted, expressing his confidence in the Trump administration and reiterating his plans to further invest in his company, most of it in the U.S.
Read CCJ Chief Editor Jason Cannon’s full report on the move here.
[Related: How to get access to military freight]
FMCSA amends winter weather emergency declaration, HOS waviers for relief-haul
Following the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s announcement on Feb. 14 that it was extending a regional emergency declaration for certain fuel haulers due to winter weather conditions in parts of the country, the agency on Feb. 19 amended the emergency to include seven more states.
The Feb. 14 extension of the declaration waived maximum driving time hours of service regulations for motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance supporting emergency relief efforts transporting heating fuel, including propane, natural gas, and heating oil, and gasoline and diesel fuel into 15 states through Feb. 28. Those 15 states were: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.
With the Feb. 19 amendment to the declaration, motor carriers and drivers hauling the fuels listed above into Colorado, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming are now also covered under the waiver.
The declaration is still set to expire on Feb. 28, or until the end of the emergency, whichever is sooner.
[Related: HOS waivers for fuels emergency extended]
$213K in drugs seized from truck in California
U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the El Centro Sector in California recently discovered and seized narcotics with an estimated street value of $213,000.
On Wednesday, Feb. 12, at approximately 10:46 a.m., a yellow semi-truck approached the U.S. Border Patrol State Route 86 immigration checkpoint in Indio, California, and was referred for secondary inspection.
During the secondary inspection, a K-9 detection team trained to detect concealed persons and narcotics performed an open-air sniff and alerted to the vehicle.
Agents noticed fresh tool marks on the axle head during the inspection. Upon further examination, they discovered 14 packages wrapped in plastic cellophane, a common indicator of narcotic smuggling. Tests confirmed the bundles contained cocaine and methamphetamine.
In total, 17.5 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $198,500 and 8 pounds of methamphetamine worth an estimated $14,500 were seized.
“This excellent apprehension came just in time for Valentine’s Day,” said El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino. “My heart is filled with warmth at both the thought that these dangerous drugs won’t make it to ma and pa America and the fact that a black-hearted drug smuggler hopefully is headed to prison.”
The driver was apprehended, and the narcotics were seized as evidence. The investigation is ongoing.
Volvo names 2024 Canadian Dealer Group of the Year
Volvo Trucks North America recently recognized Gerry’s Truck Centre as the recipient of the company’s 2024 Canadian Dealer Group of the Year award.
The recognition underscores their exceptional contributions in critical areas, including sales volume and market share, customer satisfaction, parts sales, and commitment to sustainability initiatives, Volvo said.
Gerry’s Truck Centre, a family-owned dealership group with locations in London and Woodstock, Ontario, has been serving the province for more than 40 years. Under the leadership of dealer principal Mike Wardle, Gerry’s Truck Centre has consistently demonstrated a commitment to providing best-in-class transportation solutions and outstanding customer service.
The dealership group has made significant investments in facility enhancements, employee training, and support for customers transitioning to sustainable transportation solutions, Volvo added. Both locations have also completed the rigorous process to be named Volvo Trucks Certified Electric Vehicle Dealerships.
"We are incredibly honored to be named Volvo Trucks’ 2024 Canadian Dealer Group of the Year,” Wardle said. “This award reflects the dedication and hard work of our entire team, who go above and beyond every day to support our customers with world-class service and innovative solutions. At Gerry’s Truck Centre, we believe in building long-term relationships with our customers and providing them with the knowledge and support needed to navigate the evolving transportation landscape."
