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The Department of Transportation (DOT) is looking to revise or eliminate approximately two dozen federal trucking regulations. While many of these changes are minor, some are considered outdated or unnecessarily burdensome for truck drivers.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated during a May 29 announcement, “My department is cutting redundant and outdated regulations that are unduly burdensome, waste taxpayer money, and fail to ensure safety. These sensible changes will help create a more efficient government that aligns better with the needs of the American populace. The failures of big government are clear.”
The proposed changes include eliminating the requirement for trucks to have their rear-impact guards permanently marked or labeled by the manufacturer, as well as the obligation for commercial driver’s license holders to report any motor vehicle violations to their home state.
Other regulations identified for removal as part of the “unleashing prosperity through deregulation” initiative include:
- Allowing an exception for rear license plate lamp requirements on truck tractors towing trailers.
- Clarifying tire requirements for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) to remove the necessity for load restriction markings.
- Eliminating obsolete mandates from various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards related to seating, side impact protection, and roof crush resistance.
- No longer requiring retroreflective sheeting on semitrailers since most already use it.
- Removing the in-vehicle electronic logging device operator’s manual requirement for CMVs to keep track of certified ELD vendors.
- Changing the requirement for motor carriers and intermodal equipment providers to sign and return roadside inspection forms.
- Modifying the definition of “medical treatment” in accident reporting based on new FMCSA guidelines.
“My department is cutting redundant and outdated regulations that are unduly burdensome, waste taxpayer money, and fail to ensure safety,” Duffy reiterated. (Francis Chung/Bloomberg)
While many of these updates may seem trivial, DOT emphasizes that the overall deregulatory package will effectively rescind, amend, or withdraw regulations that offer no safety benefits. This effort also simplifies the Code of Federal Regulations by removing over 73,000 words from the Federal Register, according to DOT.
Last month, President Donald Trump issued an executive order mandating that commercial drivers in the U.S. must be proficient in reading and speaking English. The order instructs the federal government to monitor commercial driver licenses issued by states to those who do not reside in the U.S.
This executive order also called upon Duffy to rescind an Obama-era policy, detailed in a 2016 memo, that paused regulations requiring non-fluent drivers to be placed out of service during roadside inspections.
In line with presidential directives on streamlining regulations, DOT has been engaging with truckers, trade organizations, and small businesses to gather suggestions for ensuring lawful regulations while reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens.
Trump’s executive orders since his inauguration on January 20 have aimed to cut regulations wherever feasible. Notably, a January 31 order mandates that agencies identify at least ten existing regulations for repeal when proposing any new one, a more ambitious target than the previous “2 for 1” order from Trump’s first term.
