Trucking Regulation

In the wake of the 2024 presidential election, trucking industry groups see new opportunities to change the regulatory and legislative landscape.

Policies instituted over the past four years during the Biden-Harris administration will likely be reversed or sped up – many to the benefit of the trucking industry.

A group with trucking interests as a key driver has been formed in Texas to push new tort reform.

Delays in setting up a new registration system will push back compliance deadlines for a rule addressing freight fraud in trucking.

Roughly 6% of CDL holders may be involved in predatory lease contracts with their carriers, according to a federal task force.

Safety and cost implications for trucking weigh heavily on three rulemakings that could see action next year.

The fifth-generation Freightliner Cascadia is not dramatically different from the current model but it brings some driver-friendly changes.

The annual ATRI survey of top industry concerns reveals a big gap between what drivers and carriers worry about.

Amendments proposed by the Biden administration aim to simplify hazardous materials compliance for trucking, rail and vessel companies.

A second front will be opened in the legal battle over whether Amazon is a joint employer of drivers along with its delivery service partners.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law AB98, which will impact the growth of warehouses in California.

Data released by CVSA on International Roadcheck supports earlier numbers that suggest plenty of drivers stayed home.

Regulators have approved a motor carrier’s equipment exemption despite opposition from a safety-standard group.

A Virginia-based road construction company illegally fired one of its drivers, according to OSHA.

A St. Louis jury award in favor of crash-victim families could stir public awareness for truck trailer safety regulations.

Opponents of a bill transferring significant authority over California warehouses from local governments to the state are waiting to see whether Gov. Gavin Newsom will sign it.

California anticipates new regulations allowing long-haul trucks to operate on roads with speed limits over 50 mph.

FMCSA has been told to strengthen ELD requirements after a fatigued truck driver was found to be the probable cause of a 2022 crash that killed three people.

Community colleges around the country will use grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation to expand and improve their CDL programs.

New electric truck charging stations will help support California’s controversial zero-emission truck fleet programs.

A second Trump administration could mean drastic course changes for DOT truck policy if the administration embraces recommendations made in The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025.

The Supply Chain Council has extended its executive team and plans to be a national rather than “California-first” organization.

Landfill operator Waste Management Holdings told federal regulators that certain truck driver requirements hinder its ability to respond to emergencies.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Thursday removed two ELDs from its registered list.

ATA and OOIDA are at odds in a very public way over the Biden administration independent contractor rule.

FMCSA has been called on to rein in spiraling towing rates that many claim lack proper oversight.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs announced Energy Fuels Resources Inc. would voluntarily halt transporting uranium ore through Navajo Nation lands to Utah shortly after the tribe’s president issued an executive order banning the ore transport.

One solution to improve roadside safety for commercial trucks is easily visible flashing lights mounted at the top of the cab.

A procedural vote in the Senate has effectively shut down a bipartisan tax package that could have helped trucking companies invest in their business.

New York City is claiming early victory in cutting down traffic on a troubled highway segment in Brooklyn.  

Owner-operators and crash victim advocates say easing restrictions for new drivers is a safety risk. Regulators approved an exemption despite those objections.

The Supply Chain Council heralded its beginning with an outdoor briefing near the Port of New York/New Jersey.

GOP lawmakers have asked owner-operators for rules they want to see overturned following a landmark Supreme Court decision.

California’s latest environmental logistics rule focuses on forklifts, but clean technology there has been growing already.

Regulators approved Convoy Technologies’ rearview exemption while contemplating a rule change allowing cameras to replace mirrors.

The nation’s trucking regulator has told Congress it lacks the ability to deal effectively with illegal brokers.

Data from regulators reveals improvements in truck safety last year, with the fewest deaths in five years. 

A two-year process to determine how to value freight for state income tax purposes may be coming to a head.

Large fleets should be “laser-focused” on reauthorizing the infrastructure bill and the provisions – good or bad – that could make it into the legislation.

Truck safety advocates say foot-dragging on rulemakings by Department of Transportation regulators is costing lives.

The key court battle to block the Biden administration’s independent contractor rule is in Louisiana, and a request for an injunction against the rule has been taken a step up in the federal courts.

The EPA is seeking comment on whether to grant California a waiver to enforce the Advanced Clean Fleets rule.

Owner-operators and safety advocates clash over a divisive safety report alleging data suppression by federal officials.

The Biden administration is pushing back the schedules for a list of rules that are being watched closely by trucking.

Container carriers’ request to extend the compliance deadline for new federal billing requirements is being vigorously opposed by their customers.

Allegations of data suppression by committee members tasked with advising the federal government on truck crashes have gone unacknowledged by U.S. Department of Transportation officials.

The U.S. transportation secretary took on drugs and port labor at a hearing on Capitol Hill.

Federal regulators cited a lack of information in denying an investigation requested by the parents of children killed in certain types of truck crashes.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s chief AI officer, Vinn White, has been tapped to oversee truck safety for the Biden administration.

A small Virginia trucking company fought off a union, but ensuing legal cases may end up pushing the National Labor Relations Board toward more pro-union policies.

A congressionally mandated report on CDL skills testing reveals states that are improving — or getting worse — on testing wait times for aspiring truck drivers.

Some truck drivers supporting the reclassification of marijuana are decrying as hypocritical the banning of pot while off-duty alcohol use is allowed.

Truckers “could be regulated out of existence” if the Biden administration’s Phase 3 emissions rule is allowed to stand, according to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.

Trucking companies will see cost bumps in their UCR Plan fees of up to $9,000, depending on fleet size. 

An anonymous federal survey on seat belt use by truck drivers follows recent fatality data showing many are not buckling up.

Fleetworthy Solutions highlights its technology command center built to handle safety and compliance issues, including navigating the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse.

Federal trucking regulators want in-person comments on revisions to how carriers are rated on safety.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered an indefinite pause of congestion pricing just days after a trucking group sued to halt the fees for those driving to Manhattan.

Based on its results this Congress, the American Trucking Associations’ lobbying efforts make it look less like a Machiavellian operator and more like another Washington grifter.

The American Trucking Associations’ “Nothing Without Trucking” initiative is an effective rebranding of ATA’s efforts to educate the public and lawmakers about the industry, experts say.

New legislation designed to crack down on fake companies that give legitimate brokers and carriers a bad name has bipartisan support.

The Justice Department’s move to loosen restrictions on pot has drawn a strong reaction from large trucking companies that fear recategorizing the drug could lead to more crashes.

Getting a commercial learner’s permit at 17 would give disadvantaged students a faster path to truck driver jobs, Connell High School in eastern Washington told regulators.

In the wake of the Baltimore bridge collapse, NTSB Chief Jennifer Homendy wants states to start testing their bridges to prevent similar catastrophes.

A coalition of far-flung states has filed a lawsuit to fight California’s Advanced Clean Fleets rule.

An eight-year quest by a parent of two truck-crash victims has cleared a major hurdle with legislation introduced to create a victim-advocate position in the federal government.

Trucking companies contracting with the U.S. Postal Service will face new reporting requirements and penalties if a bill passed by the House is approved by the Senate.

A move in Congress to nullify an EPA rule that is unpopular with much of the trucking industry has an uphill climb.

Even an EV-friendly policy analyst acknowledged during a House subcommittee hearing that trucking faces big challenges in meeting the EPA’s new zero-emission regulations.

A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision helps define the legal status of  transportation workers at companies that are not primarily involved in transportation.

A requirement that motor carriers pass a written safety exam before being issued a DOT number will be delayed again as new drivers involved in fatal crashes are on the rise.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced a final rule that will ensure overtime pay for some salaried and highly compensated employees – a move that critics say could hurt brokers operating small businesses.

Federal regulators are taking the first steps to crack down on scams caused by hackers into the trucking industry’s government registration system.

Distractions in Washington will not deter OOIDA’s Todd Spencer from keeping the focus on his members, he said at FreightWaves’ Small Fleet and Owner-Operator Summit.

With the right kind of fuel, internal combustion engines can be used to meet climate policy goals in transportation without going to all-electric trucks, according to ATRI.

Regulators plan to submit to the White House the outline for a new truck-registration system that is expected to be more transparent and easier to use.

Assertions that trucker wages will suffer unless CDL test-taking rules are relaxed in Florida did not sway trucking regulators.

Federal rules on personal conveyance are a big reason for continued hours-of-service violations, according to P. Sean Garney of Scopelitis Transportation Consulting.

The California Trucking Association and OOIDA plan to appeal a recent decision upholding California’s independent contractor law, AB5, to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

TCA executive David Heller sees the trucking industry as having made the necessary adjustments to deal with the Baltimore harbor closure.

Autonomous trucking regulation is already a state-by-state issue. In California, it may become a community-by-community matter.

Regulators are weighing more options to help truckers deal with hours-of-service issues as congestion clogs highway arteries in the Northeast.

A proposed rule that could benefit team-driving operations in trucking would weaken highway safety, those opposing the plan told the FMCSA.

A federal appeals court backed the authority of the EPA to grant environmental waivers to California, with possible ramifications for trucking.

Federal regulators have updated Congress on an FMCSA pilot program to recruit teen drivers, and the results are bleak.

A waiver for truckers impacted by the collapse of the Key bridge in Baltimore and a preliminary timeline for repairs offer optimism.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a bill that would have put a $1 million cap on non-economic damages in lawsuits related to accidents involving trucks and other commercial motor vehicles.

Truck safety advocates call out regulators for lack of action to curb injuries and deaths resulting from crashes.

Despite being less stringent than proposed, the trucking industry says meeting EPA’s new truck emission rule is not achievable.

Regulations aimed at easing detention time burdens on truckers may need to take into account the Biden administration’s emissions policies, according to insurers.

ATA, truck dealers and others are warning the public of consequences if the Biden administration’s proposed greenhouse gas rule moves forward.

The trucking industry has a duty to the public, primarily to eliminate all truck crash fatalities and to increase the minimum insurance requirements.

The Volkswagen diesel scandal settlement is providing more money to buy zero-emission drayage trucks and other vehicles in California.

Legislation touted for supply chain emergencies could be used by carriers to haul heavier loads indefinitely, according to lobby group.

An NLRB rule on joint employee status that was widely feared by employers has been vacated by a federal court in Texas just before it was to take effect.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has withdrawn a rule that would have required reporting of scope 3 emissions, those related to companies’ supply chains.

A new Florida law aimed at combating predatory truck towing requires operators to cap rates and make them more transparent for truck drivers and carriers.

Transportation attorney Matthew Leffler explains why brokers need to keep on top of several major issues facing trucking in 2024.

A director at Werner Enterprises has resigned over several disputes, including one over the truckload carrier’s environmental, social and governance policies.

Drayage carriers at the Port of Long Beach may be adding more internal combustion engine vehicles than zero-emission vehicles to prepare for California’s Advanced Clean Fleets rule. The Port of LA’s use of ZEVs is also low.