The Morning Mile — Thursday, Oct. 8

Good morning, drivers. Here is what you need to know to start Thursday, October 8.

Hurricane Isaias: The first hurricane of the 2026 season is expected to make landfall Friday evening between Mississippi and Florida, possibly as a Category 2 peaking near 110 mph. Warnings stretch 400 miles of coast — and the storm's path through Gulf oil production could pressure already-high pump prices.

Driverless beacon exemption: USDOT granted Aurora and other autonomous trucking companies a five-year exemption from roadside warning-triangle rules — cab-mounted beacons are now accepted as equivalent or safer. FMCSA can revoke it if safety slips.

HOS pilots advance: FMCSA sent its two hours-of-service pilot plans to the White House for review, opening public comment through Dec. 7. The sleeper-berth study will test 6/4 and 5/5 splits; the split-duty study pauses the 14-hour clock up to 3 hours.

Red-dye warning: Fuel marketers say the tax is still owed, most reputable retailers won't sell dyed diesel for highway use, and Treasury hasn't issued the guidance yet. "Deferral is not forgiveness."

Border boom: U.S.-Mexico trade hit $94.29 billion in August, up 26.75% — and Laredo stayed the nation's busiest gateway at $38.56 billion.

Fraud watch: A Connecticut carrier owner got 24 months in prison for billing Amazon for trailer moves that never happened ($3,547,090.93 in restitution), and New Jersey police caught a fake-broker seafood heist mid-transfer — $273,000 in frozen product saved.