Canada tariffs jump to 50% while Washington tightens the screws on CDLs

**Cross-border freight.** The U.S. 50% tariff on many Canadian imports took effect over the weekend after talks broke down on Aug. 21, and the President has since threatened to double tariffs on Canadian autos; Canada says it will match the levies and is preparing for a long fight. If you run northbound or Great Lakes lanes, expect volume to swing and watch payment terms on auto-related freight.

The mirror image is on the southern border: Uber Freight warns the U.S.-Mexico northbound capacity crunch could tighten further as B-1 visa conditions bite, which keeps southern-border capacity firm even as northern lanes wobble.

**CDL scrutiny.** Three items worth a driver's attention. The proposed STOP Act would pull FMCSA funding from states that keep issuing non-domiciled CDLs improperly. A federal judge sided with more than 20 states blocking a DOT and DHS push for CDL data. And Michigan halted Northern Michigan University's truck-driver training program during an investigation into alleged violations. If you trained recently or hold a non-domiciled CDL, this is the space to watch.

**Roads and tolls.** The Indiana Toll Road has plaza closures and a key truck-parking lot shut, plus a reported scam aimed at drivers, so check dates and detours before you run it. In New Hampshire, lawmakers overrode a veto to roughly double some truck tolls, from $4.95 to $9.50, starting in 2027.

**The market.** Diesel is still high: the national average was $5.454 a gallon in the week to Aug. 17, up 3.7% on the week. That is a retail pump survey including taxes, so fleets buying on contract pay less; read it as direction, not as what you will pay. Spot demand stayed soft to match. Truckstop and FTR called broker-posted rates sluggish despite the higher fuel bill, and DAT reported dry van load posts unmoved for a third straight week. On the producer side, the BLS dry van truckload index fell 1.3% in July to 195.6; it is an index rather than a rate per mile, and it turns later and more gently than the spot market does.

**One break on the cost side.** Crude eased this week: Transport Topics reported Brent down 1.7% to $91.06 and U.S. benchmark crude off 2.2% to $85.18 as fresh Iran sanctions loomed. Pump diesel tracks crude with a lag rather than lockstep, so this is a signal to watch, not money in your pocket yet.