Trucking Regulation

FMCSA streamlines regulations on truck routing, civil penalties

WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is making changes to two truck safety regulations to eliminate potential red tape and improve consistency and clarity for the industry.

In a final rule that takes effect on Friday, FMCSA is repealing for-hire motor carrier routing regulations as they relate to serving municipalities and unincorporated communities, according to a notice posted on Tuesday.

“The purpose of this final rule is to remove an outdated regulation … as it no...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-streamlines-regulations-on-truck-routing-civil-penalties

Legislation aims to jump-start rollout of driverless vehicles

WASHINGTON — New legislation introduced in the Senate attempts to spring the U.S. Department of Transportation into regulatory action that will lead to commercial rollout of driverless cars and trucks.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have initiated rulemakings to establish a regulatory framework for driverless cars and trucks but have yet to issue final rules.

“For nearly a decade, Washington has talked about autonomous...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/legislation-aims-to-jump-start-rollout-of-driverless-vehicles

FMCSA unveils 18 proposed rule changes

WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is proposing 18 rule changes aimed at simplifying regulatory compliance for truck drivers and motor carriers.

According to a list of notices published on Tuesday, the proposed rules, to be formally released on Friday, will have 60-day comment periods.

The rules include:

Removal of self-reporting requirement

FMCSA proposes to revise its regulations requiring commercial driver’s license holders to self-report motor vehicle violations to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-unveils-18-proposed-rule-changes

RXO Q2 2025 truckload market forecast: Inflation continues but at slower pace

(Chart: RXO)

RXO recently released its Q2 Truckload Market Forecast, which found that despite economic turmoil, the U.S. truckload space remained relatively calm according to shippers’ KPIs. RXO’s Curve forecast reported a 9.1% year-over-year increase in spot rates, a slight drop from the 11.6% growth in Q4 2024. Notably, contract rates grew for the first time since late 2022.

FreightWaves’ Todd Maiden writes, “A trend – largely in place since 2023 – of soft freight demand, reductions in carrier...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/rxo-q2-2025-truckload-market-forecast-inflation-continues-but-at-slower-pace

Lawmaker introduces bill codifying English proficiency for truckers

WASHINGTON — A change in policy this week by the Trump administration placing truck drivers out of service for violating English proficiency regulations was followed up on Friday by new legislation that, if passed, would codify the new policy into law.

Introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Dave Taylor, R-Ohio, the bill, to be called Connor’s Law, is named after Connor Dzion, an 18-year old killed in Florida in 2017 by a distracted truck driver unable to read warning signs alerting to upcoming...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/lawmaker-introduces-bill-codifying-english-proficiency-for-truckers

Senate cancels California’s clean-truck waivers

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to repeal a waiver granted to California by the Biden administration that the trucking industry considered costly electric vehicle mandates by requiring much of the industry to achieve zero-carbon emissions by 2035.

The Senate also voted to repeal a waiver that tightens nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission standards for heavy-duty trucks.

The nullifications of California’s Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) and Low NOx Omnibus rules, accomplished through two...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/senate-cancels-californias-clean-truck-waivers

FMCSA makes up to $90M available in FY2025 grants

WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has opened fiscal year 2025 applications for three discretionary grant programs that emphasize driver safety training, truck parking and trucking applications that employ real-time data.

“These grants, which could total more than $90 million, will fund projects that advance the development and delivery of motor carrier safety training to non-Federal employees and provide commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operator training to future...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-makes-up-to-90m-available-in-fy2025-grants

Duffy restores enforcement of English language proficiency rules for truckers

AUSTIN, Texas — In a high-profile announcement, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy signed an order Tuesday to reintroduce strict enforcement of English language proficiency standards for commercial truck drivers. Backed by President Donald Trump’s recent executive order, the policy marks a shift in how the Department of Transportation will handle driver qualification violations moving forward, placing language noncompliance back on the list of criteria for placing drivers out of service.

“W...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/duffy-restores-enforcement-of-english-language-proficiency-rules-for-truckers

NTSB finds illegal exit ramp parking contributed to deadly crash

Jennifer Homendy

WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that a lack of available truck parking was a factor in a deadly truck crash, and the agency wants the Department of Transportation to do something about it.

The NTSB voted on Tuesday to approve the findings and recommendations related to the crash that occurred in Highland, Illinois, in 2023, in which a Greyhound bus careened into three tractor trailers parked illegally on the shoulder of an exit ramp outside the Silver Lake...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/ntsb-finds-illegal-exit-ramp-parking-contributed-to-deadly-crash

OOIDA’s fight against AB5 in California dealt another loss

The last-gasp battle against implementing California’s AB5 independent contractor law in the trucking sector has taken what might be its final blow in a federal appellate court.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for the second time that AB5 does not violate various laws that might have kept it from becoming the law of the land in trucking. AB5 has been in effect in numerous other sectors since the start of 2020, though dozens of industries have been granted exceptions from the law.

The...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/ooidas-fight-against-ab5-in-california-dealt-another-loss

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