Tomorrow morning, when you or your drivers fire up the engine and pull back onto the highway, several new state laws go into effect across the country. Some of them have a direct bearing on the roads you run every day.
A wave of legislation, months in the making, hits the books on July 1. Here’s what matters most for Alabama truckers and the carriers who call the Southeast home.
Mississippi Shines a Light on Lawsuit Funding
Mississippi’s new lawsuit funding law is welcome news to every carrier operating in that state.
Starting July 1, any lawsuit involving a foreign entity with a financial interest must disclose that connection to the state Attorney General within 30 days. The target: outside investors, including foreign interests, who bankroll trucking lawsuits as a profit play.
This kind of third-party litigation funding has become a significant cost driver for trucking liability cases. Alabama carriers who’ve watched insurance premiums climb will understand exactly what’s at stake.
Alabamians for Legal Reform (ALR) recently shared a report outlining the the financial burdens of litigation funding on American families and businesses. ALR was established in 2025 to educate the public about legal reform issues impacting Alabama’s economy and growth opportunities. Alabama Trucking is a founding member of ALR.
Tennessee Gets Serious About Cargo Theft
Tennessee’s new cargo theft law is the one with the most teeth. Starting July 1, the Volunteer State has redefined how it goes after organized cargo crime.
The law defines fraudulent freight theft broadly, covering illegal load rerouting, fake identities used to grab freight, unauthorized cargo transfers, and breaking into cargo containers as its own distinct criminal offense. Critically, it allows prosecutors to link multiple separate cargo thefts into one larger criminal conspiracy charge, giving law enforcement the tools to go after theft rings rather than just individual incidents.
Police are now also required to investigate every cargo theft report filed, regardless of where the theft occurred. That’s a significant change.
For Alabama carriers crossing into Tennessee on I-65 or I-24, this is good news. Cargo theft has risen dramatically in recent years, costing the industry an estimated $18 million per day nationally according to the American Transportation Research Institute. Alabama Trucking and other state partners at TAEC have advocated for stronger cargo theft protections, and Tennessee’s move follows similar action from Arkansas earlier this year.
Other Changes to Know
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Colorado is doubling the license point penalty for illegal passing, from four points to eight, and adding a mandatory $100 fine. That’s the kind of change that affects any driver moving freight through mountain corridors. Georgia has stiffened penalties for blocking highways, which can now rise to aggravated misdemeanor status with jail time and fines up to $5,000.
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Georgia has stiffened penalties for blocking highways, which can now rise to aggravated misdemeanor status with jail time and fines up to $5,000.
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In Idaho, non-domiciled CDLs are gone entirely as of today. The state joins a growing list taking action after FMCSA declared the practice a national safety emergency last year.
What Alabama Carriers Should Do Right Now
If you run freight through Tennessee or Mississippi regularly, make sure your operations team knows what changed today. Review your cargo security protocols for Tennessee-bound loads. And if you’ve got any drivers running loads through states with updated passing laws, a brief reminder about those changes never hurts.
Alabama Trucking tracks state and federal legislative developments that affect ATA members. If you’re not already plugged into those updates, today’s a good day to change that.
The laws keep coming. The road keeps moving. Stay informed.
