Trucking's "Law and Order" Era: Incoming TCA President Jim Mullen on FMCSA crackdowns, freight recessions, and emissions course corrections

Jim Mullen is replacing Jim Ward as president of the Truckload Carriers Association in early April. How will Mullen use his deep trucking industry experience—as a former mega-carrier executive, past FMCSA acting administrator, and leader in autonomous trucking and the Clean Freight Coalition—to guide the truckload sector through a massive regulatory shift? FleetOwner's Josh Fisher sat down with Mullen at TCA's Truckload 2026 to discuss his "360-degree" perspective and his strategy for navigating trucking's new era of enforcement and economic recovery. Timestamps: 0:40 - Industry sentiment 4:15 - Career background 7:30 - Lobbying and regulatory relations 10:30 - Impact of enforcement 13:20 - Hours of Service (HOS) pilot 16:00 - Clean Freight Coalition's future 24:20 - Autonomous technology 27:50 - Advice for carriers