Tale Lites Issue 51

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🚨 Elon Musk Tweet Reignites Texas Trucking Liability Fight

The Texas Legislature only meets every two years, and last year’s session for the Texas Trucking Association focused heavily on tort reform. SB 39 was one of the bills that stalled in the 11th hour, but now is back into the spotlight since the richest Texas resident got on his platform X(Twitter). Elon Musk tweeted this week claiming a friend’s wife was killed by a truck driver who was in the country illegally.

What is SB39?

SB 39 aimed to limit the civil liability exposure of trucking companies, shifting more responsibility for crashes onto individual drivers. Critics argue the bill would have protected carriers, but leave drivers hanging out to dry. Supporters of the bill say that is incorrect, where what the bill would have done was in the case of an accident involving a commercial vehicle, liability would need to be determined before an individual can sue a motor carrier.

The bill failed to advance during the 2025 legislative session and remains stalled in the Texas House Judiciary Committee.

Musk’s Comments

The issue resurfaced after Musk responded on X to a post about California delaying the cancellation of commercial driver’s licenses for immigrant drivers. Musk alleged that a truck driver without legal status was responsible for the fatal crash involving his friend’s wife.

That statement immediately drew responses from Texas lawmakers and lobbying groups on both sides of the liability debate.

Lawmakers Clash Over Accountability

Texas Rep. Marc LaHood (R-San Antonio) warned Musk about donating to Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR), a powerful pro business lobbying group that supported SB 39. LaHood accused the group of backing legislation that would have:

• Shielded trucking companies from financial liability

• Shifted nearly all crash responsibility onto drivers

• Created incentives to hire drivers with questionable legal status

LaHood argued that weakening carrier liability removes one of the few mechanisms that forces companies to prioritize safety and vet drivers properly.

Pushback From Within the GOP

Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Allen) strongly disputed LaHood’s claims, stating that TLR never proposed eliminating carrier liability or blocking evidence related to English proficiency or driver qualifications.

TLR board member Danny Signorelli echoed that position, saying the bill simply clarified evidentiary standards and ensured juries focus on causation rather than what he called “inflammatory distractions.”

Other lawmakers, including Rep. Mitch Little (R-Lewisville), sided with LaHood and rejected claims that the bill was being misrepresented, saying concerns about liability and accountability were legitimate.

Why This Matters to Truck Drivers

This fight highlights a growing tension in trucking policy:

• Who should be held accountable when crashes happen, drivers or carriers?

• Does limiting lawsuits improve business, or does it weaken safety incentives?

• How immigration enforcement intersects with CDL oversight and liability

While SB 39 is currently stalled, the debate isn’t over, and with immigration, CDL enforcement, and trucking safety becoming national political flashpoints, similar legislation is likely to resurface in 2027.

Read more here.

What are your thoughts? For Driver Submissions, questions, and comments contact me at: [email protected] or Text me directly at 423-275-2444

Tale Lites Throwback

A Letter to the Editor in Tale Lites in Spring of 1974. Describing how equipment has upgraded over the years!

🚔 $7 Million in Cocaine Found During DOT Inspection in Indiana

Like something straight out of a movie, what started as a routine DOT inspection on I-70 turned into a major drug bust for Indiana State Police.

On Saturday afternoon on 1/3 around 1:30pm, a state trooper stopped a blue International semi in Putnam County, Indiana, after observing the truck drifting within its lane and identifying a defective rear impact guard.

The truck was traveling eastbound from Joplin, Missouri, toward Richmond, Indiana.

During the inspection, troopers developed enough criminal indicators to request a K-9 unit. Officers noted:

• Erratic lane control

• Equipment violations

• Numerous cardboard boxes covered by a blanket inside the sleeper berth

A K-9 conducted a free air sniff around the vehicle and alerted positive for narcotics.

A subsequent search revealed 309 pounds of cocaine hidden in the sleeper area, with an estimated street value of $7 million.

Drivers Arrested

Two California men were arrested:

• Gurpreet Singh, 25

• Jasveer Singh, 30

Both were transported to the Putnam County Jail and are facing Level 2 felony charges for dealing narcotics. ICE deportation holds have also been placed on both individuals.

According to court documents, Jasveer Singh told officers the truck was empty and that he had been instructed by his company to drive to a restaurant in Richmond and wait for a load.

This seizure highlights a few important realities drivers should understand:

• DOT inspections aren’t just about ELD’s and equipment

• Sleeper berths can be a common hiding place for narcotics

• Equipment violations and driving behavior often trigger deeper inspections

• One bad decision can bring intense scrutiny on the entire industry

Cases like this are a major reason enforcement pressure continues to increase on legitimate drivers and carriers.

State Response

Indiana Governor Mike Braun praised ISP’s efforts, emphasizing zero tolerance for drug trafficking and reiterating that public safety remains a top priority for his administration.

Indiana State Police say this bust is part of an ongoing effort to interdict narcotics moving through the state and dismantle large scale drug trafficking operations.

A bust like this is awesome, but it comes with one negative ripple effect: increased DOT presence that is largely dinging drivers and carriers running fully compliant.

📩 What are your thoughts? Have you seen anyone get busted over the road?
Reply to this email or text (423) 275-2444 

🩺 Health Tip of the Week: 5 Ways to Stay Consistent in 2026

1️⃣ Build Systems

Motivation is temporary. Systems are permanent.

Instead of “I’ll work out when I feel like it,” decide:

• When it happens

• Where it happens

• What “done” looks like

Don’t say “If I have the energy when I park tonight.”

Say: “After I park for the night, I walk for 20 minutes.”

2️⃣ Set the Floor, Not the Ceiling

Most people quit because their standard is too high.

Create a minimum standard you never miss, even on bad days:

• 10 pushups

• 5 minutes of movement

• One protein focused meal

If that’s all you do, you still win the day. Consistency beats intensity every time.

3️⃣ Make Health Convenient

Willpower loses to convenience. I call this taking the path of least resistance

If healthy choices are harder than unhealthy ones, you’ll default to what’s easy.

Fix that by:

• Pre buy protein snacks on home time or at Walmart while OTR

• Keeping walking shoes accessible, or drive in them

• Using simple meals you can repeat

This world wants you to fail, so they make our environment toxic. YOU design your environment so the healthy option is the default.

4️⃣ Track One Thing That Actually Matters

You don’t need to track everything, just one thing

Examples:

• Daily steps

• Protein intake

• Nights slept 7+ hours

Tracking creates awareness. Awareness drives behavior.

5️⃣ Miss Once, Don’t Miss Twice

Perfection is a trap.

Everyone misses days. What matters is:

• You don’t spiral

• You don’t quit

• You don’t turn one miss into a week off

One bad day is human. Two in a row becomes a habit.

Get back on track immediately no guilt, no “starting Monday.” When you get a flat tire you don’t sell the car. If you didn’t back into the dock perfectly you don’t quit, you do a pull up, you get out and look, you fix it!

Partner Post of the Week

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@ladyb6979

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