Top 3 Trucking News Today: Class 8 Orders Slow on EPA Uncertainty, English Proficiency Rule Comments Close and Hub Group Reshapes Its Board (October 8, 2026)

Equipment buyers, compliance managers and brokerage watchers all have something to track today. Heavy-truck orders are being shaped by an unfinished EPA rule, a federal comment window on driver English proficiency enforcement is about to close, and one of the country’s larger intermodal and logistics companies is reworking its leadership while it fixes its books. Here are the three stories that matter most.

1. September Class 8 Orders Slow as Fleets Wait on EPA’s 2027 Engine Rule

Preliminary September numbers for heavy-duty trucks point in different directions depending on who is counting. ACT Research reported 18,700 Class 8 net orders, down 9.5% from a year earlier but up 10.3% from August. FTR counted 21,300 units, up 3% year over year and up 18% from August. Neither firm’s report explains the gap between the two counts.

Both firms tie the softer-than-usual season to the pending 2027 EPA engine rule. ACT’s Carter Vieth said the engine transition is affecting order seasonality, and manufacturers have not fully opened their order boards. The EPA has proposed easing some 2027 warranty requirements while keeping the emissions standards in place, and FTR notes the final rule could still change the economics of buying strategies.

Why it matters: If you plan to replace aging tractors, the usual fall buying window is less clear this year. Prices, warranty terms and delivery slots may shift once the final rule is published, so it is worth asking dealers what is firm and what depends on the EPA.

2. FMCSA’s English Proficiency Out-of-Service Proposal Closes for Comment on October 9

FMCSA’s proposed rule would make a driver’s inability to read or speak English well enough, or to understand highway signs and signals, a formal out-of-service violation. A driver placed out of service could not operate a commercial vehicle until the problem is corrected. The proposal follows a petition from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and is meant to make roadside enforcement uniform across states.

Comments are due tomorrow, October 9, in docket FMCSA-2026-0826. A compliance summary from Fleetworthy adds that participating states would need to adopt the criteria to stay eligible for safety grants, and that a limited exception is proposed for drivers working in U.S.-Mexico border commercial zones. English proficiency has long been a driver qualification standard, so the change is about how it is enforced at the roadside.

Why it matters: Carriers should confirm that their driver qualification files and hiring practices already reflect the standard, and brief drivers on what an inspection may involve. Supporters see a safety and consistency gain; others may raise concerns about how it is applied, and the comment window is where both views can be recorded.

3. Hub Group Replaces Directors While It Completes an Accounting Restatement

Hub Group named four new directors on October 2 and removed three others, while three more directors resigned. The company has said it understated purchased transportation costs and accounts payable by roughly $77 million, and the restatement covers 2023, 2024 and three quarters of 2025. David Yeager returned as chairman and CEO in September, and Patrick O’Donnell is CFO-elect until the restatement is complete.

Hub Group now expects to finish the restatement in the fourth quarter. Nasdaq began delisting proceedings on September 16 after a missed filing deadline, the company has appealed, and a hearing is set for October 27.

Why it matters: Hub Group is a major intermodal and brokerage name, so carriers and shippers who work with it may want to follow the hearing outcome. Nothing in the reports says operations or payments are disrupted, and routine steps such as keeping rate confirmations and watching payment timing remain good practice with any partner.

The Bottom Line

Today’s common thread is waiting on rules and filings: an EPA decision for equipment buyers, a comment deadline for compliance teams, and a restatement and hearing for one logistics company. None is a crisis, but each rewards planning ahead.

Neal’s Take

As the founder of LOAD TIDE, what I notice across these stories is how much of trucking depends on decisions that have not been finalized yet. For carriers thinking about new equipment, I would get dealer quotes in writing and avoid committing before the EPA rule is clearer, while recognizing that waiting has its own cost if older trucks are expensive to keep running. On the English proficiency proposal, reasonable people weigh safety consistency against enforcement burden, so I would make sure driver files are in order whichever way the final rule goes. With Hub Group, I would simply watch the October 27 hearing and keep normal paperwork habits with every broker and partner.

— Neal Cvetkovski, Founder of LOAD TIDE. Personal opinion, not legal or financial advice.

Stay with LOAD TIDE for daily updates on the freight and trucking market.

Sources: Transport Topics (Class 8 orders), J. J. Keller, Fleetworthy, Transport Topics (Hub Group), CFO Dive.