WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has extended the timeline for various potential trucking regulations to 2026, including a second proposal aimed at addressing purported price gouging by freight brokers.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initially published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding broker transparency in November 2024, following requests from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and the Small Business in Transportation Coalition (SBTC), which garnered more than 5,000 comments. Based on a request from SBTC, the comment period was reopened earlier this year, attracting an additional 2,000 comments.
Now, according to the latest regulatory agenda from the U.S. Department of Transportation, published this week by the Office of Management and Budget, FMCSA has scheduled the release of a second broker transparency NPRM for May 2026.
Alongside this, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is postponing the consideration of a rule requiring side-guard equipment on trailers and semitrailers, aimed at reducing injuries and fatalities in collisions with passenger vehicles, until at least January 2026.
The comment period for an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) on side underride guards, which concluded in July 2023, is still under “analyzing comments” status. This will remain until at least January 2026, according to the agenda. The proposal’s contentious nature has sparked a debate between safety advocates, who emphasize the potential lives saved, and trucking industry representatives concerned about costs and the lack of data on the effectiveness of the equipment.
The latest agenda also discloses that a combined final rule from FMCSA and NHTSA on Automatic Emergency Brakes for heavy trucks, initially planned for release in January, will now be reissued as a supplemental proposed rule set to be published in December.
Additionally, the heavy-truck speed limiter rule has been removed from FMCSA’s agenda, following the Trump administration’s announcement in June regarding its cancellation. Other rulemakings currently on FMCSA’s agenda have been rescheduled for May 2026, including:
Pre-rule Stage
- New entrant safety assurance process: Implementation of section 210(b) of the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 (delayed from June 2025).
- Minimum training requirements for entry-level commercial motor vehicle operators; additional curriculum and training provider requirements (delayed from December 2024).
Proposed Rule Stage
- Motor carrier operation of Automated Driving Systems-equipped commercial motor vehicles (delayed from December 2024).
- Clearinghouse implementation revisions; controlled substances and alcohol use and testing (delayed from March 2025).
- Electronic Logging Device revisions (delayed from June 2025).
- Safety fitness procedures (delayed from June 2025).
Final Rule Stage
- Amendments to the commercial driver’s license requirements; increased flexibility for testing and for drivers after passing the skills test (delayed from June 2025).
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