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Broker Transparency Comment Period Reopening

Truckers who didn’t get the chance to voice their opinions on Broker Transparency will have another opportunity to do so. The FMCSA has a notice that will be published on Tuesday February 18th to reopen the comment period for another 30 days. The FMCSA’s broker transparency proposal includes requiring brokers to keep their records in electronic format, the records must have information about charges and payments connected to the shipment, affirms that brokers have a regulatory obligation to provide transaction records, and forces brokers to provide an electronic copy of records within 48 hours if the carrier requests it.

Both OOIDA and the Small Business in Transportation Coalition petitioned for this back in 2020. The initial proposal had a 60-day comment period which ended on January 21st, 2025 and received 4,800 comments. SBTC requested that FMCSA extend the comment period because of the level of public interest.

Once the comment period is reopened on Tuesday February, 18th, the public can comment by going to fightingfortruckers.com or by going to regulations.gov and entering Docket Number FMCSA-2023-0257-0001

Broker Transparency is a hot debate on platforms like X(twitter) and LinkedIn, and I have been the witness to many of these conversations. At face value it seems like the right thing to do, but would transparency open up Pandora’s Box and further lead to another race to the bottom? People for more broker transparency like to cite the transparency during the home buying process between a buyer and an agent. People for more broker transparency also like to bring up the fact that unlike other institutions like real estate and finance, freight brokering goes wildly unregulated with no proper certifications needed to broker freight.

I see both sides to the argument, but lean towards it possibly doing more harm than good. I see it as a reason that now more than ever trucking is a business like all other businesses, and is built on relationships. I had a really great relationship with a broker, who when I would ask for a load he’d explicitly show me what the full load paid, and would even come back with another load offer closely related to what I was asking for, that wasn’t on a load board. At the same time, the industry is ripe with fraud, with foreign agents brokering freight from overseas ripping off brokers AND carriers.

Any sort of blanket regulations don’t seem like the right answer, and requires a lot more research from all parties. What do you think?

I want to hear from you! For Driver Submissions, questions, and comments contact me at: [email protected] or Text me directly at 423-275-2444

Navigating DEF in Cold Weather

Cold Weather DEF Tips for OTR Drivers

DEF Freezes at 12°F (-11°C). Be aware of temperatures and plan accordingly.
DEF tanks are insulated and heated. Keep your truck running when possible and clear ice from around the DEF tank to ensure proper function.

Never add anything to DEF. There are no antifreeze additives for DEF—using anything else will damage your engine.

Keep your DEF tank as full as possible. A nearly empty tank will freeze faster than a full one.

Extra Precaution (Less Critical but Helpful)
Keep a 5-gallon jug of DEF in your cab at a reasonably warm temperature. If you run low and can’t access DEF, you’ll have warm fluid ready to refill.

All DEF is the same. By ISO standards, DEF must contain 32.5% urea and 67.5% deionized water—there’s no such thing as "premium DEF." Some brands charge more for marketing, but the product is identical.
Stay safe out there—we appreciate you! 🚛❄️

Source: Dom Tullo - Exhaustfluid.com

Health Tip of the Week

I don’t normally recommend supplements outside of protein powders, but one supplement everyone should take is Creatine. More research has been done on creatine than on Tylenol. Creatine is naturally found in meat, especially red meat, but depending on where you’re at when it comes to your calorie intake, taking a 5g/day serving consistently can provide multiple benefits which include:

1. Helps muscle cells produce more energy

2. Improves HIIT Performance

3. Speeds muscle growth

4. May help with Parkinson’s Disease - “In one study in individuals with this disease, combining creatine with weight training improved strength and daily function to a greater extent than training alone” (study)

5. May fight/treat Alzheimer’s Disease (study)

6. May lower blood sugar/fight diabetes

7. Improve brain function

8. Reduce fatigue

9. Safe, affordable, and easy to use.

Creatine has been studied for over 200 years, and numerous studies support its safety for long term use. You can choose from your favorite brands, but I personally take creatine made by Bare Performance Nutrition. You can order some today at this link

$10 towards your next booking!

Use promo code talelites5 (all lowercase - one time use) at checkout for $10 off your next Truck Parking Club booking at one of our 1400+ Property Member locations!

Partner Post of the Week!

Ralph’s Trucking shows us exactly why we do what we do at Truck Parking Club. Stuck between a rock and hard place, Ralph had nowhere to go when he couldn’t check in early for a delivery, and puts the truck parking shortage on full display.

February Park & Post Content Contest

Good news, we’re running this contest again in February. A dollar for every location we have live on February 28th is on the table!

The submission rules remain the same.

• Post a piece of original trucking content on your personal social profile (X, LinkedIn, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok)

• Use #truckparkingclub in the post

• Tag the Truck Parking Club account for your post to be eligible.

Content guidelines: It does NOT need to be about Truck Parking Club specifically

Truck Parking Club Partner Program

Do you create content for truckers, and want to help solve the truck parking crisis? Let’s work together! Click below to apply for Truck Parking Club’s Partner Program today!